Best Bottle Shows for ACL Sodas???????

[glass man]

ORIGINAL: thesodafizz

From what I've heard, the Asheville show is cancelled for 2009. Why? Location problems and lack of interest from vendors, perhaps. The last location they had it at, I like to have never found, and we were using navigation. But the Asheville show used to be a very good one.....

Ok, I am all for a southeast Soda Bottle Show - any suggestions where?

THE ONE I SET UP AT WAS AT SOME HOTEL/MOTEL PLACE. THE AILES WERE SO NARROW ,THAT YOU HAD TO JUST ABOUT TURN SIDEWAYS TO PASS SOMEBODY. I REALLY ENJOYED THE SHOW THOUGH AND STILL HAVE A CATHEDRAL PEPPER SAUCE I BOUGHT FROM THER. PLUS THE SURROUNDING SCENERY WAS BEAUTIFUL TO ME.

 

[thesodafizz]

The Asheville show used to be at the Holiday Inn in Asheville, that's some other hotel now, I think. I believe the problem was that the new hotel management was not interested in hosting the bottle show, so they had to find somewhere else. Their first attempt was at some tobacco barn, or something like that, at one of the exits off I-40 going towards Knoxville from Asheville. It wasn't too bad, vendor-wise, but not sure about customers. This location was where I met Jimmy Timms. They tried some small building off I-26 towards Johnson City side of Asheville that you/d pass without even knowing what it was. I went the first time they had it there, but it was too small for many tables and there didn't seem to be many buyers. Perhaps their attempt to have it there again failed because the vendors didn't send contracts. If they could solve their location problems, I think the Asheville show could resurface as a great show. But....

When I was in Johnson City, the Gray club was the one I belonged to. Still consder myself part of that family, altho I can't get to the meetings any more. I am planning to talk to Melissa about her ideas for locations for our speculated Soda Only show and see what she suggests. She wasn't home last night....

We'll get this thing worked out.

Plus, I have a list of every club that's ever had a show, and approx. when they have it. When I get a free (quiet) moment, I plan to call each of them to see what they have to comment about whether they have soda vendors, or not. Will report my findings.....so everyone can know too.

K

 

[T D]

Thanks Kathy, I really hope something can come of this. Speaking of sodas, Iluvmoxie has been putting some really cool acls on the bay.

 

[acls]

Let's make this happen. My thoughts is that it would work best in the month of June. That is when kids are out of school and parents can plan vacations. I also think it would work best in a semi large city that has some touristy things to do besides bottles.

Here are the hurdles that would need to be addressed:
-Adverstising - Getting the word out about the show locally and nationally
-Hall rental costs
-Renting actual tables
-Volunteer workers for set up, the door, unloading cars
-Signage for in front of the building

Other things to consider would be:
-Food/Catering
-Displays
-Door Prizes/Freebies for Kids
-Contacting a hotel for group rates for people in town for the convention

I think the most effective thing would be to delegate the various jobs to volunteers. Surely out of the hundreds of PSBCA memebers we could find 20-25 volunteers to make this happen. Nashville has several buildings at the Fairgrounds that can be rented with tables and I believe catered. I have been to a rock and mineral show at one of the buildings that is the perfect size.

 

[glass man]

NOT AN ACL COLLECTOR ,BUT AM FOLLOWING THIS CAUSE IT IS INTERESTING. I GOT TO GO TO THE BOTTLE EXPO IN NASHVILLE AND IT WAS GREAT AND A GREAT CITY! [SPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC] MY WIFE LOVED OPRY LAND WITH A LOT OF RIDES ETC. KIDS WOULD LOVE IT! THIS WAS 1996. I LOVED GOING TO THE HARD ROCK CAFE THERE. I THINK THE EXPO WAS AT THE NASHVILLE CONVENTION CENTER. MY BRAIN IS BAD AND I COULD BE WRONG,BUT WHERE EVER IT WAS ,IT WAS A GREAT PLACE AND CLOSE TO HOTELS,EATING PLACES ETC. MAKES ME WANT TO TRY AND FIND MY BOOKLET THAT IS AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE, I GOT FROM THE SHOW. WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOTTLE MEMORIES I HAVE. JAMIE

 

[sodapops]

Tulsa bottle club always put on a nice show, normaly about 150 tables plus. One thing I never understood is why Oklahoma City never did good. Its centrally located between east & west USA it has main highways both north & south and east & west. And also has cheap lodging with lots of places to have a show. Just a thought.

 

[thesodafizz]

The type of show that ACLS describes is a major one. I know from being on the board of the FOHBC what a National Show costs AND that they start everything for it, including location, a year in advance.

Usually, the rental of the facility costs somewhere in the range of $5000-6000 and has to be paid when you reserve the date - which is usually about a year in advance. Then chair and table rental is another expense. To block off rooms at a motel for the show, you have to guarantee they are filled (by contract). For example, if you block 100 rooms for the period of the show at $60 per night and not all of them are booked, the PSBCA would have to pay the motel for the unbooked rooms.

