Doing Shows?

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jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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With this Coronavirus thing happening, is anyone altering their show plans? Mine are not till Dec so I have time to decide and maybe they will even cancel the event all together. I am sure there will be people here that have spring shows.

How about other plans?/ Are you cancelling travel plans and other events? I chose not to attend the woodworking show this year that is in March 6 in NJ. This is going to get real serious here in the states looks like.
 
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Robert Taylor

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Very good point John. The shows that I do are October/November. The Woodworking Show will be next weekend in Columbus. I decided NOT to go even though I could attend for free through the Central Ohio Woodturners. (wood have Demo for a while) Just think that if Woodcraft or Rockler charged you $8.00 to park and then $14.00 to come into thier store. Would you go? The woodworking shows are just portable stores. Sure they have some demos but so do Rockler and Woodcraft. Wanna see Barry Gross, Alex Snodgrass ? Thier demos are at the same time on opposite sides of the building. I attended one of thier shows in Tampa a few years ago and did NOT think it was worth the $6.00 parking and $8.00 entry fee. Same priciple with Auto and Boat shows. Who are these people and why do people keep going? just my $.02 Oh and now the thought of being around so many people that are traveling the World and been who knows where.
 
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A point I will need to consider... my first show isn't until the first of May, but we do have a local one coming up in a couple of weeks that I may attend... it was full by the time I heard about it, but it's being put on by a local restaurant where I have some stuff in their gift shop, so they said they would try to work me in... attendance would likely be just locals and we're pretty much isolated where we are...
 

monophoto

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Valid concern. I saw a list yesterday of events that have been cancelled because of the virus - that list only included the really large events and not local activities. But I suspect that we can anticipate that a lot of local things will be cancelled over the next few months. And some of those cancellations might be accelerated if too many people choose to not participate because of concerns about the virus.

I'm planning to go to Totally Turning in a few weeks. I was in the same venue for a home show this past Saturday - I didn't see any obvious evidence of a fall-off in participation compared with the same show last year, but that's kind of hard to judge without seeing actual numbers.

Wife and I have plans to travel to Scotland in September, but we don't have to actually pay serious money for that trip until July so we have time to see what is happening before we make a hard commitment.

I read an article a couple of days ago that said that viruses tend to 'burn out' over time - that is, as more and more people are infected (only a few of whom become seriously ill), they develop immunity to the virus, and eventually the virus is unable to spread any further. However, the article didn't say how long this could take.

We have to be alert to what is happening locally, and use common sense. Hibernation may be wise in areas with lots of local cases, but not so much in other places where there is little or no local infection. Follow the advice to wash your hands frequently, and avoid shaking hands, and by all means, if you think you are infected, GO TO YOUR DOCTOR before mingling in public!
 

Larryreitz

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I'm following it carefully. At this point there is only one case somewhere in RI and my first show is in Westerly, RI on Memorial Day weekend. Unless it grows in the next couple of weeks in CT or RI I am inclined to pay up and take the chance that it doesn't grow. If it does grow I could opt out and lose my entry fee. My bigger concern is crowd size, if people are afraid to attend. My thinking could certainly change.
 

Chasper

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If the show is not cancelled, then we are going. We have two shows on the schedule in the next month. If attendance at these two is terrible for reasons other than weather, then we may reconsider. We sometimes schedule two shows for the same weekend, then delay making final payment until the latest possible time. That allows us to go where the weather looks least problematic. Manipulating the schedule for a lower virus forecast will be a little like playing the weather game. If we had a show in Seattle in the next 2-3 weeks I would be looking for alternatives just in case.

I can see that your thinking might be different than ours if all of your shows were reasonably local. We frequently travel 12 hours and more to get to shows, we can find an alternate show in a different direction if the weather or virus forecast is bad.

If there was an outbreak of COVID-19 in our immediate area and if that would mean that we might be taking COVID-19 to an area not previously exposed, that would change everything.
 

KLJ

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A medical professional at our local emergency room told me we should be more concerned about the common flu. I read some articles from Mayo clinic and others this morning where they were comparing the numbers for flu and SARS and MERS and other similiar viruses. It was interesting and informative reading. The flu numbers and death by flu alone will either comfort you ( your still alive and those are some pretty high numbers) or scare you make you want to live in a bubble.
 

dogcatcher

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We always did one summer festival, then the fall and Christmas shows, none after Christmas until the summer. Basically tried to get them over with before the flu season went into full bloom.

