There are two bridal shows on this side of the suburbs that are concentrated to businesses on this side of the cities.. The IL's have gone to the smaller one and said they really didn't get much if any business from them, so they stopped going. BUT, food is a completely different monster in that the idea is to get their little salivating little tongues in the door..

Benefits:
1) I haven't sold SQUAT yet and this gets my name out there with brides.
2) It puts my name out there in the local papers for the event advertising.
3) What I'm doing now and advertising only in the flyer the IL's put out and a website isn't working!

Drawbacks/Problems:
1) The bridal show takes place when my kitchen is shut down for the winter and it's a BIG issue for me to use the kitchen space during this time of year though not completely out of the question as long as I don't mind all-nighters when everyone else is out of the space.
2) Dealing with #1's personalities
3) Costs quite a bit for samples, though I've got the base ingredients in-stock and it's not like I need to do a ton of decorating on them.
4) Costs about $300 just to get a booth at the blasted show by the time all is said and done. It's $175 for the table, $50 doorprize REQUIRED, and each bride gets $50 "Bridal Bucks" to spend with any vendor in attendance. Let's not forget gas and running to get there for the other $25
5) Have to sell at least 3-4 cakes to recoup the costs.
6) It'll cost me for the dummies to have there to display.
7) We're planning to build a house in the next year with a poll building that contains a licensed kitchen for me and a storage area/office for DH..

SO, the question to all of Ya'll... Are bridal shows TRULY worth the time and effort????

I have done a couple in the past, but did not find that they were particularly profitable for me. Seems if I break even, it's practically a miracle.

I'd recommend that you might send your flier to any engaged couple in the newspaper ... provided you can get a good address. Here where I live they come out on Saturdays, so I can mail them once a week, only 3-10 each time, so cost is pretty minimal. These will sometimes turn into great advertising ... if the person who I sent the flyer to does not need my services, she gives it to a friend who in turn may want me. I suggest it in the flyer.

Also, contact your local churches and ask if they would be willing to provide your business card to engaged couples who ask for referrals. Maybe take a cake to the staff so they can recommend you highly ...

Another thought: how about working with your local bridal salon or hair salon to provide samples on busy weekend days ... they get to offer your cake samples to people, give out your cards, and you get business in return. Their clients go home happy and with a taste for you in their minds, you eventually get the business. And, of course, every cake you do gets your name out to more people, so eventually the word-of-mouth network has you up and running like there is no tomorrow!

But do the "organized" Bridal shows? With all their "requirements" (a mandatory $50 buy-in for prizes .... puh-leeze!)??? I don't think it's worth your time -- yet. Maybe in a few years, when your name is even more well known.

Just my humble opinion, but I feel like giving it away today.

Odessa

I say go for it. I did a bridal show in oct. (my first attempt to get my name out there) and it cost a whole lot more and I've already made that money back, plus the money to pay for the april show, and to buy much needed equipment.
so, I'd say...GO FOR IT!!!

melody

Shows are what helped me get my business going. The last one I did I paid $250 for the booth rental, took 2 displays, photo albums, 4 tiered wedding cake and 3 tiered choc grooms cake. I know for sure I got a $500 wedding cake only, a $950 wedding and grooms cake, a $400 wedding cake only, and a $500 wedding and grooms cake. I think it was worth it and I had 3 other competition there. It was 100 sweating degrees in May and the turn out was small.

I have always gotten orders from these shows, but I have never done the big bridal show. I paid my deposit and will be attending the BIG bridal show 2-11-07, it will cost $395 for the booth. I always do the freebie shows and only paid once for a show that is the one I just mentioned and got a decent amount of orders.

One time I showed up with cake samples and pictures and only got 1 order for $250.

It takes money to make money!
mpc

Also, if wedding cakes is the type of business you want. Where else will you have this many brides in one place? This is what is called "direct marketing."

Be sure to have your best to show and sample. Brides are so educated. If you show and sample crap then you will certainly waste your money.
Maybe that is why the others never did well.

Trust me! I have learned the hard way. I have taken just something to get buy and I wasted my time, the better I showed obviously I got some orders out of it.

This time I will show even better.
mpc

I will be doing my first show in Feb at $595 one table and 2 chairs. Hoping to have several dummies and I have a small flat screen TV to use for pictures on a CD of cakes I have done instead of a Portfolio. Im not sure yet as to how Im going to do taste testings. We also do cookies for weddings so there will be some to view and samples.

