What are some tips for organizing and packing for shows?

[pampered.chris]

What products do you take to shows?
How many trips does it take you to unload your vehicle?
Do you only carry what you need for the demo?
Do you bring all of the New stuff to each show and if so, for how long do you do this? Entire selling season or just a month?

I am cleaning out my bags and trying to re-organize everything and was just wondering what everyone else does to try to get some new ideas!

Thanks for your help!!

 

[pamperedlinda]

I take only what I need for the demo. Maybe one or two other things. I do pack my TTA with as much as it will hold. It takes me 2 trips to my car to unload and reload. Three trips if I have to take my table.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I take what I need for the demo, and host specials for months I am booking.

Right now, I am also taking a small selection of new products.

I take the New Consultant Tote with all of my demo products, The CarryAll Tote with all of my paperwork, catalogs, and laptop, and the old red crate with a few extra products. On the trip home, the extra products are in New Consultant Tote, and dirty dishes are in the Red Crate.

 

[pampered.chris]

Do you bring upcoming hostess special products?

I have a show tomorrow and I think the salad and berry spinner sells best when seen.

I don't want to carry every upcoming month specials and I really don't want to carry alot at all. I just put everything in my show to go bag and it is heavy...probably due to the 12"skillet and lid, but I use that peice as my "try-me" peice...I can't give it up b/c it has booked 13 shows for me and sold about 10+ sets of cookware. (as hostess 1/2 prices but...oh well)

 

[pampered.chris]

Is the New consultant tote wide open or are their dividers?

 

[PCMelissa]

There are pockets on one side, and a large pocket- large bar pan fits- with a velcro strap.

 

[jrstephens]

I take what I need to demo the recipe. I may take some spices and cookbooks b/c they do not take up a lot of room. I have a wicker basket I got from the Dollar Store - if it does not fit in that basket it does not go. I rarely taking the coming months specials. I use to think I need to take them and everything else, but since I stopped taking them it has not effected my bookings at all.

I have an AllinOne tote I got from My Thirty One with my name on it that carries my catalogs, order forms, survey slips, prizes and pens. It goes on top of the wicker basket.

I have a carrying case with my laptop. Normally takes me two trips, one for the basket and one for the laptop. Since I am pregnant I have been getting my host to carry the wicker basket, so, it gets done in one trip.

 

[CookingwithMary]

2 trips to/from the car. Today I brought a premade cake, that meant 3 trips.

Consultant tote- with demo/interactive product & recipe items. Items like jam or nuts in Prep Bowls. 29 Minute & new Grilling cookbooks, saute pans, apron, assortment of seasoning bottles, PC towels. Small bar pan to show stonewear if I'm not making a stoneware recipe.

Tool turnabout loaded with spatulas, thermometer, etc. Wonderful ice breaker! Won't leave home for a show without it.

FWIW, I prefer to buy my own fresh, quality ingredients...aka "Free Show". Insulated food bag, if necessary (for sorbet, frozen juice, sparkling water, soda, chocolate, refrigerated pastry, cheese). Otherwise-plastic bag inside the tote.

Shallow Rubbermaid box for dirty dishes. Sometimes a PC shipping box.

For catalogs, paperwork and purse, I use a PC over- the- shoulder style 'messenger bag'. It also holds my 'Show Book" -1" plastic binder in Spring Green with page protectors of current and upcoming specials, show recipe, and my Consultant Planner.

 

[wadesgirl]

2 trips to the car unless I have to bring in the table. I have most of the products needed for all recipes I offer during the season in my crate and TTA. Then I have another bag that has catalogs, flip top chart, etc. I always bring my catalog tote bag because it has my calendar and bank bag in it. Sometimes I have another tote bag for larger items like the fluted pan if I have to bring that for a recipe. I've mastered the carrying of my products. I usually take my catalog tote bag with me to the door first. I don't like to have my hands full when I arrive at the house for the first trip. Then I can survey the house and see where everything should go. The I put TTA over one shoulder and catalog tote over another shoulder. Then I pick up the crate and carry everything in at once. No more trips needed unless I have the third bag or the table.

 

[lkprescott]

I used to take just about everything... what changed my mind was breaking my back (figuratively) trucking in a bunch of stoneware for a January show where I sold.... only one piece of stoneware - even with it on sale.... before then I'd make sure I had guest/host pieces to show and lug that all in plus all my kit stuff and it was heavy and I learned that for myself, less is more. I now take my TTA in its own bag filled with what I can get in there. I also have two big bags... my new consultant bag and a slightly smaller one. Depending on what I'm making I'll chose ONE of those and put in it what I need for the recipe I'm making, my table cloths, extra things that don't fit in my last PC bag which is my briefcase/messenger bag which holds my lapboards (each one already set up with catalog, wish list, order form and drawing slip), my laptop and assorted supplies like pens, name tag stickers, SBCBs, et al... all of those 3 bags, I like to be able to carry to keep it to one trip. Only other bags I have are grocery bags of food items... The last show I had proved this method to be VERY helpful as I schlepped up a long side walk and three flights of concrete stairs... yes, less is more. LOL... I realized I had forgotten a number of things I wanted to bring too (not for the demo, just to show) and it was okay... I used it to my advantage saying how I use my stuff so often it ends up in the sink, dirty instead of sitting clean in my bag all the time. LOL