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Texas Knifemakers and Collectors Association Dedicated to promoting custom knives and knifemakers.

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  #1  
Old 05-25-2009, 01:35 PM
atxknifemaker atxknifemaker is offline
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2010 Texas Knife Show



FLAMING HOT NEWS FOR TKCA MEMBERS

The website and TKCA flyer for the 2010 Texas Knife Show, (previously Central Texas Knife Show) tentatively scheduled for March 27 and 28, 2010, is already being developed.

I am told that Leon Treiber will be in charge of table reservations again.
Part of the website consists of a list of exhibitors, which needs to be updated. So if you are planning on attending, please contact Leon Treiber as soon as possible.

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  #2  
Old 07-07-2009, 06:47 AM
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I'm predicting 72-75*F, partly cloudy skies and a gentle wind for the entire weekend and heavy traffic for the greater Roundrock area as people make their way to the show center!


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  #3  
Old 07-12-2009, 05:13 AM
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Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Halter
I'm predicting 72-75*F, partly cloudy skies and a gentle wind for the entire weekend and heavy traffic for the greater Roundrock area as people make their way to the show center!

I hope to go next year and see you there, again

Ron LaBella


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  #4  
Old 11-03-2009, 01:16 PM
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Don Halter Don Halter is offline
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Has TKCA ever polled its members to see what could entice them into reserving a table at our show or helping in some other way? Seems like we have about 5x members compared to those that reserve tables or actively participate in the annual show.

Is it table cost, travel cost, no inventory, no time, other committments?

It always seems to be a catch-22. Makers don't want to attend a show if there's no visitors and visitors don't want to attend a show with few makers. I think the demonstrations, cutting competitons and advertisements with passes are slowly getting more draw from the public, but I'd like to know what the makers thoughts were on how to get more members participating.


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  #5  
Old 11-09-2009, 11:08 AM
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Geno Geno is offline
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Unhappy TKCA Show

I don't want to get too long winded, but Don, you asked a good question.
The cost is moderate as shows go, but the reward is minimal with about 250 guest for that weekend. I can get more than that coming to my back yard on a weekend.
The competitions are a joke if the judges don't know what they are looking at.
When a 4 billet medeorite composite mosaic damascus blade laying next to a feather pattern, and the feather pattern wins...
I have supported this show every year buying 3-4 tables since Chris started it and this year I won't attend.
The club only supports the Guadalupe school.
Sunday was cut, thus my reason to come-(I am the preacher).
Every year I hear about little or no advertising and the crowd gets smaller.
The demo's are awesome but not well publisized.

I came the last few years trying to help out the TKCA get control, but by now...me being there won't help.

The TKCA was developed to promote custom knifemaking and custom knifemakers and with ALL the talent TEXAS has to offer.....I just don't see it.

What can we do to make it better?
Texas "should" have the best show in the country, we have the talent here.
We can't get the big name makers here because there is no traffic.
The collectors want more, as do the makers.

A TKCA auction to help absorb the cost of promoting the show so all who want to attend, can.
A knifemaker's spotlight (during the show) to announce what's new or different (every couple of hours) from several makers. This not only promotes what's new, but the knifemakers themselves.
Get blade magazine coverage- they are always looking for something worthy to print.
Invite local boy scout troops, they are our future customers.
Invite chefs, martial artist schools, law enforcement agents with the free passes, rich collectors are NOT concerned about 5 dollars to get in.
I volunteered to make a video commercial to run on local TV, but no interest to run it.
Local news agencies will help promote the "weekend" events for free. (video spot)

Until we can bring some buyers in, the big name makers will drop from our rosters more and more. It is not a matter of cost, it is a matter of worth for the money. This is the ONLY show I go into the hole every year on. I could stay home and sell more on the internet.

I am not a complainer, you asked. I have talked with Leon, Johnny, etc...nothing changes.
This year I am doing something about it myself, nothing.

I am sorry to say that I will miss the Texas show more than it will miss me.
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  #6  
Old 11-09-2009, 06:05 PM
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Don Halter Don Halter is offline
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Thanks Gene, thats exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Advertising has been at the top of our BOD meetings. I think that's always been an issue for this show...nobody seems to know about it. General listing on forums has brought in a few visitors, but not enough. I think the local Austin area could be a rich source for visitors. Out of all the residents in the greater Austin area, surely more than 400 are interested in Knives!

Several magazines were contacted for ad spacelast year, I don't know about articles though. We sent invitations and/or ad flyers to everyone from oufitters and taxidermists to private hunting ranches and newspapers. I've kept in contact with some of the newspapers that had expressed interest last year, so hopefully we'll get a better turnout this year from them.

As for boy scouts, I contacted every council, and over 40 individual packs when the info was available, within 200 miles of Roundrock and had two respond. Of those, only one requested passes. We offered free admission passes and I even offered to set up a badge workshop for weeblos II and higher (I used to be a counselor for this when we in Bryan). The problem with the scouts is that information was never being passed down to the individual packs/dens, despite multiple requests. Individual contact info is very limited these days due to all the privacy issues in place these days. I'll again be sending out letters this year, hopefully with a better response!

