Quilts, Inc. released attendance numbers for Fall 2018 Quilt Market last week. This is a reversal of a policy shift that was implemented after the Spring 2018 show when the for-profit company that runs the trade show chose not to make those numbers public for the first time.
I’m really glad to see this return to transparency. The quilting industry is small and Quilt Market plays a vital role as a place to do business, learn, and network. I feel strongly that the community should understand how the show is faring, especially at this moment when retail overall is undergoing dramatic shifts.
I’ve tracked attendance, exhibitor, and booth numbers going back to 2007. (I’d like to go back further, but my request for that data was not granted. If you have those numbers, please get in touch.)
| Date | Enrolled | Exhibitors | Booths |
| Fall 2007 | 3558 | 593 | 1195.5 |
| Fall 2008 | 3321 | 551 | 1144 |
| Fall 2009 | 3131 | 535 | 1045.5 |
| Fall 2010 | 3531 | 572 | 1140 |
| Fall 2011 | 3531 | 556 | 1152 |
| Fall 2012 | 3395 | 559 | 1177.5 |
| Fall 2013 | 3496 | 547 | 1190.5 |
| Fall 2014 | 2933 | 537 | 1168 |
| Fall 2015 | 2634 | 514 | 1163 |
| Fall 2016 | 2557 | 487 | 1085 |
| Fall 2017 | 2336 | 454 | 1019 |
| Fall 2018 | 2500 | 419 | 903 |
Attendance at the show was up from 2,336 last fall to 2,500 this year. I will say that the roundness of this year’s number makes me a bit suspect and, in the announcement, attendance was described as “right around 2,500” so it’s hard to know whether this is the true attendance number. If we take them at their word, 2,500 is up from last year, but 134 attendees down from the fall of 2015 which was right after credentials were tightened, and 1,058 down from 2007.
More importantly, the number of booths was down significantly. For the first time, there were fewer than 1,000 booths on the show floor. While the number of booths has been incrementally dropping, this time it dropped by more than 100. The total number of exhibitors was down, too. There are 30% fewer exhibitors at Fall Quilt Market today than there were in 2007.
These numbers raise two questions. First, how viable is Quilt Market as an enterprise financially?
While tickets to attend the show are cheap, booths are revenue generators. Each10’x10′ square booth costs $1250. A drop of 116 booths this year equals a loss of $145,00 in revenue. Looking more longterm, we see a decrease of 260 booths, or $325,000, over the past three years, and 287 booths, or $358,750, over the past five years.
If the show stays on this trajectory at what point does it simply become financially unsustainable?
And second, is exhibiting at the show financially worthwhile for fabric companies? Several of the major manufacturers decreased their footprint this year including Robert Kaufman, Art Gallery, Cloud9, Windham, Michael Miller, and RJR. Wilmington chose not to have a booth at all. David Rothchild, Vice President of Sales, says costs were simply too high and they weren’t seeing enough return on their investment. Although he was at the show to network, Rothschild says they don’t plan to have a booth anymore.
To me, the show could do more to attract and retain buyers and exhibitors. As I’ve written before, embracing online retailers has got to be part of this strategy. Fabric is being bought and sold online in quantities by Etsy shop owners, stand-alone ecommerce shops, on Instagram, and on Facebook. As long as these business owners are able to open wholesale accounts with fabric companies, they are legitimate buyers and they belong at the show on equal footing with brick-and-mortar shop owners. When the stigma against online-only sellers ends a new, ever-increasing pool of buyers will open up.
Next year, Fall Market will include a new event called Threads of Success which will provide educational programming for people interested in becoming fabric and pattern designers. It’s not clear yet how large this conference will be, but it will likely add to the show’s overall attendance numbers, particularly on the last day when the show floor is fairly empty.
I’m really glad to see Quilts, Inc. adding new programming and working to reach out to new populations. I attended Sew Pro in the fall of 2016 which was fantastic. (Kudos to Sara Lawson and Brenda Ratliffe for laying the foundation for an event like this. I know representatives from Quilts, Inc. were there and much of what they’re creating sounds similar to that conference.)
It’s not clear to me, though, that the presence of the Threads of Success attendees will solve the fundamental problems the show is facing. Are they going to buy fabric in volume? Without more buyers, manufacturers are less motivated to exhibit, and without manufacturers, there is no trade show.
One easy fix is to make it more straightforward for prospective exhibitors to find out how to get a booth at Quilt Market. Quilts, Inc. got a website makeover a few years ago, but the current site’s user interface is still insufficient. To get information on how to exhibit you have to click three links deep, read this essay, then send a snail mail letter to a committee for approval. That’s too hard.
In comparison, take a look at the sites for Surtex and the National Stationery Show (both of which are owned by Emerald Expositions) and you’ll see how clear and easy it is for potential exhibitors to find out how to get a booth at these shows. Information is available with one click from the homepage. Fill out an online form and you get tailored emails walking you through the process. These shows also advertise on Instagram where their pool of attendees is likely hanging out.
