Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I hear that Creating Keepsakes is coming to phoenix in september. Mostly scrapbooking? I am more of a stamper. Does anyone know of any good rubber stamp conventions that go on in arizona, especially coming up?
I agree that it is worth going to CKC even if you don't scrapbook. The last one I went to had plenty of stamp vendors and stuff that would appeal to non-scrappers. See what classes they offer too - you might be surprised!
I went to the CKC in Valley Forge, PA. I saw very little that wasn't heavily scrapbooking geared--very few stamps there. Not that I was in the least disappointed, I dropped a few bucks with the vendors. I'm never quick enough to get in to the classes I'm interested in. Few LSS leads to classes that are very in demand when the event is only once a year!
OK, just seeing that mullycat was probably at the same event I was--and has a different opinion. I'm just partial to events that are primarily stamping, like Heirloom Pro shows.
OK, just seeing that mullycat was probably at the same event I was--and has a different opinion. I'm just partial to events that are primarily stamping, like Heirloom Pro shows.
You are correct! But I went last year - couldn't make it this year - so maybe there were different vendors...
I've been to CKC in my area twice, and the rubber stamp shows. CKC doesn't have as many stamps to get, but they have just about anything else you could want that you can incorporate into cardmaking/crafting. I go just to shop, but the classes are really popular too. I actually won the card contest this year at CKC St. Louis, so that was pretty cool. My mom won a sizzix sidekick from the sizzix booth. It was pretty cool! We're both more stampers/cardmakers, but we still have a good time.
For CKC it depends on what you are into. I've been to the Valley Forge CKC for the last four years and typically take a mix of classes. A lot is geared to scrap booking however there is a lot of cross over between scrap booking and card making these days depending on what you are in to.
At the VF Vendor Faire you can find a wide variety of paper, embellishments, tools, etc. If you are into die cutting there is typically a spellbinder, sizzix, cricut, quickutz and pazzles vendor for each. Technique Tuesday typically has a booth with the majority of their current clear stamps. The sizzix booth has quite the collection to view. I liked it for the fact I could turn the die over to get a real idea of what shape it cut and it�s size. Okay maybe I did come home with 2 dies that were 50% off too. Some booths offer specials and sales but others are regular price. It is a good opportunity to have a variant of stuff in one area to look at and compare.
As for classes, they do tend to be more scrapbook related however they have been adding more altered type classes and occasionally a card class. Technique Tuesday offered two classes this year. I took the Love Bug one which I enjoyed. It was a scrapbook page however you did receive one of the full $9.99 clear stamp set, 2 small ink pads (spot size) and a sheet of their tiles to work with. Better yet even with all the TT stamps I have I never knew you can stamp with the reverse image. With CKC the thing I like is you pay by the class. If you take three classes this year you can get a two day vendor faire pass included.
You are correct! But I went last year - couldn't make it this year - so maybe there were different vendors...
I swear, there were at least 20 booths of laser cut titles and layovers. OK, I may be exaggerating a bit, but they were everywhere! That really seemed like overkill to me.
And this goes back to the lack of stores in the area, but it was packed. So crowded that shopping was a bit difficult. I'd elbow my way around a booth, picking up maybe 2 or 3 things, only to turn around and see a line 12 people deep waiting to pay. I put a lot of things back because I just couldn't stand it. I left as quickly as I could--I just don't deal with crowds well.
All of the stamping shows I've been to are much less crowded. The Heirloom one can get a bit crazy when they start doing the giveaways, but it's generally much more shopable.
I swear, there were at least 20 booths of laser cut titles and layovers. OK, I may be exaggerating a bit, but they were everywhere! That really seemed like overkill to me.
And this goes back to the lack of stores in the area, but it was packed. So crowded that shopping was a bit difficult. I'd elbow my way around a booth, picking up maybe 2 or 3 things, only to turn around and see a line 12 people deep waiting to pay. I put a lot of things back because I just couldn't stand it. I left as quickly as I could--I just don't deal with crowds well.
All of the stamping shows I've been to are much less crowded. The Heirloom one can get a bit crazy when they start doing the giveaways, but it's generally much more shopable.
I agree about the crowds and being packed...definitely makes it hard (and less desirable) to shop. Oh, and I don't get the laser cut titles and layovers excitement either! I'll definitely have to check out an Heirloom show - thanks for the tip!
i was at CKC in Ft. Lauderdale, and I thought there was quite a bit of stampy stuff. . .at least a couple of basically all stamping stuff plus other stuff here and there.
