The Chocolate Extravaganza was successful in bringing shopping customers into Chelsea.
Post your results on this site. This event and the wine women and shopping event have been successful in bringing customers into Chelsea. What other events could we do to draw paying customers into Chelsea?
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Are you familiar with the Spinner's Flock?
ReplyDeletehttp://spinnersflock.org/
They hold monthly meetings in Chelsea and have two Fleece Fairs per year: a fall event in September and a winter event in February. The fairs are usually held at Beach Middle School.
I found an article from the Flock stating that their Winter 2007 Fleece Fair grossed $32,000 in one day. Granted, much of the sales are members buying from each other, but my point is that people come to those events with money to spend.
The Fall 2009 Fleece Fair did not gross nearly as much, but that's to be expected given the general state of the economy. The Winter 2010 Fleece Fair is coming up February 20th, so it's too late to cross-promote that.
2010 marks the Flock's 30 year anniversary, so this fall's Fleece Fair might warrant some promotion as a milestone. Also, the Flock worries that the schools will raise venue fees and drive them out of their current location.
They have approximately 750 members 'on the books', of which perhaps 300 are regularly active. But the Fleece Fairs are open to all and bring in shoppers who are not spinners/knitters/weavers.
The Flock might be very receptive to an offer to help promote the fairs, or even to find a downtown location in case Beach, WSEC, and Pierce Lake fall through. Perhaps at the Clocktower, or in/around McKune, etc? I'm not sure if there is a good location downtown or not, since they require a good deal of space.
If the event cannot be relocated downtown, perhaps signage, coupons, and shopping/dining information could be handed out at the Fair, wherever it is held. Or what about a shuttle service to move fiber folk back and forth?
I think this could be a good thing for Chelsea to consider, since you could pitch the event along several lines:
- local agriculture (sheep are raised around here!)
- the arts (fiber artists are artists too!)
- entrepreneurialism (make a living doing something you love)
Thoughts?
How about trying to induce the Cub Scouts who sell Christmas trees in Polly's parking lot to also set up a location downtown too? (Palmer lot? Near the Library? Other places?)
ReplyDeleteTree and greenery sales might help attract families who are already in a holiday mood.
I'm sure the tree sales at Polly's are an important draw for businesses closer to I-94, so I'm not suggesting we try and move all the trees downtown.
Just wondering if maybe two locations could be supported. It could be a good thing for the Cub Scouts as well.
Add tree sales to the Hometown Holidays events and parade, and you double your offering of small-town charm...
Another half-baked idea.
ReplyDeleteAny merit to a 'Homegrown Festival' of some sort in the summer or fall?
Again, it could tie into local agriculture, local businesses, and local people creating and offering great food to their friends and neighbors.
There are numerous issues with serving food or samples at temporary venues or on the streets, but maybe those could be overcome.
Maybe the Chelsea Area Health and Wellness Foundation could be persuaded to sponsor part of such an event? If it was pitched as a way to encourage people to be healthier by eating local, eating fresh, and eating better, maybe they would be interested.
Just thinking out loud.