I also think Quilts, Inc., could invest in modern data systems. As of just a few years ago (and perhaps today, although Bob Ruggiero, Vice President of Communications, told me that Quilts, Inc. doesn’t make this information public) Quilts, Inc. was using Microsoft Access as its database system.
David Audrain, CEO and Partner at Exposition Development Company, Inc., and an expert on trade show management, told me in an email that he doesn’t know of any trade show company that uses Microsoft Access. Audrain says that Salesforce is today’s standard tool for customer relationship management. If they are still using Access, I think upgrading to a more sophisticated software solution would allow Quilts, Inc. to better target potential exhibitors and attendees with customized emails and marketing messages specifically related to where they are in their business journey.
Quilt Market isn’t the only trade show facing shrinking numbers, and there are some issues that can’t be solved. Today’s product release cycle no longer matches up with a twice-a-year show schedule, for example, and consumers and shops find out about new products at the same time, from the same channels now. Still, having spent time at Fall Quilt Market myself I can say for certain that being at the show in person has tremendous value for buyers and vendors. If the show is going to survive, we need to embrace today’s reality with enthusiasm and energy, and we need to do it now.
I appreciate your article as we have felt these dwindling numbers over the years having a booth since 2005 at Market . In 2016 we started adding Festival and it made a huge difference for us, taking our product directly to the consumer was gold. Sadly we are now concidering skipping Market and just doing Festival. Getting to the end user and dealing direct has saved our business as more and more shops cut back to survive. It is definitely a slippery slope of supporting the quilt shop and encouraging shoppers to purchase locally verses staying profitable and in business ourselves. My fabric company also made the big decision to scale back or skip Market due to costs, low numbers of attendees and the fact that they visit the shops directly so the show seems an added and unnecessary expense. As a designer we have also checked into Surtex, being a designer and licensor it seems to makes sense but I have been having some very interesting conversations with the show and their numbers have been down drastically also. This has caused them to try combining the stationary show and Surtex since they pull from similar demographics. They are also trying to stay viable and they are struggling to bring in both buyers and vendors . That show is much more expensive for a booth and staying in New York, well that speaks for its self. I agree that the retail market is changing and the internet is a big factor, I don’t know what this means for trade shows in general. I know as a designer we are carefully weighing the options for keeping our products and designs in front of the right people. Thanks for your time and input!
I would say Threads of Success attendees will not be buying in volume. Those aspiring to one day be part of the industry do not have wholesale accounts, and it is not financially sensible for them to purchase at retail for resell. Festival venders cover this objective. Bulk purchasers already qualify for buyer credentials, and would likely be attending Market instead of the seminar as it occurs on more convenient days, allows admittance to the show floor during prime hours, and permits participation in Sample Spree and Schoolhouse.
Surprise and disapproval about the “rumor” that bloggers and online shops are not welcome at Market was conveyed by the creator of Quilt Market from the podium during the opening before the premiere Schoolhouse. I would suggest the downgraded entry times for Industry Professionals to Sample Spree, with a non-discounted price, may have communicated inequivalent status.
An updated system would also be an asset. It is a challenge to only have confirmation that credentials have cleared and that classes have been secured weeks after registration via mail. Registration for events such as Quilt Con provides much more efficient feedback.
I attended quilt market and there were definitely less booths this year. I enjoy going and seeing the new fabrics coming out and do order from my dealers. I am e-tailer – no brick and mortar – and true the reps do come to my house as well. But by going to market, this saves them a trip.
I do not do festival due to the amount of people there. You get caught up in the crowd and miss half of the stuff there.
I also think that as fabric prices rise, freight prices rise and postage rates rise, there is no middle ground anymore. Consumers can only
afford so much. My sales have dropped by about 40% right now and I ship worldwide.
If the companies keep raising like they are doing, I think we will start seeing a dying market in fabrics. The average consumer likes some quality but at what cost!`
I was a party planner and invitation seller. That market has shrunk significantly as much more economical invitations are easily available online and tastes have changed. The 1990’s were the years oaf pricey, over the top invitations with hand calligraphy. Today, invitations are purchased on websites that address by computer. The look of hand calligraphy is easily duplicated. Attendance credentials were not insurmountable,. You only needed to show accounts in any two companies. Those of us who worked from home made up a large part of the attendees.
but there is hope for the quilting industry. My soon to be 11 year old granddaughter requested and received a new sewing machine for Chanukah (Also a market that has been abandoned) She wants to make totes, pillowcases and pajama pants. She wants to learn to quilt for herself.
Perhaps part of the problem has been the assumption in the quilting industry that most quilters are more rural and definitely of one religion. It is exclusionary not welcoming.
I would also add in there, age. While it’s getting better, if you don’t appeal to the kids and teenagers as they grow up, you won’t have a continuing adult market.
