Bush Christmas Exhibition is held in Toowoomba annually for ten days at the beginning of December to capture the Christmas gift market.

The Exhibition showcases artworks, gourmet food and handmade gifts from up to 120 predominantly rural and remote exhibitors each year, providing each exhibitor with an avenue to promote and sell their work. Affordability, quality and innovation are the characteristics that make this event unique.

Bush Christmas aims to build a relationship with each exhibitor and so support each one as comprehensively and fairly as possible thus establishing a strong sense of involvement and support between both parties.

The exhibition is not a market but a gallery style sale of works, and so the organisers undertake responsibility for presenting your works at the exhibition. There is no requirement for exhibitors to travel the vast distances to attend, although you are encouraged to visit and embrace this great celebration of talent.

Bush Christmas originated in 1996 when a group of women in Western Queensland saw talent lying unnoticed in rural and remote areas.

Before moving to the Darling Downs, Bush Christmas Organiser, Liz McClymont lived in Western Queensland for 22 years. During that time, she was a member of Outback Creations in Cunnamulla where local artisans sold their works. Encouraged by the success of Outback Creations, it became obvious that rural artisans needed another opportunity to showcase the talent from the bush that is not often seen away from its origin.

As a result Bush Christmas was born and has achieved a degree of recognition and promotion never thought possible at its conception. It has gone a small step further in bridging the gap between city and country and has opened many doors to a greater understanding and interest in the bush and its people.

Success at Bush Christmas has encouraged artisans to develop skills, thus enabling them to build confidence in their artistic and creative ability. Sharing the excitement with artisans when their talent is recognised at Bush Christmas, resulting in exposure and promotion at state and national levels, is one of the greatest rewards Bush Christmas can enjoy.

Last year’s exhibition was a tremendous success, with over 4,000 people attending and 15,000 works finding their way to Christmas trees all over the nation and overseas.

Liz McClymont- ph 07 4696 4529

Chris Williams (food) - ph 07 4663 3506

Email: info@bushchristmas.com

Web: www.bushchristmas.com

Mobiles during Exhibition only (please do not use at any other time)
Liz 0418 709 821
Chris Williams (food) 0427 258 323

Bush Christmas Admin Address:
PO Box 621, Toowoomba MC, Q 4350

Bush Christmas Venue Address: Please use this for all consignment deliveries incl post.

Bush Christmas, Masonic Centre, 58 Neil St, Toowoomba CBD, Qld. 4350
( beside Empire Theatre)

We hope you enjoy being part of Bush Christmas.

Please mark these dates in your diary!

Explanations of forms are shown on each form

BC = Bush Christmas; FE = Featured Exhibitor: ICPA = Isolated Children's Parents’ Assoc.

Procedures

1. Accepting the invitation to exhibit at BC is a firm commitment to exhibit.
2. The timetable of dates supplied to exhibitors must be followed.
3. Exhibitors must return forms, pay registration and supply images by DUE DATES. BC can refuse an exhibitor if forms and payment is not received by the specified date.
4. The Registration fee is payable on acceptance and non-refundable - $120.00 (incl gst).
5. The Featured Exhibitor registration fee is $300 or Premium $400 (see FE information).
6. Commission is a percentage of the marked price: Art & Craft 25% & Gourmet 28%.
7. GST is payable by all exhibitors on the commission only, not sales.
8. An Electronic Point of Sales System is used to track sales. Barcode pricing stickers are supplied.
9. Every item sold is scanned and payment is made on the computer sales record.
10. Bush Christmas makes every effort to ensure accuracy of sales.
11. Failure to supply works after barcodes are ordered is not acceptable.
12. Payment to exhibitors is made ASAP after BC by online transfer or cheque.

