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Home My WebLink About4.c. EX home and business expo wrap-up EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Port Authority Date: March 20, 2018 AGENDA ITEM: Home and Business Expo Wrap-up AGENDA SECTION: Old Business PREPARED BY: Kim Lindquist, Deputy Director AGENDA NO. 4.c. ATTACHMENTS: Surveys APPROVED BY: LJM RECOMMENDATION: Information Item Only ISSUE The first Rosemount Home and Business Expo was held on March 3, 2018 at the Rosemount Community Center. The event, held from 9 to 3 in the gym contained 48 vendors, 3 city booths and 2 kid activity booths. On the upper level there was a space for 4 non-profit tables, a welcome table and the coffee cart location. We also had 4 food trucks in the parking lot. Of the 48 vendors, 6 were gold sponsors and 3 were green sponsors. Staff estimates that approximately 600 people attended the event. Two surveys are attached which were distributed after the event (one for vendors and one for the food trucks). In general the response was supportive of the event, with most participants answering indicated they would be interested in participating again. Please note staff did follow up with the one respondent who didn’t feel the benefit of being a gold sponsor warranted the additional cost. In fact, that group was actually a green sponsor, which was a lower cost and lower benefit than the gold sponsor. CONCLUSION No action required, information only. 78.79%26 24.24%8 Q1 The price of exhibiting was $100-$150, do you feel that the event was a good value for the money? Answered: 33 Skipped: 0 TOTAL 33 #ANY COMMENTS: DATE 1 It was a great event!! Thank you!3/13/2018 4:39 PM 2 Our business paid for Gold sponsorship, but I didn't see our name and/or logo posted anywhere at the expo. All the spaces were the same size. I felt it was slightly overpriced. 3/13/2018 2:16 PM 3 I was hired as an activity for children, and had an amazing time!3/13/2018 1:10 PM 4 It was slightly steep for myself because I'm an individual small business owner. However, I made some great contacts that will make for business in the future and that's a step in the right direction to make it worth it! 3/9/2018 9:16 AM 5 You could charge more next year. Eagan’s show (coming up 3/16 & 3/17) is $200 & that’s still cheap. 3/7/2018 10:36 AM 6 $50-100 is a good amount 3/6/2018 7:55 PM 7 Price was on higher end. Could have used more advertising.3/6/2018 6:29 PM 8 As a non-profit, we didn't pay anything. We really appreciated that, although I think it would have been fair for us to pay something -- $50.00? 3/6/2018 6:22 PM 9 turn out was less than expected.3/6/2018 6:13 PM 10 I would even pay $200 to have a table cloth included. Or give people the option to pay $25.00 to rent a table cloth from you. 3/6/2018 5:42 PM 11 It was great because it was the same day as the gardening expo. Both on the same day made the attendance twice as large. 3/6/2018 5:27 PM Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 1 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 25.00%7 0.00%0 75.00%21 Q2 Do you think the event was too long, too short, or about right (9 am - 3 pm)? Answered: 28 Skipped: 5 TOTAL 28 #ANY COMMENTS:DATE 1 I think it was a good amount of time, if it were shorter, we'd miss the after lunch crowd.3/9/2018 9:16 AM 2 It was perfect actually! It was steady flow of traffic entire time 3/7/2018 10:36 AM 3 I think that it was a great length of time for the event, some of the shows we do go until 4 or 5 and those last few hours are awful as no traffic is coming through. 3/7/2018 8:24 AM 4 9:30 - 2:30 Very slow in the early morning.3/6/2018 11:39 PM 5 I think starting at 10 and going until 2 or 3 would be long enough!3/6/2018 11:25 PM 6 9-1 would be long enough, a lot of vendors started packing up at 2 pm 3/6/2018 7:55 PM 7 We do about 18 shows a year. Some are from 10-5 some are 9-3. We are doing shows now from 10-2:30. 3/6/2018 5:42 PM 8 End at 1pm 3/6/2018 5:36 PM 9 Slow start. Slow finish. 9:30-2:30 would be perfect. Just like the Hopkins show.3/6/2018 5:28 PM Too long Too short About right 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Too long Too short About right 2 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 96.55%28 3.45%1 Q3 Did you think the location and room set up was good for your business? Answered: 29 Skipped: 4 TOTAL 29 #WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?DATE 1 Loved my space....please reserve the same spot for next year! =) Handley Enterprises Inc.3/13/2018 4:39 PM 2 Yes, we had plenty of space. The booth curtains were nice and professional.3/13/2018 2:16 PM 3 Turn up the heat :) I was cold for most of the day, hard when having to open the big door for so long though. i was very impressed with the layout and set up. It looked great. 