Who's your client?

[marmalady]

I agree with Anna - I think service is an important part of a business, and clients will remember the person who did take the time with them. I've found it's the small things that folks remember, the attention to detail, and maybe the little 'extra' you throw in as a 'lagniappe', that boost referrals and make folks feel x-tra special. (Again, I'm not a baker in the business, but felt the same way about my catering jobs).

[W.DeBord]

Who to market to?


I just discovered yesterday that the biggest bridal show organizer sells their booths to cake decorators at a major discount vs everyone else. Great luck for me, not very fair for other busiesses. I can get into a bridal show for just under $300.00. SOOOO Panini, have you ever done these? If not, why?

I think I should take the gamble on that and see what happens. In addition to knocking on established doors looking for cleints.


So now I need to think about which cake designs I'll make up as dummys. Anyone have opinions? This show has ALOT of cake decorators per show. Around 10! So I'd love your in put on what kinds of cakes I should make???? Would you just ignore that others will be there ORrrr attempt to up stage anyway possible (lighting, cakes styles, pillars, silver, even hire a florist to decorate my booth etc...) to get noticed?

Any input would be GREAT! Oh, and I have time to shop at a couple of their other shows first to check things out.

[Anna W.]

Wendy- the $300 is a good deal. Go for it- if it doesn't work out you really haven't lost a big investment.

As far as the type's of cakes to display- One thing I don't think you should do is have too many. I have seen this but it is cluttered and doesn't impress anyone. You might want to have cakes in different styles- one classic and traditional, one a little bit fun with color, one for a garden type wedding, etc. Vary the techniques you use so they can see different ways of doing it. You may also want to vary the size and shape. I don't think you will need a lot of flowers, more greens maybe, but you want the cakes to be the decoration, not the flowers.

I have gone to several to check out the competition but am participating for the first time in a couple of weeks. I have an 8' table. I am going to have four cakes- A traditional done in fondant with a sugar topper full of gumpaste calla lillies, a non-traditional stained glass, a smaller buttercream "garden" type cake (square), and a fondant centerpiece cake with crimping and gumpaste flowers. I figure that this gives me variety, leaves room on the table for samples, and it gives me the chance to showcase my designs vs. a knock off of a designer cake.

I wanted to try the least messiest way of handing out samples so I have decided to wrap the slices ahead of time in wax paper sandwich bags with my sticker on them. The customer won't have to try to juggle, I won't have crumbs all over my table, and the presentation will be unique (I hope).

That's my bird's eye view....

[shroomgirl]

As a show goer booth presentation is the key....a portfolio is important also. Some give out show discounts 10% if you decide within a week or so....sounds like a deal to me.

[W.DeBord]

Well, see this is why I spend so much time online, what helpful answers! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of the show coupons, (think I'll put a time limit on those)!!!!! Your brilliant Shroomgirl! So many details happening right now, I forgot about that totally.

Anna, I've done tons of trade shows and art shows. I have a great portable booth with walls that are in 3' wide panels that I can put entending legs on so they rise as high as 10' or low as 6'. I thought I'd enclose my booth that way (so they can't miss me) and place large framed photos on my walls (you can get special permission from the show to do this). I have black, white or grey fabrics I can use to cover the walls. I noticed a great ad in a brides magazine where they wrapped/draped everything in white sheets. I'm thinking maybe I'll carry that theme over my black fabric for drama. I hate cutezy things, it's not natural for me. How out of place will I be with-out cute?

I had been thinking about mini cupcakes. But now I think abou it I like your idea BEST. It really makes great sense to let them take it home. Perhaps I should do both???? What do you think? See part of my sale is I'm baking from scratch and boy can you taste the difference. I'd love for people to be able to do a side by side tasting. Thoughts????

P.S. First place I talked to about sub leasing from them said great, come on in, YEEK! Too unbelievable easy, what's wrong here?

[Shimmer]

If you have a drawing at the Bridal Show, you have a way of getting a potential client mailing list (if you want one of those) as well as making people pay more attention. Hey, if they can get something free for their wedding, it's definitely a cool thing.

That's how we chose our photographer, actually. We were debating between several that were around the same price, and we won a free 11x16 framed print, which is no cheap thing, so we went with them.

And you MUST have samples to taste and a portfolio to look through or some people won't even bother. If you don't have samples people think you're too cheap which in their mind translates to not having enough business, always a bad image. And a lack of a portfolio also shows a possible lack of business, if you have nothing to show for yourself besides a few samples.

I agree with picking only a few to make mock-ups though. And definitely do an elegant one with all ivory or something like that, people like to feel elegant even if they don't pick that cake.

A recent bridal show attendant,
Jenny

[panini]

Wendy,
We did them in the beginning. Haven't done one in 6-7 yrs.
Just my opinion!!!
These shows are a lot of window shopping. We did samples once, never after that!
This is a great venue to display your creative talents, I'm not sure you will even need samples. The promoters give the food people discounts because they bring food. We received more responce when we focused on our cakes and made ourselves available to perspective clients. Your idea with the walls sounds fantastic, go with that! Have your portfolio out and possibly copied to have multiples.
We use to spend most of the show answering generic question of people who just wanted another piece off cake but were afraid to ask. If someone stops to ask you about or compliment your work they are the ones to key on. Make sure you have you pricing set for all displays.#1 question. How much?
The best thing about show for us was the networking we did. Make time before the show to visit all the vendors, have plenty of cards. Two of our biggest referers were met at a show years ago.