Delivery, Display, Products

13. Exhibitors must deliver or freight consignments to BC by the due date. Unsold stock will be carefully packed and returned by exhibitor’s nominated method. Freight costs deducted from exhibitor’s sales.
14. BC is responsible for the display and management of all works under the direction of a visual merchandiser. Exhibitors cannot redesign or make changes without authorisation.
15. Exhibitors must strictly adhere to the product lines they nominate. A product line is a specific line or style of item made. There may be several different price points within a product line. An Exhibitor can have 8 product lines (max) and a FE can have 10 product lines (max). The quantity of work supplied within each product line is at the discretion of the Exhibitor.
16. BC will supply exhibitor signage at the exhibition. No exhibitor contact details will be distributed or personal advertising accepted at the exhibition (such as brochures, business cards, banners) with the exception of FE business cards.
17. Gourmet exhibitors must supply a current certificate of kitchen accreditation before products are sold and all government health regulations must be adhered to. Product tasters are required.
18. BC will not take any responsibility for spoiled product or any other problem with goods, including financial responsibility.
19. BC does not accept seconds, damaged or inferior works. Works returned from previous BC exhibitions cannot be resubmitted for sale.
20. Exhibitors are encouraged to support the ICPA and donate an item for the raffle.

Insurance

21. BC does not accept responsibility for the loss or theft of goods during the exhibition or for goods lost in transit to and from BC.
22. Product insurance is the exhibitor’s responsibility and is strongly advised for gourmet products and other highly priced items if it is felt necessary e.g. art/jewellery.

Bush Christmas Pricing Policy

The Bush Christmas exhibition is a unique and highly valued opportunity for artisans to sell and promote their work to a carefully targeted clientele for an extensive period in a peak shopping season. Bush Christmas is not a charity with volunteers, but a professionally managed business that allows us to handle the promotion and direction of the event with our first priority being the success of the exhibition for all exhibitors. We maintain a very responsible attitude to security and accountability, as well as fairness and equality. Exhibitors are promoted and supported prior to, as well as during, the event. Product duplication and competition is kept to a minimum.

Keeping in mind the benefits of exhibiting at Bush Christmas, we feel it is fair that in return exhibitors support Bush Christmas with their product pricing. Although there is commission to pay, we feel that exhibitors should not charge more than their usual price. At times, some exhibitors have charged much higher prices than at markets and online, thus giving their work inconsistent price levels as well as undermining the integrity of Bush Christmas. It is professional to set a recommended retail price for all your products and use this for all sales opportunities, either online or at events.

Please note - Products found to be priced higher than the exhibitor sells elsewhere could be withdrawn from the exhibition. Exhibitors are welcome to have exclusive lines just for Bush Christmas that are not sold elsewhere and so pricing for these items does not present an issue.

We invite all exhibitors to contribute to the website and thus promote your own works as part of the exhibition.
The requirements for your images to be loaded and ready for 2016 launch approx mid August are:

• Provide 2 to 4 good quality, high resolution photos in JPG or PNG format
• Each photo to be no smaller than 1MB and no larger than 2MB file size and at least 300dpi resolution.
• Images should give an indication of your work - not the whole range. Have a look at the Bush Christmas website for ideas.
• The better the quality and professionalism of your photo, the better the exposure you receive and the more likely that people will be interested in what you are creating.
• Please email photos to: info@bushchristmas.com

Barcoding of your products

Bush Christmas uses an electronic point of sale system with barcodes. Exhibitors request barcode stickers prior to the event and these are posted back to be placed on all items as instructed. This means that every item sold is scanned to the computer (similar to supermarket) resulting in an accurate list of items sold. Payment is made on the result of this computer record which is very accurate when items are barcoded by exhibitors as instructed.

Hobby OR ABN Declaration

Bush Christmas acts as your agent. You are required to supply either a Hobby Declaration OR an ABN Declaration. Your signed Banking & Hobby/ABN form must be received before BC begins.

Bush Christmas has a very responsible attitude towards accountability and so every effort is made to ensure accuracy of sales. If there are any discrepancies, exhibitors are encouraged to report back and records are checked for any problems.

