Friday, April 11, 2008

The Today's Parent Show - Day 1

WOW.
All I have to say is WOW.
Today was brilliant and exhausting and exhilerating. If you are looking for inspiration in the baby toddler world, this is the place to get it. So many small businesses just like mine to draw advice from and swap stories with. Lots of the webmedia and some print media out in full force. Lots and lots of Smicko'z tried on and sold (which of course is v.v.good).
It is so much work to get ready for one of these things, but the real work is keeping the energy up and fresh for each new person, each new walk through, knowing when to keep talking and when to pull it back.
Thanks to Dana and Ilyse, the dynamic sister team who manned the busy booth with me today, I would have been lost without you.
Tomorrow, Dana returns for day two, and joining team Smicko will be my amazing and wonderful friend Barbara who can be called on in a pinch (like a true moment's notice SOS!) and who will be there in her Smicko regalia. Saturday's supposed to be busy, so I'm thrilled to have three manning the booth again.
And if you can believe it, the lovely and devoted Dana will be back on Sunday, along with Husband Dan, who will help round out the threesome from today.
What are my early signs that this is going well?
1. Good sales - managed to cover the cost of the booth in one day, which was my goal for the whole three days.
2. Retailer meetings and cards swapped. I have meetings scheduled for all next week to get OUTSiDE Toronto. This is amazing, as I've not been able to do this from homebase.
3. Webmedia/Printmedia - looks like I will be able to pick up some PR from some groups who cam and got samples and a briefing from our team.
All in all, I think it's the best you could hope for in a trade show where it's your first year and no one's heard of you before, but the buzz is spreading. We actually had people come back to the booth because they saw kids running around the show in them!

If you can't make it to the show, visit the website at www.babytime.ca most of the retailers sell online in one way or another. Also, check the links for all the mom groups and webzine, sleeping doulahs, and massage people (whom I'd like to beg for mid-show services.)
And if you're still wanting a peak at good old' Smicko'z I'm always at www.smickoz.com or you can email me at ina.ornstein@smickoz.com

Oh - to answer my own question from last week - was it worth it? Um, YEEESSSSS
If you are questioning whether or not to do it, trust me, there were PLENTY of small and cool booths with mompreneur businesses that are selling the grooviest little things for kids.
My booth mate is a woman named karen who has an unbelievable little company FEATURED ON CTV NEWS TODAY! called Tail Wags, they are stunning helmet covers for kids. You can find her and her retailers at www.tail-wags.com She can barely keep her stunning creations on the sheleves, and somehow makes it through these days as cool as a cucumber. She's also just a phenomenol person to know.

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