WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

Hello everyone

Despite promising myself and my blog followers that I would be posting here regularly, not too sure what has happened.  However, here I am back in the world of blogging and I can honestly say that I have been busy working on the eh June event.  The highlight of recent weeks is the name change from the Godalming Independent Market to the Godalming Bazaar - I love it, it's catchy, short, memorable and still retains the Godalming link while giving the impression of something rather exotic.  Thank you Dawn and Lesley for helping, or rather thank you for coming up with this brilliant new name.

Lesley has also been doing lots of PR for the events, so along with  lots of online advertising, stallholders passing out flyers, posters being placed in shops, notice boards, etc and an advertisement in the Advantage Point magazine and the Compton Parish magazine, the word is certainly out there about the event.

My helpers on the day will be sporting smart t-shirts - these can be seen on the Godalming Bazaar's Facebook page.  the Bazaar also has a new logo - again this is displayed on the Bazaar's Facebook page and is included in all tweets posted on Twitter and here it is:

My planned 'next post' was to be about being a stallholder.  No, I am not claiming to be an authority on this, but feel I have been involved in so many as a stallholder and a customer, that I can confidently put forward my thoughts and suggestions as they may be food for thought for both 'old' and new stallholders.  There you have it, the topic for my next blog post.

I have also been working hard to bring to the life the planned Food Court (to be held in the Court Room of the Borough Hall).  I want this to be a dedicated food court and so far have one stlalhodler - am I disappointed?  Yes, very, as I have contacted over forty local food and drink growers/producers, makers.  If you know of anyone who would like to join us, please ask them to get in touch. 

After the last event's refreshments provider disappointment, I am tyring to sort out one for the June event.  I had a meeting with a company last week and I hope they will take part in the event, but it's a 'watch this space' situation.

A quick post to almost bring you up-to-date.  I will be back soon with the promised stallholder blog post, in the meantime enjoy the sunshine (although at the moment it looks like rain here) and have a great week.  I am off to Chelsea tomorrow - wonder if I can find some people for the Food Court there......

Jill

EVENT REVIEW

Hello everyone

Somewhat belated, but a post-event review post.

We had lovely weather, everyone's stalls looked fantastic and we all (stallholders, my helpers and myself included) worked hard all day long to try to make the event a success.  Almost needless to say, it would have been great to have more visitors to the event.  What is that magic mix that craft and gift fair organisers need to have to sprinkle over their events?  I am not too sure what it is, where I can buy it or, as a crafts-person, find the ingredients to make the potion myself, but I do know that along with hundreds of other event organisers we work our socks off to try to make our events successful.

I received lots of really positive feedback from some of the stallholders and I would like to thank them for their support.   Based on the feedback and my response changes will be incorporated into future events and I am sure they will be positive for everyone.

The visit from the Mayor and Mayoresss of Godalming went really well.  They visited all of the stalls and even enjoyed our last-minute, make-shift refreshments.  I had been let down the day before the event by the people who were providing refreshments but I am really grateful to two good friends, Linda and Dawn, for pitching in and helping out at very short notice.  Thank you both.

The following are photographs of some of the stands at the April event - unfortunately, there just wasn't time to take photographs of everyone's stands, but as many stallholders are taking part in several events this year, I will have the chance to feature them in future blog posts.

Blog-posting will be back to normal next week with a weekly, and more often if possible, post.  I am hoping that stallholders will take up my offer to be a guest blogger - it's free advertising for your work, so how can you not take up this offer?

My post next week will be how to be a successful stallholder - so if you have suggestions and ideas that work for you as a stallholder, please do let me know and I will include them and I will acknowledge your contribution (a bit more free advertising for your work).

See you next week

Jill

COUNTING THE HOURS

Hi everyone

We are very nearly at the start of the first Godalming Independent Market of this year.  Not without hiccups and stress along the way, most difficult to deal with has been the cancellation today by our refreshments people, Splendid Occasions, due to illness.  I wish you all a very speedy recovery.  This has created a mega problem because being able to offer refreshments was something I was really pleased about.  Most of today has been spent trying to find replacements or alternatives - not easy as it is very short notice.  My thanks to Dawn Hart, Linda Holden and Natasha Berthoud for jumping in to help.

It is the last blog post before the event and my planned shout out for all stallholders didn't take place because of today's events.  However, here is a roll-call of everyone taking part tomorrow:

Tracy Adaway

Linda Banks

Natasha Berthoud

Elaine Briars

Anita Burrough

Adrienne Card

Wendy Cunningham

Brenda Emerson

Joyce Daniel

Jayne Evans

Zahida Fieldhouse

Barbara Fletcher

Bianca Grant

Jennifer Haiselden

Dawn Hart

Jill Hines

David & Carole Hudson

Kevin Gorton

Christine Kendell

Andrea Killick

Anna Lewicki

Karen Maione

Jackie Malcolm and Izzy Taylor

Sally Mitchell

Anne Owens

Pennie Pearce

Angela Peel

William Smith

Jill Stobbart

Di Swaddling

Kimberley Tyler

Becky Watson

Fran Tang

Good luck tomorrow everyone - I am looking forward to meeting you and hope we all have a very successful day.