I was just talking with my daughter and we are having a plexie glass case made to display cookies and have the portfolio out for viewing. We won't have the cookie samples. Thanks for the imput your right.

My DH is a DJ by hobby and work as a contractor for a big entretaiment company in my state ( the besides his full time job) so one of the owners called me to the office the other day and offered me to promote my work and even give me a display area in the conference room for my work for free, the problem is that I have not experience on displays for cakes I can have a portafolio but how to do display cakes?, I have to meet with this person in three weeks to give him an answer on this.

P.S.
I know this will be a great chance but I have not idea on display.

Marcia

Marcial, you can prepare dummy cakes and make one cake, ice it, fill it and cut it as samples. HTH.

I'm doing a huge one in January (5000 brides!) and scared to death. It will have cost me probably close to $3,000 for brochures, cards, double booth, and TONS of details: rentals, albums, 2 x 3' screen display, drapes, pro lights, custom made banner, 5 dummies, bases and boxes, samples and containers, napkins and waste baskets, raffle tickets, chef jacket, two helpers, permits and licenses I didn't know about, plus kitchen rent, etc, so I'm hoping it will pay OFF or I will not be into doing another one! Heck, this was just supposed to be a fun hobby on the side; not tryin' to build an empire here...

Hopefully it will just be fun and a good way to get the bigger weddings I love doing.

But MAN what a lot of WORK. Especially at the holidays...

I just found a reasonable, but small, bridal show that I can do. After reading some other posts I've become concerned...I'm a home baker, not licensed, BUT I am 'legal'. In my county, I can bake & sell from home, label my product and call it good. This is what my Health Department told me...I have nothing in writing.

What do you think? Am I going to offend the other bakers there that I know are fully licensed? I'm just getting started in weddings so appreciate any of your experienced thoughts & comments.

I have to put in my two cents. For myself i've done the bridal shows. I got sucked in by promises of brides. The ratio of cake vendors was outrageous. The was one florist, 1 wedding planner, 3 caterors and 9 cake makers. Please make sure ahead you ask questions. I did this show twice and lost alot of money. The organizers where more into making money for themselves than there clients. I have done so much better getting out a meeting the venues and wedding planners. If you can find someone who really believes in you could do very well. It will take sometime to prove yourself to these people but they will bring you brides, all they want is for you to take good care of there clients. Hope this helps.
Andrea

I hooked up with "the perfect wedding guide" and they really really want the clients to make money....if we all make money and are happy, we tell other vendors and they get more clients. I am so happy that I took the plunge and did the show. it did cost me almost $700.00 for the booth, but now I have wedding cake orders booked, not to mention all the future business that I will get from this. I also advertised in "the perfect wedding guide book" and on their web site at a steep cost of $1800 per year. but I see that paying off already also.
I am a home decorator, I have a small commercial kitchen in my basement...before the show I had no wedding orders, now I have lots. I have made my money over.
now, at the show there where 8 other cake decorators! but there were 700 brides, and not all brides have the budget for the top known decorators, and even if they do, the well known decorators can't do every brides wedding. I agressively go after my piece of the pie. I have tried to call every bride on my list that went to the bridal show. for me this has really paid off. not everyone wants to do this, but I have lots of orders now, and I have probably 40 brides that want me to call them after first of year to discuss wedding cakes.

the bridal show was the best thing I could've done for my business.

there is another one in april...and I need to get my rear in gear and make some dummy cakes for that.

good luck, and if you do the show, please let us know how it went!

melody

Andrea7, How do you go about meeting with the venues? Do you call and make appointments with the hotel event planners? Do you take samples to them? I would really like to try something along these lines but I don't know how to do it.

And Melodycakes, do you just call the brides out of the blue or do you have them sign up to be called or something like that at the show? I have the lists of brides who attended the bridal shows I was in last year and have debated on doing a mailing of either a postcard or a flyer, but I don't know if it'd do any good.
Thanks,

Good questions, momacs! I'd like these answers as well.

I just start calling up people and hotels. I always repesent the bakery as a scratch, trans fat free bakery. I bring them a ton of samples and just blow them away with all the options. Find out what your knitch is and go with it. I'm a unique cake maker and I want to show that to every person I meet.

Andrea