Forty two exhibitors, with three months to go!

With just three months to go before the second Festival of Glass on February 19 2012, forty two exhibitors have booked spaces - well in excess of the 2011 Festival.

If you are one of those exhibitors, we thank you for supporting the 2012 Festival of Glass and we look forward to seeing you in February. If you're not an exhibitor but think that you might like to be, please contact us for more information and an application form (Doug Carson: ccd21@bigpond.net.au).

Timetable: exhibitors' setting-up. Since the number of exhibitors at the 2012 Festival of Glass is so much higher than at the 2011 Festival, we need to avoid congestion as exhibitors arrive to set-up. Congestion is likely to be worst on the morning of Sunday 19 February, because every exhibitor will want their space set-up in time for the official opening and launch at 9:00 a.m. Therefore, we've created a timetable of who we would like to arrive when. (If you're an exhibitor, you should have received a copy of the timetable by now. If you haven't, please contact Doug Carson: ccd21@bigpond.net.au) Some exhibitors said on their application form when they would like to set up, so we have started the timetable with their times and fitted everyone else around them. If the times we have allocated to you are not suitable, please contact Doug Carson.

The 2012 Festival of Glass will open officially at 9.00 a.m. Following the official opening, all exhibitors can walk around and look at the rest of the Festival before the doors open to the public at 10:00 a.m.

Raffles Admission to the 2012 Festival of Glass will be free, allowing more people to attend and increasing exposure for your business. Free admission was an attraction at the 2011 Festival, but it means that we need to make some money to continue hosting and growing the Festival. Therefore, we are inviting each exhibitor at the 2012 Festival to sell a couple of books of raffle tickets between now and 19 February. (If you're an exhibitor, you should have received these by now. If you haven't, please contact Doug Carson: ccd21@bigpond.net.au)

Competitions The 2012 Festival of Glass will feature several competitions (for details, see the Festival of Glass website: www.festivalofglass.net.au). If you have entered one of these competitions, or if you are considering it, please ensure that your paperwork is completed and in place, so that judging can begin on time.

More information We will post updated information as it happens on this blog; see also the Festival of Glass website: www.festivalofglass.net.au

Festival of Glass an attractive investment

The Bendigo Bank has shown its confidence in the 2012 Festival of Glass by investing $2,500 in sponsorship. The money will help to pay for the costs of the Festival's infrastructure, marketing and promotion.

The Bendigo Bank’s sponsorship of the 2012 Festival builds on its support and encouragement for the inaugural Festival of Glass in 2011 and shows potential sponsors that this innovative event is gaining a positive reputation from which they can benefit.

The Bank's support follows an announcement by City of Greater Geelong Mayor Cr. John Mitchell that the City will invest $6,000 in the 2012 Festival of Glass, which he described as 'an innovative festival (that) is already stirring considerable interest among glassmakers and fans around Australia.'

'Ticks of approval' from these two major local funders reaffirm the vision behind the Festival and give a tremendous boost to the artists, craftspeople and business participating in it. They also show potential sponsors that the Festival of Glass has a growing positive reputation from which they can benefit.

Exhibitors investing Exhibitors at the 2012 Festival of Glass are also investing in its success. More than forty exhibitors - many of them local - have booked spaces already, three months before the Festival; and eighteen of them have donated items worth a total of $1,520 to the 2012 Festival of Glass raffle.

Doug Carson, Chairperson of the Festival Committee said, 'The Festival Committee has been (almost!) overwhelmed by the response and we really appreciate it. The number and value of items donated is a strong vote of confidence by local glass artists and craftspeople in the Festival’s potential to promote their work. It’s also clear evidence that the Festival has the potential to become a major showcase of local glass art, craft and industry, driven by the active support of local glass workers. The more that the Festival generates broad and active support such as this, the more viable it becomes. So a big "Thank you" to those exhibitors who have donated items.'
(Illustration: VA Glass)