Thanks for posting. However, the lower “official” booth and exhibitor numbers may be misleading. For example, there were 4 of us designers exhibiting under the Contempo fabric brand, a division of Benartex. So, according to the paperwork, this would mean that all 4 of us only counted as 1 exhibitor. It was in their name because they paid for it, a perk of designing for them. Furthermore, the fabric company purchased a total of 2 double booths, giving us each at least 10’x10 space. Except this was really the same amount of space as 4 single booths if we had paid for them individually. So it would register as 2 booths instead of 4. In fact, there were many exhibitors on the show floor who purchased double or even triple booths, but those were all just counted as 1 booth even though they took up 2-3x the space. So if more vendors are purchasing more show floor space, that seems like a good sign that their return on investment is being met. And it’s just anecdotal, but it sure seems like the attendance was higher this fall. Last fall market occurred just after the Houston flood, which dampened last year’s enrollment numbers.
You are a designer for Benartex. They funded your booth so they are the exhibitor. All of the Contempo booths are one exhibitor because they are showing products owned by one business.
My understanding is that the total booth number is calculated by the total number of 10’x10′ booth spaces rented. A double booth isn’t one booth, it’s two.
I’d love to know if that is for sure how they count numbers of booth. t’s your understanding they count by 10’x10 space, but does Quilts Inc confirm that anywhere? The only reason I’m wanting to clarify is because in all of our literature and on the show floor map, my booth area (with 4 of us) was numbered as 2134,2315 rather than 4 separate numbers. And yes, we are all representing the fabric company but we don’t work for them. We are independent exhibitors just like other designers who have their own booth in their own name. For example, Tula Pink’s as an exhibitor is counted separately from FreeSpirit because it’s in her own name and her own company pays for it (I assume). But we are basically doing the same thing – promoting our fabrics along with our other branded products. And then I look at the huge Moda area. I don’t know their financial arrangements, but if they are featuring 15-20 different designers on the show floor, I’m curious if that’s just counted as one exhibitor, or 15. I know the answer is that it depends on who registers, so maybe a more accurate count would be numbers of people in a booth? Or people per 10×10 space? It’s interesting data to analyze for sure!
I’ve been displaying at Fall Quilt Market since 2008 and I have to say it has been discouraging for the past several years, BUT, I have to say that this Fall’s Quilt market was amazing! The attendance seemed “UP” and there was a buzz of excitement in the room that I havent heard for a LONG time! And the best part…. our sales were AMAZING! We absolutely sold more at this Market than the last TWO combined!
And here’s the best part… I know I wasnt alone in this assessment! Many of my comrades in other booths selling other types of products pretty much echoed our experience!
All in all it was a very positive Market (and an incredible Festival too) and I wouldnt write the obit on the sewing industry just yet. I noticed a good deal more young faces, indeed many under the age of 15 who were shopping in our booth for bag pattern to make themselves as gifts this year! It was so good to come home encouraged for a change! 🙂
I’m definitely not writing the obit on the sewing industry. Just the opposite. And I think consumer shows are thriving, including Festival.
Kathy, that was my experience as well. It was my best market yet. Maybe there’s a silver lining. If booth and exhibitor numbers are truly down but attendance holds steady, then that just means more time with buyers for the vendors who remain 🙂
Given the credentials changes from a few years ago, how would 15 year old people be shopping at Market? I mean, I can barely qualify for credentials under the current rules and I’m a legit pro. Just not a full timer. Aren’t they still in school?
I think she means at Quilt Festival. I actually think you raise a good point, though. It’s important to separate out sales from each event if you did both.
The children I saw were in fact at Quilt Festival (sorry about that) but our sales were amazing at both shows. This was actually our best EVER Quilt Market. We sold more than we did at the past two shows COMBINED and believe me, I was not alone. Almost everyone I talked with agreed that this was a terrific Market. I wish I knew all the reasons why, although I suspect it was probably a combination of things. I felt very encouraged by the positive vibe I felt in the Convention Center and of course with the sales numbers.
A friend sent me a link to your site and I happily signed up. I have been a “free” reader of CIA and plan to become a paying member this year.
I have been fortunate to have been accepted into exhibits in the past but have found Market and Festival just too expensive to travel to lately. I am a very small time designer who is aging as gracefully as possible though and traveling gets incrementally more difficult and less attractive.
Because of where I live ( a small, rural, island a days round trip to the mainland) online fabric shopping has become essential essential and I agree that this sector should be more in evidence at shows and market.
Thanks for such excellent posts and the plethora of solid information you share,
Great to hear from you Marie. I look forward to continuing to hear your perspective on the industry in the new year.
Your comments about Quilts Inc’s outdated website are so true. I attended Spring 2018 Market, but getting signed up and trying to verify my credentials were accepted were onerous and slow. I tried to find all the information I needed and stumbled around to several pages and couldn’t find my way back to the right page after I left it. Terrible website!