Last weekend was the first wedding expo held at the Clark County Event Center. Patti was able to get a space so we spent part of Friday setting up and then we worked the show on Saturday & Sunday. Whew! It sure seemed like a good idea when I mentioned to Patti about six months ago..."we should have a booth in this show if we can get in". Don't get me wrong - I think it turned out to be a great show. If you didn't know any better you would think this show has been going on for years. The folks who produced and managed the event were fantastic! And the number of brides that attended was a real positive as well. It's just that.... it takes a lot more work than you would expect to put together a nice display and have the right amount of handouts to give people as you talk with them. Patti & I had the opportunity to talk with many brides about their upcoming weddings so we have a great end of 2010 and 2011 shaping up.
Another great side effect from the show was getting a chance to talk with the vendors who shared our aisle at the show - our "neighbors" if you will. We met Vickie Nabors with Gala Gowns, located here in Vancouver (360.750.6700). She is a real sweetheart with a vast assortment of prom, party and wedding gowns. Both new and gently used. A great way to look fantastical and save a little money when prom season gets here. I know Patti is going to be giving her a call when it comes time for our daughter's prom!
Directly across from our booth was Curtis, owner of Weddings & Wines Limousine service. What a class act! I really enjoyed the short conversations we were able to have in between the groups of brides that came through our area. Curtis had his son, Brad, come in and promote his business as well. Brad is the proprietor of Brad's Carpet Cleaning. I am officially starting the Brad fan club and I will be the president of said club. This kid (he's 21. Yes, I am embracing my "mature" age) is a GO GETTER! He has so much enthusiasm for his business. I don't think he realizes we are in the middle of a great recession here. You talk to either Brad or Curtis for more than two minutes and you are charged and ready to take on the world. And if you get both at the same time...WHOA - lookout! Curtis, you and your wife have a lot to be proud of in Brad. He sincerely honors your family name.
Directly across from our booth was Curtis, owner of Weddings & Wines Limousine service. What a class act! I really enjoyed the short conversations we were able to have in between the groups of brides that came through our area. Curtis had his son, Brad, come in and promote his business as well. Brad is the proprietor of Brad's Carpet Cleaning. I am officially starting the Brad fan club and I will be the president of said club. This kid (he's 21. Yes, I am embracing my "mature" age) is a GO GETTER! He has so much enthusiasm for his business. I don't think he realizes we are in the middle of a great recession here. You talk to either Brad or Curtis for more than two minutes and you are charged and ready to take on the world. And if you get both at the same time...WHOA - lookout! Curtis, you and your wife have a lot to be proud of in Brad. He sincerely honors your family name.
The last vendor on our "street" was a real treat for both Patti & I. When we first arrived to the event center, we were only focused on finding our space and getting started with setup. This was the first time we had setup this particular booth display so I only had a theoretical layout on paper...and that always works out ....right? Oh, and two days before the show we found out our space was going from 10x10 to 10x20! Oh joy...i think.
So after about twenty minutes of unpacking and setting up, I started to look around my new surroundings. And who shall I see setting up across the way from us?? Windsor Weddings at the Academy. The same academy chapel where Patti & I got married 18 years ago! We made our introductions to Vicki Greenleaf and shared our personal connection to the chapel.The Academy chapel is also the venue of one of our featured galleries on our wedding website. It worked out great for Vicki to give potential clients an idea of all the unique areas a bride could have pictures taken within and outside the chapel.
Let me say right here, Vicki has been in the wedding biz for a little while in these parts and she is connected! There was a steady stream of industry bigs talking with her. If you have a wedding question - Vicki is all the Google you will need. Sharing Vicki's booth was Corey, owner of Duo con Brio. This is a group that plays classical music for wedding, corporate events and just about anything that would be well served by having a classy bunch of pros playing instruments that I can't even pronounce. He had a DVD on site and that sounded great! I can only imagine how wonderful they sound in person!
All and all we had a great experience at the show. We had the opportunity to share our passion for capturing weddings with numerous brides and we got to meet these great vendors. If you ever find yourself in need of any of their services - please keep these folks in mind. I know I am going too!
Chris
