Date: Fri 09-Apr-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: MELISS

Quick Words:

BoysGirls

Full Text:

Boys And Girls Club Antique Show

BOSTON, MASS. -- From February 25 to 28, Boston was treated to the Boys &

Girls clubs of Boston Decorative Arts and Antiques Show. Forty-seven

exhibitors presented high quality antiques in spacious, well designed booths.

The show was organized by the club's development office with the assistance of

promoter Penny Jones and lead financial support from the Learning Company and

Fleet Private Clients Group. The show debuted as the Blizzard of 1999 roared

outside, but inside sales sizzled at the gala preview party. Attendance and

sales over the next three days were good. Over $175,000 was raised for the

annual budget of the Boys & Girls Club of Boston (BGCB).

On Thursday afternoon, the preview party and debut seemed doomed as the

blizzard intensified. However when the doors opened, supporters poured in.

Coat checkers from the Park Plaza hotel checked 970 coats, and from that it

was inferred that 970 people attended the preview. The sponsor's preview

($500/couple) began at 4:30 pm, and at most shows those visitors leave at 6 pm

when the preview party ($125/person) opens. However, many sponsors were also

among the 250 ticket holders to a benefit Yo Yo Ma concert scheduled for 7:30

at the Wang Center. The concert was cancelled early in the afternoon,and many

sponsors remained at the antique show until 9:30pm.

Dealers reported preview sales varying from very good to astronomical. Elke

Brockway of ancient Art International declared, "It was astronomical. It was a

great preview."

Art dealer Mark Brock summarized, "I've never seen anything like the preview,

and the weekend has remained strong. I've sold five significant works with the

top one being over forty thousand dollars. I've also established contacts with

some major buyers."

Art dealer Julian Beck echoed those comments when he reported, "I sold five

paintings the first night that ranged from $8,000 to $45,000. I'm still

selling. I have established a new personal high for both one night and for a

show overall."

Exhibitor Collier Bowen enthused, "I must say its been a superb, spectacular

preview, a brilliant Friday, and today more stuff is going out." Sharon

Jorgensen of Euro Art added, "We've had strong turnout of decorators with

their clients. At the preview, we sold a Seventeenth Century sculpture of a

child's head to a decorator. It was a major piece. Sales have been good."

Jason Heckler of Jason Samuel Antiques volunteered, "It was a great preview

party despite the weather. We sold furniture, smalls, and paintings." Elaine

Miller added, "We were astonished with how many people were here for the

preview. The big ticket buyers came for the sponsor's preview and stayed here

for the duration.

Given the blizzard, a remarkable percentage of ticket holders attended the

preview. Of 1,037 tickets (900 sold, 130 to exhibitors and in advertising

packages) that were distributed, 970 of those were used. This indicates that

less than one hundred ticket holders were dissuaded by the blizzard.

The show's success extended beyond the preview. John Foster of the Barometer

Fair stated, "It's terrific. We've had a wonderful show. There's been

tremendous amount of interest, and we've had excellent sales." Loy Harrell of

Hawk's Nest antiques commented, "I've had a wonderful show. I sold five

weathervanes, two pairs of decoys, and four pieces of furniture, and a bunch

of smalls." Deborah Phillips of Fair Trade Antiques added, "It's been great.

We've sold very well. We've had some great sales."

From 1983 to 1998, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston was the beneficiary of the

gala preview party held in conjunction with the antiques show. In recent

years, the preview party has become a major fundraiser. From 1994 to 1998, the

net annual earnings from the party rose from $20,000 to $135,000. Credit for

that success should be extended to the event's co-chairpersons Juliet Turner

and Victoria Whitney and their volunteer committee.

An impetus for a change came from corporate sponsors. The support of those

sponsors has become increasingly crucial in raising the club's annual seven

million-dollar budget. An element that corporate sponsors have closely

scrutinized has been the percent of potential show dollars consumed by

expenses. To corporate reviewers, the profit that the promoter realized from

other elements of the show amounted to dollars spent on fundraising. To reduce

the apparent percent of dollars spent on fundraising, the club decided to

create its own antique show with the assistance of professional promoter, who

was paid a flat fee.

