This year will mark the first installment of the biennial Artists of Hawaii 2009. A guest curator will be featured this year who is none other than Laura Hoptman, the senior curator for the New York Museum of Contemporary Art. The event is something that Hawaii residents all look forward to in attending because it will mark again the celebration of the locals’ talents and unique taste of the Arts.

Contemporary Art depicts the art of the Modern times, it is often confused by Post modern because some claim that we actually live in the Post Modern era already and that any art that comes out during these times should be called as “Post Modern”. To avoid confusion let me first give you the difference between Modern, Post modern and Contemporary Art as these are three subjects that are oftentimes misused.

Post modern art is described as the combination of the different Art Styles during the Modern era and these styles includes: Art Nouveau and Art Deco among many others. Post Modern style is always a mixture of two or more style era. Modern Art is described as Art that emerged after the renaissance Period or the Period of “rebirth”. It is oftentimes categorized as the Art created during the 18th to early 19th century. Contemporary Art is used to describe the current trend of Styles during the ongoing era. The term contemporary does not come into existence until the half of 19th century (1950’s) onwards.

Paintings are mostly on display on this exhibit. Expect young and talented artists churning out their fresh minds to create great pieces. Contemporary Hawaiian artists all gather at the Artists Guild to celebrate their talents by showing their creations to spectators and enthusiasts.

Come and visit the Artists of Hawaii 2009!

As said, respect and service do actually raise the overall value of your goods by a good margin. If there is something that you should remember, is that it is important to interact with your customer with as much enthusiasm with your subject as possible. Being that you are the proprietor and owner of your table or booth, you should be the one who exhibits the most excitement for your product. It’s like giving away your puppies to people whom you know will take care of them well enough.

Make the customer feel important. Prioritize them. Let them know that you, in the least, care about their welfare. If in any case, put their feelings and personalities above yours. The kooky part is that. We, not only have to be sellers, but we also have to function as ego boosters. Let them feel loved, wanted, and important. They will reciprocate and you will get yourself a valued client.

Of course, there is a difference between plain flattery and rotund comments. Sure, you need to be the ego booster, but have the rep to back that up. There’s no point for you to kiss up to the costumer if you are just a fibber, a tall-tale teller, someone who’s not at all that reliable. Reputation can also make or break your career here. Your client’s loyalty, your referrals, the way other customers (specifically the prospecting ones anyway).

Look out for what you wear, because it can also command the aura that you are depicting. If you would compare either a sandal-wearing guy, with sweaty arms and a greased undershirt versus a somewhat-casual guy, with a clean shave and a warm smile, you’ll have an idea who’s going to win in the customer wars.

Every little bit makes as to who you are in the eyes of the customer. It’s not a necessity that you have to wear a suit and tie, but being clean also helps with your reputation.

Nothing is more fun and enjoyable than attending festival with the whole family, an event to break away from daily routine of wake-work/ school-sleep. Lots of parents benefit from festivals, may they be hands on parents or working moms and dads. For some heading to festivals with their family is a chance of a lifetime bonding experience. Some however come home worn-out and upset after losing and having different outcome than expected with the events they’ve lost the valuable bonding opportunity.

Fairs and Festivals are made to promote friendship, family, fun and the bonus of helping others thru fundraising. Festivals are considered adventures for families, here they get to spend quality times together, strategize together, win or lose the important thing is that they had fun.

Parents who plan to bring the kids to fairs should take some factors into consideration to avoid tantrums and crying, bring kids to age related festivals. Nowadays, family oriented and kid friendly events are no longer enough. Bonding is better and boredom is lessened when both the destination and the activities are suited to kids ‘age.

Plan with the kids. Gone are the days of the parents being the planner. Parents now are more aware that children especially teenagers, are more committed if they are included in decision making. Kids get to share their ideas on where to go, what to join and of course how to win in contests. Attend festivals that are relevant. Take consideration of your favourite subjects and TV icons. A simple Science project can come to life with a trip to earth and eco friendly festivals; it might be a fair of a lifetime to your little Einstein, or a jungle adventure for your little Dora. You can make the event relevant by psyching your family.

After the long planning brainstorming, fun and activities, remember that this is your time for bonding and a time to be a “FAMILY”. Relax and let go. Things might not go as planned always, but, who cares? Just enjoy and embrace every family moment. That’s when true magic happens.

The desktop would be one of the few places that you would not think of making into a battleground. It is where you keep your office supplies, where contracts are drawn, where ideas are inspired and where magical things happen regarding the business. But it can also be a dangerous place to handle data in, especially when you aren’t specifically careful.

