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Buying and selling fair souvenirs and merchandise requires good presentation and careful planning, according to panelists at a convention of the International Association of Fairs & Expositions in Las Vegas, NV. Souvenirs are a key form of advertising for fairs and can improve a fair's image if managed correctly. Merchandisers should consider which product niches to fill, where the products will be stored and how the products can be promoted., LAS VEGAS -- Tips on buying, selling and promoting fair souvenirs and merchandise were offered at a workshop during the convention of the International Assn. of Fairs & Expositions here. [...]

Some outdoor concessionaires believe in the viability of direct sales at fairs. There are fairgoers who would rather buy souvenirs than play the games at the midway. However, there are some fairs where direct sales have not been very successful. Some of the more popular merchandise are T-shirts depicting past and present rock stars. Sports, such as football, baseball and basketball, also offer numerous merchandising opportunities for outdoor concessionaires., When it comes to merchandise sales, sometimes the direct approach is the best. 'There's a market for direct sales at fairs,' says Gary O'Neal, co-owner (along with wife, Jill) of [...]

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- If the fair has a handle on what the public wants, about 3% of the attendees will buy a promotional product, according to Rick Drozinski of Positive [...]

Pop culture souvenirs from the '60s and '70s are expected to sell well at amusement parks, according to survey responses. Oriental Trading Co. predicts that smiley faces, tornado lamps and laser balls will be popular. Some parks report good sales of logo merchandise, such as sweat shirts. Other items described include a package containing a hermit crab, food and a small aquarium, which will sell for $9 at Magic Waters, Rockford IL., Everything old is new again regarding retail merchandise at amusement parks, according to buyers and suppliers surveyed by AB. That 'Have a Nice Day' smiley face, a pop culture icon [...]

Merchandise sales for 1995 at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, OH are on a pace to break the record set in 1994. The park sell 10,321 items from 80 points of sale. The 29,000 square feet of retail sales space is divided into 23 walk-in stores and a variety of photography booths, mobile carts, hotel shops and employee stores. Souvenirs make up 42% of total sales, photography 19% and the rest divided between general merchandise, sundries and others. The park has been selling more higher-quality merchandise in the 1990s, such as all-cotton T-shirts., SANDUSKY, Ohio -- The shelves of the 29,000 square feet of retail sales space at Cedar Point are filled with 10,321 different items which are sold from approximately 80 points [...]

The new Elitch Gardens amusement park in Denver, CO, has 37 retail outlets, compared to nine in the original 104-year-old park. Emphasis is on gift items such as sweatshirts and polo shirts with logos, accessories, lamps and glassware. One of the seven walk-in shops offers items for the house and garden, such as birdhouses, flower pots and aprons. Also, Denver's old railroad roundhouse has been rebuilt into a restaurant and shop., The changes in the merchandise department of the new Elitch Gardens may be among the most profound at the new park. 'We've gone from rubber tomahawks in the old park [...]

The National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings has opened its four retail outlets in Los Angeles, CA. The fourth store is located in West Cavena, covering 16,000 square feet of retail space and is in a strip adjacent to a major mall. The retail stores, called Slap Shops, offer shirts, hats, souvenir merchandise and sports equipment. The Slap Shops also offer catalog sales and mechandise from rival teams., Merchandising outside of the arena has become big business for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team opened its fourth retail outlet in the Los [...]

There is a big demand from fans for the National Basketball Assn (NBA) Charlotte Hornets' souvenir items that bear the Hogo bee logo. Hornets' Sportservice marketing arm reports that in terms of concession licensing gross paid to the NBA, the team now ranks second to the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets has 27 retail outlets within Charlotte Coliseum's 13-mile radius. Hornets' novelties include T-shirts, shorts, Soft Pro balls, and sweatshirt which are in teal and purple., Over the last three years, fans of the National Basketball Assn. Charlotte Hornets have literally swarmed after team merchandise bearing a bee named Hugo. 'We've seen a 200 percent increase [...]

MCA and FMI were awarded the contract to sell souvenir-novelty items at 23 Olympic venues in Los Angeles. They will supply at least $11 million worth of merchandise which will retail for about $35 million. The sales for the 14-day event will involve hiring 1,000 vendors, 350 facility management and security personnel, and 300 unlicensed sales security personnel to control bootlegging.