This was the summer of tradeshows for me! Last week I went to NEM, New England Made show in Boxsborough, MA. It is a much smaller tradeshow than NYNOW and definitely more regional based (East Coast). It is a good  one to dabble in if you are new to the tradeshow world and want to test them out. It is also much more affordable than NYNOW and I think that is always appealing to small businesses that are trying to grow without breaking the bank.

Who exhibits at New England Made

Similar to NYNOW, it is for brands across the home, gifts and stationery space along with FOOD. There were many food businesses there - from spices to chocolates - that was new to me! One thing I noticed was that the buyers were looking for very distinct styles (coastal, location specific or nature-y) OR their shops were more niche than just your modern gift shop. Many of the businesses have that locally made, hand-made, small batch vibe. I'm sure there are some that may "mass" produce, but I think that is what also makes this one more distinct. The show is intended for businesses that have that handmade, locally sourced business aspect. It is also not as LARGE as a traditional show which does allow buyers to browse everyone. It really just depends if your buyer is present. 

What was setup like? 

The team at NEM is incredibly kind and helpful - the customer service was pretty exceptional. They made themselves available and helpful throughout the show which I found super nice. 

My biggest gripe with setup was that we didn't have walls! While this isn't the end of the world, it was a bit challenging to figure out a way to display my paper goods without a normal booth. It was pipe and drape so if you wanted to hide that, you had to get walls and figure out something on your own. If you have candles, I'm sure displays are totally fine but having to build out a space was not something I really wanted to do!

With that said, I mimicked walls to display my products - specifically for cards and wrapping paper. While there were some booths that did a full build out, I wasn't quite sure if I had to do that yet or if it was totally necessary so it was my go around in doing this. 

Everything turned out pretty simple, cute and turnkey! Maybe one year I'll consider getting real walls. 

Also, since it is not a huge show, load in and load out were pretty quick! Nothing complicated to get into the space so that is a thumbs up from me. 

What it worth the investment? 

The overall investment in NME was around $600 + hotel stay + display build out  - I would say close to 1K all in. Did I make that back? Not quite! I got 2 orders on the last day and while those ALMOST made up for the full cost, it still fell a bit short. I did make new contacts and leads which is always important as well. The buyers are also more local so you may not get those 2K orders in like you potentially would at a larger show with larger accounts. I could be totally wrong though so take that tip with a grain of salt. 

However, it really just depends on your ideal customer and if this show makes sense for you. 

Will I do it again? 

Honestly, I'm not sure! I am considering but there is another one that they do in Portland, Maine that I heard has much higher foot traffic and larger. I have also heard that that one is a bit more coastal specific and/or location-specific, as in they want things that are specific to their state which I do not offer. It is still in the air if I plan to do this but maybe. 

Overall...

I think NEM is a great show - it is small and a great one to test if you are looking to get into the tradeshow space. It is less busy than a larger show, and more regional as mentioned so you may not see as heavy of foot traffic as you may at a larger one. Regardless, it is something to consider if you are looking for something to try if you want to get into wholesale. I wouldn't necessarily say it's only for small businesses looking to expand, the spice business next to me is currently in airports and they attend - I think it just depends if your customer is there and its worth the time and investment.

I hope you find this helpful in your tradeshow journey!! Happy to help answer any questions you may have at hello@JJPaperieCo.com