3/9/2018 9:16 AM 4 Perhaps I missed it but would have good to know that tables and signs were provided...and much appreciated!! 3/7/2018 10:03 AM 5 I thought that the room was set up very nicely!3/7/2018 9:59 AM 6 Great set up and we appreciate getting a great vendor location as well!3/7/2018 8:24 AM 7 Didn’t care for being in the basement.3/6/2018 11:39 PM 8 the size of the show was small but there was a good mix of venders these shows people are looking for contractors for there spring projects. 3/6/2018 6:13 PM 9 Liked the Gym. I like how the show has room to grow upstairs and down the hall from the gym 3/6/2018 5:42 PM 10 The Location was good, The Event room was so cold. I'm sure you heard allot of that.3/6/2018 5:28 PM Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 3 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 96.55%28 3.45%1 Q4 Prior to the event, did you get the information that you needed? Answered: 29 Skipped: 4 TOTAL 29 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 4 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 64.29%18 28.57%8 7.14%2 0.00%0 0.00%0 Q5 How easy was the registration process? Answered: 28 Skipped: 5 TOTAL 28 #ANY COMMENTS:DATE 1 Online registration and payment would be great!3/6/2018 11:25 PM Extremely easy Very easy Somewhat easy Not so easy Not at all easy 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely easy Very easy Somewhat easy Not so easy Not at all easy 5 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey Q6 We would like to increase attendance from the public. Do you have any suggestions? Answered: 23 Skipped: 10 #RESPONSES DATE 1 Facebook boost - Instagram - boosts.3/13/2018 4:39 PM 2 More online presence 3/13/2018 2:16 PM 3 I receive a weekly newsletter from my daughter’s school (electronic), and a monthly newsletter from her dance school - perhaps approaching those types of institutions and asking them to mention the upcoming Expo and activities 3/13/2018 1:10 PM 4 Offer Incentives, like "Free Items at every booth"! (most have free things anyway)... Make a game out of it...like a bingo card/stamp card that they have to get filled out to a certain point and then they turn in their card and can win a bigger prize. 3/9/2018 5:57 PM 5 No, maybe more notices in monthly flyers and newsletters earlier for people to plan ahead, more signs outside. If you increased the price $100 you can market more. 3/9/2018 10:40 AM 6 Bigger signs on the roads. When they are as small as they are, it's very hard to read when driving past. Especially the date and time of the event. I was pleased with the attendance that we had, considering it was a new event. I had customers from hours away stop by! 3/9/2018 9:16 AM 7 Poster boards at coffee shops, gas stations, etc. Paid ads on Facebook- even $50 would get the ad in front of many. Network w/ Chamber, Rotary, other organizations 3/7/2018 10:36 AM 8 Very hard question and sometimes it just takes time and repetition. More signs--earlier. Boosted facebook? 3/7/2018 10:03 AM 9 Thought the traffic was pretty good for a first time show, great job!3/7/2018 8:24 AM 10 More advertising!3/6/2018 11:39 PM 11 Start promoting sooner on social media and out in the community with the signs.3/6/2018 11:25 PM 12 More advertising earlier.3/6/2018 8:21 PM 13 More advertising and signage in the city. I talked to a lot of people who said they did not know about it. 3/6/2018 7:55 PM 14 Brighter colored ad/signs. Bigger signs/billboards. Radio ad?3/6/2018 6:29 PM 15 Each attendee should have been given more ideas on how to promote the Expo and their participation in it. 3/6/2018 6:22 PM 16 Make sure there is adequate signs on the day of the event. Need a much bigger sign at the community center driveway. 3/6/2018 6:22 PM 17 more contractors.3/6/2018 6:13 PM 18 I think now that we have had one, people will talk about it and more people will come. You also may want to have other attractions come at different times. 