2013 Final Wisconsin Farm Technology Days Report
Barron County
Merchandise Committee
Committee Overview
The merchandise committee was responsible for ordering all of the merchandise that was sold to promote the show prior to and during the show, apparel for every committee, volunteer t-shirts , promotional materials needed by the marketing and promotions committee, and hats that were worn by the food staff during the show. This committee also ordered the wristbands for each day of the show.
Committee Responsibilities
The primary duties of the merchandise committee were:
*to develop a committee that had marketing and promotions committee members, landmark farms as well as the family living committee members (these people thus served on two committees)
*to select a local company to work with that could provide us with all of our apparel and show needs and made themselves accessible to us as much as possible
*to select a local company that could also house all of the merchandise until showtime
*to develop a budget from which to work
*to strive to maintain the integrity of the logo consistently throughout all apparel and merchandise made
*to select apparel, style and color, for the executive committee and committee chairs that would set them apart from committee members
*to select shirts, style and color, for general committee members
*to develop
*to select the color and style of apparel and merchandise to be sold prior to the show to promote the show as well as during the show
*to order materials for marketing and promotions for parades, etc.
*to order bags for landmark farms committee in which to put promotional show materials that get distributed to vendors at the show held one year before your show
*to develop a pricelist from which all apparel and merchandise would be sold
*develop a list of members willing to promote the show at fall and winter community events one year prior to the show
*maintain a current inventory of all apparel and merchandise for sale
*to set up a plan for the merchandise tent at the show
Committee Structure
It appears as though some of the previous counties that hosted the show did not have a merchandise committee. I believe that because our county had one we were better able to keep the logo used consistent, keep costs under control and not end up with a lot of merchandise at the end of the show.
This committee had
*Executive committee liaison
*Chairperson (who was also a part of marketing and promotions)
*1 committee member who was also a landmark farms member
*4 members that were also family living members
This committee collaborated with many other committees in fulfilling their show needs; Food, Marketing and Promotions, Landmark Farms and Admissions.
Budget
We have attached a copy of our original order that we placed. On that same document you will find our cost and what we sold items for. We did not look at this as a moneymaker for the show we looked at it as promotional items that were affordable and that would help us advertise the show because people bought items well in advance. See attachment 2.
We ordered about 1,000 volunteer shirts. Every volunteer wore the same color shirt with the same logo on it. We chose safety green as the general volunteer color. We did have the volunteer t-shirts in our original budget but were fortunate enough to get a sponsor for the shirt. See attachment 3.
Timeline
- One and a half years prior to the show this committee was formed
- Committee chair was determined
- Members were asked to join
- Interviewed all local businesses that could provide us with the merchandise that we needed and selected one to work with
- Developed logo and had prototypes of hats and shirts made
- Selected apparel for executive committee and all chairs and co-chairs
- Determined monthly meeting time, place and day
- Budget was developed
- Ordered all merchandise that would be sold
- One year prior to show
- Started selling merchandise at local community events
- Worked with landmark farms to get promotional materials that they needed for vendor bags
- Continued with monthly meetings
- Six months prior to event
- Submit tent request to Tent City Committee
- Order signs needed for tent
- Christmas merchandise blitz at extension office
- Order needed tables and chairs for show
- Order cash register and credit card machine
- Order any signs needed
- Four to Six weeks before the event
- Attend atv and golf cart trainings
- Start developing show work schedule
- Order start up money and purchase receipt books
- Days prior to the show
- Visit the tent site to get an idea of what you are working with
- Try to get members to meet you there to determine jobs
- Stay calm, if you have put the work in that you need to it will all work out well
- You have worked hard to be successful. Congratulations and good luck.
At the Show
The merchandise committee brought all the merchandise to the show four days before the show and stored it in a trailer, which was right next to the tent. Three day’s before the show we met with the other two committee’s to put together our sales plan. Very early the morning of the show we put out one of every size of each item that we had for sale. Then we put the extras in plastic totes under the table so we could quickly access more sizes when needed. We were on one side of the tables and the landmark farms and commemorative tractor had the other sides. This was a good combination of things to have in our tent as we felt it helped us to sell more merchandise.
During the show:
We had three people working per shift. Our shifts went from 9:00am-1:00pm and 1:00 pm- 5:00pm the first two days and then 9:00-noon and noon-4:00 pm the last day.
Each night the show treasurer came and collected the money and credit card receipts.
Equipment Needed
*At the show we had a tent that we shared with the landmark farms and commemorative tractor committees.
*We had a sandwich board made that was in front of the tent that said, “ Official FTD Show merchandise”
*Two cash registers
*One credit card machine
*8-8foot tables
*We stored our merchandise in a trailer that also contained the commemorative tractors
*We skirted all of our tables
*Extension cords
*We had several benches for people to set on
*A light that hung from the poles would have been good.
*Receipt books-we wrote a receipt for every sale. This allowed us a better chance to accurately reconcile at the end of each night. It was hard to do this.
*Calculators
*You will need a radio
*The committee chair and one or two other people should take the golf cart and atv safety and you should get a golf cart.
Volunteers
This committee began working together approximately one and one-half years prior to the show. This committee was put together with volunteers from the Landmark Farms committee, Family Living and Marketing and Promotions. One person volunteered from the marketing and promotions committee to serve as the committee chair and the executive secretary, who attended all the committee meetings, asked representative from the other two to serve on the merchandise committee.
*We had six people serve on this committee, not counting the executive liaison and that was enough.
*We developed an e-mail and phone list for contacting members.
*Do not rely solely on e-mail. Sometimes there is a break down of communication due to messages not actually going or being received.
*The group made all decisions. The committee chair was the only person who was able to contact the business we were working with so that there was no confusion about communication.
*Two people co-coordinated the schedule of shows that the merchandise committee would attend one year prior to the show. We only did fall and some winter shows.
*At the show we were In the same tent as the landmark farms people and the commemorative tractor people. There was always a minimum of two people working the two different cash registers that we had. We had one credit card machine,
*After the show the executive committee and committee chair people were allowed to have some merchandise free of charge. The remaining merchandise was distributed to all volunteers who attended the wrap-up picnic and whatever remained was donated to a local homeless shelter and then Goodwill.
Additional thoughts for a successful Farm Technology Days show
*It is important that once your committee makes a decision they need to stick with it. People are not going to like your color and style choices and they may try to get their own way by going around your committee.
*It is critical to have a very open dialogue with the company that you will be ordering all your merchandise, etc. from. You need to be able to talk to the same person all the time, preferably the boss, so that there is no time wasted, messages written wrong or pricing errors.
*Don’t be afraid to ask for them to do up a prototype of anything you need.
*We did a merchandise blitz at the extension office before Christmas and sent the flyer out through e-mail. See attachment 1.
*Try to get everything that you order in a month before you think you will need it. It is very probable that many things our of your control will happen along the way and you don’t want to be caught short.
* You should have received 4 attachments with this email.
-WTF volunteer
-Merchandise blitz
-Budget
-volunteer numbers