Bridal Show Aftermath

regionweddings

I started a thread here recently seeking advice for my first bridal show. I thought I'd chime in with the results. Here are some points that come to mind from the show...

1.The advice I got the most on here and elsewhere was to not have price list. I held to this promise but had a stash of pink envelopes with pricing brochures hidden. I gave a few out to folks who spent time with me and asked. For the most part, I chatted, asked questions, gave out material that did not have pricing on it.

2. I gave away a Chicago Sessions Engagement Package in which the entry form asked for contact info, date of wedding, best time to call and asked if they had their wedding photographer yet.

3. The response was great, had about 100 brides visit the booth and they were very enthusiastic. Lots of big prints displayed along with a looping slideshow on a big screen.

4. Picked my winner that night which was announced on my website. Emailed the non-winners with an offer to meet and discuss their wedding and a discount to book with me. We will do a session in the Spring with the winner and hopefully their wedding this Fall, but they are out of town for two weeks so no meeting as of yet.

5. I set up meetings with 5 couples right at the bridal show for the following week. Unfortunately, all were no shows who did not return calls or emails to confirm. Major bummer. After the fact I had one call me back to set up another date, but abruptly changed their mind right there on the phone and promised to call back. I'm making a black list of these kinds of clients.

6. Many, many others I have contacted via their method of choice and so far only two responses with a date I already have booked and another lowballing me for a $200 wedding.

7. I made lots of contacts with other vendors and these folks were good people.

The show cost $20 per person and there were NO DISCOUNTS so I had I hopes that these were serious inquiries. The organizers did a nice job as this was a very nice facility with lots of room and things were run well. This is their 20th year of doing these shows.

I haven't given up on it quite yet, but very disappointed so far. In talking with potential clients things went very smoothly and they were extremely complimentary. I expected to get a few bookings from the show. My assistant and I were very optimistic with how things went.

I booked three wedding this week, but they found me on their own. So, things are going well and I'm finding clients, but the show has been a bust so far. It was January 30th and I tend to think that if you don't get them within a week or two, then you are done. Then again, it's my first show. We shall see.

To give you a little background, my rapport with clients is very good. I almost always book when we meet. I've only lost one. So while I'm not perfect, I can't think of anything that could have chased people away in this instance. I plan on talking to some of the other photographers to see if they did well from the show. I met with some of them and I believe my work held up well with their work. They were very cool with only one being cold when I introduced myself.

Anyway, so the jury is still out, but thought I'd give the aftermath. Will followup soon.

Ed911

regionweddings wrote: »

I started a thread here recently seeking advice for my first bridal show. I thought I'd chime in with the results. Here are some points that come to mind from the show...

1.The advice I got the most on here and elsewhere was to not have price list. I held to this promise but had a stash of pink envelopes with pricing brochures hidden. I gave a few out to folks who spent time with me and asked. For the most part, I chatted, asked questions, gave out material that did not have pricing on it.

Some of my friends...higher end wedding photographers...have and advertise higher starting prices. This way, you get a better client, and a client that expects to pay at least your miniums.

Just some food for thought.

regionweddings

@Ed - I forgot to mention that I did have a starting at sign posted on the table. They would not see it unless they walked in and took a look at the prints and books. For this area I'm a bit on the low end pricing wise, but not rock bottom. At this show, I was right in the middle from what I saw others have. And yes, many did have their entire package prices listed.

I'm thinking that I need to go a lot higher because I may be in that space where I'm too much for the low end bargain people, but not high enough for the other folks who are thinking that perhaps something is wrong. Pricing is an age old story with us photogs, right?

Since this was $20 per person entry fee, I really thought there would be a better bunch. Perhaps they are, but are silent, slow movers. Still holding out hope.

Shima

Steve - what was your starting price listed at? If you start a lot higher you can always offer them discounts later once they really like your work to make it "affordable" when in reality you only discount to get it at what you actually want to bring home.

I've never done a bridal show myself though, so no experience here.

Weisel

Shima wrote: »

I've never done a bridal show myself though, so no experience here.

I never did one either, although I recently "crashed" one! Well, my 2nd shooter landed us some free tix, so I went there with the express purpose of networking with other vendors, which is a huge new goal of mine. So I did.

A young couple who had been interested in me for a long time wanted to meet me there as well, so I met with them. (they even recognized me from my photo on my site) Just today, I received my contract in the mail from them with my retainer fee for a good sized package. So I guess I got a booking from a bridal show, without bringing anything but my usual briefcase with some prints and contracts inside. That was a rare situation though. Probably a lucky one shot deal.

Steve--I hated hearing your story of how everything has seemed to fizzle after the show. I hope somehow, you land a few of these weddings and make some bucks. It just erks me to death to know all that you went through, and all the smiling faces you spoke to, and they fizzle!! ack!