No, I’m not talking about miniature soldiers and make shift forts made out of staple wire cartons and colored pieces of paper and doodads. I’m talking about what’s in your computer. Yes, your desktop. If you aren’t keen and careful with your security, the data that is housed within your PC can be stolen. Data that could very well be essential with the normal procedures of your business, or even *gasp* trade secrets!

Thieves can come in from all shapes and sizes, from that suspicious looking old lady that discreetly slips in employee’s cubicles, to that hacker living in the basement of his mom’s house. Battles happen every day and it is up to you to be informed of the latest happenings so you don’t get caught in the crossfire.

In terms of physical protection, make sure to always update your computer with the latest passwords. Those that are hard to remember (but make sure you don’t forget it yourself). Observe a strict employees-only rule. Do background checks on your employees as well (you can never be too careful). Have your computers outfitted with screensaver passwords, or advise your employees to log out of their accounts if you keep a network system.

Employ a trustworthy IT expert to spot holes in your system, ones that hackers could exploit. Millions of dollars are usually lost in data theft, so it is a wise investment for you to try and be extra careful with your hard-earned data.

On April 24, the Pompano Beach in South Florida will be having its annual Seafood Festival. Seafood gourmet aficionados and fans will surely be thrilled at the announcement of this much awaited event. Be prepared for mouthwatering delectable goodness of seafood recipes. Expect a day full of seafood lovin’ and bonding with your most cherished friends and family members. Almost any kind of seafood in any type of recipe will be cooked on this event.

At the festival almost any type of cooked seafood can be seen. Expect lobsters grilling at a nearby station. Savor the mouthwatering treat that shrimps cooked in special herbs and spices have to offer. Got a squid addiction? No problem, the squid pasta will help solve that. Fish and chips are a popular gourmet at the Festival and so as Catfish desert (desert??) in cold-cream sauce. Ah, the awesome goodness that seafood can bring.

Kitchen experts will also be present to teach you some basic tricks on how to prepare and cook lobsters the right way. First, freeze the lobster for about 10 minutes with the rubber bands still attached to its claws (watch out for your fingers!). Next, gently put the lobster in a pot of boiling water that is sprinkled with salt, place the lid firmly on the pot. Remove the lobster when it achieved a red color and allow cooling before handling.

Pry the tail gently to separate the shell from the lobster meat. Using a pair of kitchen shears cut across the underside of the lobster and remove the shell. Use a nutcracker or a crab shell cracker to remove the claw shell and expose the beautiful and tasty claw meat. Place on a tray. Lobsters are best served with lemon butter sauce. Yum!

If you’re a culinary seafood aficionado then this event is definitely a much see for you.

Most of the time, people in craft fairs would find it wonderful and simply mind boggling to hang around your booth or your table if you give out freebies in some form or another. Freebies come from the word “free” and by free, it means a no-contract or strings attached form of some deal. Nothing in this world is ever free, which is why the concept of freebies would always attract people no matter how trivial or small it may seem.

Free items do not need to be very expensive, very large, or very big. At the most, the freebie should be part of your products. For example, if you are into the wood works industry, perhaps a small statuette, or maybe a paperweight would be a suitable freebie for your booth.

Forget not that you also need to have your name (or your company’s name) in the product’s face. At least, when they look back, they would know the company (or the person) that gave them that particular freebie. Perhaps try and recruit a friend as well through that form of advertisement.

Food industry freebies often come by with using samplers. These are small tidbits of food, usually served cocktail style and laid out in trays for the masses to take one and eat. You would be more familiar with samplers if you visit your local grocery more often and notice the free food on toothpicks that they serve. It’s certainly a crowd drawer, right?

Make sure to have your name out in catchy and bright colors, to attract attention (unless the over all theme of your booth is supposed to be dark, then go otherwise). And make sure to give your best when it comes to freebies. Those items will be like your business card, your first impression as well. If your first impression doesn’t give a good flavor to the audience, the freebies worth becomes nil.

When trying to make a checklist of the things you will need for the fair, always think of the essentials and the things that will be needed for the entire day, for the booth, and for your products as well. Don’t forget the things for personal comfort too, because that will be in essence, what will determine how you will interact with customers during the big day.

For the business operation, make sure to bring these. Your products or merchandise that you will need for the big day, labels and signs that pertain to your product, boxes or bags for purchasing customers, extra price tags should the ones on your product get removed, damaged or is unclear.

You’d also need a complete inventory listings before and after the show, to confirm how much you had sold during the day. String and wrapping paper for the large items, and bags, either paper or plastic for the smaller ones.

