The Exhibitors Story – Part 3

OMG. I know things are stressful when we are communicating in acronyms. With only two full days left in the office (one by the time you read this) before we have to pack everything up and take it down to Earls Court for The National Wedding Show, our favourite acronyms in indisputably ASAP.

Please can we have the leaflets ASAP? Please can you arrange special delivery for those shoes, ASAP? Artwork for posters? Ah yes...ASAP. AAMOF I would LOL if I wasn’t so PANIC stricken. And that’s not an acronym, in case you’re wondering, it is in BIG letters because it is BIG panic.

However, we are making progress now. The backdrop to the stand is now printed (cough..hum..nearly) and all the artwork for posters and leaflets is signed off. We have enquiry forms (you’d better do some serious enquiring, people) and a fantastic Alter Ego competition and exclusive show offer.

Our outfits for the show are planned, we know who is working on which days, and the hotel rooms are booked. I have an email to confirm that our exhibitors’ passes are ready, and we’ve even got down to the nitty-gritty ‘flowers’ and ‘sweets’ level of detail – which is reassuring.
I have to admit, the costs do grow as you get closer to the show. We started with a really detailed budget but still there are little add-ons which creep up. One of the biggest areas for this, for us, has been printed items. My advice to any potential exhibitors: really plan your printed material to make sure it is ‘multi-functional’ (for example, we have one form to handle enquiries and competition entries) and shop around to get the best prices. However, it still is, without doubt, one of the most cost-effective ways of talking (properly) to 20,000 people.

So, more importantly, about that competition I mentioned. We will be offering one bride a complete Alter Ego Vintage Hen Party for up to four people in our free prize draw. The lucky Hen will get to bring her three Chicks to the studio for a full day of pampering and vintage styling. In addition to the fab sets and props, inspirational photography, and wonderfully friendly team...we’ll also provide a light lunch and a few glasses of bubbly. Plus every guest will get a gorgeous, complementary framed print of the day. I can promise you with absolute confidence (and experience), it beats propping up the bar in some dodgy nightclub hands-down. It is classy, relaxed, indulgent and hugely good fun – and you will have the pictures to treasure for a lifetime.

We are all getting exceptionally excited about Friday. I simply cannot wait to see what the stand looks like in real-life, speak to the visitors at the show, and find out what they think about Alter Ego. And, as this is the first wedding show we have attended, I’m sure it will be a real eye-opener.

This will be my last post before the show (you haven’t seen my to-do list), but I can’t wait to meet you all over the weekend. If you’ve got this far...thank you for listening!
The last few weeks have, as they say, been emotional...
B4N!

Erica

Erica from Alter Ego Portraits:http://www.alteregoportraits.com/www.facebook.com/alteregoportraitsor call 01604 871187