competition vendors

flo · #1 11-08-2005, 09:39 AM

Hi,
After my first try at being a competition vendor, I'd like to get some suggestions from skaters. This will also help when we select vendors for our club events. I have to say the best part about having a booth was that I got to meet more of you!

What types of products would you like to see at the competitions?

Are you interested in non-skating produts?

What do you typically purchase at skating events from the vendors?

What do you have to go out of the rink to purchase?

I noticed that the other vendors at the Halloween Classic did not do very well, any thoughts as to why?

Any other suggestions are welcome!

Thank you

singerskates · #2 11-08-2005, 10:29 AM

Adult dresses and skirts in sizes from M to XXXL
Butt Pads
Skate Laces
Tights M to XXXL in Adult sizes.
Guards
Soakers
Spinners
Men's skate pants.
Teddy Bears to throw out to our skating pals on the ice.
Water
Juice

skaternum · #3 11-08-2005, 11:25 AM

What types of products would you like to see at the competitions?
Dresses for ADULTS. What's up with vendors who bring little girl's dresses to sell at an adult competition?

Tights for ADULTS. See above.

Small, cheap stuffed animals to throw.

Are you interested in non-skating produts?
Not really. If I want to buy jewelry or clothes, I'll go to the mall.

What do you typically purchase at skating events from the vendors?
The above, plus the official competition t-shirt IF THEY HAVE IT IN ADULT SIZES. What's up with running out of size Large at an adult competition?

Sometimes I'll buy hair "stuff" like clips or cool scrunchies.

What do you have to go out of the rink to purchase?
Video tape for videographer, when I forget to bring my own and don't want to pay the ridiculous amount they charge.

Snacks, like animal crackers, saltines, granola bars, fruit.

Real food. Most rinks only have a crummy snack bar.

I noticed that the other vendors at the Halloween Classic did not do very well, any thoughts as to why?
I wasn't there.

Any other suggestions are welcome!

Mel On Ice · #4 11-08-2005, 11:46 AM

What types of products would you like to see at the competitions? Like Bridgette said, adult sized skate wear.

Are you interested in non-skating products? Yes, food. I get so tired of arena food! If it's a competition that I'm at for the duration of the day, it'd be great if there were a salad bar or real meal offered instead of cardboard pizza or pretzels and hot dogs. Wonder if a catering company would ever think of showing up with to-go containers featuring decent meals?

What do you typically purchase at skating events from the vendors? Rhinestones; tights; a commemorative item like a towel, tee or keychain; laces; event pin and program if it's not included in the goody bag; water. If win a medal, I will usually get my medal engraved with the date and program title.

What do you have to go out of the rink to purchase? A decent meal, stuff to throw on the ice. The sheer volume of things we adults throw at each other, it makes more financial sense to hit a strip mall, drug store or dollar store for inexpensive trinkets and trash as opposed to paying a vendor $5 for a beanie. And if I forget gloves or a stadium blanket, I'd much rather pay Walmart or Walgreen prices than vendor prices.

I noticed that the other vendors at the Halloween Classic did not do very well, any thoughts as to why? Not being there, I can't say. I routinely skip Del Arbour's booth because the vendor was rude to me not once, but twice and they're dresses don't fit me anyway. I also skip over the sellers who are "reselling" skating trinkets at jacked up prices. I don't shop the generic jewelry sellers either.

In contrast, I always seem to find something to buy at Rainbo's booths, be it a pin, a book or a video. If it's a multiple-date competition, if they don't have it, they will go back to the store to get it for you. Heck, they were more on the ball than the ISI when I wanted a handbook.

sk8pics · #5 11-08-2005, 11:46 AM

Hi Flo,

I don't usually buy very much at competitions, except:

competition t-shirt or fleece
stuffed animals to throw on the ice

I thought the person selling the little stuffed animals seemed to be doing well; she ran out of the small ones pretty early on Sunday, I think. Her prices were very reasonable, and I think that makes a big difference given the $$$'s people spend on travel, hotel, and competition fees, and coaches' fees.

Perhaps things like bunga pads would sell also. I'm not that much interested in non-skating things.

