Miami Pen Show 2016

[Queball]

Hey folks the Miami Pen Show is just around the corner and it's bigger and better then ever. I have a new hotel with plenty of room to grow and a social media marketing campaign that will bring in new dealers and customers. For more information please check out my blog posting.

 

http://bertramsinkwell.com/blog/

 

Thanks

[avlisyar]

I will be in Miami for the show.

Since I missed the Philly show

this year due to the snow, this

will be the only one I can get to

this year.

 

Looking forward to it! At least it

won't snow.

[FLZapped]

I plan on being there!

 

-Bruce

[bstnnyc]

I will be in Miami this summer and am looking forward to the show! Does anyone know when the list of exhibitors will be available?

[tryphon]

I will be there!

[avlisyar]

It's two weeks away! Any updates on who will be there?

Edited June 30, 2016 by avlisyar

[FLZapped]

I will be in Miami this summer and am looking forward to the show! Does anyone know when the list of exhibitors will be available?

 

I just checked and they now have a list:

 

http://miamipenshow.com/exhibitors/

[spotted and speckled]

The list is up! I'll be there, probably friday.

 

And, a sad confession--I've been so stinking busy this past year, the pens I bought last year are still in the box. I'm looking forward to some true down time this year!

[bstnnyc]

Thank you! This looks like a good lineup. I'm thinking of going on Friday.

[Earthdawn]

For those on Social media you can follow @miamipenshow on instagram and if you search #miamipenshow2016 you will find a lot of pictures already posted of events at the show as well as vendors.

 

I will be there with LE bookmarks to handout to all who attend and we are having a gathering with Montegrappa on Saturday night.

 

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/thevaporcafe/1515B33B-F1BF-47D0-80E8-6F14E71F8776_zpsl1nrwvnt.jpeg

 

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac10/thevaporcafe/D8010D0B-5854-473A-A054-46CABC6B3B50_zpshra2ho5n.jpeg

[avlisyar]

See you Friday!

[Earthdawn]

The events got separated on the site so Ill list them here...

 

Friday, July 15

11:00 am – 6:00 pm Show Hours

6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Pen Meet ~ In the bar/lobby area. Casual setting for pens. Fountain Pen Day will be there with some of the vendors.

Saturday, July 16

10:00 am – 5:00 pm Show Hours

11:00 am – 1:00 pm Italics Class with Deborah Basel

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Tammy Wright of Paper Tams will be teaching a Mail Art class.

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Montegrappa Mule Party w/Fountain Pen Day

Sunday, July 17

10:00am – 4:00pm Show Hours

11:00 am – 1:00 pm Cursive Writing Class with Deborah Basel

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Pens for Kids with Deborah Basel

Edited July 12, 2016 by Earthdawn

[kazoolaw]

Report from the Show from anyone who went?

 

http://miamipenshow.com/past-shows-copy/

Edited July 28, 2016 by gary

[FLZapped]

Sadly, this show has been shrinking for a while. This year was no exception. I hated the location of this venue - and I live in S. Florida.

 

It seems a shame that half of the state's population is here, yet you can't get them to come to something like this.....there just isn't the interest, in part, because of the composition of the residents.

 

Quite frankly, I think Bert should move it up to the Fort Lauderdale area and call it the S. Florida Pen Show. He might get better attendance. He certainly needs to advertise. I wrote to him and suggested that, but I don't think he ever did anything.

 

I really look forward to this show, because there really isn't a good independent full-service shop in this part of the world.

 

-Bruce

[Queball]

Hi Bruce,

 

Thanks for your valued feedback on the show. You are correct that the show has been shrinking for quite some time. Unfortunately, since the Biltmore priced us out of their facility, the show has been floating around from venue to venue for several years to find a permanent facility. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't care for the Hilton DoubleTree, however feedback from vendors and customers alike were extremely favorable because of several reasons: excellent location next to a major airport, ample and cheap parking, excellent access for vendors to load and unload merchandise, and customer access could not be easier with the ballroom right off the lobby of the hotel.

 

I couldn't agree more that with so many people in and around the area, why can't we get them to come to the show? I'm open to suggestions as to how to accomplish this. Plus, as a community, the more we all talk about and promote the show the better it is for everyone. Also, I did advertise. Postcards were sent to former attendees, and a massive social media campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Bertram's Inkwell's own databases were blitzed months prior to the show.

 

As for moving the show (yet again), I think that would actually be detrimental to the show and its future. As I would hope that most would agree, consistency in location is paramount to any show's continued success (i.e. the Washington Pen Show). Over the years I've heard suggestions from folks wanting the show moved to various locations in Florida (both north and south). However, as a promoter, the most important part of keeping the show healthy is the cost of the venue. For example: the cost of the ballroom, cost of the guest rooms, cost of parking, food venues, and activities nearby. All of these items need to be factored in when finding the ideal location. The Hilton DoubleTree, where this year's show was held, was as much as 75% less in cost than other venues, making it an ideal location. So much so that we've booked it for July 14-16, 2017.

 

Hope to see you and many others there!

 

Bert Oser

Bertram's Inkwell

Miami Pen Show

Baltimore Washington Int'l Pen Show

bert@bertramsinkwell.com

 

 

 

Sadly, this show has been shrinking for a while. This year was no exception. I hated the location of this venue - and I live in S. Florida.

 

It seems a shame that half of the state's population is here, yet you can't get them to come to something like this.....there just isn't the interest, in part, because of the composition of the residents.

 

Quite frankly, I think Bert should move it up to the Fort Lauderdale area and call it the S. Florida Pen Show. He might get better attendance. He certainly needs to advertise. I wrote to him and suggested that, but I don't think he ever did anything.

 

I really look forward to this show, because there really isn't a good independent full-service shop in this part of the world.

 

-Bruce

[FLZapped]

It wasn't so much the hotel itself, it was the surrounding neighborhood. The location in Kendall was much better. Great restaurants, shopping and transportation. Maybe because I make a mini-vacation of it, I have a different perspective than most.

 

In S. FL, I think the best place to advertise is with the Jimmy Cefelo show in the mornings on WIOD, 610 AM (this doesn't include their reach on iHeart Radio). I believe that he carries the right demographic for the pen show and the station easily covers the Keys through West Palm Beach. Due to the population composition, a lot of S. FL isn't on social media....and most likely don't even own a computer.

 

-Bruce