Considering Hosting a Frag Swap

[goldenhurricane2]

go here to join the Reef club leaders forum.
https://www.reef2reef.com/account/join-user-groups

Thanks - just requested to join!

 

[goldenhurricane2]

I live in Wichita and sadly we have zero clubs. I'm not into the Facebook thing. If you get an event scheduled please let me know. It's only a couple hour drive. Nothing in my tank but rocks and pods so I would be interested in seeing whats out there. I can try to hang a few flyers up here if you would like me to.

I'll gladly keep you updated. We're still in the very beginning stages of planning, but I really want this to get off the ground. Your support is greatly appreciated!

 

[JaimeAdams]

Most vendors want 6 - 9 months advance notice to consider setting up at your swap. You want to look around and make sure that there aren't any other planned swaps within a certain distance to yours the same weekend. The problem that I am having with the club that I run is having enough people to actually work the swap and getting the rest of the board to do their parts in pulling it off.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Most vendors want 6 - 9 months advance notice to consider setting up at your swap. You want to look around and make sure that there aren't any other planned swaps within a certain distance to yours the same weekend. The problem that I am having with the club that I run is having enough people to actually work the swap and getting the rest of the board to do their parts in pulling it off.

I've got a committee with 6 people that are helping with planning, so I feel pretty good about this. However, getting other members to help is a different story.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Some Tips

1. Plan In Advance - Don't Schedule when there are Nearby Swaps. I have seen this Happen. One Swap is an Hour Away from Another Swap and they are One Week Apart. This Affects Attendance for Both Swaps (Especially the One that Goes Second). You are Hurting Your Own Swap as Well as Other Swaps. That is Not Good for Anybody.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2018-frag-swap-dates-and-locations-in-order-and-updated.336979/

Follow the Link Above. It Lists all the Frag Swaps. If you don't know the Dates of Future Swaps follow this Years List as Most Swaps are Once a Year and on the Same Weekend or Within a Week or Two of when they Happened the Previous Year. This is Helpful because People know when to Expect Future Swaps. Also, Contact Clubs Near You and those that Host Swaps so They Don't Mess Up Your Swap. You may Plan it Right and Follow the Dates but they May Plan Their Swap After You Plan and Put it the Week Before Yours Drastically Lowering Your Attendance. More Clubs Need to Coordinate these Swaps so this Doesn't Happen.

2. Advertise, Advertise, Advertise - I Cannot STRESS this Enough. I advertise Every Swap I attend (Usually 15 to 20 Hours of Work Per Swap) - Attendance has Gone Up Alot from This. Nobody is Going to a Frag Swap if Nobody Knows about it. I Use the Following - Reef2Reef, Local Club Sites, Craigslist. And of Course the Biggest One by Far Facebook Reefing Groups. Most Groups are just for Certain Areas so You Really Really Target Your Market by Posting There. And Paid Facebook Advertising. I started doing CMAS in Chiago a Few Years ago. The First One I attended I did Not Advertise. A Few Hundred People Showed Up. I Started Advertising the Next Year and Attendance Doubled just from Advertsing. Two Years Later Over 900 People Showed up. So in just Two Years Time Attendance for the Same Show went from a Couple Hundred People to Over 900 People. I Cannot Stress Enough How important Advertising is !!!!!!!!

3. Try to Get Bigger Name Vendors and Out of State Vendors - People like to See Their Favorite Vendors in Person (Jason Fox, Cherry Corals, WWC, etc.) and Frag Swaps are the Best Way to do it. I know People that Will Attend or Not Attend a Show Strickly on Whether or Not Their Favorite Coral Vendor is Going to be There. Also, they would Rather Buy from Out of State Vendors that they Never see or Don't See Often. It is easier to get people to your Swap by doing this. You can have all Local People but Attendance will be less because you can go Visit the Local People any time you want. If Somebody Lives 8 Hours Away most people will not Drive that far to Visit Them. So Having these People at Your Swap is a Giant Help to People that would Otherwise Never Get to See Those Vendors.

4. Have a Raffle - The Bigger the Better and the More Expensive Items the More People that will Attend (Apex Controller, Vortech Power Heads, Kessil LED's etc.) Lots of People Love Raffles and Some go to Swaps Just for the Raffle.

5. Guest Speakers - Have Guest Speakers come to the Swap to Give a Talk / Presentation. This can be Somebody that has Written Books on the Hobby, a YouTube Celebrity, or just and Expert on the Topic of Their Presentation. This is a Great way to Boost Frag Swap Attendance as well as a Great Way to Educate Fellow Reefers.

6. Volunteers - If you can get people to Help You such as Club Members that is Great but not a Must. Some Events I go to Have Dozens of Volunteers. Others are Basically a One Man Show. For Instance Just One Person Puts on Most of the Frag Swaps in Michigan (He Puts on 8 of the 12 Frag Swaps in Michigan). Besides the Big One in Lansing he does all the Work Except Himself Except the Advertising which is Done by Me.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Question: how much do you all typically charge for a vendor fee? How much for admission (if anything)?

 

[Bronc]

I can’t wait until we can announce where it will be at!

 

[reefwiser]

Question: how much do you all typically charge for a vendor fee? How much for admission (if anything)?

Here is our info page on our up coming swap.

http://www.lmas.org/frag-swap-info/

We based the price on breaking even with the cost of the hall and all the stuff you need to get it going.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Here is our info page on our up coming swap.

http://www.lmas.org/frag-swap-info/

We based the price on breaking even with the cost of the hall and all the stuff you need to get it going.

Great info! How many sq ft is that area?

 

[reefwiser]

Great info! How many sq ft is that area?

Ours is a church Fellowship hall at about 2000 sq feet.

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Ours is a church Fellowship hall at about 2000 sq feet.

Ok that's very helpful. We're looking at around 2500 sq ft. How big are your booths?

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Sorry to keep bringing up questions, but another one just came to me: Do you all have your vendors sign contracts or do you just do a gentleman's agreement?

 

[reefwiser]

We get a non refundable deposit with the total amount due 30 days before the swap.

 

[Joker79]

I live in Wichita and sadly we have zero clubs. I'm not into the Facebook thing. If you get an event scheduled please let me know. It's only a couple hour drive. Nothing in my tank but rocks and pods so I would be interested in seeing whats out there. I can try to hang a few flyers up here if you would like me to.

sent you a pm

 

[goldenhurricane2]

I live in Wichita and sadly we have zero clubs. I'm not into the Facebook thing. If you get an event scheduled please let me know. It's only a couple hour drive. Nothing in my tank but rocks and pods so I would be interested in seeing whats out there. I can try to hang a few flyers up here if you would like me to.

Hey man - we just released an initial list of Vendors and we’d love for you to spread the word!

 

[goldenhurricane2]

Here’s the flyer for the event:

 

[goldenhurricane2]

FYI - we still have a couple of spaces available for the show if any vendors are interested (or if you know of a vendor that would be interested, send them my way).