Pat

flo · #6 11-08-2005, 11:54 AM

Hi,
Thanks!
I think the stuffed animal person was from the club. I know that at many events the vendors can not compete and sell the same items as the pro shop.
For those of you not at the Classic, I do have to say their snack bar was the best I've seen in a rink. The variety and quality was quite good and the staff very polite.

thank you for your suggestions!

pinkdblonde · #7 11-08-2005, 11:56 AM

TIGHTS!!! Esp. Over the boot ones with hooks! In ALL sizes. (without them costing $25-$30)

jenlyon60 · #8 11-08-2005, 11:59 AM

The food often becomes a tricky issue (outside of snacks/fruit) for a couple reasons...

1. Rink profits/snack bar profits (or if the snack bar/restaurant is a contracted facility, it can become a contractual issue). Sometimes this can be gotten around by seeing if an organization (e.g. skating club or synchro team) can get permission from the rink to hold a "fund raiser"

2. Anything that might require prep gets into food safety issues. I have done quite a bit of hospitality work at competitions, and I'm always aware of this, especially when it comes to menu decision choices ahead of time, or when to toss/replace food/beverages. Not to mention that if the local health authorities come in and spot check.... not fun.

3. ALLERGIES. If you have open food items that include Nuts, for example, the rink or the club could get sued if someone with a nut allergy suffers an allergy attack and claims it's because of the peanuts in the brownies at the bake sale, or whatever. (I found out the hard way last year at a competition, when I planned ahead and ordered Chinese food for the officials, that one of the officials had a peanut allergy...and Chinese food is often cooked in peanut oil. Luckily we were able to find her something else to eat, and she wasn't so allergic that any nut oils in the air would set off anaphylaxic shock, but still....)

jenlyon60 · #9 11-08-2005, 12:04 PM

Separate from the food issues...

1. Dresses/leggings for ADULTS. Larger sized adults (not all GK/Capezio Adult S... that not even a lot of thin adults might wear). Tights are good, but if there's a pro shop onsite and they have them (in Adult sizes) that's fine too. (I always bring at least 2 spare pair with me anyways.)

2. I like the sparklies and hair ornaments for sale... or even just plain hairpins/pony tail fasteners/scrunchies and/or hairspray. All of the latter tend to wander off....

3. Club pins/patches

4. A few years ago at Peach, a Mary Kay makeup sales lady had a table... I enjoyed that.

Skate@Delaware · #10 11-08-2005, 12:12 PM

When we (skating club) sells stuff at our rink during ice shows, we are not allowed to sell anything that the rink sells....no hot food, stuff available from the vending machine (candy), pro shop items (laces, tights-even if they are out of stock), etc. So, we usually sell baked items. They go pretty quick, regardless. (and we can't set up our table anywhere near the snack bar or pro-shop, even if they are closed

).

I didn't see too many things at the vendor tables that caught my eye (except your scarves and tissue holders). I was looking for commemorative t-shirts and stuff like that. And I forgot to buy extra skate laces (my pro-shop has been out of stock since they re-opened in September!)

Mrs Redboots · #11 11-08-2005, 12:20 PM

What types of products would you like to see at the competitions?

Boot covers, of course! Seriously, nobody here ever has them, you get soakers all over the place, but no boot covers.

Matching cloth skate bags (the individual ones) and soaker sets.

Blade guards. Skate bags.

Are you interested in non-skating produts?
Not really.

What do you typically purchase at skating events from the vendors?

I have bought dresses, both new & 2nd-hand, T-shirts (one that said "Heaven is a perfect 6.0" on the front), sweatshirts, a scarf, a CD folder that said "Skating is for life" on it, jewellery, those little blade-guard keyrings, a mousemat, and endless teddies & flowers for throwing purposes (although since I started making soap I throw that, these days). Last year, at the British Championships (the main ones, not the Adults) I was very tempted by mugs that said "If figure skating were easy, they'd call it hockey"....

What do you have to go out of the rink to purchase?

Usually food & drink, as what's provided at rinks doesn't normally fit my idea of what an athlete should be eating, especially one who's watching her weight! Plus the vending machines never have tea without milk in (at least, ours don't, and precious few even have coffee without milk in!).

And many of our events don't have stalls; there's a couple of women who "do the rounds", but usually it's only at mega-events like the British Championships that you get any other stalls. There wasn't a stall at the British Adult Championships this year, not even a flowers-and-teddies stall, which we were disappointed about; there had been one last year.

pennybeagle · #12 11-08-2005, 12:21 PM

I've seen a rhinestone vendor at a competition. Very cool--got lots of business from folks sticking on last-minute extra sparkles. Also saw a fabric vendor.

SKate tape is often not carried in pro shops (well, not in the ones I go to).

