TAFA Market- Final Planning

Paducah's Quilt Show:  April 27-30

Please fill out the following form if you would like to participate in the TAFA Market or in the promotional coupon book or ad book:

(Make sure you scroll up and down within the form so that you get everything.  There is a submit button at the end.  Click on that and you will get a confirmation that the info was sent.)

If you are coming to Paducah and need a place to stay, let me know and I can get the word out.  Hotels are probably filled up by now, but families do rent rooms during the Quilt Show.  We might have an empty house at that time, too, that belongs to Abdul, TAFA member and my buddy.  If it is available, he might make it available for camping out at a cheap rate.  It's across the street from my shack...

Email me with any other questions, if needed.

March 4, 2011

TAFA Market Update

Paducah's Quilt Show:  April 27-30

ALL TAFAe src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...ame src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...ame src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...bers are iname src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...ame src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...ame src="https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dEJSbTJic1liTEVKdnM4a3h2R3Zremc6MQ" width="760" height="2227" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...d to participate!  (Our show is not just for quilts...)

This is the proposed space for our TAFA Market.  It is a restaurant that is currently not rented.  The space was difficult to photograph, but I hope that this will give you a good visual of its potential.  The main layout has the space divided into two large areas.  They each have separate entries.  The one on the left goes into the bar which has a wall with large bookshelves.  The one on the left has a stage built up against the display windows, then three rooms that are back to back with each other.  The first room also gives entry to the bar area.  As you walk to the back, this area with the rooms leads to the kitchen.  Both the kitchen and the bar have doors that go out the back into a beautiful courtyard.

Look at the photos and continue reading below them.  The photos are thumbnails, so if you click on them, you will get larger images.

Front of the building.
Front.  The blue door at the back leads to the bar.  There is a little patio here where one vendor could set up.	Door to the bar.  All of this tile work was made by Sarah Roush, an artist and friend who passed away last year.  The building is now owned by her daughter.	Door to the room with the stage and smaller rooms.
Bar.  Book shelves on the left.  Doors at back open to courtyard.		Behind the bar.  I am also trying to find a food vendor who could do salads and juicing.
View of the wall from the bar.	There are four of these shelving units.  The shelves can be moved up or down.	Small textiles could be hung on this part of the wall.
		Stage in the other room.  I think this could be used for the silent auction or maybe we could even have entertainment. Textiles could hang in the windows.
	Wall to the left of the stage.  A large textile could hang there.	Looking down from the stage to the first of the smaller rooms.
Looking to the stage from the second room's entrance.	This first room has access to both of the larger rooms (bar and stage area).  Lots of people would walk through, but you lose space from the entries.	Inside of the first room.  These smaller rooms are all about 10x10 feet.
View to the second small room from stage.  Cute but cut off at an angle.	Second room.	View into third room, the largest of the three.
Inside of third room.  It looks like a normal room, walls on three sides, round window and door on one wall.  I need to ask about this paper drawing on the wall.	View from third room to the kitchen. There is a large wall facing this room which could be another smaller vending space or where large textiles could hang.  See the corner of the piano?  The next image shows that wall.	Wall facing the third room.
View from kitchen to the front.	The kitchen is large and made up of two spaces.  The stove was sold, but there is a refrigerator.  There is another room where things could be put away and we could have two vending spaces here or sublet to a food vendor.	The second part of the kitchen which could be a vendor space.  Bright, fluorescent lighting.
Going from the kitchen out to the courtyard.  There is a nice fountain under that blue tarp.	We could fit six vending tents out here.  Great space.  Of course, subject to weather conditions.  This time of the year is usually gorgeous.	View from the back of the courtyard looking at the entry to the kitchen.
The addition leads into the kitchen.  Those are storage rooms.	Outside, looking towards downtown.  The main street is at the corner.  This restaurant is next to Paducah's theater.  The Quilt Museum is two blocks away and the Convention Center is another two blocks.	Same direction but looking at neighboring shops.  Some of the favorite eateries are right here.
Looking at the opposite direction.  That yellow building is just distorted by light.  It's the building in the next photo.	Big shows are held here.	Standing in front of our site, pointing the camera at the other corner.  See that pink building?
It's this monstrosity.  It becomes vending space for quilt businesses every years, including a huge book space of discounted books.  It gets a ton of traffic.	The quilt show brings an average of 30,000 people to Paducah every year.  We always have a significant number coming in from Europe and Japan.  Last year, the volcano eruption in Iceland forced flight cancellations so that many of our European guests could not make it.  Paducah has two main creative areas, those associated with the Quilt Museum (quilt and fabric shops, etc.) and then those associated with the LowerTown Arts District.  This was initiated by the city around 7 years ago, a neighborhood just off of the downtown area, full of Victorian homes which have been rehabbed an made into working artist studios.  (Not starving artists...)  They will all have events happening, too.  The artists are a mix, some doing oil, pastels, etc., while others are working with clay, metal, and fabric. This awful recession has affected all of us, but the Quilt Show always brings a needed boost in business.

