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Trade Show concludes
Annual awards have been announced for the exhibitors at the Trade Shows.
"Best Of Show" award went to Bob's Space Racers, Inc.
"Rookie Of The Year" Award went to Oval Framecraft, Inc.
"Most Improved" went to Triangle Poster Co.
"Most Impressive Exhibit" was Manley Toy Direct/Toy Network.
"Most Beautiful Outdoor" went to Waymatic
"Most Beautiful Indoor" award was won by Peek-A-Boo Toys
"Most Unique" (indoor) to Light Up Toys; Pro-Form Trailers (Outdoor). "Outstanding Outdoor" award was given to Fabbi Group, Inc.
"Outstanding Indoor" award went to Chestnut Identity Apparel who also received the "Outstanding Service Award"As announced earlier this week, the IISA will move the dates of the Extravaganza one week later next year to Feb. 10 - 14. The Super Bowl will be held in Tampa on Feb. 1, 2009 and participants are advised to plan ahead and book early for trade show.
Trade Show is great success
The Snowie, a shaved-ice booth manufactured in Utah, sold for $17,000.
The Wester, a small carousel made in Argentina, sold for $130,000.
The Vortex, a tall thrill ride from Italy, sold for 350,000 euros.
The recent trade show for the International Independent Showmen's Association had something for everyone in the carnival business. Popcorn vendors and souvenir cup salesmen jostled with midway executives buying the latest food booths and trailers.
Candy Anderson, an independent contractor from Tampa, travels the country with five carnival games. She bought a 42-foot trailer customized by a company called Recreation By Design.
"That's why I came here," Anderson said. "To get exactly what I wanted."
At 3 p.m. Friday, she signed a check, lit a cigarette and said, "OK, let's get a drink."
Florida showmen
The February trade show is part of Florida carnival history associated with Gibsonton, just west of Riverview. Midway owners, human oddities and carnival workers have wintered near Tampa Bay since the 1930s.
The Showmen's Association, the largest in the world, has a clubhouse decorated with murals of carnival scenes.
A meeting room honors Hall of Fame members with brass plaques. Walls are lined with bright carnival posters and black-and-white photographs.
The names of association members who have died are listed on a display called "We Remember."
At the 40th annual trade show, buyers and vendors gathered in the clubhouse bar each evening. It felt like a family reunion, with carnival veterans calling out to one another before buying drinks and swapping stories.
More than 30 carnival rides towered over the trade show grounds. The exhibition hall featured 200 exhibits of everything from rubber ducks to stuffed animals.
In the carnival world, for the first week of February, everyone gathers on the Gulf Coast.
"It's huge," said Ward Hall, a side show owner in Gibsonton. "One big party all day long."
Slow business
Not everyone enjoyed a winter visit to Florida.
Terry Schaeffer, a Reading, Pa., entrepreneur, sold Old-Fashioned Soda Wagons that served root beer and sarsaparilla. Only there were no customers.
"Business is terrible," he said. "Haven't sold a single wagon."
Schaeffer and other trade show vendors thought attendance was off.
Miguel de Oliveira, sales manager for Felimana Luna Park of Buenos Aires, Argentina, carried a slick brochure for everything from carousels to bumper cars. With few customers, he had time to talk.
"To tell you the truth, this show, not so well," Oliveira said, shrugging and holding out his palms. "The recession ... I don't know."
Reinventing the wheel
The Fabbri Group, an Italian manufacturer, showed off The Skateboard Ride and The Vortex, which stands 90 feet tall. When asked who designed them, Sergio Chieregatti smiled and offered his card.
"The ideas come from the customer," said the technical engineer. "The designs come from me."
Fabbri is based in Calto, Italy, which is between Milan and Venice. It builds roller coasters, water slides and a variety of carnival rides.
Chieregatti's job is to create ever bigger and faster machines, but his personal favorite is the most traditional of rides.
"For me, I very much like the wheel," he said, referring to the Ferris wheel. "It's a family ride. Young people, old people. It's for everybody."
Gumbo and lo mein?
Coming soon to a carnival near you:
Temporary airbrush tattoos.
A paintless paintball game.
The Coconut Climb, a climbing wall shaped like a pair of coconut trees.
