Hi Rick
 
While I live near Pittsburgh, PA and couldn't hope to attend a show in
Utah, I was sorry to see that your event was cancelled.  I'm a big fan of
ferret shows and events.  They're a wonderful opportunity for folks to get
together, have a lot of fun, and even learn a bit in the process.  I've
helped to organize two fairly large shows so far.  In light of this, I'd
like to offer some thoughts about hosting a successful event out there in
the wild west.  : )
 
First, you are at a great disadvantage regarding vendors.  :
Unfortunately, most vendors are on the east cost (and some are on the west
coat), so travel to Utah would be cost prohibitive.  In other words, don't
take it personally that the vendors couldn't attend.  I'm sure that they
would have loved to come to the Rodeo, but they wouldn't have been able to
afford the travel costs.  Many of the vendors are very 'small time' folks
who make and sell products to support a shelter.  Heck, even the Ferret
Store only has a few employees; two or three perhaps?
 
So, having said that, I have a suggestion or two.  Obviously, you need to
make the event possible without a large number of vendors in attendance.
In order to make that approach affordable, try hosting the event outdoors
at a park rather than at a show hall.  Most park shelters can be rented for
a very low cost- usually in the $20 to $30 range.  Every summer, our club
hosts the Three Rivers Ferret Follies at a large park north of Pittsburgh,
so I know that this type of event can be successful.  Of course you might
have to change it to spring, fall, or even winter depending upon your
climate so that the event doesn't take place when it is too hot outside.
Try making the event a pot luck picnic where you supply the 'main course'
(usually dogs and burgers) & drinks and the attendees bring the side dishes
and desserts.
 
You can, of course, welcome any and all vendors who would like to attend,
but as you have already discovered, you may not have a large number of
them.  OK, no problem.  You just need other activities to suppliment the
day's events.  Before I leave the vendor topic, though, I have one
suggestion.  If you know you will have certain vendors in attendance, you
might ask other vendors who can't attend to arrange to mail some products
to the vendors who will be there.  Often vendors are willing to work
together to help each other out (particularly where they are both
shelters).
 
Alright, on to other activites.  You have already planned some great 'fun
match' type games.  Super!  Try adding a few more if you'd like.  Now that
your event is outdoors, you have have some 'messier' or more active events.
In addition to the fun match events, you might want to secure a speaker or
two to present educational lectures.  Vets, shelter directors, and
experienced ferret owners all make wonderful seminar presenters.
 
Try hosting a raffle.  People LOVE raffles.  As you mentioned, you had a
lot of nice folks send you raffle gifts.  Perhaps you could put together a
brochure listing all of the raffle donors with their contact information,
so that folks could purchase/mail order products from the donors after the
event (if they weren't lucky winners).  Be sure to post the donor's name in
association with the raffle items, so that folks know who donated what.  If
you need to augment your raffle items, consider mail ordering or otherwise
purchasing some products.  Believe me, you'll recover your costs.
 
In closing, with a picnic, fun match games, a few vendors, a speaker or
two, and a raffle (and any other events that you can dream up), you can
have a very successful event.  If you host it at a free or low cost venue,
you can raise some funds or at the very least cover your costs.  Don't give
up on having an event.  Give all of those interested folks a chance to get
together and enjoy themselves!
 
Happy Ferreting!
Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets
Visit the Sage Ferrets web site at
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/1122
[Posted in FML issue 2666]