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Anonymous

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Unfortunately we didn’t get the trade that we expected with the pitch fee being what it was. I do believe that this was a one off as the event organisers made a lot of changes this year including adding an admission fee and changing to a new venue. I have heard that in the past when the event was in the high street, there was a much better atmosphere and many vendors had sold out by 2pm.

There was a lack of seating available which we felt prevented people from staying and potentially making more purchases.

The communication with the event organisers was good it was just a shame about the lack of trade. We would consider doing this event again but probably if they moved it back to the high street and made it free admission again.
3 years ago
Charlie

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Sadly it really did not work for us in the new location. Compared to the last few years we took just under what we did in one day over the two days with double the stand cost and extra staffing costs. Thame was one of our best shows each year that we really looked forward to, but it really did not work this year. I hope it gets changed back!!

Stands were to spread out with big gaps all around them. The weather did not help but I do not think this was a factor for the low turnout. It was telling that on the Sunday a lot of stands packed up early and went home not due to selling out this year.

The show is well organised and has a great team behind it. We hope that it will go back to its glory days and look forward to hearing other feedback on this years show.

Please take this as positive feedback to make next year better as we do want to do this show again next year if it changes.
3 years ago
Emma

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

unfortunately we too would prefer if it went back to 1 Day next year. We sold about the same amount (if not a bit less) over the two days as we had done previously with obviously double the staff time and more money on the pitch fee. We were also really disappointed with our pitch location on the Saturday (away from the main market) which we think affected our sales, especially on the day when it seemed like there was a greater foot fall – we have 4 customers say the couldn’t find us or had to search determinedly to find our stall.

Some of our customers reported they liked to have more room to shop and browse on the new site and it was easier to get on and off the site and park for the traders but it did seem to lose some of the unique atmosphere and it was always so great that it was a free community event rather than having on entry fee.

It was good to have lots of demonstrations but surely the same demos could have been done on one day with two stages?

The added element of the dog show I’m not sure helped the sense of food festival and seemed like a bit of a distraction, I’m all for supporting charities and the hearing dogs is a very worthwhile one but I think the country show might be a better place for this – the combination of food and dogs can be difficult and I think could have impacted on the customers shopping. We sold lots of bones which was great but I know our neighbouring stall holder had several dogs jump up or try to at least get some of the products on her stall. I think it just ‘dilutes’ the foodie experience.

We are very local and would like to come to the festival again but would definitely prefer it to go back to one day.

Thanks again for the organisation, I’m sure everyone must have worked very hard to make it happen.
3 years ago
tiffinie

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

n the past the Thame Food Festival has always been our biggest event in terms of sales and we also loved the atmosphere. I was excited this year to see the new changes and I think the organisers worked really hard to make it work. Sadly the weather was not as great as it has been in previous years so it is hard to compare. We were down on sales, about 30% across two days compared with the normal one day of trading which was obviously disappointing but with it being the first year in its new location and the bad weather we were not too disheartened. Knowing the team of organisers behind the event, I am sure that next year will be even bigger and better. My main points of concern was the layout of the stands – there was just too much space which did not create a buzzy atmosphere. In the large gaps, some seating, even straw bails, would have made it feel more inclusive. It was too easy for customers to walk through the middle and not engage with us traders. Being a bigger event, I also feel that there was too many of the same types of stands. We agree that competition is good, but not to the point when customers get bored of seeing the same products over and over again. We have exhibited for the past four years at Thame so had a lot of regular customers and time permitting we chatted to them about how they felt and I get the feeling that they liked the fact that it was not so crushed – we felt that it was verging on getting unsafe at some points last year so agree that the event had to change. I think there is probably a happy medium where the customers get there space but us traders have a better layout to make it more intimate and therefore create more of a buzz. I would suggest more places to sit, more entertainment all around the ground, less of the same types of stands and pack the traders tighter together or move the artisan market to just one side of the fence and change the layout so that the artisan market faces the other food stalls so that people coming from the demonstration tents and hot food can see the range of the artisan market. However, when all is said and done, we loved it and I am sure that the organisers will be make it even bigger and better next year and we hope that we will be part of it again.
3 years ago
chris lugg

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

I would like to start by saying I am a first time trader so I can not comment on what has gone on in the past. My views are solely directed for two days I attended. First the positive. I sold out of stock. I would like to come back again. Organised very well. Good social media presence,The stewards were great, a special mention to the steward who went out of her way to get me a coffee as I could not leave the stall. The toilets was kept clean. I felt the whole thing was laid out well. Now the negative. Although I was positive about the layout I believe it was laid out with the intention alot more people would attend as it looked empty at times. Pitch rent was a little high for September/October. Perhaps off discount 10% for returning traders next year? No toilet or Coffee facilities in the Market area. Lastly if you are going to open to the public from 5pm to 9pm create a concert with a stage etc… this will bring people in. If I had been a Caterer having paid extra to be open on Saturday night I would have been annoyed at the lack of effort and customers there. All things considered not bad effort, but do not put up prices next year.
3 years ago
Alex

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

This is the third Thame Food Festival I have attended. In preparation for this one I spent months generating enough stock being very aware that in the last two times i have almost completely sold out. When I paid the pitch price I was aware that it was two days, however I failed to notice that it was no longer in the town center. This definietly affected sales, and I did not make a profit.

