Vendor Bazaar Ideas: No Stove Needed!

[Kimber1]

Hello Everyone happy Tuesday,

I am in need of ideas. I am doing a vendor bazaar on Friday. There is not a stove that I can use to bake or cook on. So I need to know if there are other ways I can show our products? I was going to do fruits and veggies for the zester and crinkle cutter, apples for the peeler corer slicer.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kim

 

[krzymomof4]

My director suggested making a relish tray on the chillzanne rectangle server and wrap it real tight with plastic wrap. You get to show the product, but not have everyone getting into it.

 

[pamperedchef2]

i have been given this lime and a cucumber show A Full Demo with just a Lime & Cucumber!
AND How to Use a Wish List!
By Julie Gizzi, Executive Director


Sometimes you might want to make something at a Kitchen Show that bakes more than 20 minutes. Sometimes you want to simplify the demo a bit. Here's a possibility that is easy for you!

Every month I choose 1 recipe to demo at all my shows. I do not make an additional recipe even for garnishing! When I made the switch from 2 recipes to 1 every part of my business flourished from sales, to bookings to recruiting! This month I'm doing the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Celebrations Show where I'm preparing the Molten Chocolate Skillet Brownie from the Fall/Winter 2005 Season's Best Recipe Collection. It has a 35-40-bake time, which is too long for a demo. So, I make the recipe as soon as I arrive at the host's house and as guests are arriving they smell the wonderful aroma of chocolate wafting through the air. The aroma is to die for and creates a mood of anticipation right away!

So, if you're making the recipe before the guests arrive how can you demo the products? Easy! Here you'll find a complete demo that will keep your presentation focused on the products and lots of them!! No one will eat the food you're working with so you won't have to worry about presentation!

Here goes:

Ingredients Needed: in addition to the recipe you'll prepare ahead of time ask the host to provide a lime and a cucumber

Use the first couple of pages of the kitchen show outline found in your Recipe for Success under "Presenting Kitchen Shows" that covers the Show Opening, Host Rewards Program, Offer the Business Opportunity and Show Closing.

When you arrive at the host's home prepare the entire recipe that you want to go into the oven, clean up the products you used and set up your work area for the show. No need to prep the lime & cucumber at all.







Products needed for the Lime listed in order of demo:

Cutting Board - mention the features/quality
Lemon Zester/Scorer - show how to zest for coarse shred perfect for garnishing
Microplane - show how to zest for super fine shred, mention uses for gingerroot,
nutmeg, Parmesan, nuts, & chocolate
Chef's Knife (or Utility Knife) - slice lime in half
Citrus Press - invite a guest who loves to make Margaritas or Mexican Food to
juice ½ the lime into the Easy Read Measuring Cups
Easy Read Measuring Cups - holds lime juice
Juicer - juice the other ½ of lime and explain it works especially well for larger
citrus fruits and has a built in measuring cup in the base
Adjustable Spoons - pour juice from juicer into spoon and pour into the prep bowl
Prep Bowls - hold the juice

Products needed for the Cucumber listed in order of demo:

Lemon Zester/Scorer - show how to score (zest, too)
Vegetable Peeler - peel the cucumber all or part of it
Crinkle Cutter - slice off one end and slice a few slices (talk about other fruit and
vegetables you could crinkle cut - watermelon, carrots, celery, potatoes)
Utility Knife (or Quikut Paring Knife) - cut remaining cucumber into 3 equal
chunks without the other end
The Corer - show out to take the "burp" out of the cucumber by removing seeds
Ultimate Slice & Grate - slice the seeded chunk using the adjustable or v-blade
Finally a way to show the julienne blade - stand one of the other chunks on end and slice off a small sliver to allow the cucumber to lay on its side, then julienne (with the food holder)
Apple Wedger - wedge 1 chunk into cucumber sticks
Food Chopper - invite a guest to chop the skin left over from the julienne chunk
2 Kitchen Scrapers - scrape all the slices & julienne pieces into a bowl
Batter Bowl or Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl - Hold the cucumber pieces
Basil Blend Canola Oil - Add 1 tablespoon of oil to cucumbers (measured or not)
Italian Seasoning - Add 1 tablespoon seasoning (easy recipes for dips also)
Small Mix N' Scraper - Stir with scraper
SA Small Bowl/Caddy or Small Square - Pour cucumbers into for serving
Serving Spoon - Serve cucumber salad (you may choose to eat this salad, or not!)
Chillzanne Rectangle Server - show how you could serve veggies in the server that
is then placed in the Woven Rectangle Server
Woven Selections Rectangle Server - Discuss the other Woven Selections pieces
and their versatility for serving and home décor and use as fruit baskets, etc.


