NEWS FLASH UPDATED:


The reason for this 'News Flash', originally I posted in February this year, was to tell you about a very exciting and what should  for Jabulani Designs, have been a HUGE show-case. I was invited to exhibit my designs at the  "Sunday Times Style in the City Birmingham" event. This took place from the 24th to 26th September 09 in the Mail Box shopping mall. The original spec that I received didn't at all materialise in that the "Jewel Room" was supposed to have been in an all singing and dancing ambient marquee with the only access to the catwalk shows and it was also to have a plush champagne bar. But due to the lack of exhibitors ('sold' to me to be a maximum of 20 stands) this didn't happen.

The "Jewel Room" actually turned out to be an out-of-the-way empty retail unit in the very quiet Mail Box with a non-existent ambience to match.  The catwalk shows were in a different place all together and the champagne bar was nowhere to be found in the Jewel Room as promised - there was one in the Catwalk area instead!  Proper signage to the "Jewel Room" on the first day was diabolical in that it only had stickers on the windows and people obviously walked straight past the venue without noticing them at all. It took my husband to bring this to the attention of Brand Events - who put this whole thing together - and told them that it needed a board with an arrow pointing to the venue coupled with proper guidance from Brand's staff.  Friday's influx of people  wasn't a great deal better. On Saturday morning I was on the verge of packing up and going home! However, I decided against this as it would obviously not have been a professional thing to have done and the level of visitors to the "Jewel Room" did improve during the day.  Good job I didn't, as at the 11th hour just as the doors were about to be locked, a lady bought 4 of my bracelets. Wham bang thank you M'am - so some result there then!

The Sunday Times 'senior fashion editor' Natalie Hartley, delivered a few dreadful talks on what to wear and how to wear it. She had borrowed some items from one of the other exhibitors and referred to them as being available : "from some stand over there" waving her hand whilst holding her microphone in the direction of said stand.  Every other word was followed by an 'uhmm' and people weren't able to hear her properly as she was pointing her microphone in all directions instead of talking into it.  Prior to her stage debut, I asked if she would come over to see me at my stand and perhaps borrow one or two of my designs to talk about, but after her insulting reference to 'some stand over there' I was actually pleased  and relieved that she couldn't be bothered to grace me with her presence. 

I have to say at this point that I wasn't the only unhappy exhibitor, we all felt the same and all went home upset, dissatisfied and very badly let down by not having received the promises made by Brand Events. In my opinion I feel that it was all a total disorganised shambles and feel that we were treated like the poor relations - not their clients - after having paid a lot of money for a 2x2M stand to be there.  The sponsors on the other hand were very happy with the overall results of the event - as of course they would be!  However, Brand Events in their review on the event were over the moon and stated that SITC was a runaway success with an almost 20% visitor increase on last year's numbers. Supposedly 10,000 shoppers visited Birmingham during the 3 day event. A great shame then that they didn't all get to see the Jewel Room.  Emma Willis hosted the catwalk shows, and when I visited one of them on the first day at 2pm, she completely failed to mention that there even was a Jewel Room; instead she made a point of plugging all the sponsors which makes me wonder who was responsible for briefing her?  One of my colleagues spotted Emma Willis whilst out shopping and asked her if she would come over to see us at some stage {which would have been courteous and a really nice thing for her to have done, if only out of good PR  for and on behalf of the Sunday Times Style magazine and the event company} but she replied saying that she "was far too busy" and with that made a quick exit into Harvey Nicks! She obviously felt that visiting the Jewel Room was way below her 'star' status....bless....

There were only 3 good points in that I had a fabulous display cabinet courtesy of Tableau Displays;  my credit card terminal worked a treat and I could not have done without it. It was incredibly easy to use and no problem with the coverage either.  I hired it from SilverPay where I received more than excellent service and helpful advice. For anyone wanting to hire a portable terminal for a few days or more,  I can recommend them with all confidence. Click here> www.silverpay.co.uk  or call them on: 0844 322 0102.  And thirdly, I met some lovely people; Lucy from The Parlor Boutique, Emma from Mimu handbags and Natalie from Miss Cufflinks to name but a few and I also made some new friends. A very expensive way of doing so though! :0)

Letters have been sent to Brand Events, I did receive a courteous reply from the MD's pa saying that he was away on his travels and that a response would follow in "due course". I will wait and see what transpires there...... A similar letter was also sent to the editor of the Sunday Times Style magazine, to which I have not had a reply - not even a short email out of courtesy to acknowledge it saying that she would be looking into the matter.

Still, watch this space for future developments! But so far, I have to say, that I am not impressed at all. 

end - Saturday 24th October 2009