I was so excited to hear about the Chocolate World Expo (CWE). I even scored some tickets from the Long Island Yelp Team (thank you Drew), but my anticipation fell very short. The Chocolate World Expo had all the good intentions, but like my anticipation it fell short. It seem to be a Halloween Party gone wild.
Before arriving, I read the FAQ and listen to their advice of "if you don't like crowds; arrive at 4 PM or later". I think everyone did the same. Every kid on Long Island must of been in attendance with mom and dad. I expected a "Disney" clientele which is wonderful, but the event has out grown it's location.
Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City is a wonderful facility. It seems to have anything and everything with aviation. Very cool location for an Event, but the CWE was way to big for this particular location. It was packed with tables side by side in various rooms and levels. Crowd flow from one vendor to another was very difficult. Congestion was similar to the LIE during rush hour.
My heart goes out to the Vendors, they had the look of "No Mas". They were just overwhelm with the crowds. They were beat, done, fried, tired, spent; I felt for their situation. It appeared that the majority of the vendors were under staff. An event that starts at 10 AM to 7:00 PM is a long day. Remember their is setup and break down time. Your looking at a 14 hour day.
I had about 5 or 6 different treats and the samples I did try were delicious. I wish I was able to identify them, but each vendor was so crowded that it was grab and run. Sic situation. Samples were small, very small.
Considering I was only there for less than 30 minutes; I had a good time, but was disappointed with operation. Would I return yes. I like chocolate. No, I love chocolate.
I am sure the powers that be are planning for next year's event. One, you need a bigger space. Two, you may have to go to sessions. One in the morning and another in the afternoon. You need a break in between to give the vendors a break to re-energize. Three, an APP to identify vendors, samples, etc.
Long Island Cares had a table and I am a strong supporter. Food banks are important part of the community and I hope they raised lots of funds.
Overall, this is a great "concept", but there is some work to be done to make this an "awesome event". Concept and actual event does not always spell success.
I was so excited to hear about the Chocolate World Expo (CWE). I even scored some tickets from the Long Island Yelp Team (thank you Drew), but my anticipation fell very short. The Chocolate World Expo had all the good intentions, but like my anticipation it fell short. It seem to be a Halloween Party gone wild.
Before arriving, I read the FAQ and listen to their advice of "if you don't like crowds; arrive at 4 PM or later". I think everyone did the same. Every kid on Long Island must of been in attendance with mom and dad. I expected a "Disney" clientele which is wonderful, but the event has out grown it's location.
Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City is a wonderful facility. It seems to have anything and everything with aviation. Very cool location for an Event, but the CWE was way to big for this particular location. It was packed with tables side by side in various rooms and levels. Crowd flow from one vendor to another was very difficult. Congestion was similar to the LIE during rush hour.
My heart goes out to the Vendors, they had the look of "No Mas". They were just overwhelm with the crowds. They were beat, done, fried, tired, spent; I felt for their situation. It appeared that the majority of the vendors were under staff. An event that starts at 10 AM to 7:00 PM is a long day. Remember their is setup and break down time. Your looking at a 14 hour day.
I had about 5 or 6 different treats and the samples I did try were delicious. I wish I was able to identify them, but each vendor was so crowded that it was grab and run. Sic situation. Samples were small, very small.
Considering I was only there for less than 30 minutes; I had a good time, but was disappointed with operation. Would I return yes. I like chocolate. No, I love chocolate.
I am sure the powers that be are planning for next year's event. One, you need a bigger space. Two, you may have to go to sessions. One in the morning and another in the afternoon. You need a break in between to give the vendors a break to re-energize. Three, an APP to identify vendors, samples, etc.
Long Island Cares had a table and I am a strong supporter. Food banks are important part of the community and I hope they raised lots of funds.
Overall, this is a great "concept", but there is some work to be done to make this an "awesome event". Concept and actual event does not always spell success.