October 18–19, 2008 Lebanon Quilt Show Great Success

LEBANON, OREGON November 18...The Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild (SSQG) Post Show Evaluation Report tells, in almost academic detail, how the show was a major success.
However it was people’s comments that told the true tale. As Guild President Peggy Christopherson says, “Everyone had real positive, good words about the show.” According to her, attendees, tourists and locals alike, said, “It’s alive,” “It has so many things to see and do,” “There’s fun galore and lots of beautiful quilts to see.”

Big benefits: Tripled attendance, Increased local business, New promotion of Lebanon as place to come
These were three major changes detailed by the report.

This 2008 show had over 360 folks who paid a small fee at the door. This was a big contrast to last year’s attendance of just over 100.

New marketing campaign promoted quilt show and Lebanon
One of the major factors in this increase was an advertising campaign in the Democrat-Herald newspaper and on KGAL radio station. This ad program was a direct result of a $500 touristm-marketing grant from the Lebanon Tourism Board (in Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce) and additional monies from the quilting guild budget.

Bigger show space brought more visitors
The larger venue with more parking, food service, and more show and activity space was a second big factor.

The bigger show floor (Sand Ridge Charter School gym) allowed the public to enter quilts in the show.
Plus 180 quilts were hung, almost double the number hung last year. Of this 180, 106 were bed quilts, art quilts, wall hangings, and lap size quilts made by 23 guild members and 13 non-members—kids made five of the 13 public quilts.
Another 39 were community service quilts made by guild members. These quilts are donated to support groups such as—ABC House, Shop With A Cop, FISH, Camp Attitude and Lebanon Community Health Clinic.
Additionally 40 small, wall hanging quilts were donated by guild members for the silent auction and sale.
With this bigger location they also created quilting and sewing vignettes, adding variety to the show and giving all a lot more to see.

More vendors, speakers, and fun things to do
Plus there were 10 vendors, quilting and sewing demos, space for kids quilting games, and a big, 9 square foot, Super-sized Quilt Block Scrabble game board.
Speakers on liturgical and historical quilting were able to give their talks on the gym stage. More space allowed the showing of over a dozen quilting and sewing vignettes scattered throughout the room.

Food service, provided by Sand Ridge school, and lots of nearby, off-street parking were also big pluses.

Having the larger space, Santiam Scappers Guild invited community quilters, local textile artists, and children to be a part of the show. Previously the show was only of quilts made by guild members.

Bigger space means a more varied, larger show in 2009
In October 2009, with this large space, the guild plans to have more non-guild quilts and textile art on display. They plan to invite quilters from area senior centers, churches, schools, and quilt shops. Also the plan is to have a wider variety of textile artists, quilters, and sewers doing demonstrations and possibly even some workshops.

Possibly there will be historical, family, and heritage quilts and items like the Moist family jacquard woven coverlet from the 1840–1850 era.

Quilt show brought more business to Lebanon
The increased business in Lebanon as a result of the show was noted in the Post Show Evaluation Report. This is a list of those benefits to Lebanon.
• Several local businesses indicated their business was increased during the quilt show.
• Finally Together Quilt Shop was packed—Literally—Saturday afternoon one could hardly walk in the shop.
• Restaurants had additional business.
• Lebanon’s only B&B had 5 room-nights with guests from Portland and England. The English guest, a quilter, came from Torquay, Devon—the English Rivera—to Lebanon specifically to see the show.
• Local motel business—At least two quilt show speakers stayed in a local motel. Probably some vendors also stayed in local motels.
• Outsiders shop locally—All speakers, vendors & others shopped or ate locally.
• Sand Ridge Charter School made money from facility rental and food sales.

Drew visitors from outside town and locally, also promoted Lebanon as a place to come
The marketing campaign, the bigger location, and bigger event—speakers, vendors and new activities drew many new local and non-local visitors. As the Guild’s most successful quilt show in 6 years, this helped promote Lebanon as a new place to come for quilting, textile art.

This show and promotion has not yet made Lebanon the “Sisters, Oregon” quilt show place in the Willamette Valley, but it’s a start.

Need more quilted cars —possibly next year
Although it may not have brought more business to Lebanon or increased attendance at the show, Peggy Christopherson’s big Honda Odyssey van was the only quilted car at the show. Many visitors walked ‘round the car and took a bunch of photos.

Peggy and other guild members created a true quilted cover for the van. Members donated orphan quilt blocks, batting and backing that they sewed together and quilted. The blocks were pieced into a form fitting cover for the car. Windows are covered with see-through screening and there are headlight openings so the quilted car is a legal driving quilt. This is only the second known quilted car here in the valley. A group in Jefferson quilted a PT Cruiser earlier this year.

Maybe the 2009 Lebanon Quilt Show will have a display and competition for quilted cars.

Do you think a quilted car drag would draw more visitors?

Planning underway for 2009 Lebanon Quilt Show
Guild members are already planning for next year’s show. Preliminary working plans include: Increased promotion—ads, PSA, radio and possibly TV announcements plus flyers and brochures; more and a wider variety of vendors; more workshops, and demos; inviting more non-guild quilters and textile artists; increased schedule of children’s quilt classes during the year and encouraging them to enter their quilts in the show; and more show activities and events in more rooms at the school.

They have already scheduled more speakers & stage events—three lecturers are already lined up to make these presentations—The History of The Sewing Machine, “From Saint to Singer”; a lecture by a Salem chiropractor and ergonomic expert; and quilt historian Amelia Endorf will be back to present additional lectures. Amelia will offer a documentation session for quilt owners.
Finally the show will solicit entries from all the textile arts—weaving, surface design, quilting, needlework, basketry, fiber, sculpture, knitting, papermaking, and wearable art.

Lebanon’s 2008 Quilt Show was a wonderful success
It increased local business, expanded quilter and textile artists’ showcases, and broadened interest in the textile arts in Lebanon. These are just 3 big benefits of an expanded annual Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild annual quilt show.

Putting on a quilt show is a lot of work. But there are also many benefits. Linn County’s quilters and textile artists have a great, new place to show off their work. Lebanon and the community benefits from increased business.

Finally, it added a new promotion to a new market for coming to Lebanon, Oregon to have fun and stay over a weekend.

Future possibility—new annual, expanded Lebanon tourism event
Lebanon is only 90 miles from Sisters, Oregon, which has a one-day quilt show every year, which attracts 20-30,000 people. Think what that does for their community! We aren’t there yet, but anything is possible with hard work and support from the community.