Food for thought. A few random ramblings:

1. Have each vendor create a tip sheet, booklet, subscription, or report that explains some "secrets" of their crafts, and make that *at least* a $3 cost (preferably more.)

2. Restrict the use of the $3 coupon to an item selling for ______ or more, or a certain class of items.

3. Have each vendor use the $3 for an offer available from their website or through the mail, as well, which creates breakage.

4. Double or triple the value of the $3 coupon on items that sell for more than _______.

5. Let the people use the coupon for popcorn or some other things such as cups of iced (tap) water or iced tea, where the cost is almost zero.

NOTE: If only 33% of the people actually use the coupon, the real net cost is only $1.00 to everyone ($3.00 x 33% usage.)

6. Make available to all the vendors a subsequent service such as a low cost ad in the promoter's newletter for a cheap cost of say $50, and let the vendors turn in their redeemed coupons from the show for credit against *up to* 50% off the $50 cost of the ad, and now the coupons are a profit center for the promoter.

Just a few random ramblings,

Chip Tarver
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> Here's how a "simple promotion
> idea" blew the roof off sales for a
> "Trade Show" promoter.

> Here's what happened;
> My wife loves to go to Antique Shows. (She
> had her own Antique Shoppe for years) One of
> her friends puts on an "Antique Show
> and Sale" in the local County
> Fairgrounds every Spring and Fall.

> Last fall her "Antique Show
> Promoter" friend told us that she was
> about to "throw in the towel" and
> stop doing shows because the dealers weren't
> selling.

> She promoted the Show thru ads and flyers
> and was able to get a good attendance at
> each Show BUT...the people were just not
> buying anymore.

> After hearing this, I sat at a table in the
> eats section, sucking on a
> soda....watching....
> thinking...watching....thinking.

> There was an "Entry Fee" of $3 to
> get in. People would come in...stop at the
> money-collection table... pay their $3 and
> move to the right...usually.

> They'd continue on around each aisle...stop
> and look at an item or two...and continue
> walking...acting as if they were really not
> that interested in anything.

> I thought, "WHAT would get these people
> INTERESTED in looking harder at the items
> (there was some good stuff at the show)?
> WHAT would get these people MOTIVATED into
> BUYING?

> I thought, "Let's see now; They plunk
> down 3 bux... walk around the Show and
> leave!"

> HOLD IT! STOP THE PRESSES! All of a sudden
> IT came to me!

> What if, after plunking down their 3 bux,
> they were handed a green piece of paper, the
> size of a dollar bill. What if the 4 corners
> of this green piece of paper had
> "$3" printed in big letters, 2
> inches high?

> What if, in the center of this green piece
> of paper with "$3" in each
> corner...were printed the words;

> "BROWSER BUCKS!"
> THIS CERTIFICATE WORTH $3 TOWARDS THE
> PURCHASE OF ANY ITEM AT ANY DEALER BOOTH!
> JUST PRESENT THIS COUPON AND $3 WILL BE
> TAKEN OFF THE PRICE!"

> So...I ran this "idea" by the
> promoter...showed her a mock-up of the
> coupon and she agreed to give the idea a try
> at her Spring Show...which I just came from.

> Guess what? Her dealers just had the BEST
> SALES of ANY Show they've ever attended!

> People who used to just walk by the booths,
> taking a quick glance and walking by....were
> NOW...STUDYING THE MERCHANDISE
> INTENTLY....thinking about WHAT THEY COULD
> SPEND THEIR FREE $3 ON!

> Attendees were NOW....LOOKING TO BUY! The
> simple little green coupon with $3 in the
> corners had FORCED THEM TO THINK ABOUT
> "BUYING" rather than
> "BROWSING"!

> I'm sure most of the attendees could afford
> to buy almost anything in the show they
> wanted...that wasn't the point. They had
> just been GIVEN $3...and the $3 could ONLY
> BE SPENT on merchandise at the Show!

> WOW! What a POWERFUL MOTIVATOR that little
> green coupon was. Some dealers claimed
> TRIPLE and QUADRIPLE their previous sales.

> And...most of them wanted in on the Fall
> Show and signed up NOW...to be sure to be
> included.

> So...from a "simple little
> idea"...things were changed around to
> AWESOME proportions. An idea that came to me
> because I know a "little-bit"
> about human nature.

> I KNEW that that little piece of green paper
> with the $3 in each corner would be
> "BURNING A HOLE IN THEIR POCKETS!"
> They couldn't stand it! They HAD TO SPEND
> IT!

> And...what this did was take them from a
> "Browse" attitude to a
> "BUY" attitude!

> Granted....some people redeemed the coupon
> for $3 worth of marbles or something else
> worth $3...BUT... for the most part, dealers
> reported MANY people redeeming that little
> green piece of paper with $3 in the
> corners...on items worth MUCH MORE THAT $3!

> In fact, 3 or 4 dealers were overwhelmed
> with sales.

> It was "MOTIVATIONAL MAGIC"! You
> shoulda ben der!

> Anyway...I hope you enjoyed reading this and
> I gave you an example of how just a
> "simple little idea" can change
> things around 180 degrees.

> So...use your noggin and THINK!

> Thanks for reading....Don Alm