Jill

NEARLY THERE

Hello everyone

Hard to believe this time next week we will have completed the first Godalming Independent Market of this year.  Still lots to do, and the butterflies are beginning to take up residence in my stomach.

As well has having over 30 fantastic stallholders at the event, there are lots of great things taking place on the day including face-painting by Artyfacial and balloon modelling by Mr Magic.  Some great news, the Mayor and Mayoress of Godalming will be visiting the event with their daughter at 11.30 am.  It will be so good to have them there and I am sure if will encourage lots of new visitors to join us.

Posters and flyers are still being distributed and this morning I put up the brand new colourful banner outside of the Godalming Borough Hall:

As the hall is immediately opposite Waitrose's car park which is also used by people going into the town centre,  the banner should create a lot of interest.

I have advertisement in Wednesday's edition of the Surrey Mirror and Friday's edition of the Surrey Advertiser.  Despite this being an online world, many people do not use the Internet and if they do they do not always use it looking for events to attend, so newspapers are a great place to let people know about the GIM events.

I was in Godalming during the week dropping off flyers to shops and was so pleased to meet Poppylocke who works in the Godalming Art shop.  Poppylocke was the first blog follower here and it was great to meet you and looking forward to seeing you next Saturday.

It's back to the grindstone now: floor plan to finalise, flyers to be posted, bookings to confirm for the remaining events this year, as well as a million and one other things that I have probably forgotten.

If you read this blog do come along to next Saturday's event, it is going to be a lot of fun and there will be so many fabulous things to buy.

Jill

THE WORD IS OUT

Hello everyone

Well hopefully all of the words are out - the words about the Godalming Independent Market that is.  Just over 2,000 flyers for the 5 April event have so far been distributed in and around Godalming.  Over the next week a further 2,000 will be popped through local letter boxes in Compton, Godalming, Normandy and Shackleford.  This is in addition to those stallholders who have had the flyers and posters emailed to them who will be printing them off and posting as I write.

I took part in the Play Kenya Craft Fair yesterday and was really pleased to discover that my next door stallholder neighbour was Jill Stobbart of the Gilded Raven one of the stallholders taking part in the first GIM event of this year.  Jill produces beautiful cards, jewellery and lovely decorated wooden items - have a look at her Facebook page.

Over the next two weeks I will be blogging regularly to showcase the other lovely stallholders taking part in the first GIM event of the year - not long to go now - and here are a few of them to whet your appetite:

Dawn Hart of Stonepit Crafts Dawn's knits are fabulous: lovely bangles and wellie toppers are among the most popular of her makes

Linda Banks of Orchid Stained Glass Linda creates the most beautiful pieces of stained glass that you can imagine, have a look at her stunning lampshades

Adrienne Card of the Beach Shack creates beautiful cushions, ponchos and lots of other lovely handmade items

Come back every day this week to find out who else is taking part in the first GIM event of the year.

Have fun everyone

Jill

THE FLYERS ARE FLYING OUT

Hello everyone

Another beautiful day - makes even the horrible jobs (housework, for example) one has to do a lot easier.  I keep checking the forecast and hoping that we have seen the last of the rain and wind, so fingers and toes crossed.

Although not yet counting down the days, it is now less than two months to my first Godalming Independent Market as the organiser - exciting and a  little nerve-racking too.  More display material has been ordered, printed and is on its way to me - these signs will be placed at prominent positions (roundabouts and other places where permission is given) around Godalming for approximately a week/two weeks prior to each event.

Places are filling up for all of this year's Godalming Borough Hall events and I am getting at least one request per day for information about booking a stall.  There are quite a few new businesses taking part in this year's events and that is really good because it means different and new products for our customers to view and, of course, buy. We all know that variety is important when selling at these types of events, so new sellers alongside the regular stall holders are very welcome.

As I mentioned above, places are filling up fast and I only have 6' table spaces available at the April event now as all 3' table spaces have been booked.  April is also now fully booked for jewellery makers/sellers.  It's a popular month for the Godalming Independent Market as this one takes place in time for Easter gifts to be purchased.

Why the title 'the flyers are flying out' for this post?  Nearly all stallholders who have booked places for this year's events have agreed to take a quantity of flyers and posters - thank you everyone, it all helps with the promotion and as you know it is a two-way thing.  Over the next couple of weeks I will be posting these.  One pack is already on its way to a local event organiser who is including them in the goody bag she hands out to the first 100 visitors to her event in March.

Time to do some gardening, it's a little chilly outside but the sunshine is gorgeous.  Have a great week everyone, don't forget to get in touch if you would like to be a guest blogger here or would like more information about the Godalming Independent Markets.

Have a great weekend - 'see' you next week.

Jill