To ask for my money back? No punters at the trade fair I exhibited at today! Am seriously out of £££.

[Sockspence]

I know that attendance is never guaranteed at these things, but I exhibited at a trade fair today and over the 5 hours only four people came through the doors. None of them were remotely customer material.

Most of the other exhibitors walked out early and the organisers wouldn't engage with any of us when we asked what had gone wrong.

They had previously told me that they'd sold over 100 tickets in advance and were expecting a healthy walk-up on the day. They'd also sent us a schedule of all their advertising and other pre-publicity which looked pretty healthy to me.

I paid a fee to be there and along with my display materials and travel expenses I'm pretty well out of pocket.

It's only my second ever trade show so I'm pretty new to what my rights are but bloody hell

I don't know what your rights are, but I would be livid too.
How did they advertise?

You can ask, doesn't hurt to ask.

Ads in the relevant trade press and in the popular blogs, some national and some targetted locally. Am going to see if I can actually find any!

You have my deep, deep sympathy but it is very unlikely indeed you will get your money back. For one thing, if it's inexperienced promotoers who stuffed it up by not advertisign enough, they probably haven't got the money to refund you anyway and trying to pursue it via debt collectors etc will be more trouble than it's worth. I have been to a few events like this in the past: no punters, inappropriate punters, vile venues, lunatic organisers...one of my particular classic trips was an erotic-novelties Xmas fair in Essex, held in a sodding Travelodge which was also hosting its super Family Xmas Lunch promotion the same weekend. In the adjacent room to the dildos, whips and norty books. The smut fair had to have its doors closed with a discreet sign inviting punters to knock for admittance. Which they didn't do.

After a while, one gets a nose for the type of event that's going to bomb - and, if you trade regularly, you make friends with other traders and tip each other off about good and bad events. What do you sell by the way? I do (variously) books, badges, t-shirts, stickers, fridge magnets and odds & ends.

Yes, that's a good idea. I doubt if they actually sold over 100 tickets, because it would be unlikely that 100 people would pay for tickets and then not turn up - unless the details given to them were wrong.

We had this a few times with our old business OP, we always kicked up a fuss and got a full refund. Had to argue the toss for it a few times, but that business isnt it?

Hope you get your cash back :)

Sorry to disappear! Got a bit obsessed with getting to the bottom of it.

They did all the ads as per schedule but didn't factor in that there was another (free admission) trade show in the same area with the same target market. Which they of course should have looked into, but then so should i

I had a bit of a grumble via email with the other exhibitors and we decided to all ask for our money back.

woke up to an emailed apology from the fair organisers who've offered a free stall and some other perks for their next show.

i work in the wedding industry so these events are very numerous this time of year. I just picked the wrong one this time, hey ho.

thanks for your advice, all. SGB, your specialist area sounds much more fun than mine!

GOod result. Take them up on the free stall if you can, free stalls always worth doing particularly if you are new as, even if there are no punters you can make useful contacts among other traders who are complementary rather than competitiors, particularly (eg, if you are a florist, you can pal up happily with makers of cakes/frocks/jewellery).