With this stuff going around, I wouldn't tempt it. Too old, my immune system is shot, health is bad enough without trying to fight the bull.
 
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A medical professional at our local emergency room told me we should be more concerned about the common flu. I read some articles from Mayo clinic and others this morning where they were comparing the numbers for flu and SARS and MERS and other similiar viruses. It was interesting and informative reading. The flu numbers and death by flu alone will either comfort you ( your still alive and those are some pretty high numbers) or scare you make you want to live in a bubble.

I whole heartily agree. I've talked with several medical professionals and they all agree with your analogy. As one of them told me, "It's all media hype". I'm not changing any plans. Of course I live in a state, the 4th largest, with a scattered population except in the cities. And where I live it's probably not even going to hit any targets (my closest neighbor is 3/4 miles away). So my "dust masks" will be used in the shop. The problem I see is that the media is not giving us all the information needed to really understand this potential problem. Breakdown the demographics of the effected states, those that die from this virus whats their history, age, ailments, pre-existing conditions etc. Like I tell my granddaughters, Always Question the Press!!! I'm in no way saying they're not telling the truth, just not all of it. The best advice I've gotten so far is to "make sure you wash your hands". Sound advice I'll adhere too.
 

KLJ

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jttheclockman

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The thing is the flu has been around forever and there is shots to so call prevent it. There is no shot to prevent this virus. It is new and so far the US is doing a good job warding things off but it is inevitable it will spread and shutting down events and things will have an effect on us all and that is fact. scare or not. Will it die off sometime during the year as we get closer to summer?? Who knows. Will it come back next year even stronger who knows. Will they be urging shots next year as they due flu shots. who knows. That is the problem, the unknown. Maybe this becomes the next flu. Good luck to all and be safe out there.
 
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leehljp

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It is nice to experience different cultures and learn different ways of doing things.

HERE in the USA, I read all the time: " are for those who are sick to keep others from getting it." It is quite common in the fall/winter/spring to see as many Japanese wearing masks as not wearing masks. They don't wear masks as much to keep others from getting sick - as wearing to keep themselves from getting what ever is going around. Using masks there are so common at certain times, that it is like second nature.

Here, to "wear a mask" is equated with "What do you have?" But if we did wear masks to the point of it being ubiquitous, we could keep on with life outside the home.
 

Chasper

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The original question is "does COVID-19 change your show or travel plans?" The question is not "is COVID-19 a serious risk or is it all media hype?" My show plans will change if show promoters and attendees PERCEIVE AND BELIEVE that the that group events are a risk factor in spreading COVID-19 and therefore shows will be cancelled or attendance will be reduced. If the shows happen, them I'm going unless there is strong reason to believe that show attendance will be seriously reduced as a result of virus panic.
 

pshrynk

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We get the Mayo Daily Update and the COVID-19 pandemic is a real pandemic. There are going to be thousands of infected people until the herd immunity takes over and it burns out. That being said, it is not the Apocalypse Plague That Is Going To Turn Us All Into Zombies (APTIGTTUAIZ). It is a serious respiratory virus that is related to the virus that causes SARS. Its transmissibility (R0) is around 3-5. Measles R0 is around 20. For every patient 0, there will be 3-5 people who catch the virus from that person. Mortality is low except in older males with health issues. (The IAP demographic, unfortunately :p.) A pandemic is not anything other than term used by epidemiologists to describe how wide spread an infection will be. The media tends to sensationalize the word.

(Edit: I talked about Ebola but on re-looking, the high R0 was from an esoteric virus that no one outside the CDC-P has ever heard of. Ebola's R0 is actually quite low. Sorry.)

With almost all respiratory viruses, prevention is the key. Stay away from groups in ares where there is a high incidence, don't shake hands, wipe down surfaces, wash hands frequently. Above all else, get the vaccine when it comes out.

So, should you go to craft shows? Depends. Responsible show managers will cancel in an area with increased infection rates. If you have COPD and bronchitis, it would be advisable to stay away. Get a vat of hand sanitizer and have it available at your table. Don't shake hands. Get some Clorox wipes and wipe down your pens frequently. Avoidance of contact is the best route to avoidance of infection.

