Join Me at the Ultimate Home Showcase - A Chance to Boost Your Business!

[pamperedkay]

I've just been invited to take part in a show case of homes and wondered if anyone has done anything like this before. What it is, is there are 5-6 new home construction companies that each build a home on a street, from top to bottom. They furnish the home with furniture, decorations, everything to make it look like its being lived in. Then they block off the street and people purchase tickets to go through these homes. Of course they are trying to sell the homes and other ones like it, but they have invited me to set my things in the kitchen. I will probably use my products so I can take them with me and the company doesn't have to worry about reselling the stuff later. I can hand out my business card, catalogs or whatever I want. I can do a demo but it really needs to be short since people will be coming and going all the time. They said I can serve some type of snack if I want to because most of the people that come through are women. Now heres my big problem. This usually runs for a week and they usually have any where from 8,000 to 10,000 people come through. Yes I said 10,000 people!!! What the world could I serve? Any ideas on this would be fantastic. I have briefly talked to my director so we may do it together. This is just so exciting because it will be in a new area for me and the idea of having that many new leads just blows my mind!!
I really don't want to blow this because my business has really slumped the last several months and this is the fresh start I need.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[chefloriray]

So will you be in a different home each day? Will you be able to use the ovens in the home to keep baking something? That would be a hard one. You may want to stick with something easy like cookies. It would still show a few products but be easy to keep up with. I would set up the simple additions in the kitchen with a few different displays on them plus the tool turn about holding a bunch of the utensils on the counter.
When we were looking at homes and went to some they always had utensil holders on the counters and dishes on the tables and wine bottles on the counters. Let your imagination grow wild!! You could really have a nice display going. Have a name card in front of each product. Have busines cards to hand out, maybe a drawing. Good luck! That sounds like a fun one!

 

[pamperedkay]

show caseI will be in the same home each day. My husband works for one of the companies building one of the homes. I thought about the simple additions, and the tool turn about is a must!! I believe I would be able to use the oven but I wasn't sure if I wanted to worry about having to keep checking stuff in the oven. Thanks for the suggestions. I thought about calling the home office and seeing what if anything they would do for such a BIG thing.

 

[DZmom]

For my christmas open house I did Cheesy Bacon Bites and just varied the ingredients so that I could make several different kinds. Some had bacon and some didn't I did a garlic version, a rosemary version, the original recipe version, and just a cheese version. I just set them up on the SA and then I did several different bars and tartlets. All of which I made into bite-size pieces. Then I just set them up on another SA tower.

HTH

 

[pamperedalf]

I thought about this for the last 45 mins. this is what I would do. If it is close to march or in Marchs set up new sa stands they look awesome. Have a piece of new cookware on the stove with spoon rest. Turn oven light on and have a piece of stoneware in the window. Use dipping set bottle next to sink. I use mine for soap,it dresses it up a bit and you can leave it out to decorate. Tool turn about with tools. Have a bottle of wine w/ wine glasses and our cork. If bbq out back use new bbq skewers. Have a bottle opener on fridge. Penut butter blossoms are easy to make, and you could make a lot at home. Get a vegie tray or new chilzane and farmers market seasoning. That are my thoughts, enjoy and I hope you get a lot of business from this.

 

[DZmom]

Amanda that sounds great!!! I'd never have thought of all that!

 

[rwesterpchef]

What great ideas Amanda!
1000 people I don't know that I would serve food, but if so, I'd also suggest going cheap with food by either preparing 3-step fudge, or better yet...store bought cookies or cheese & crackers so that your SA could easily be refilled. Quick stir pitcher to serve sample drinks in bathroom size dixie cups.
You could put some vanilla beans & water in your pan on the oven and have on simmer to smell good.

 

[Molly Jo]

Demo IdeaYou could use a potato and demo the US&G. That is quick and easy and that item was what impressed me at my show before I signed up.

 

[pamperedalf]

Oh had another thought if you wanted to have people try tools have limes (they are cheaper) with citrus press, and lemon zester scorer on one of our cutting boards so they can try them out. The citrus press is my hot item I sold 10 of them at my bridal shower on Sun. On the counter have our bamboo carving board with carvin set or meat lifters, that is a nice display item. Okay I will stop now!!!!!LOL

 

[pchefinski]

Kay,
When I did a mall fair a few months ago, I made chocolate chip cookies for it.. And they stretched VERY far. I only made them like the size of a quarter... just a yummy nibble's worth!... and I got 6-7 dozen out of a single batch! Mind you, I made about 6 batches of cookies that week (scooping the dough with my son's baby food spoons no less) and by Friday, I didn't want to ever see another one again! lol But, if you have some time between now and this event, you could at least start mixing up the dough and freezing it in small balls.. So that you can just have to bake them off before the show. And I bought all store brand ingredients.. it didn't change the taste of the cookies at all!
-Cookies are a good idea because they don't need refrigerated, they're something that everyone makes/eats (especially now that they have the premixed refrigerator dough), and they show off the stoneware very nicely. (Suggestion--if you do this, bake off the cookies on the flat stones, as they bake differently in the bar pans.)
-Have the food chopper (or a few of them, maybe borrow some) available, with some celery, carrot or nuts so people can try it out.
-Instead of handing out full-size catalogs, hand out mini ones with your info on them.
-potatoes are good to demo with too b/c if you get them on sale, you can get a lot of them for a little $ and they showcase a TON of products..
-maybe make up a small list of the products that you are demo-ing, and have them available (just half-page or something) for the people walking through. that way, if they see something they want, they can circle it and either order it right there or get back to you later.
-have a piece of cookware, and a tray of ice cubes in the freezer to demo the heat conduction of our pans
-bring a bag of chips and put the twixit clip on it; bring a can that you've already used the food from and washed, and the lid for it.
-not sure of the size of your inventory, but maybe put together some displays of common products (baking, SA etc)
-will this be before March 1st? If so, put together the fall linens setup on a table (even a card table will do).
Sorry if some of these are silly... my mind is in other places right now, so they might not make sense. Keep us posted! Good luck!

 

[pamperedkay]

show caseThanks everyone for your ideas!! This is scheduled for the 1st week in June so I have some time to think about this. I just want to stay on top of this because how often do we get a chance to put our name out there in front of 10,000 people!! The thought of the recuits and sales that could come from this just boggles my mind! Keep the ideas coming and I'll keep you all informed of how things are going!!!

 

[Chef Kearns]

Kay this is an AWESOME opportunity!! Even if you just stand there in your apron you are sure to get some leads (although I am sure you would want to maximize the potential better than that).

Anyway...If you didn't want to do the vanilla bean thing or if your cookies or food is pre-made you may want to cut some apples in half and generously sprinkle them with cinnamon then have the oven on at 250 to keep the house smelling like apple pie. Yummy!!

Good luck and Congratulations!!