I just participated in a bridal show this past weekend and met several other vendors.  I was thinking I should follow up with them with possibly an email or postcard just saying how great it was to meet them.  Have others done this?  And if so, did you do it through email, a note?  What exactly did you say?  Any tips or pointer?  I would appreciate any input!! 

anyone?  Maybe I'm the only one who has considered doing this...

I'd sent them an email and just say it was nice meeting them. If any of them are venues you could see if they'd like some of your cards that you could drop by, or just ask people in general if there are any networking groups they know of that they attend and you'd be a good fit for, that kind of thing. I wouldn't ask people if they want to meet up individually because people are generally too busy.

Thanks for the reply, costumeczar!  I really appreciate it!  I hadn't thought about asking about networking groups.  That is a great suggestion!

AOur bridal fair is two days, on Saturday and sunday. On Sunday mornings I get there early and go around and leave a box with two cupcakes on almost all the other vendor's tables (i make a fondant disc with an EI logo on). The box has my sticker on it.

This is such a great treat for everyone! I get tons of referrals from this. It is a lot of work - there are about 100 vendors so I usually make between 85 and 90 boxes. Everyone talks about it all day, and lots of the other vendors point out my booth to visitors.

I have a show in a few weeks and am planning on leaving painted valentine cookies at each booth. I collect each persons card and when I get home, within a week I like to hit each ones FB page and leave a note from my business page saying how it was a pleasure meeting them, how much I enjoyed the booth and so on. This way they can click my link and see who I was and then I can most of the time get them to also in turn like my business page. If it is someone I would like to work with I will also send an email asking if they want to do coffee anytime soon. :) Good luck at your show :)

It's always a good thing to develop relationships with other vendors.  I tended to keep mine with companies that I really liked and who had good reputations.  A simple email would suffice, unless it's a venue.  If it's a venue, make a little something and take it to the banquet manager.

A

That's a sweet idea! How many cookies do you plan on giving each vendor? Wrapped with your card?

AWow! Do you have pics of the cookies? They sound pretty!

 

This was the last door prize I did. :)

ABeautiful! Thanks for sharing!!

Wow godot!  That is an amazing idea! That's also a lot of baking!  You are my idol.  I did go around to most vendors and introduced myself and offered them some of my sample cups with business cards.  Not nearly as ambitious as you though...

Cakespirations...that is a great idea about the Facebook pages!  I must do that!  Why don't I think of these things? And those cookies are absolutely beautiful!  Vendors must love you.  I must try something like this!  

 

There are so many good ideas here!  Thanks, everyone!

near the end of the show, when all the vendors are tired (and hungry) we go around with a tray full of cake samples and while they enjoy the cake chat with them for a while and give them our card.  The people who run our show always has a "vendor blender" a week after the show, usually at a hotel, with free food, door prizes and lots of fun talk about the show.  We have developed some great relationships over the years with the other vendors, as well as other bakeries! 

Remember the primary purpose of a bridal show is to get to know and create a relationship with other vendors.  Meeting brides?  That's just a side benefit! 

indydebi....this is so true!  I definitely learned this at my first bridal show which was a couple of weeks ago!  The contacts I made with other vendors are already proving to be very valuable!

ADefinitely focus on making an impression on other vendors. Brides are of course a bonus if you score any of them, but you really want to be in good with vendors so when they are asked who to go to for cake, they immediately start gushing about you.

A

See, if the site had a like button, and I had actually read all the replies, I could have just liked the post you quoted and not clogged up the thread with a nearly duplicate reply..ha ha.