Oh, and eat chocolate. Doesn't do shpitt about the virus, but you feel better anyway. :cool:
 
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The original question is "does COVID-19 change your show or travel plans?" The question is not "is COVID-19 a serious risk or is it all media hype?" My show plans will change if show promoters and attendees PERCEIVE AND BELIEVE that the that group events are a risk factor in spreading COVID-19 and therefore shows will be cancelled or attendance will be reduced. If the shows happen, them I'm going unless there is strong reason to believe that show attendance will be seriously reduced as a result of virus panic.

Sorry got a bit off track. No, I'm not changing anything except to wash my hands more often. I'm still flying to CA to visit my in law's this month, flying to Hawaii in September/October and driving and staying in Idaho for a week. I would like to see at the end of all this a comparitive study done on the virus and it's results vs. the annual flu spread. I was told, not verified, that 50k people die annually in the U.S. from the annual influenza bug. How will this virus compare to it and can we learn anything from what were doing for this virus that can be applied to the annual influenza.
 

socdad

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My 1st show is the first weekend in April & 2nd two weeks later, both in Tennessee. I'm interested in what the promoters for these events will be doing. As things stand today I will be going to both, but time will tell. I'm going to try to find a stylist that will work in my iPad Otter Box Defender case ... so far nothing works.
 

pshrynk

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My 1st show is the first weekend in April & 2nd two weeks later, both in Tennessee. I'm interested in what the promoters for these events will be doing. As things stand today I will be going to both, but time will tell. I'm going to try to find a stylist that will work in my iPad Otter Box Defender case ... so far nothing works.
Would an Apple Pencil work? You have to have the iPad that can use it and there are 2 types, depending on the model year of your iPad.
 

pshrynk

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I think that if you got a thicker type stylus such as Big Ben Stylus Twist people would tend to push harder. Sort of a psychological thing, really.
 

jttheclockman

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Some good points are being brought up here. I do hope these shows inform everyone involved in a timely manner to be useful to all. Or at least to the best of their ability. Not just run a show to get the funds from the crafters. Now I do shows that are in Dec. and sometimes weather becomes an issue. Even if a show is cancelled due to weather we still lose our entry fee and this is stated on the contract we sign. This will be a little different I would think. If the shows do go on then it is up to you to decide how you want to handle it.

The other good point is both handling the product and your care of it. Also the handling of credit cards and use of machines to accept them. So this has to be taken in consideration too. Also handling cash too. Then there is the eating aspect at a show. I know I like to have lunch when I do a show and usually pack something and I am always eating and selling at the same time so I pick my spots to munch. But again with the air and the handling of things this may not happen this year. Hand sanitizer will be in full use for sure. Good luck to all as we enter this season of unknowns.
 

skiprat

Passed Away Mar 22, 2022
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JT, not so much doing shows, but going to them....
Our eldest son got for my wife and me tickets to The Royal Albert Hall to watch the final night of the Mountbatten Festival of Music in London tonight. Megan and Harry are there...... woop woop
As I'm immune compromised, with several of the high risk lurgies, we decided it wouldn't be a good idea for me to go.
So my son and wife went It involved 3 hours on a train each way, staying in a hotel tonight and of course the show itself.
We haven't fought this battle so far just to risk getting this Chinese flu.
So......I stayed at home and got Chinese take out instead.......Salt and chilli wings, salt and chilli chips (fries) and some mini veggie spring rolls......yum yum ,,,,!!!👍
But I did get to watch the 6 Nations Rugby on the box.....England v Wales.....33-30 to England..:(
 

jttheclockman

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Stay the course Skip. Not worth the chances. This will only get worse before it gets better if it gets better. I do hope it burns out by summer because I have alot of doctor tests to do this year. Hate to be in a place where there are known cases.
 

jttheclockman

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Man this Virus thing is really blowing up now and every day the scare becomes more and more real. Just be careful out there doing shows or going to them.
 

clieb91

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Jan 5, 2013
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Ashburn VA
We just did a show this past weekend and even though it seemed attendance was down since last year, we actually did better than last year even had more sales.
Just got a report of one individual in the county with the virus and all media is about that and schools are on stand-by, and there is not an ounce of hand sanitizer or alcohol in a 50 mile radius. One more show in April and planning to go unless they cancel.

CtL
 
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