The total value of these products NOT including the cookware/stoneware is over $400!!

 

[feliciamck]

Wow...I love the lime and a cucumber idea! I am just getting started (I haven't even done my first show.) I have gotten lots of great ideas and help from this site, but I really love this! It seams to really simplify the show, giving you more time to actually focus on the products and not so much the recipe and it's ingredients.

 

[pamperedchef2]

i do it at almost all the fairs i go to i have had good results make sure you do a door prize

 

[Cindycooks]

I never do a demo at fairs. It's all I can do to keep up with the rush of people and I'd rather be there to answer their questions. I display all our things really nicely and give out a prize. I've never had a complaint and always have good results. I let everyone register for a prize - which I do a drawing at the end and call the winner. The other thing I do is have everyone register for a "free kitchen show" - meaning I bring the ingredients and mail the invitations. Of course, I call everyone that registers and tell them they won.....13 bookings off of the last fair I did, and 3 bridal showers.

 

[MichelleRoth]

I wish!I do the same as you at fairs, Cindy. I just display the product and answer questions. I normally make the 2 minute fudge too.

But, I'm starting to wonder if I had something out, like JUST the chopper that people could try if it would create more attention.

My last fair I had about $400 in orders and only 1 booking. Regardless, it's worth it to me to get my name out there, but I would LOVE to have more bookings when I'm spending the whole day/weekend there.

Only thing is too that if you do the lime and cucumber thing and you are not by a sink, ALL of those tools are dirty. What if your customers want to see them??

I dunno. I think both ways are great, but would rather keep mine more simple. I might just bring some veggies to use with the chopper this time.

M

 

[pamperedchef2]

i put the tools and the lime and thecucumber all on a small table i mostly just deal with the customers however it is a really nice way to draw people in to your booth when you are working with the tools i dont necessary do that complete demo i just pull bits out to draw attention as to "what is she doing"

 

[pcmommy2003]

another ideaI haven't done a vendor fair, but my recruiter did.

She took the wedger and sliced apples. With the shaker, she added the cinnamon plus and sugar to it and called it "Fat Free Apple Pie" because it had no crust.

I thought it was easy because you can cut a couple of apples at a time, depending on how many people are around, or just one if there isn't very many. Plus, it's easy clean up.

LaVonna Strope

 

[Cindycooks]

LaVonna - this is a great idea but I would caution all of you on anything sharp, especially the apple wedger, for liability's sake. I have always been told in my cluster and from the people holding the fair to bring nothing sharp. You never know who may pick up our tools to "see them". I never bring my knives, chopper, USB or chopper. If I do bring them, I keep them hidden in my crate and pull them out if someone specifically ask to see them. There are just too many people around to risk it. That is another reason I do not demo. I so great at fairs just having my stuff out for all to see.

 

[gojuliego]

Vendor showsI do not do a demo either. I bring some product to sell. I have survey slips and a draw for a prize(lot of recruit and show leads here!). I have flyer stand with me with infor for host specials, Why Join flyer, Fundraiser flyer etc. And I talk to people like crazy!

 

[Kathytnt]

How do you handle receipts for purchases at the shows?