Full colour printed DL card flyers

We would love you to help us promote your presence at the exhibition by telling your friends, family, clients and contacts all about it. One of the ways in which we will be promoting the exhibition is by developing and printing a DL full colour card which will gain attention and drive patrons to the website to see your work prior to attending the exhibition. Some of you may be able to include flyers in personal mail or may have valuable contacts in Toowoomba who would be happy to distribute flyers. You will receive some fliers to distribute – more available on request.

Media Promotion & YOU – advertising, editorial, face book, TV, radio etc.

There will be lots of paid advertising but word of mouth and personal endorsements and encouragement is more valuable than any amount to money we can spend on advertising. We invite you to be pro-active and help promote Bush Christmas to everyone. Talking and keeping your networks informed about what you are doing in relation to Bush Christmas will keep the event in people’s minds too. All exhibitors with suitable images will be promoted on Bush Christmas face book posts so please support your fellow artisans by liking and sharing the posts.

Facebook™

We would love you to "like" Bush Christmas on facebook and encourage your friends to follow. You are welcome to add little snippets about your work as long as they relate to Bush Christmas. Please interact with this as much as possible to take full advantage of the power of social media!

Instagram™ & LinkedIn™

We will be using these as another marketing tool so please follow Bush Christmas and tag your images with Bush Christmas! If we all take advantage of the advertising and promotion achieved through social media, Bush Christmas will have no boundaries!

Insurance

Although the greatest care is taken with all work, we cannot accept responsibility for the loss or theft of goods. It is therefore recommended that you arrange insurance if you feel this is necessary. This also applies to goods lost in transit to and from Bush Christmas.

Gourmet

Please supply some tasters as products do not sell well without a taste!

You are required to produce your products in an accredited kitchen and so all products must be made in your nominated accredited kitchen. A current certificate of this accreditation is required before your goods are sold.

We strongly advises that you have product insurance. Bush Christmas will not take any responsibility for spoiled product or any other problem with your product, including financial responsibility. Health regulations must be adhered to and so the following procedures are necessary:

• Copy of your current food preparation licence (from local government food inspector)
• All packaging must be new, sealed and airtight.
• The following must appear on labelling attached to the product:
  • Business name, contact name, address & phone no.
  • Ingredients
  • Date made or Use By
  • Net Weight

Orders

Bush Christmas will not take orders as we feel it will be almost impossible for exhibitors to supply and deliver before Christmas.

Props & Personal Advertising

Bush Christmas will supply individual exhibitor signage that will reflect the branding of the exhibition. For a number of reasons no exhibitor contact details will be distributed and other personal advertising such as brochures, business cards, banners etc are not accepted at the exhibition.

We are happy to display your work using your own props (baskets, hangers etc). Please clearly name and note any props on the reverse side of the delivery & return form. Tables & large props are generally not accepted unless by prior arrangement if considered vital to the presentation of your works. If large props require extensive packaging and handling to return by freight, there will be a charge for this to cover added wages and required packaging.

Exhibitors attendance at Bush Christmas

We love to see our exhibitors at Bush Christmas and in many cases, this is the only time we actually meet! Please come and bring your family and friends.

Bush Christmas takes responsibility for the display of your work under the direction of a professional visual merchandiser and although the presentation may be a little different to your usual set up, please refrain from making any changes or redesigning your display. If you feel that something is not right, please feel free to approach one of the Bush Christmas assistants.

Work from Past Exhibitions

Success does not continue without change and lots of hard work so we are constantly working towards making the event more exciting. We encourage you to evolve and develop your talent. It is easy to create similar works in the same style each year, which is wonderful for patrons returning to Bush Christmas for more of their favourite things. However, as artisans it is important that you experiment and continue to create different and varied works as well as the old favourites. Perhaps, if your work does not lend itself to change, new presentation and packaging may give it a new WOW factor!!

REMEMBER…. Patrons cannot give the same Christmas gifts every year! We are attracting a savvy clientele looking for modern handmade gifts…the opportunities are just waiting!

Please note – Creative works returned from previous exhibitions must not find their way back to Bush Christmas please!