Steampunk Worlds Fair was AMAZING.
I risk gushing, so I will keep this as brief as I possibly can, and simply say this:
If you can get to New Jersey, any way possible, and you even *think* you might enjoy the Steampunk aesthetic, GO TO THIS EVENT.
A little bit of insight from the vendor end of things:
1. The staff was incredibly sensitive to our needs, very courteous, and extremely helpful. They were by several times a day to see if we were happy, and did their utmost to take care of any troubles or concerns we had.
2. The location was fantastic. We were in what I felt to be a prime location: we could step out of the booth and watch the performances on the midway stage, and there was a good amount of traffic. I heard that most of the other vendors felt the same way. And it's a very good event when most of the vendors think THEY had the "prime" locations!
3. The staff went "above and beyond" to make sure I had power during the show. This was AWESOME because it meant that I could give burning demonstrations! The power actually went out three times in quick succession Friday night--no, I have no idea why--and all three times the staff was quick to respond, quick to restore power, and always very attentive to our needs.
4. The hotel and the staff were both extremely accommodating when it came time to do my class. YES, I actually got to TEACH pyrography at Steampunk World's Fair! They provided me with space, extension cords, a generator--in short, everything I needed to make my class a success.
Some insight on the Personal End:
1. I got to see some of my best friends at this event. It was amazing being able to share this weekend with such fantastic people!
1. I got to see some of my best friends at this event. It was amazing being able to share this weekend with such fantastic people!
Above
you are two of my good friends, Erik (left) and Joe (right). Joe is the
one who took all of the photos you see in this blog post. Erik kept me
supplied with both humor and libations, which definitely helped those
12-hour vending days sail by smoothly. Let's all take a moment and,
wherever you may be, give Joe and Erik a round of applause. THANKS
GUYS.
2. The attendees at this event are, largely, wonderful people. I was nearly overwhelmed with the creativity on display! And seldom have I been to a convention or a fair filled with such courteous, considerate, and gracious people. Perhaps it's simply part of the Steampunk aesthetic itself, but this was an event filled with delightful patrons.
If I may give you just one example? Not only was there zero shrinkage (that means nothing was stolen, for those of you who haven't had the dubious pleasure of working retail)... I actually had someone find some merchandise I had dropped... and return it to my neighbor (because I was not at my booth)... who returned it to me the next morning. That's the level of courtesy we're talking about here.
3. The acts were great! I was fortunate enough to be vending near the Midway Stage, and I got to see some fantastic acts: juggling, tribal fusion dancing, fire spinning by HUBRIS,and of course the amazing (and disturbing) Wick.
4. I GOT TO MEET VICTOR SIERRA. It was brief, but, hey, I got to say hi!
2. The attendees at this event are, largely, wonderful people. I was nearly overwhelmed with the creativity on display! And seldom have I been to a convention or a fair filled with such courteous, considerate, and gracious people. Perhaps it's simply part of the Steampunk aesthetic itself, but this was an event filled with delightful patrons.
If I may give you just one example? Not only was there zero shrinkage (that means nothing was stolen, for those of you who haven't had the dubious pleasure of working retail)... I actually had someone find some merchandise I had dropped... and return it to my neighbor (because I was not at my booth)... who returned it to me the next morning. That's the level of courtesy we're talking about here.
3. The acts were great! I was fortunate enough to be vending near the Midway Stage, and I got to see some fantastic acts: juggling, tribal fusion dancing, fire spinning by HUBRIS,and of course the amazing (and disturbing) Wick.
4. I GOT TO MEET VICTOR SIERRA. It was brief, but, hey, I got to say hi!
Some Cons to the Con:
You know there have to be some downsides. Here they are.
1. The hotel was so-so. We weren't pleased with some of the features in the room (tiny sink with no counter space, limited outlets, curtains that didn't close all the way, leaky shower...) but I admit, hubby and I are royally spoiled when it comes to hotels.
There was also the issue of the hotel food. It was, frankly, crap. And they made you pay BEFORE you sat down at the table, which was just bizzare, and anything you bought outside of the resteraunt had to be bought with the hotel's own special "funny money," all of which, as my friend Amanda put it, "made me feel like a second-class citizen." And I didn't get correct change back for ANYTHING I bought. But maybe that's a Jersey thing. I don't know.
2. Man, was it crowded in that hotel. We were lucky to be on the midway, where there was a lot of space. Inside the hotel, the panel rooms were insanely small and tightly packed, and the vendor rooms were inevitably too crowded to really peruse. NOT that this stopped me from enjoying my time away from the booth! And, really, I suppose it's just one of the marks of a wildly successful event... but it was unpleasantly cramped to be squeezing around in a bustle and corset.
And finally:
3. We didn't make a profit. In fact, we barely covered our expenses.
Now, to be fair, I was severely under-prepared for this show. I didn't have a lot of the items that I wanted to have--items that I feel would have sold well. And, let's face it, this economy is crap. People just don't have a lot of money to "waste" on luxury expenses like art. I get that. So it really doesn't bother me that we maybe broke even.
You know there have to be some downsides. Here they are.
1. The hotel was so-so. We weren't pleased with some of the features in the room (tiny sink with no counter space, limited outlets, curtains that didn't close all the way, leaky shower...) but I admit, hubby and I are royally spoiled when it comes to hotels.
There was also the issue of the hotel food. It was, frankly, crap. And they made you pay BEFORE you sat down at the table, which was just bizzare, and anything you bought outside of the resteraunt had to be bought with the hotel's own special "funny money," all of which, as my friend Amanda put it, "made me feel like a second-class citizen." And I didn't get correct change back for ANYTHING I bought. But maybe that's a Jersey thing. I don't know.
2. Man, was it crowded in that hotel. We were lucky to be on the midway, where there was a lot of space. Inside the hotel, the panel rooms were insanely small and tightly packed, and the vendor rooms were inevitably too crowded to really peruse. NOT that this stopped me from enjoying my time away from the booth! And, really, I suppose it's just one of the marks of a wildly successful event... but it was unpleasantly cramped to be squeezing around in a bustle and corset.
And finally:
3. We didn't make a profit. In fact, we barely covered our expenses.
Now, to be fair, I was severely under-prepared for this show. I didn't have a lot of the items that I wanted to have--items that I feel would have sold well. And, let's face it, this economy is crap. People just don't have a lot of money to "waste" on luxury expenses like art. I get that. So it really doesn't bother me that we maybe broke even.
In fact, over all, the Steampunk World's Fair was such an overwhelmingly positive experience, both hubby and I agree that we want to do it again... even if that means taking a significantly greater loss next year.
It's that good of a show.
Here's to NeoVictorians, Makers, and Steampunks everywhere!
We loved it!
We applaud it!
And, Gods willing, we'll see you again next year, better equipped, better prepared, and ready to party like it's 1899!
No comments:
Post a Comment