I appreciate that the council may not have been willing to let the market be set up in the town center, however I feel that the prices were just not worth it. If future events were to take place in the Thame Show Ground again personally I will not be takin part unless it was for a single day (and therefore half the price). In my experience two day festivals do not result in more footfall, just more spread out attendance. More time, more money, and only maybe 20% more sales.

I also felt that the stalls were all far too spread out. This does not encourage people to approach you, and you end up having to take a “hard sell” approach. When stalls are close to together people feel safer approaching as they are within a crowd. It just makes you look more appealing.

These are my thoughts, if the set up and price is the same next year I will not be attending.
3 years ago
Alison Cooper

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

We would also prefer a one day fair – as the last comment noted we also took less in two days than we did at the one day fair when it was in the town. Admittedly the weather played a part, but that was by no means the whole story. We were on the outside of the ” inner fenced circle” selling food and far fewer people bothered to come out to see us. Some friends had purposely come to the fair to see us and found us very difficult to find.In fact several stalls were moved overnight into the inner area but we were not given that option. The fair is quite expensive to stand so a two day fair meant double stall and staff costs for less than half the takings of last year.

The show ground lacked atmosphere, and there was no walkway for the customers to guide them past as many stalls as possible.

There seemed to be no central focus for the fair – the displays and demonstrations were on the fringe of the festival so anyone going to see these did not actually have to walk past many of the stalls. I feel a central display area with stalls around this area in a circle would be better so the customers had to walk through stalls to get to the shows.

Having said the negatives the fair was superbly organised both prior to and on the day. Email communication was very good and marshalling on the day meant there were very few vehicle queues. So a fantastic feat of organisation, but please can we go back to the town for one day. If that is not possible for health and safety reasons etc, then please just make it a one day fair.
Another plus was that it was a great family day out and you could bring the dog!
3 years ago
Anila's Authentic Sauces

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Having attended for the past 9 years this event has always been good for us in terms of sales and the buzz in the town. This is the first year where sales were down on the Saturday and very poor on the Sunday. Also the weather did not help as it was hit and miss with rain forecast. We find that a one day festival is much better for us. Firstly customers know it is just the one day so come rain or shine they will come and we all do well. Secondly when it is over 2 days sales dwindle down as Saturdays are better trading days than Sundays. We know that the organisers put a lot of effort into this event however we would prefer it to be a one day show in the town as in the field with wet weather the ground can cause other problems too. Thirdly there was a lot of duplication of products which then confuses customers and they either don’t buy much or buy the first one they come across and regret not seeing everything else. We feel the organisation and communication etc has always been good but we would prefer it to be a one day event.
3 years ago
Anonymous

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

This this the first time we had had a stall here myself and another trader we both drove from Scotland on the understanding that we where the only ones selling our products .
Which was not true we had 3 other stalls the same we drove for 14 hours round trip we worked night and day the week before making our products we spent out on other products on the understanding the foot fall was 30k I would say more like 5k and the reality was they had only sold 1k advanced tickets .

If we had the true information in advance like it is the first time it’s in a field it’s now 2 days you will be in a sub field not the main part you won’t be the only ones selling a specialised product that you will need to work night and day the week before to produce and pay for staff to come and hire a van pay for a hotel put your hard earned cash flow in a state just before the festival season have to chuck out all you have made when you return to Scotland then we would of course not have done this event .

Why do so many operators get greedy and bend the truth the stall fee was not cheap they did not even have clue when we got there on the Friday after a long journey where our pitch was .

So thanks so much to the Thame food Festival for our very bashed bank accounts and a waste of out precious time .

And what a surprise non of them visted our stall over the 2 days tells you it all .

The few customers we had where lovely
3 years ago
Rosie

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

I traded in the High Street for the first time last year and achieved excellent sales. I was unsure about this year’s arrangements; one to two days, move to a field, charging for entry, plus a doubling of the fees did not seem like a winning formula. But I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. The show was well organised and communication was good. However sales were less than last year. We made a loss on the Sunday.

In addition to too many changes in one year, the layout of the show was not helpful. There were two separate areas with no links or route from one to the other. The whole layout was too spread out which resulted in little atmosphere. Other than cooking demos, there wasn’t any other entertainment to help create an atmosphere; a stage with music might be helpful. The show programme listed exhibitors but did not identify where they were, making it difficult for customers to find their individual traders.

If this show cannot return to the High Street, then I would suggest it return to one day, with more entertainment,a better layout and improved information in the programme
3 years ago
rupert

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

2017 was the 6th time I have exhibited at Thame and, after this year’s experience, it is likely to be the last.

I left booking until late because I was very concerned that the significanlty higher price for a stand would not produce significantly higher sales, that the show would suffer from not being in the town and that Thame just isn’t suited to two days. I should have trusted my instincts and stayed away as it was disastrous. The weather was awful which is not the organisers fault; however, there is very little protection from the wind in a field, whereas the town does at least offer some protection. If only they had left it on the usual weekend, it would have been a warm, sunny weekend!