Sara Andrews, chief development officer at the Boys & Girls Clubs stated, "We

at the Boys & Girls Club are grateful to have been the beneficiary of the

Boston Antique Show for the past sixteen years. We thank Jackie Sideli for her

efforts on our behalf, and wish her continued success with her show."

Speaking two weeks before the show, Ms. Andrews stated, "This year our

fundraising goal for the show is $150,000. This will be a difficult year of

transitions as we develop the contacts and experience to conduct our own

shows." On Saturday afternoon, an exhausted Ms. Andrews sighed, "We've been

delighted with the community's support. We've already reached our goal, and we

have another day to go. We've had ten members of club staff here in various

shifts all weekend. It's taken all year to put this together, but it's been

well worth it for us." Despite opening in a blizzard and closing in a

torrential downpour, the show topped its goal by 17 percent.

About a dozen dealers were either new to the Boston market, or they were

returning after years of absence. Solomon Suchard Antiques, the nation's

largest importer of antique French pottery, exhibited for the first time.

"It's been a very exciting show, and the hall is beautiful. Preview sales were

great and since then it's been steady. We've sold to new clients, and also

have sold directly to our strong New England clients. Millicent Mali (Quimper

expert and author) came in for a wonderful visit." Like may dealers exhibiting

in Boston for the first time, he displays at other Penny Jones show around the

nation.

Gordon Converse returned to Boston after several years as an exhibitor at the

Ellis Memorial Show. He reported, "Sales have been pretty good. Shoppers

attending the show have a deep interest in antiques you have to respect. I've

been broadening my market in the last several years and that has helped a lot

with the bottom line."

Promoter N. Pendergast "Penny" Jones demonstrated her unique approach to show

management. She annually has promoted a dozen prominent shows across the

country, but remote Nantucket has been her only New England venue. She

conveyed her high professional standards and expectations with a smile. Though

low profile, she was constantly on the floor.

Every booth had a fascia board across the front of the booth, and most

exhibitors mounted a powerful set of lights behind the board. Within

individual booths, this high, unobtrusive illumination method eliminated

glaring lights and dark spots. Within the hall, the bright booth illumination

made it possible to turn off the ceiling mounted sodium vapor lamps that throw

a bluish light.

Annette Wilson of Euro Exports was one of many dealers who praised the

lighting of the show. The shopping public was less precise when they made

statements such as, "The building is more beautiful than ever, but I don't

understand why."

Looking forward, Ms. Jones coordinated the show presentation with the club's

event committee. That committee's work was indirectly evidenced on the show

floor by the tremendous turnout, program advertising, patron donations, and

preview food.committee workers enthusiastically praised the work of event

chairperson Elizabeth Beretk Perik. While a reporter can not see the internal

operation of a committee, the results of their labor indicate a comprehensive

design and a huge commitment of energy and resources.

The one hundred-page, four-color show catalog demonstrated the sponsorship,

organization and energy of the committee. The eight and one half by eleven

inch publication was fully underwritten by The Learning Company founded and

managed by Michael Purik. Therefore, all advertising revenue was pure profit

for the BGCB. The show committee placed thousands of calls to eastern

Massachusetts firms. Their dedication helped sell ads to businesses in all

sectors of the regional economy. The catalog remains a helpful guide to area

businesses.

One of the exhibitor perks that came with booth rental was an opportunity to

place a free ad in the catalog. Some exhibitors were prepared, and placed

striking full-page ads. One was map specialist Charles Edwin Puckett of Dallas

who placed a striking full-page ad that effectively conveyed his area of

specialization to this new audience. Less prepared exhibitors settled for

quarter page typeset ads.

At almost $175,000, the inaugural BGCB show was one of the most successful

fundraising events in the Eastern New England antiques market. Strong sales

reported by dealers and enthusiastic responses from shoppers appear to have

affirmed this shows position on the calendar.