The opportunity to use this space is a unique one as it probably will not be vacant next year.  We could not ask for a better location and I believe that this could be very profitable for all of us who participate.  I am proposing several things here.  TAFA members have the following options:

1. Send product in on consignment.  A few items (2 or 3 pieces).  I am thinking of 30/70% as a cut.  (You get 70%)
2. Sublet the rooms or tents in the back for around $350.  Kitchen area also possible.  You would have to be here to sell and whatever you sell you keep.  You collect your own sales tax.  I did check with the city and you will need a business license to sell directly to the public.  That is an additional $35.
3. Sublet a whole wall unit in that book shelf area.  Good for small items that can sit on a shelf.  You do not need to be here.  Estimate: $150 for the wall unit, plus 15% commission.

Silent Auction:  As mentioned in the February 28th update, I want to have a silent auction to raise money for the website.  One member suggested that we could have a minimum bid that goes to the artists and I am fine with doing that.  So, for example, you have a piece that might be valued at $300 retail, you could determine that you want to get at least $150 for it.  My experience, however, is that people usually want to get a deal at silent auctions.  It would be disappointing to go to all that work and not have any bids.  I am also thinking of putting the auction up on our site with links to the donor's website.

I think that having this show or market would also be a visible opportunity to showcase TAFA and to really introduce it to the public.  All kinds of people come to the show: artists, publishers, gallery owners, media, etc.  If this flies, all of you are welcome to send in brochures, postcards, business cards, etc.  We will have an information table set up where those things could be picked up.

So, what I need now is to have an idea of who might be interested in this.  If you did not read the info I sent out last time, do review it now (the update below from February 28th).  Keep scrolling down and you will see a form, the TAFA Market Survey.  If you want to participate on any level, fill that out (including if you want to send in postcards, etc.)  I will use that form to send out updates instead of emailing our whole group.

I would also like a couple of people to help me brainstorm about some of the logistics about this.  Things like insurance, how to hang work, etc. all need to be figured out.  I really hope that we can make a go of this!  Wish all of you could be here!  There is space on the form also for suggestions and questions.

Housing becomes a big problem during the show.  People often book rooms a year in advance and some end up having to stay 50 miles away.  Families rent rooms out and I can put the word out that we have interested people, if any of you need a place to stay. 

That's it.  Fill out the form if you are interested and we'll keep going from there.

February 28, 2011

TAFA Market

Paducah is known as "Quilt City USA".  We are home to the  National Quilt Museum and to the American Quilter's Society which hosts a number or quilt shows around the country and is a leading publisher of quilt magazines and books.  Every year in April, they host a huge show here.  About 30,000 women (mostly) descend on the city, doubling our population, giving an incredible boost to the local economy.  Although the show is only three days, the city is busy with workshops, special exhibits, etc. for a whole week.

I have been trying to get a site for TAFA for the last several weeks, but had a really hard time getting into see spaces and having people return calls.  Finally, I was able to get an ideal spot.  We have to decide quickly whether to do this or not as the ad is due for the Quilt Show booklet on March 1st.  Right now, I just need to get feedback from those of you on whether you think you might like to participate. 

DATES:  April 27-30, 2011  (Wednesday through Saturday)

Quilt show info:  Click!

Location for TAFA's show:  124-126 South 2nd St on the Market House Square.

Description:

This site is in ideal location.  It is located on a cobble stoned street just a couple of blocks from the River.  The Quilt Museum is two blocks away and the Convention Center is two more blocks from that.  This space belonged to an artist friend of mine, Sarah Roush, who passed away last year.  (Blog post I wrote about her)  It is actually a restaurant that is not occupied right now.  Sarah was a ceramic artist and one of the first people to make art a focus in Paducah.  She had several buildings and two of them are covered with handmade tiles that she had installed on the facades, including this one.  The inside has a large, long room with a bar on one side and then you walk up into a series of smaller rooms (three of them) and a larger one that looks on to the street.  The wall opposite the bar has built in shelving that is are cubicles, ideal for displaying smaller items.  The space is beautiful, creative, and also has a large courtyard at the back.

I will take photos in the next few days, but the space does not photograph well.  It is not a gallery space and although it can house several larger textiles, my thinking was that we can bill this as a market and have lots of different things going on here.  The space is also ideal because it is on the same street as some of the best eating places in Paducah and just half a block away there will be a huge vending area for books and other quilt vending stalls, so the foot traffic on this strip is enormous. 