I went to Creating Keepsakes show in Mesa with a friend, it was very crowded, I think it was $10 for admission. We took a few classes that were an hour long, it was very fast paced and a lot of peoples in the room, I think it sells out.
I see only Stamping with Judith and a booth Tuesday something? with stamps at the Creating Keepsakes show. The Judith Stamps booth got mad at the people for taking pictures at the booth of the cards they have hanging up. They tell the customers they need to buy the books they offer, not take pictures.
I think the Judith Stamps are like old fashion style? The people at the booth were wearing overall costumes like a farmers. They have a lot of stamps with country look that I saw.
I went to another rubber stamp show that have not much stamps, but they have bras for ladies, a man playing a flute, metal wall hangings, tuperwear, candles, and more stuff that wasn't anything with stamps or scrapbooks. I don't know what show this is, but it is not so good.
I forget to add this, I just read this about Create Keepsakes from a Vendor who does the shows, it is very interesting. They make a lot of money from the shows, without spending much.
--------------------
As a vendor this is what is more than likely what CK is raking in on an average show....
It is more like 5000 admissions X 2 days= $100,000
Vendor Booths 150 X $750 = $112,500
Large vendor sponsor fees and required donations like door prizes. CK doesn't give anything to anyone unless it is old outdated magazines when and if all the other donated stuff is gone. Cost to CK=$0
Sales at the CK booth ???? They always seem pretty crowded and just about everyone has a CK tote or T-shirt on. You do the math.
Classes: Multiply how many classes and how much they are and how many students in each class. They get all the money for classes except a small class fee that is paid back to the vendor. The sponsor or vendor supplies everything for the class and the teachers salary. All the product for all the CK sponsored classes are donated by big vendors. Cost to CK= $0. CK profits = all of the class fees which is pretty substantial.
Crop fees. They get 300 people for three nights at $30 a piece. Any goody bag stuff is donated by the vendors. CK= $0. CK profits = $27,000
Any vendors who sell at the crop must pay a fee. Any vendors that sponsor or make a presentation at the crop must pay a fee. Vendors who want to advertise or offer a coupon must pay a fee. More money for CK.
They usually get the classrooms and hotel rooms for their staff for free since the hotel knows that they will sell out all the hotel rooms. Cost to rent out the venue is only the cost of the exhibit hall and they probably get a huge discount on that.
The only real cost to CK is the cost of their small staff and their associated travel costs. They run the whole thing primarily through volunteers who do most everything and get some old magazines.
They just rake in all the money while the vendors and the volunteers do all the work and pay for everything. No wonder that CK is adding more and more shows every year.
It always amazed me that if someone doesn't think the show is good or has a bad experience they blame the vendors or the teachers and never CK. Maybe they should think about how tired the vendors are to be asked for more and more money and donations each year as they watch their sales and attendance at the shows decrease.
They usually get the classrooms and hotel rooms for their staff for free since the hotel knows that they will sell out all the hotel rooms. Cost to rent out the venue is only the cost of the exhibit hall and they probably get a huge discount on that.
The only real cost to CK is the cost of their small staff and their associated travel costs. They run the whole thing primarily through volunteers who do most everything and get some old magazines.
Not to defend CK, but I think you're greatly underestimating costs involved here. I'm sure their staff isn't paid minimum wage. And travel costs add up rather quickly. Hall rentals don't come on the cheap either, at least in the Philadelphia area. I'm not sure if the VFCC is a union hall, but that's another fee, to both CK and the vendors.
And there's also advertising costs. They don't just advertise in their own magazines, there's probably a decent sized ad budget as well.
While vendors are paying large sums to be at these events, they're also taking in large sums of money. They reach a retail audience, making twice what they'd make selling to their wholesale accounts. It's also great advertising for the vendors.
I see it as a mutually beneficial arrangement. Nobody is forcing these vendors to attend these events. They wouldn't come (and pay) if it wasn't beneficial to their businesses. And as a crafter, I was really grateful for the show. There are precious few sources in my area for stamping and scrapping supplies, so my entrance fee of $6 was less than the shipping on a single internet order, and I got the benefit of seeing the product with my own eyes.
I agree with you on that CK is not raking in as much as people would like to think. I just got back f/ the Tulsa show and there were no were near 150 vendors. I would say closer to 50. I know that CK has to book so many rooms in order to get a discount on anything and they furnish breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the vendors or at least they did in Tulsa.
CKU and Other Conventions??
