[junction29]

Originally Posted by Tom Hannon

A rip off. I will never pay that price again. It should be free. More peoiple would come and more sales made. I am not a happy camper. PS: I am not complaining. It is just the way I feel.

Totally agree, it was a rip-off.

Four of us went, paid $40 - FOR WHAT?

The main aim of the event was to encourage people to buy products, the exhibitors should have paid, just like they would at any other show.

Where exactly did the entrance money go - who beefited from it?

[Jim 9922]

I assume the profit went to the sponsors. I'd almost guess that The Villages organization received a nice rental fee for the grounds and there were probably clean up, lawn damage, maintenance and trash costs and crowd control fees to be paid etc etc. If it was run like any other "seller trade show" around the country, the vendors would have paid a fee to participate.
The entrance fee served two purposes; 1. sort out the non-interested (a benefit to the vendors who want to sell things, and make money too) and 2. Get what the traffic will bear. Judging from the size of the crowd, they succeeded very well on item 2.

Have an idea, work hard at it and make some money. The American way! I love it!

Originally Posted by junction29

Totally agree, it was a rip-off.

Four of us went, paid $40 - FOR WHAT?

The main aim of the event was to encourage people to buy products, the exhibitors should have paid, just like they would at any other show.

Where exactly did the entrance money go - who beefited from it?

[villagerjack]

Originally Posted by getdul981

If $10 is too much, all you had to do was go to one of the Pro Shops and get a ticket for $8 prior to the show. My wife and I went and had a great time. We saw lots of "stuff" that you will never see at any golf store. I also found my next driver. Of course I won't buy it for at least a year when the prices come down and the next years model is out. There was a tent at the extreme north end of the show that had hand made wooden putters. If I hadn't just bought a new one, I would have got one there.

My wife looked at one with Mickey Mouse on it. It was $400.00

[villagerjack]

Originally Posted by Jim 9922

I assume the profit went to the sponsors. I'd almost guess that The Villages organization received a nice rental fee for the grounds and there were probably clean up, lawn damage, maintenance and trash costs and crowd control fees to be paid etc etc. If it was run like any other "seller trade show" around the country, the vendors would have paid a fee to participate.
The entrance fee served two purposes; 1. sort out the non-interested (a benefit to the vendors who want to sell things, and make money too) and 2. Get what the traffic will bear. Judging from the size of the crowd, they succeeded very well on item 2.

Have an idea, work hard at it and make some money. The American way! I love it!

Agree.It was worth the $20 spent. It is a yearly HAPPENING here at the Villages although in past years we had Annika Sorensen and Greg Norman and other notables.

[the bun]

next they'll charge us 10.00 per person for vender night.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by the bun

next they'll charge us 10.00 per person for vender night.

And if a significant portion of the money was targeted to charity (like Golfest) I would be glad to pay it.