You will need to disseminate information to the customers as well, in case they will want to come back for the next day’s affair. Make sure to have large booth signs with clear fonst of what your product’s names are, brochures and flyers could also help. Those who’d be interested to sit down and take their time browsing your items can also do with a catalog. Have business cards printed out and ready the day before, and don’t forget to hand out invitations to your friends.

Don’t forget to bring your schedules too, so in case you’d forget what part of the day this event happens or where this is going to be held. Special order forms can also help, for those who like to buy in bulk. This would be a great help, and a great convenience for both you and them.

As a buyer I always see to it that I am deeply satisfied with every purchase. I always go to craft fairs where I can find unique and useful things for my own use. I also love giving away such items as presents and gifts to my friends, relatives and colleagues. They always admire these unique finds that I sourced out from craft fairs. It is very ideal to give away because its not pricey thus, would not make a huge indent on my pocket.

As a consumer I have guidelines on how I come up with my purchase. There are wide options to choose from and it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming at first. Before going out, I already have in mind the things that I need to buy in order to save time and effort. Before coming to craft fairs I already have a detailed plan on what to buy and what not to buy.

Firstly, I look for quality products. For me, quality means a reasonable price tag for a product. I really dont mind spending more on an item which I deemed has the better or the best quality among its contemporaries.

Secondly, a good attitude by the seller is a big plus in being successful in trade shows. There are times that I was able to buy stuff only because the seller was very accommodating and courteous all the time. I am one of the people who vouch that a sellers attitude is equally important with the product that she sells. It is true that hospitality can win you customers. That is the reason why a good relationship with your buyers is extremely important in the world of selling.

These are mostly the things that consumers like me look for in trade shows. This may be helpful for people who are thinking of establishing a business in the craft fairs industry.

It takes more than mental preparation to stay up and handle a booth in a craft fair. There’s more to it than just guarding the booth all day or looking bored about it. As much as possible, first and foremost, the one who should be guarding the booth is the owner himself. This is most recommended when you are a starter at the field of craft fairs. There’s a reason why, and it will be explained later.

Firstly, if this is your first time, it is rather unwise to try and hand your position out to other people when handling a booth in the craft fair. As the owner, it is your responsibility to carry your booth. Just think of the impression people would have when they know that you, as the proprietor, is not available at the site. As the owner, it is your responsibility to promote your products and your booth.

Primp your booth up appropriately and with simple effects. Avoid being an attention grabber too much, especially if you are not sure of what you’re doing (being a newb if you are one). Observe and learn from other people in the fair as well, especially those that seem to have years of experience behind them. Talk and converse, share ideas and learn from the over all experience.

Have at least someone to watch out for you too. You will have to eat and do your “businesses” sometime during the day, so have someone you trust (be it a family member or a relative) to go and stand post in your booth or table while you do your thing. Have that person also be very familiar with your product or craft in case someone comes along and asks about it while you were away.

Handling a booth will be a very different experience each time, but with each experience, you will find that the job will only get easier and easier. Take notice and you won’t have to have a hard time during the craft fair.

Pork, peanut and pine nuts can be appreciated in a festival dedicated to it in Virginia. It is an excellent festival with nothing but only the three p’s, and spending the rest of the day with your family in it, can be described as one of the greater things in life. Welcome to the Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival in Surry County, Virginia.

It is a country festival located in the fields. A family day with nothing but nature, straight drinks, Blue Grass and country style music in the air, and the afternoon sun beating down on you and your family with a warm and comfortable glow. You can find yourself walking lazily under the shades of tall cedar trees that line the River Road. If you’re not comfortable with the sun, there are shades and refreshment stands for your enjoyment and comfort as well.

The barnyard in town is the hub for all exhibits regarding pork, peanut and pine. The festival is mostly headed on weekends so there’s no rush to get right back to work the next day. The venue is most found on Chippokes Plantation State park, where the crepes bloom at the same time. Crepe myrtle trees are some of the more stately trees donwn South, being heat-resistant and hardy. A symbolic tree for the stalwart people of the Southern.

Pine and peanut had always been the cash crops for the Southern folks for almost four centuries. Their art, craft, and culture revolves around these products. Not until ten years after that they had added the red meat into their roster of festivals. Pork has slowly evolved into what we know it is, today.

The County Civil sells food and refreshments at the site. Craftsmen and registered artisans will also display their wares and products for exhibition and for purchase. Most of the craftsmen are returnees, with some as old as 1976. Regulars, in the local’s terms.