I vote no samples

[fodigger]

Having done a bridal show on Sunday there are things about Paninis Statement that I both agree and disagree. On the getting there early to network I totally agree. I have found that to be one of the best uses of time. On the samples especially since she is new. I heard alot of people discussing the pros and cons of alot of different places and the good tasteing stuff helped set them apart. Just my two cents.......

[W.DeBord]

Thanks all! It's great to hear from people who have been to these shows. I realize what shows are about Panini, I have ALOT of experience with 'shows'. I don't expect much, it's like going fishing (you never know). I definately want to network with the other businesses!!

I'll have someone else hand out my samples (wrapped to take home), I think their completely necessary and very important.

My portfolio is a problem. I only have about a dozen photos of my wedding cakes. I have to make some dummies and shoot those for more.

Did anyone show grooms cakes? If so anything showie? Or basic chocolate cake with fruit.....


I also wondered about putting some sweet table photos in my portfolio (or framed on my walls)? I have photos from my valentines day buffet with a heart theme through-out. Two brides at the club ordered sweet tables with their cakes stemming from that buffet.... (and they never sold sweet tables with their weddings before that). I have alot of sweet table photos, that are pretty showie....what about including some? Yes or No?

I've also noticed the wedding cake shaped cookies have gotten very popular! You can get the same price on those as you get per person on wedding cake. $3.00 and up per cookie.
I have the BEST cookie for those (worth bragging, no exageration) think I should sell them???
Theres one local bakery who doesn't advertise cakes in the bridal magazine they advertise their wedding cake decorated cookies. I don't know if they do the bridal shows.....

P.S. The show GIVES you the brides mailing list!

[W.DeBord]

Well I guess I'm learning who my clients won't be. I made a ton of phone calls to banquet halls yesterday. Found out their buying in wedding cakes at .75, stretching their limit to 1.00 pp for add on requests from the bride.

They all said they'd be open to a new source. They stay mainly with their current source based on reliability...not taste, not quality. Well I should say that's not much of a supprise really. But it sure explains why there only c--- out there.

Even if you had some volume, at this moment I don't see how you'd meet your over head, employee pay and delivery expenses out of .75 pp?

Sam's club at 10 to 12% margins probably couldn't fit into the banquet hall price limits?.

How are bakeries doing this Panini? Even with a mix and quick hands it hardly seems worth it?****

[panini]

Hummm. I don't know! What is the cost to the brides? My contracts buy in at .27 - .37 off retail.
If the halls are buying in a .75 and charging 3.00 to the bride than that is unrealistic. If they are not upcharging the client than you have learned something.
What is the scenario up there. They have the reception at the hall, does this usually consist of sit down dinner,dessert(Viennese Pastry Table) and then a cake? Is the cake usually a part of the package? Nick need to do some last minute homework, I'll get back with ya.

[W.DeBord]

I'm not totally sure exactly how they bill the brides (if they break down costs), but to the best of my knowledge it's a package deal. They phrase it that "their cakes are part of the package".

I 'll call around today and pose as the bride and find out.

Even using a standard markup in retail 1.50 pp is a dirt cheap cake. The bakeries are providing the banquet halls between 20 and 30 photos to sell off of. Plus their willing to work off of a brides photos too.

The banquet hall aside, how is any bakery selling for that price and not loosing their shirt? I've gotten the names of the bakeries where they are buying from and so far each hall is buying from different bakeries....so theirs not one bakery pumping out all the volume cornering the market (yet, that I know of).

[fodigger]

At 75 cents pp just how big is the portion size? No concern for quality remind me never to eat in any banquet halls in the Chicago area.

[W.DeBord]

Portion size is always a wierd topic. There's a standard size 1" x 2" by the height of your cake. From a 6" round cake your supposed to get 25 slices out of it. Then there's another chart out there and they serve more generous portions.... They work out to be something like 20 portions out of a 6" round.

Honestly I don't get it. Even if you make a larger portion you'll never know if the cutter cut the cake more generously and served it all or if the extra amount wound up in the kitchen feeding the staff. I worked banquets as a teen and that's how they did it...actually all the staff would pressure the cutter to make sure their was enough for them to get a taste.....

The only thing I can do is offer two portions sizes and let the brides choose which size they'd like and hope it gets served that way. I'm planning on leaving cutting instructions with each cake and asking the site to sign a release stating which items aren't edible on the cake, etc...

I was hoping to get my cutting instructions written in Spanish too. I'd like to work out a diagram to show how, but when you put it on reg. sized paper it gets rather small and hard to see clearly. Did your cake lady do this when she first began with you Fodigger?

I'm still desiding how to charge for a bigger portion...maybe use a percentage to simplify qouting prices???

Fodigger I shouldn't say they don't care at all about taste, but it wasn't their first priority. I feel bad, it has to be a factor when I read others post how they disliked the wedding cakes they've had. If people were willing to pay, quality would change.

[panini]

Well. back from the casino's. I finally paid my electric bill instead of theirs.
Wendy,
I have a little knowledge about those halls. When you get a shop or whatever, you may want to consider that kind of contract. I had a few package deals when I first started. Down here we call them wedding chapels. They run em in and run em out. The package usually has 2-3 different style cakes. Most don't even give you decoration choice. Maybe an upsell for a little more.
We made them simple white on white. One place ran 1-2 on fri. night and at least 4 on sat. The cakes averaged $ 125. It wasent the best work but it payed rent and a helper for me.
ps I also had an agreement with them that they did not reveal who made the cakes. I was trying to get the mousse cakes of the ground.