I sent a dozen passes to every fire station in Austin/Roundrock and most sherrif/LEO offices. Only one came in the front door. I kinda wondered if there was some issue with sending "free stuff" to public servants that prevented the passes from making it down to actual officers, though.


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Last edited by Don Halter; 11-09-2009 at 06:08 PM.
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  #7  
Old 11-10-2009, 09:02 AM
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Don Robinson Don Robinson is offline
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Don, I feel your pain. It's a tough job trying to promote the show.

I had to stop making knives about a year ago. Now I know why I was feeling so low. I had a cancer in my intestines that was removed 2 weeks ago. They got it all, thank God.

So that's why I didn't attend the last show, and why I won't attend this one. Nothing to show.

By the way, the last show I attended, the first TKCA show, I sold everything I had. 9 knives. So there's at least one success story.

Thanks for all your efforts. I hope the show is a big success this time.

I'll publicize it on the Knife Network Forums.

By the way, if our members would participate in the knife forums on the internet more, we'd all be better known and our shows would be better known and attended.

Last edited by Don Robinson; 01-22-2010 at 08:21 AM.
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  #8  
Old 11-10-2009, 11:46 AM
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Don Halter Don Halter is offline
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Glad to hear from you Don. Rest up and get better!

I generally only make a couple dozen knives per year and they are typically sold before being finished. I keep trying to build up a bit of stock to do a show as a table holder, but it never seems to pan out. My latest obsession has been modern gunsmithing/rifle building, so I haven't done much knifework at all other than a few commissioned peices. January tends to be a good building month for me, so maybe I can get a dozen done and set aside.

I enjoy doing the forgewelding and parkerizing demos and such, though...even when it's 45* and windy.


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  #9  
Old 11-10-2009, 01:06 PM
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Geno Geno is offline
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Thanks Don and Don.
All the potential is here, I know that for sure.
Had we started 10 years sooner.....
Don (Sr.) I am SO happy you are feeling better, been praying for you bout a year now.
Maybe I'll go film it for you and send you a copy.
(that could be our commercial for next year too-hint hint)
I havn't given up guys, I just can't afford the tables again this year.
I recently bought out my video partner, have a new family, health issues....
My plate is full (God is good to Geno )
I wish I had more time to spend on these forums, I come here often, but I seldom pipe in because there are so many here capable now, vs."The Custom Knife Directory" days.
I still pop in from time to time to stay in touch, and when I feel needed for something like this. I care about the Texas show very much and know what it could be.
Don (Jr.) I wish we had more like you when this all started, Thank you for your determination Sir. I want to thank Johnny, Leon, Harvey, and everyone working so hard on this as well. Knife shows are expensive and hard to plan, I know.
If we could pull all our resources together, Texas could have one of/if not the best
show(s) around.
We could have on line broadcasts, auctions, interviews, lessons, you name it....right from the show. With international visitors, we can really open some doors and wallets.
We need to find new ways to draw people to the show.
Maybe a local radio station who would give out 100 free tickets all weekend to the ninth caller...even maybe a live broadcast outside.
The demo's are great and should be seen by more people.
Collaborations and auctions could help make the tables more affordable for more makers to come.
Better exposure will bring out the other big makers too, magazines, collectors, etc...

I think big, get long winded, and fustrate myself sometimes, but everything we need is here if we can all work together somehow. This year I bit off a lot and will have to watch my P's and q's very carefully. I may come film it, but I can't afford to "do" the show this year.
God bless,
Geno
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  #10  
Old 11-17-2009, 10:02 PM
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Don Halter Don Halter is offline
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I know a couple media people in the Bryan/College Station area. I'm hoping I can get a little exposure there. The TAMU core of cadets as well as the general student body could provide lots of customer base. I think last year was the opening weekend of spring break so most college kids are already drunk by then! I'd like to run the ad Leon puts in a few papers in the campus paper as well as papers like the Waco Tribune, and a couple others from not too far away cities.

We really need a good, finished website to go along with the ads. We've never had a complete webpage for the show and the ones we have had were never prominantly linked on the TKCA page. I think the show links should be one of the first things someone sees when they go to the TKCA site.Not something they have to look around for.

Stanley had a site started last year. With some of the pics others have taken we ought to be able to get a good site together. I have plenty of space on my servers if we need it. I would hope the TKCA site could set something up. I don't know how the site admin is set up though.


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  #11  
Old 01-21-2010, 09:33 AM
peregrine peregrine is offline
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Lightbulb Advertising... just a thought.

Just a thought, but a cheap flyer might be made up and delievered to the area gun shows before the event. (Pick it up by the door.) This would result in the word going out...
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  #12  
Old 02-22-2010, 06:48 AM
Wade Holloway Wade Holloway is offline
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What is the latest on the knife show. Are we still on track to have the show the last of March? I just have not heard anything in the last few weeks about it and just wanted to make sure it was not dead.
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  #13  
Old 02-22-2010, 03:04 PM
iheartweapons68 iheartweapons68 is offline
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Maybe I'll try to get there for that. Sounds like a lot of fun.
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