Howdy...
The IPMS/Mid-Carolina Swamp Fox Modelers and the AMPS Central South Carolina Wildcats co-hosted the Second Annual South Carolina Scale Model Mega Show last weekend.
First, the stats:
- 109 entrants (AMPS and IPMS)
- 400 models (AMPS, IPMS, Display Only)
- 29 vendors on 61 tables
- 4 food trucks
- Approximately 300 walk-ins (we're still fine-tuning our methods used to track walk-ins)
The show went well. We had 16 judges, and they managed to judge all 39 categories (38 plus one split) in a little over two hours. The AMPS judging crew was hard at work from a little after 8 AM until the last models were evaluated around 2 PM. The awards ceremonies went off without a hitch, and from the comments we've received, everyone had a good time.
So, what does it take to run a successful show?
First, realize that a model show consists of two entities--the EXHIBITION and the CONTEST. There's the key--each part of the show should pay for itself. For instance, we rely on vendor table sales and, to a lesser extent, our raffle sales to fund the exhibition portion--the venue, the required security, rental tables, and the administrative items (flyers, poster, postage, etc.). We're fortunate in that our venue has tables and chairs available, but we still need to rent about 30 tables...if we had to rent all of the tables and chairs, it would add to the expense of the show, an expense that we would have to examine and come up with ways to cover.
Likewise, the contests (our show has both an IPMS and an AMPS contest) should support themselves. We've seen so many contests charge $5 for unlimited models (or, as I put it, "Five bucks and all you can eat")--that doesn't even pay for one award! We caught some grief this year for increasing the fees, but the math and logic dictated the change. We charge $15 as a base fee, and that allows the entrant several options--they can enter three models into each contest (for a total of six models) and/or they can place, space available, as many models as they wish on the Display Only tables. Why? It cuts down on work required for judging--not such a big deal on the IPMS side, really, but a huge issue with AMPS. We want to try to have our entrants self-evaluate and determine their best work, and place that into the contest. The rest can be placed on display so they can show off their work--which really is the object of the exercise, isn't it? As I have said to a few people, model shows should be about the models, not the medals.
However, do we realize that some people won't come to a show unless they have a chance at winning a big shiny, so the contests are pretty much a fact of life.
The next step is to standardize. Standardize awards. Standardize forms. Standardize procedures.
We see so many local shows that try to impress people with their Lucite monoliths, expensive plaques, and different awards every year, but we settled on medals. Why medals? Won't people be confused that you run a Gold-Silver-Bronze show? How will they know what that medal means? Trust me, we've heard all of that and more. Here's the deal--medals are perennial. They have no date on them, which means that they can be used from show to show. With custom awards, you no doubt have put the theme and date on them, so the ones that aren't used become so much scrap--you can't re-use them for the next show, and the money you ponied up to the trophy shop is basically money you flushed down the toilet. Using Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals correlates to the Olympics--first place earns Gold, second place earns Silver, third place earns Bronze. It is a universal concept. But, to allay any fears that people won't know what they mean, we make up labels for the back of the medal so they can record what model won the award.
The Class awards--Best Aircraft, etc.--are also a standard design. We have come up with a basic design for each, and all that needs to be done is to change the theme and dates. We'll print them as certificates, and we use acrylic plaque kits to make up some rather handsome awards. Total costs of the awards for one show is around $250. We can't even touch color sublimated plaques or Lucite spears for just the Class awards for that price.
The Registration Forms, likewise, are generic and can be used from year to year. Why reinvent the wheel? Keep it simple, and it will pay dividends.
Using the data from the past two shows, we've also carved up the category list. In 2018, we had 61 categories. This year, we had 38. Based on Saturday's numbers, we'll probably cut back even further.
Hosting a show means you will catch some flak. For instance, our fee structure is being seen as a way to "restrict numbers" at the show, when what we're really trying to do is show people that you can make the move from competition to exhibition and still achieve the same result, that of showing off their work to others. We've been taken to task for allowing Sweeps when IPMS/USA does not. We did not offer any armor categories in the IPMS contest this year, which some saw as a failure to "serve our base". We don't charge GA, which some saw as "taking advantage" of the people entering the contest. We broke Out of Box into a separate Class rather than as Categories in other Classes, which people did not like--which of all the comments, this one is funny since all we did was move the categories within Aircraft, Ship, etc., into a Class of their own complete with a Class award up for grabs. In effect, we enhanced OOB by breaking it into a separate class.
Remember, your organization is on the hook for the event, not theirs. How YOU organize, fund, and execute YOUR show is YOUR business, not anyone else's Stick to your plans. At the end of the day, whatever comments you receive, take them to heart. If change is warranted, then make the change based on data, rather than gut instincts.
Speaking of data, managing show data is important if you want to host an annual show. We have filled the National Guard Armory in Columbia for three years running. This year, we pretty much maxed out the space. Sooner or later, we'll need a larger venue, and one of the first questions some places ask are How Many People and How Much Money. If you can prove you attract X number of people, and they spend Y number of dollars, you have an advantage over groups that can only speculate on their demographics.
And, finally, don't forget to thank the folks who helped you run the show, as well as your patrons, sponsors, and vendors!
It sounds like a lot of work, and initially it can be. But once you standardize the routine, it runs smoothly. The most work we have from year to year is the set-up on Friday night, and the break-down and clean-up on Saturday after the show. Both clubs have some great members who will show up and work both days. All we need to do is ask and they are there...
Over the next week or so, we'll be updating the event website with show data and photos. Check it out.
Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.
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