~Shane

ShepsMom

Steve, I feel your pain. I only went to one show, not a good experience at all, it was run by a chamber i belong too. Brides like to come for "freebies" for discounts and prizes. I had couple specials and girls seemed to be interested, signing up and all that great stuff. After the fact i had a blast e-mail to those who signed up, and i have no heard from them ever again. The complete lead list was provided by the chamber very late, i'd say almost a month after the show, which is ridiculous. So i did another mail blast with "thank you for visiting our booth" and reminder of specials i ran at the show. Nada! I'd say 30% of emails got bounced or didn't even exist. Shame!
I no longer belong to this chamber, but i have 3 more local shows coming up , if i can get at least one booking from all 3 it would be great . I can't list prices, i have a "show up and shoot" price so i don't know how it's going to work. I may offer a good discount if they book right there at the show, other then that, meeting with other vendors is very beneficial and a main reason i attend those.
Better luck next time!

Komal

Thanks for this, Steve. I'm about to do my first show too but these folks are real rookies. After reading your post, I'm thinking that I may not need to be putting too much money into it.

Thanks again!

regionweddings

@ shima Hey, you are Cat and from my area in Northwest Indiana. Correct? I had a sign that listed my lowest priced package at $999.99. This was the Wicker Park show in Highland.

regionweddings

@ Shepsmom I can't really fault the organizers of this one. I think they did right by everybody. Normally I would never blame a potential client. I always feel as though it's my responsibility to "go get 'em", so to speak. However, I really think I had a good approach. It's still possible that something will come and I don't give up easily. Just sent another email tonight. I will keep reporting back. If it's a total bust, that is part of business I guess.

regionweddings

@ Komal I did put a lot of money into mine, but then again I needed more samples anyway. The large prints can cost a pretty penny, but I can't see a bunch of 4x6's up there. If I hadn't made this kind of effort, I'd had blamed myself for the lackluster return so far. At least I know that it wasn't my stinginess that hasn't turned any results yet. I truly think that I go a bad bunch.

One of my appointments had 4 people with her for a total of $80 in entrance fees, but yet they were the lowball offer. I find that perplexing. Oh well. Good luck with your show and please report back.

regionweddings

@Weisel Thanks for the sympathy!! lol

holzphoto

1. i am grateful i do not have to do bridal shows anymore. it seems like they have turned into flea markets.
2. do not raise your prices only to discount them. that only says your work isn't worth what you are asking. be firm and confident and be able to communicate why your pricing is worth what you are asking. when you constantly give out discounts, you only undercut yourself and your value. if you are not worth a certain price, don't ask for it.
3. i have no idea why people would say do not take a price list to a bridal show.

heatherfeather

This is so interesting to me... I wonder if it is a regional thing, but I just did my main bridal fair and kicked booty as far as bookings and things go. And I literally had nothing new at my booth except a dozen roses. (I had ordered stuff, it just hadn't arrived in time, haha. Shipping. ) The fairs I do don't usually charge for entrances... and there were a TON of photographers there. Probably about 1/3, which alarmed me at first, and then I was fine with it.

Glort

The thing that worries me is the envelopes.
If you gave them prices, what are they coming to see you about? You have already given them all the info they need.
To me, it would seem if they turn up to see you later, they are almost committed or think they are making a commitment.

That said, bridal fairs are a funny thing.
I have done them back to back where I literally packed up one show put it in the car and drove to the setup of the next one.
The first was a complete dud and I put all my best litrature etc into and the second one that I thought would be next to useless but only did because anotehr vendor I know booked and paid for the satnd thenn coupldn't do the show was a killer I booked heaps from.

The ultimate irony was there must have been at very least 20% of the people at the second one that were at the first!

I have a formula for bridal fairs that has worked well for me and it revolves around being different and looking different to all teh other vultures there.
I don't know about where you are but here if a bridal fair has 100 stands, you can bet 20-25 of them will be shooters.

If I did a bridal fair this weekend, not only would I not take a price list, I wouldn't take a wedding Photo. I would take one album or a slide show on my laptop. What I would do is promote my glamour photography.
No one else would be doing that, it would appeal to the people there and I would stand out from every otehr shooter.
If you book them for a glam shoot, your 80% there to get the wedding as well as you have already built rapport and trust.

I don't obviously how hard your crunching the potentials but it is important to get a rapport with them ( as limited time as you have to do that) and not give them all the info either in person or on your website so they have to come see you.

It would seem like you have not got some element of your approach right yet but keep thinking about it and even ring some of the clients and ask them why they didn't book you. Start off by asking if you did something wrong (to which they will tell you no every time) but use that as the ice breaker to dig deeper and take notes on what they say as well as make noted of the vide you get and your own thoughts so you can look for a pattern.

I can do bridal fairs and wedding interviews with my eyes closed but I won't scare you by telling you how much money it cost me to get to where I am or how long it took.

Stick with it, work smart and think about things and DO NOT be afraid to chase people up and say " where did I go wrong?"
That has got me bookings on it's own.

Shima

regionweddings wrote: »

@ shima Hey, you are Cat and from my area in Northwest Indiana. Correct? I had a sign that listed my lowest priced package at $999.99. This was the Wicker Park show in Highland.

I used to live in Valparaiso, IN but I moved to CA in July of 2010... now I live in Millbrae, CA just south of SF. I know exactly where Merrillville is I still own my house in Valpo and rent it out currently.