Anyone done a 150,000+ event?

[christopherobin]

I have been frustrated by these 2-3k attendance, one day shows that net me a couple hundred bucks a shot so I was thinking about biting the bullet and dropping the near $1000 on a space at a mega-event.

I hear some guys talk about doing three of these a year and making like $40k selling marbles and shit.

My assumtion is that they're talking out their asses, but I hear plenty of other vendors (like T-shirts) say the make $10K at one of those kind of shows...Similar price point, but I'd have to go with about 4-5 hundred pendants and marbles on me.

Anybody done anything that big. 100-200K in attendance? Is the booth price worth it?

[somberbear]

glass is a luxury , at most event i have been to food/bev is the money maker the whole time,with week long events , there seams to be a high cheap start as people filter in and look around , then the more spendy and nicer things will pick up twards the end...

what you really can make at these events can be people to network to sell after the event...

[Alfred]

Bonnaroo used to be good.

[J Howard]

the really big phish shows definitely were worth the effort. anything with enough people should cover it assuming your exposure is ok and the product line suits the crowd. high end wine goblets probably won't make you rich at a nascar event

[BlueDevil]

seattle hempfest is a great event. 125,000 folks each day (2 days) and the entry price is FREE! Now they have some $ to spend. I do pretty well every year I am there and keep going back and keep upgradeing my booth space each year. (returning venders get first pick) I sell alot of all the glass I make even pendants and marbles.

Lee

[gandolf420]

I have volunteered at Seattle Hempfest for the past 8 years.
I know there is a lot of glass competition, however, if you have something that is at all unique, or you have the gift of gab... I'd say get a strolling vendors pass and you can make the money back in a decent hour. I usually bring glass that friends produce, sit at a friends blanket and sell out, outside the venue, within a day.

I don't know about pulling 50K, but I do not have trouble selling what I bring.
I've never bought the booth space... I like being personal. However, really depends what you have to offer, how you market... I know guys that get some scantily clad females usually have a good crowd gawking around their booths.

I know food is the money. I have a friend who makes truffles that pulls 50K off of Sea- Hempfest... and Bonaroo... That's for certain. PM if you have specific questions...

[Alfred]

In the previous Bonnaroo's (2-4) I sold everything I brought and so did Gremlin,I was usually only able to get about $2000 worth together in time for the show ,but Grem brought considerably more.Like I said we always sold out of everything before we left.Hell last year we sold out ,but they cracked down hard on pipes so we had to go stealth.:o:

[skip]

Typically 8x's booth fee is a good show. At a $1000 for a booth that's $8,000 dollars. You may do that at a wholesale trade show over a couple days but good luck selling $8,000 retail out of a booth in 2 or 3 days. Unless of course your talking about selling pipes at a festy thats another story. I wouldn't pay more than $500 a booth for a retail show.

[Doc Holliday]

thanks skip, good info

[leapingbeaverATL]

I did bonnaroo for the last 6 years, but the price has gotten extreme and it is hard to make enough stuff(by yourself) to make it worth wild. I usually cleared 10-15k in the weekend but i would stock pile for 6 months prior. I think the booths are $2500 now for crafters but they limit what you can sell(i.e pipes are no go) and after working 15hour days in 100degree heat doesn't really seem worth to me anymore. not to mention you use to be able to vend in the campground for free, but those days are over, they were taking peoples glass last year and kicking them out:bummed: goodbye good old days