Twin City Bike Show

[drphill]

Oh yes, it is VERY expensive to be an exhibitor at an IMS show or any show for that matter unless its a swap meet, but even then its debatable.

From my personal experience in exhibiting with the Chicago IMS show...you can figure on paying roughly 3k (or more) to stand there for 3 days to pass out business cards, watch people & drink beer.

Most booths are 10ft x 10ft and start at about 1K. The bigger booths (usually the leather people) run 3k+ and OBTW, it is a first come first serve basis on open slots. You might end up in a high traffic area or you might end up in a side room with little traffic...sign up and take your chances.

If you want electric for computers or lights it was around $150 A DAY, and if you "need" something plugged in you have to have an electrician do it for you...for a slight phenomenal fee.

Oh, your light bulb just burned out? call an electrician and they will gladly replace it for you...and bill you for the bulb you hand them all for another slight phenomenal fee.

Need a banner hung? The sign workers will bring a lift and hang it for you...for another slight phenomenal fee.

Want to stand of nice cushy soft carpeting? The flooring people will gladly arrange it for you...for another slight phenomenal fee.

Selling stuff? keep in mind SOME shows take 10% of your total sales for the weekend. You better do good and pay up or your booth/space will be "unavailable" next year.

Your want an internet connection? Its around $100 A DAY and don't even think about trying to use your phone in there to skirt the charge...

Wanna bring in a bike to exhibit? make sure you drain ALL the gas, anti-freeze, and sometimes the oil. Fuggadabout even cranking it over or riding it into your booth 2 1/2 miles from the loading zone....sometimes the battery comes out too. It must pass inspection and get a little sticker before it can see the show floor.

Oh yeah, the show management has the right to shut you down too IF they find YOU, your booth or materials in your booth objectionable...hence the lack of scantly clad "brand ambassadors" that used to grace the booths. Also the covert drinking ($7 for a 12oz Miller Light!) and patched (1%er) organizations.

so....let's do some math.

1K for the 10x10 booth
450 for 'lectric
400 for the interwebs
240 for parking ($20/day x 4 people)
300 in "fees" for tasks you should be able to do but the work rules won't allow
300 for carpeting 'cuz standing on concrete all day is no fun.
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roughly $2600 in fees just to be in the show.

...and that's not including food, hotel (avg $100 a night), promotional materials, payroll for your booth staff, "stuff" (trinkets) to hand out, travel to and from the show (set up is Thursday night)

Finally, a client of mine (a custom painter) figured he had to book a minimum of 10 paint jobs (at roughly 1K a piece) or other work just to cover his expenses to be at the show. Anything above was "profit"...he wasn't there last year.