Hello everyone, I've decided to build my wedding cake business this year so I'm getting back into the Bridal Show arena. The last show I did was at an Aquarium, and my pitch was "fish for a discount" and made mini chocolate bars and wrapped with discounts from 10% - 25% on cake orders. I seemed to have a lot of interest and secured 3 orders.

What I'm wondering is if any of you have used different sales tactics at Bridal shows such as raffling off a free wedding or groom's cake or any other fun type things that would help me stand out from the other cake vendors? All input is welcome.

Raffling a free wedding cake can get expensive.  Be sure to limit it to a certain # of servings &/or type.  Be very spasific (sorry I can't spell LOL).  The discount idea is good IF they book w/in a certain time frame.   I have gotten orders for  b'day cakes as much as 2 yrs after someone saw me at a certain show - no discount or special offers - just liked my offerings. 

I raffle a Free Wedding Cake (with a few conditions attached..price, delivery & set up not included etc..), and you get an extra entry if you like our facebook page. I also include a section where you can sign up for our mailing list. So, its a good way get contacts and send out an email  afterwards like "hey remember us for your big day" kind of thing.  

I've not done a raffle or discount before but I do have free cake samples boxed up prettily for brides to try then and there or to take home with them. The boxes have a sticker with my contact details and I also have postcard sized business cards I make sure they take as well.

I've always had a queue of people lining up to chat about cake at bridal expos, sometimes a crowd three deep! After the rush as past, if a potential bride is wandering past, looking a bit non-committal then they are usually persuaded to come and chat cake with me after I say, "Hello there! Would you like to try some cake?"  It's a hard offer to resist!

I've not had anyone book me then and there for their wedding (doesn't seem to work like that at the expos I've been at) but I only do one expo a year and between that one expo, my very minimal advertising and word of mouth references, I am kept hugely busy during the wedding season as well as the usual birthdays, anniversaries etc the rest of the time.

So I guess I must be doing something right!