There was a masseuse and a woman who braided hair at nationals. I think they got a lot of business.

There are those skating-related training tools like spinners and maxi-flexes that people might be interested in seeing/trying out/purchasing.

flo · #13 11-08-2005, 12:33 PM

Thanks Skate@Delaware! Since I'm in constant need of a tissue - I thought I'd have something that looked nicer than a crumpled pack.
I was hoping to have painted skirts, but they didn't get done in time.

Debbie S · #14 11-08-2005, 01:27 PM

Chiming in here to agree that vendors need to bring ADULT sizes in clothing and tights to sell. I was disappointed that HC did not have a vendor selling hair things - like the things that cover buns, clips, scrunchies, etc. I think there was one "trinket" vendor that did have some scrunchies, but only a few and not in any interesting colors. I was really looking for ties and bun covers. And I went into the pro shop and did not find any soakers, which I needed, so a vendor selling those would have been great. And I was sort of annoyed that the rink pro shop put a coupon in the program that could be used starting Monday . Um, excuse me, but the comp is Saturday and Sunday.

The stuffed animal booth was a good idea. Prices were reasonable and the animals were cute.

I thought your booth was great, flo. The painted items were beautiful, and the gift items were a great idea - and were high-quality.

Maybe a vendor selling stones and other embellishments would be good to have. Actually, I think at HC there was a vendor selling the Bejeweler, and she stoned some dresses for people.

My one request for all the comp organizers here is to try to put the vendors in one place, so we can find them....and make sure that the video and picture vendor(s) is located in an obvious area, with a sign. And ask the vendor to bring 2 cameras to tape BOTH ends of the ice during the half-ice events. (Yes, my spin event was on the half of the ice that the guy didn't tape.

)

flo · #15 11-08-2005, 02:47 PM

Thanks Debbie - I had a great time, and now have Christmas gifts ready!

slusher · #16 11-08-2005, 03:07 PM

I buy tights at competitions almost exclusively, I do bring my old ones as back up. As I'm not close to a skate supply store, competitions is the easiest place to get them.

I'd like to see someone selling boot covers and mittens and scarf sets for practice wear, fleece pants for coaching wear, basically warm things for when we stand around on ice.

I'd also like to see real food. Although, I did go to a comp once and the local skating moms sold a hot cooked breakfast which went down a lot better than donuts and coffee but there was a huge outbreak of food poisoning resulting afterwards, so...... !!!

Someone should sell disposable cameras. Twice I've been to a competition and forgotten my camera (and or batteries) and had to run out in an unfamiliar town to find a disposable.

I would also love to have a hairdresser available in the rink. I'm just not good with fancy hair.

mikawendy · #17 11-09-2005, 10:53 PM

Here's what I would buy and/or needed to buy:
Hairspray (completely forgot it)
Gloves/hats/scarves/fleeces/blankets
Fingerless gloves (the kind with a slot for the fingers and a smaller hole for the thumb)
Seat cushions for cold/hard bleachers
Those handwarmer packs
Fresh and dried fruit
Sports drinks
Skate laces
Finger food/snacks that are easy to eat with lipstick on and that won't stain clothes
Unique soakers (animals, etc.)
Skating dress/leotard/skirt patterns (could advertise with photos of completed versions)
Stoning/sequin kits with detailed instructions
Therabands
Hand lotion
Crash pads

jazzpants · #18 11-10-2005, 01:26 AM

Here's what I have seen at competitions that I think are handy:

Hairdresser/makeup artist combination. (We have one here but it's by appt. If you don't book quick enough, you might not get in. Lucky for me in my last competition's case, I have my OWN hairdresser near by...and I'm NOT referring my primary coach, though he IS also very good!!! I've seen his work!!!)
Skates vendor. (We're fortunate to be near BOTH SP Teri and Harlicks!!!)
Dress vendor. US Icewear came to visit at the St. Moritz comp. The dress are NICE (but WAAAAY too expensive for my taste...)
Jewelry person
Some place to buy beanie babies, roses in those stiff plastic wrapping to throw on the ice.
Skate Pro shop... and it should be stocked with stuff like laces, bunga pads, gloves, etc.
A vendor for stones and glue for dresses. (She was a dressmaker.)
Other types of food besides stuff like hot dogs, hamburgers, donuts... though the hamburgers at the Snoopy Ice Rink in Santa Rosa did go down good with me! And my home rink is within a short walking distance of a Whole Foods!!! (Bless 'em!!! )

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