3/6/2018 5:56 PM 19 In other shows that we do, they advertise int he Sun Thisweek, star tribune dakota, bill boards, small "tickets" at the local business on the counters, facebook, insta gram, 4 x 8 wood signs in all other areas corners of the community (Aldi, Cub Foods, anytime, etc),. Large Banners, posters at the local business. Form a committee from local businesses for planning and have them help with the reach out of attendees. Cross Promote if you have more then one show going on at the community center. Find out what developments have newsletters like the evermore newsletter. Create a Facebook Invite, so vendors can invite their friends to attend. Facebook paid AD help too. Biggest thing, is to have consistency of the show. Same date (always the 1st weekend in March) and location. This will start a pattern with people and they will start remembering the show is that weekend. I will make a note that Big Mpls Home and Garden show is usually the first weekend of March, no other shows really ever compete against that show, but that show is a totally different show and is in downtown mpls. So it may not matter. 3/6/2018 5:42 PM 6 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 20 Earlier advertising and coordinate advertising with your sponsors sooner 3/6/2018 5:39 PM 21 Start advertising sooner. Didn’t see outdoor signs until a week before event.3/6/2018 5:33 PM 22 The Increase of attendance would have been nice. Internet access while at the event would had been nice so we could each update our social media.. Putting out on foot to the public stores around applevalley and Farmington. 3/6/2018 5:28 PM 23 I felt it was perfectly executed, I also think this questionnaire is wonderful.3/6/2018 5:27 PM 7 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 60.71%17 25.00%7 10.71%3 3.57%1 Q7 The City is planning on having the Home & Business Expo next year. Would you be interested in participating again? Answered: 28 Skipped: 5 TOTAL 28 #ANY COMMENTS:DATE 1 We probably won't register under the Gold sponsorship, but I'm sure we would be interested in participating again. 3/13/2018 2:16 PM 2 Yes! It was a great lead event for me.3/9/2018 9:16 AM 3 Consider having another this fall too. We’re definitely in 3/7/2018 10:36 AM 4 Yes we would and more than likely sponsor the event again as well!3/7/2018 8:24 AM 5 My 3 comments my husband and I wanted to make sure that you heard, was more signs and bigger signs about the show, better direction as far as set up and tare down goes. Vendor set up sign with an arrow at the top of the community center showing us where to go. Making sure the volunteers know where the business expo is being held and where to go for set up. 3/6/2018 5:42 PM Extremely interested Very interested Somewhat interested Not at all interested 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely interested Very interested Somewhat interested Not at all interested 8 / 14 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Vendor Survey SurveyMonkey 50.00%2 50.00%2 Q1 Did you have enough customers to make your participation worthwhile? Answered: 4 Skipped: 0 TOTAL 4 #ANY COMMENTS:DATE 1 We had approximately 50 customers and we were the busiest truck so it probably would've been perfect with 2 trucks. 3/13/2018 11:20 AM 2 Barely, glad 5th truck didn't make it. ;) Three could have been enough. Will be glad to do it again for you. Thanks! John 3/8/2018 12:46 PM 3 To many truck not enough ppl 3/8/2018 11:29 AM Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 1 / 4 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Survey SurveyMonkey 100.00%4 0.00%0 Q2 Did you think the location of your food truck/cart was satisfactory? Answered: 4 Skipped: 0 TOTAL 4 #ANY COMMENTS:DATE There are no responses. Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 2 / 4 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Survey SurveyMonkey Q3 We are interested in increasing attendance from the public. Do you have any suggestions? Answered: 3 Skipped: 1 #RESPONSES DATE 1 Put more Appetizing online and should do two food truck.3/13/2018 2:01 PM 2 Not familiar with what you had inside, the setup for the food trucks was well placed.3/8/2018 12:46 PM 3 More advertising more family events to Bri g people out. Some out doors activity.. everyone was inside 3/8/2018 11:29 AM 3 / 4 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Survey SurveyMonkey 100.00%4 0.00%0 Q4 The City is planning on having the Home & Business Expo next year. Would you be interested in participating again? Answered: 4 Skipped: 0 TOTAL 4 #OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)DATE There are no responses. Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes No 4 / 4 Rosemount Home & Business Expo 2018 Survey SurveyMonkey