Fair food is changing, too. There will always be traditional fare -- popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs -- but the latest attractions are more adventurous.
An Asian food booth at the trade show served up egg rolls, shrimp fried rice and vegetable lo mein. A New Orleans-themed trailer offered gumbo, sausage po-boys and Cajun stuffed bread.
Spider Mountain
Ken Sharkey, owner of Vertical Reality in Miami, enjoyed the Riverview trade show. He sold three $49,000 versions of Spider Mountain, which combines a climbing wall with an inflatable slide and a bungee trampoline.
"It's our third year doing it," Sharkey said. "This year we finally perfected everything. It's a natural progress of the product."
On Friday afternoon, Gibsonton schoolchildren swarmed over Spider Mountain. Sharkey joked about playing baby sitter, but he knew free advertising when he saw it.
He does not mind haggling with tight-fisted carnival managers. Unlike other clients, they understand the nuts and bolts and dollars and cents of traveling entertainment.
"I don't need to set up everything for them," Sharkey said. "These people know what the hell's going on. Very knowledgeable, very experienced."
New dates and a sucessful conclusion
The IISA reports that this years 2008 Trade show is coming to a sucessful conclusion with attendance on a par with the previous year. Mixed reports are coming in from buyers and sellers indicating a change in buying patterns but with the total results being positive.
An official of the IISA announces that next years show will be held at a different time to enable ride companies to set up after the busy Superbowl week. Next years show will be held February 10-14th.
One show owner interviewed, who declined to be identified, told Carny Town reps that the 2008 show was not very exciting. They indicated, that it seemed to them, that buying was down some and suppliers were not showing any new or exciting products and that enthusiasim was low, even during the ever popular parties after the show.
Most of the talk at the show during the networking period following the end of the show each day involved, a potential severe recession and how it would affect business this season. Show owners interviewed, by phone, from the show, were in agreement that the industry is in flux and with recent changes in the way the government handles visa's and the forthcoming backround checks; shows that want to be sucessful and remain important to the industry must adhere to County, State and Federal regulations. One owner was quoted as saying that, "the old ways are over, to continue our sucessful operation we must adhere to the rules and grow not only by attending shows like this one (the annual trade show in Gibtown) but recongnize the importance of the internet and Carnival sites like Carny Town, as part of our efforts to reach potential customers and committees." They also said that "more and more shows are looking at the blueprint that organizations like NAME are providing and teaming up for success."
Photos from the show
Link: albums.
Gibtown 2008
IISA announces free membership day
Link: International Independent Showmens Association
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2008 IS FREE MEMBERSHIP DAY! ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008 MEMBERS OF OABA, NICA AND ALL OTHER SHOWMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS WILL BE ADMITTED FOR FREE. THESE PERSONS MUST SHOW A PAID UP 2008 MEMBERSHIP CARD.
International Independent Showmens Association- Gibsonton, Florida: Educational Seminars
Link: International Independent Showmens Association- Gibsonton, Florida: Educational Seminars.
2008 Trade Show Educational Seminars Various presenters will be presenting daily workshops on topics that effect the industry on a daily basis. These workshops are available to all attendees at the IISF Super Trade Show & Extravaganza. The workshops will include audio/video presentations, handouts as well as round table discussions of some of the challenges affecting every aspect of the carnival business. ALL SEMINARS ARE HELD IN THE CAROUSEL PAVILION – TRADE SHOW BLDG. # 2 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Picasa Web Albums - james - Showtown, USA
Link: Picasa Web Albums - james - Showtown, USA.
Showtown, USA
Questions and Answers
Sure. You have questions! Who wouldn't.
First, of course, we expect that you will google search terms like Gibsonton or Riverview, Florida. Or perhaps the seach term "gibtown" This will give you most of the information you need about the area and its weather.
There will be some questions that you have that are not readily available, even on the internet!
Thats what we are here for.
The small link at the bottom of the post will allow you to comment or ask questions of our board and social networking members, many of whom volunteer at the trade show on an annual basis. No question is too dumb. Go ahead, ask away and we will do our best to answer you.
Further information will follow on this site as any changes are made or special announcements are required. First, please check the IISA site for all the skinny and then if you still need more information, let us know.
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