Sales were so bad that I did something I have never done: after taking a pitiful £50 in 3 hours of trading on the Sunday, I packed up and converted into being a visitor so I could see what it was like “on the other side.” Walking around the very empty site on Sunday afternoon showed stands with piles of unsold stock. Meanwhile, there appeared to be only one bar selling beer and they had run out! We missed the usual Thame locals; instead there were a lot of the welly brigade with children and dogs- lovely people, but they tend not to spend money as much as the town visitors have in past years.

I was disappointed that not a single organiser or volunteer came to talk to us throughout the weekend to see how we were doing. Obviously they had a lot on, but I have done hundreds of shows and it is unusual not to have at least one volunteer coming to check you are ok. I find this particularly poor since it took me a long time to pack up on the Sunday lunchtime and it really surprises me that volunteers walked past while I broke down, not even stopping to ask why I was packing up early. I must thank the volunteer who helped me unload on arrival, though; that was greatly appreciated.

Most of all, though, the show just didn’t have that magic spark which has made Thame such a joy over the years. We have got used to the revelry, the noise, the crowds, the music, the jollity of it all. This was just a miserable, cold and damp day in a field which could have been anywhere. This really saddens me because I love Thame. I love the people and the festival and the fact that it is local to me. And I know the organisers must have put a huge amount of work into it, particularly this year. I visited the kitchen theatre and can see that the logistics for this and many of the services are so much easier and better when there is the space. But I really feel that this convenience is at the expense of the loss of a fine food festival that I truly treasured.

I wish Lotte and Alison the very best in trying to return to the festival I and many others loved so much, but it will have to be a lot closer to the experiences before this year.
3 years ago
Simon Mead

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Been a long supporter and trader of Thame food festival, we attended this years event with a realistic target of selling the same as we did last year when it was situated in the high street and hopefully a little bit more.

The thame food festival last year in the high street was a fantastic event, with sales been higher than any other events we attend throughout the year.

We know that it was going to be difficult re-creating the high street food festival atmosphere in a field. Talking to customers over the two days, they missed popping into a pub and shop and socialising like you would on a street.

Although saturday was OK compaired to other food festivals, day 1 sales were less than half than last years one day festival. Day 2 sales were no more than if we attended a farmers market. Reflecting on this, doubling pitch fee and having to pay for 2 days worth of staff, makes it a dissapointing event.

We understand using the high street is a thing of the past, but trying to re-create the atmosphere that we had in the high street, the artisan avenues need to be much closer together (as it is difficult to engage with customers when they are over 5m away).

I feel that when you introduce an entry fee for the event, customers tend to spend a lot loss and expect to be entertained and expect more. This may have put people off attending the event.

I would imagine in the first year that organising the show, it would have been difficult where to set the costs of the pitches and the entrance fee. If the costs were covered and producing a surplus, this must go to reducing the pitch fee for future events. Us stall holders are here to make a profit, not just to entertain the public.

Other points to consider
I am not sure a food festival is the right place to hold pet dog events?
Also reconsider the mens toilet facillities, the free standing urinals didnt have any hand washing facilities. This is out of order at a food festival event when there are lots of tasting stalls.
3 years ago
Trader

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Pros:
Organisers and volunteers on the day were fantastic. Very accommodating and wanted the best for everyone.
Everything about the two days had a very friendly vibe.
Communication between us and the organisers was good and they made everything very clear.

Cons:
Based on the cost of this two day event we would have expected better trade figures.
In terms of numbers, I feel it could easily be a one day event (we have taken more money at events that were one day). The Sunday felt a lot quieter and was reflected looking at all the traders.
2 years ago
Simon Lloyd

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Thought it was a great event.
2 years ago
Trader

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

It was our second year back at the showground and the layout was much better for us and we had a great couple of days, which was definitely aided by the great weather

We would love to go back again, but it will definitely depend on next years pitch fee
2 years ago
Rebecca

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Great atmosphere, we really enjoyed the event. It felt safe for kids and was well laid out.
Thought had been put into locations of competitive stalls and the general flow of it seemed good.
However this is an expensive event for the current footfall, I spoke to many traders who’d only just covered their pitch fee after 2 days.
The event didn’t really get going til Saturday afternoon and by Sunday afternoon it was pretty quiet again. There is the challenge of entrance fee – is it putting people off or are they simply not then spending as much when they are there? Plus 2 days fayre : is it required. I’m sure with dog show etc..the vision must be more to be a country fayre not food fayre longer term.
I’d still do it again and the weather was brilliant!
2 years ago
Ozi

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

As a street food trader we have been happy with the festival, organisation and logistics, all were smooth.

Competition is fierce though, some could argue that there’s maybe too many hot food stalls and I could agree with that.
2 years ago
Rosie

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

Much better layout than last year and more going on the keep customers amused. Music was a good idea.
However sales don’t justify a two day event. I won’t be returning unless it reverts to a one-day event.
2 years ago
Edward Baily

Organisation

Sales

Communication

Atmosphere

It was out first time attending the event this year and we had a great time. So well organised from start to finish. Looking forward to 2019 already.
2 years ago

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