Learning all the Moving Parts BY ALLAN REZNIK Choosing a Show Venue
A familiar saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.” If we tweak that to apply to dog shows, it is hoped that “If we rent it, they will come.” Kennel clubs can certainly
everything run smoother knowing you have the site locked up and what to expect the following year.” “The Dog Fanciers of Oregon is one of the oldest clients of the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center,” says Strom-Bernard. “Our cluster of dog shows is right in between two major spectator shows. The Portland Boat Show is the weekend prior and, due to inclement weather in January, there have been times we have had to wait on our set-up day for boats to finish leaving the venue. A few times, our RV parking crew has had to mark out RV spots around the boats still in the parking area.” Accessibility. Is it fairly easy for people to get to the show site? Are there motor home restrictions? “You can get off the highway and then find that you’re looking at another half-hour of travelling on local roads, which will not make exhibitors with motor homes happy campers,” says Tyree. Brown says they had the option of going to a new, slightly better site for about the same cost but they decided against it because it was more than an hour further from the airport. “Our cur- rent site allows most judges to catch flights home the night they finish judging if they so choose. This is a convenience for them and it saves the club the extra night’s hotel charge.” Brown says they discovered “the hard way that expensive RV hookups can also be a deterrent to exhibitors. A couple of years back our site more than doubled the price they charged for RV park- ing and our entry took a big hit. A site that had outrageous parking rates or no RV parking would be scratched off our list.” Permits. These are a pesky consideration but you ignore them at your peril. Do you need state approval to hold a dog show at this site? Do you need town approval? Is a fire inspection permit required? Public versus private property will determine the answers. Strom-Bernard’s venue requires a fire inspection permit and “the fire marshall makes an inspec- tion sometime during the first few days of the show. This has never been much of an issue as the requirements are clearly outlined.” Venue size. Be realistic about the number of dogs
improve the likeli- hood of that rosy forecast if they choose wisely, keeping their exhibitors, judges and budget always in mind. Your club may already have a workable show site… but what happens if the cost of renting it becomes prohibitive, or the show building gets torn down? You will surely need to find a new facility in short order if you are not to lose your show dates. We reached out to three experienced show chairs for their advice on finding and keep- ing a great venue. Dianne Tyree is the Assistant Show Chair for the Souhegan Kennel Club in Nashua, N.H. Danelle Brown is the Cluster Chairman for the Heart of Texas Cluster in Austin, Texas. Mary Strom-Bernard is the Past Show Cluster Chair for the Rose City Classic in Portland, Oreg. All three also happen to be AKC judges so they bring that added perspective to the table. Tyree, Brown and Strom-Bernard urge show committees to keep the following impor- tant considerations in mind when shopping for a venue. Affordability. This one might seem like a no- brainer but not everyone sticks to a household budget and similarly, not every show chair has a head for figures. Brown says, “Affordability is key. Expensive sites would mean we’d have to raise entry fees and I think that would hurt our already shrinking entries.” Tyree suggests look- ing into community colleges as a possible show site. “They have a mandate to hold certain events during the year and so a local dog show might be something they would absolutely welcome.” Availability. A potential show site that looks and sounds perfect might not be available over a weekend. In many parts of the country, availabil- ity will also influence whether you go with an indoor versus outdoor site. Brown says, “We want to be able to get our site under contract for at least four years out. Logistically it just makes
76 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , O CTOBER 2017
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