Thursday Morning: Conference Week

What a difference a week can make!

Last week here in Asheville we were literally snowed in, as were many of you, except that here in the South we don’t deal with snow very well. Most people living here have not driven in snow and ice enough to know how to adjust to it, and we certainly don’t have a division of snowplows waiting to leap into action.

Our snow removal equipment is all solar powered: we let the sun melt it.

And it did.

Yesterday, as we were unloading rolling crates of pipe-and-draping for the booths, as well as showcases and pegboards ordered by the exhibitors, we raised the loading dock doors into the Grand Ballroom and left them open — and no one complained!

We started yesterday morning with an empty ballroom, several meeting rooms, and long hallways, but this morning they are brimming with covered tables, pegboards, and display cases. At eight o’clock the first of the exhibitors, both antiques dealers and contemporary craftsfirms, will begin pushing in carts loaded with furniture, art pottery, metalware, textiles, rugs, books, and artwork, and will start filling those empty booths.

This show, which runs Friday afternoon (1:00pm-6:00pm), Saturday (noon-6:00pm), and Sunday (11:00am-4:00pm), is the highlight of the year for many of the 100 exhibitors, some of whom come from as far away as California, Minneapolis, Syracuse, and Miami. They often save back special pieces just for the Grove Park Inn show, which heightens the experience, and the educational aspect of the event, as we all get to take advantage of the opportunity to view and inspect some rare, fabulous pieces.

The crews worked late into the night getting everything ready, and will be standing by this morning to make those last-minute adjustments as the dealers start unpacking and setting up.

And with the weather cooperating, everyone will be in good spirits, anxious not only for the show itself, but for the opportunity to renew old friendships and form new ones.

And that’s what really makes the weekend special.

Until tomorrow morning,

Thanks for stopping by!

Bruce