Costs:  

Space:  They quoted $1,000 for the four days, but we will actually need a couple more to set up and clean up.

Advertising:  I would like to budget $500 for ads and fliers. 

Credit Card Machine:  Have no idea what banking fees will be, but I am sure there will be some.

Insurance:  Again, no idea.

Staffing:  We'll need to hire at least two people at all times to manage the space.  I would like to hire TAFA members who are coming to do this.  If not, I can get local people.  I think we need to pay $9 an hour.  Probably not enough, but also not at the bottom of the barrel.  So, around $400

City License:  They will stick it to us, I'm sure.  Guessing $100.

Sales Tax:  It's 6% here.

So, we're looking at something around $2,500 for the four days.

How to pay for it?  I have to come up with a way to split up the space into vending opportunities for members.  So, we would rent the rooms inside for $300 apiece (I already have one taker), and if I can get permission to have tents outside in the courtyard, I think that I can fit six out there at $250 apiece.  That would bring in $2,400.  Then, I would want to charge a commission on other work sold and a fee on the cubicles. 

If we could find a food vendor or someone who wants to do juices or something like that, we could also rent the bar area and kitchen.  I think the stove was sold off, so it's not fully functional, but it is a huge space that could be sublet.

I need a core group of members who can help me brainstorm about this.  Once we look at different possibilities, we'll send out a final proposal on prices, commissions, etc.  If you are interested in participating on any level, please fill out the form below.

Silent Auction: 

I am also hoping to use this event to help pay for the website.  Any extra monies coming from booth fees or commissions can go to that.  I also want to have a silent auction where the proceeds will all go to the website.  If we can raise a couple thousand this way, we will be home free.  I am hoping that we can launch the website in May and right now, I have been working very hard at bringing in new memberships and ads.  It's slow going and all of you can help with that by blogging about it, posting on facebook, etc. 

The silent auction will also be a big draw in our advertising campaign.  Most of us have older pieces that we have made sitting around or even good supplies that we don't use anymore.  If you want to contribute in this way, you can send it in and we'll sell it off.  I think that this would be a lot easier than posting on eBay or doing something like that.  But, hold your horses!  I will have to arrange with someone else to be a drop off place for both product for sale and auction items.  I can't fit one more thing in my house!

Product Returns:  We'll have to figure this out, but right now, my thought is that each member will have to pay for shipping the item and for its return.  Take this into consideration, especially if you are not in the United States.  An option would be to hang on to the items that are left over here and look for another gallery or site to host a show in another city.  I have quite a few connections in Chicago, so that might be a possibility.

TAFA Market Form:

Please fill out the form below ASAP.  (Like, immediately.  It's fast...)  I'm sorry that this is so last minute, but believe me, I have been trying to get this space for quite awhile and finally heard back today.  By the way, this restaurant is now owned by my friend's daughter and she does not live here in Paducah, but I've met her.  Wonderful person.

Make sure you fill out your name and email (required) and scroll up or down within the form.  There is a box where you can add suggestions or give feedback.

That's it!  Those of you who fill this out will hear back from me in a few days.  Meanwhile, I will try to make an appointment with the rep who is in Paducah to take photos of the space and find out more about whether we can have tents in the courtyard.

This is very exciting to me, especially since I know that I will meet many of you for the first time.  This space is very nice to hang out in and I think all who come will have a great time!

Rachel

February 2, 2011

Greetings to all of you!  January was spent in looking back on where TAFA has been and planning on where it will go.  I have a lot to report and will try to make this as short as possible.  Please read this as it is important that your voice chime in on our direction.  I have a short survey at the bottom which I would like you to fill out.

Markets Form

Many thanks to all of you who filled out the Markets Form!  This really helped me understand more about Member's needs and helped me focus on a direction for this coming year.  TAFA cannot be ALL to ALL, yet there were many ideas and suggestions that we can pursue.  I will continue to use this form to plan out new projects and programs, so if you have not filled it out, you will find it on this website on this page.  Almost half of our members filled it out, so a great sampling!

Video

TAFA is celebrating its 1st birthday!  Have you seen the new video I made?  It's hot off the press:

One member was disappointed that she was not in it.  I featured members who gave me permission to use their images on the Market Form.  I plan on doing others down the road, so if you want to be included, fill out the form.  Using images is a touchy subject among artists and I want to respect the member wishes.  Also, a video like this is incredibly time-consuming.  It took me four days to put it together for four minutes of viewing.  I will never be able to include all the members, but will try to be as inclusive as possible.

Map

How about the map?  Have you seen it?