The Southern Home Vintage Market (SHVM) was held on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9 at Central Square Complex in Douglas. The event was a collaborative effort between Joanne Lott, owner and event organizer of the SHVM, and the City of Douglas. The SHVM is an event that appeals to collectors of items such as vintage and antique dishes, linens, jewelry, glass, furnishings, tools, accessories, décor, and more.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the show,” says Georgia Henderson, Public Information Director. “From a tourism prospective, we are always looking for events that will put Douglas on the map and that is a draw for our community. The Southern Home Vintage Market is a great example of how a public – private partnership can generate an economic buzz for small towns.”
Over 60 vendors from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and North Carolina, made their way to Douglas and were met with great southern hospitality by Lott, the City of Douglas, and volunteers. This event was very well-organized and had a great attendance for a two-day, ten-hour event. Vendors displayed items such as traditional kitchenware, antiques, old yard décor, vintage linens, old fashioned furnishings and décor, vintage collectibles, vintage jewelry, antique tools, glasswares, painted and handmade furniture, and more.
On Friday, over 900 visitors filtered through the event to find their treasures. The next day brought more of the same enthusiastic and curious attendees, as organizers experienced a crowd of roughly 900 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The total visitors for both days of the 10 hour market was approximately 1,800 including vendors and volunteers.
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), “Tourism is big business in Georgia, really big. In Coffee County in 2014, the tourism industry supported 522 jobs, generated $70.3 million in direct travel spending, created $2.4 million in sales tax revenue and generated $2.0 million in local tax revenues. Each Coffee County household received $258 in tax relief per household as a result of the taxes generated by direct spending.”
The City of Douglas used GDEcD’s Georgia Event Impact calculator , which is a tool to translate the impact of conferences, festivals, sporting events, and trade on a community. The Southern Home Vintage Market would be considered an admissions based event. Based on the approximate attendance of 1800 participants from the SHVM, the generated reports show an average of 100 participants stayed in our local hotels and supported 69 tourism industry supported jobs.
For this two-day event, there was an approximate total spending of $67,818 and $4,519 generated in federal, state, and local tax revenues.
The City of Douglas would like to offer special thanks to Joanne Lott, head organizer of the event, as well as a special thank you to all the vendors including Po Boy’s BBQ who served some delicious meals and Austin Avenue Bakery who offered some tasty homemade treats for vendors and attendees.
– Submitted