Of course, I also know how the FOHBC does it, but they have the funds up front to use until the table rentals, etc. - come in to put it back.

I am working on something less elaborate for the first show - at least in location (but not in quality of show). If we had 1200 members, we may be more in line to afford a big convention center (like the FOHBC does). But right now, we don't have that kind of budget.

As for volunteers, that would be do-able as I think there are many of you close enough to help out. I don't think lining up displays would be a problem either. Several (many) of our members set up at other shows for displays, and I am sure they'd be more than happy to set up at ours too. We could probably work in a seminar or two - plus a nice PSBCA meeting either before, or after, the show - with food, during set-up, the show & a meal during the meeting. Advertising is also not a problem, I don't think. If the word of a 'soda only' show spread as fast as the word about our upcoming Soda Bottle Book, then we'd be going great.

In other words - I have seen how they (the FOHBC) do the "big shows" and feel we can put on a class act show - just that the location may be less elaborate than a fancy convention center - as least for the first one.

(PS. If a.feasible location could be secured in the Asheville/Hendersonville area, one of our friends owns five motels here. Talk about a good rate, I feel we'd get a good one from him. - BUT the big question is - Asheville? I am looking at east Tenn. for a location that would give us a break on price - and still be a good location. BUT I am open to any area. Just that I know people in these and hoped to at least get an idea of what it might cost.)

Then - one day show? Two day (set-up and earlybird one day + general adm. the next) show? If two day, then Fri. & Sat. or Sat. & Sun.? My opinion is to do a two-day show with the seminars and set-up/early adm. the first day, with the dinner (with awards and stuff) that evening; and then general adm. the second day.

It would most probably be next year before we could do it. For a June (which is a good month - school is out, not too hot yet, etc.) show, it's too close to June to pull it off this year. July & August are hot and all that. Sept.-Dec. - is school.

So, if I gave a big "party" - how many of you would come? How many of you would be interested in setting up? Diaplays? Doing a educational seminar? Dennis Smith? The Big Chief dude? (You wouldn't believe how many questions I get about Big Chief bottles.) Plus - many of you blow me away with the information you put in your posts - so don't think, "I couldn't do a seminar" - just think of it ias a bigger post.

If we were to use a fairground location or something else affordable that would allow enough room for a nice setup of many tables, we can still make the rest of the show as fancy as we'd want it to be.

You know - I really feel we can do this !!!!!!!!!!!! AND do it well.

K

 

[OsiaBoyce]

Nashville is good for central location, but it's hot. Ashville is hard to beat in July, Ashville is hard to beat anytime as far as that goes. Fairgrounds works for me as well as a cow pasture. Two days is good, but I prefer a noon opening. This is what I was talking about in the other post and why Matt. I think an early morn show sucks. Someone might have to drive in the early AM. Ya gotta drive 300 miles for an 8 or 9 opening. Means ya gotta be up at 2 and leave by 3 or 4. Now if ya worked Fri. getting 4 hours of sleep before having to get up for a show is a turn off. Show opens at 12, at a decent time, aint gotta rush to get there. Example Atlanta shows set up and early bird is 6 AM. I'd have to leave here by 3. No thanks I'll pass on this show.

 

[glass man]

PAT: YOU GOT A GOOD AMOUNT OF BEAUTIFUL LAND WHERE YOU LIVE ,FROM THE PICTURES I HAVE SEEN. PLUS YOU WOULD BE RIGHT AT THE SHOW, JUST GET OUT OF BED WHEN YOU WANT ,GO OUTSIDE AND THERE YOU ARE!YOU KNOW THE TAIL GATE THING . PEOPLE BRING TENTS OR FIND MOTELS AROUND YOUR AREA! OR VOLENTEERS COULD THROW UP A BUILDING,THAT YOU COULD USE LATTER FOR WHAT EVER YOU NEEDED IT FOR!YOU COULD CHARGE MONEY TO GET IN OR TAKE A BOTTLE TO GET IN! ,YOU GOT COWS SO COULD SELL FRESH STEAK AND HAM BURGERS AND MILK! MAKE SURE PEOPLE DON'T THRASH THE PLACE AND HAVE A VOLUNTEER CLEAN UP CREW. GET SECURITY IN CASE ANY IF THE BOTTLE PEOPLE GET ROWDY! [YOU KNOW HOW OUT OF HAND BOTTLE COLLECTORS GET! I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF BOTTLE SHOWS I HAVE BEET TO WHERE RIOTS BROKE OUT! [] WOULD'T RECOMEND THE HELL'S ANGELS LIKE THEY DID AT ALTAMONT IN 69,THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO GOOD,BUT A MOVIE ABOUT IT DID COME OUT SO MAYBE...[8D] WELL PAT JUST A THOUGHT,JUST A THOUGHT,A BAD ONE? [] JAMIE

 

[ncbred]

Whatever happened to the Raleigh bottle show? I see they have one in Louisburg, NC now that is sponsered by the Raleigh Bottle Club which is fine by me because its closer to home. Just seems like one at the fair grounds on the weekend would get more attention being there is already a flea market there.