the acre show

this was my first foray into the american market. preparation was complex and at times frustrating but i now know a whole lot about taking goods across the border and back. i was partially sponsored by the atlantic craft alliance and by the newfoundland government. molly and austin and i were the first newfoundland craftspeople to attend acre so it was all a bit of a fact finding experiment.

the venue (the orange county conference centre) was breathtakingly beautiful. the building like an angel. the surrounding gardens - with palm trees and lagoons - inspiring. it was a joy to arrive every morning.
although it was only the 2nd year of the show in orlando (they have been running the show in los vegas for years) it ran smoothly and with ease, thanks to a very professional staff.

this show is still growing. most of the buyers are still from florida but hopefully in the years to come more buyers from the rest of north america will attend. as it stands, this is not the show for me. people from florida are not big knitters. there was a lot of appreciation from the buyers but many of them knew that my product was not the right fit for their shops. i went down to florida hoping for 5 orders, and that's what i got. (and one more since i came home). around 80 brochures were picked up, so more orders may follow. i wasn't disappointed. my first order was with the st. petersburg museum of fine art - a good order of kits. i left with the feeling that this will grow. and that from now on i will be very selective about the shows i attend.

late monday afternoon we took down the show. and went out for our last mexican dinner. and then we took a ride in a hot air balloon. a fittingly adventurous end to a wonderful trip.