While attending an art fair in my area a few years ago I visited with artists and crafters.  We discussed my newsletter, The Extravaganza Craft News, and if I should include artist and crafter reviews of shows.  I found this an interesting topic as I had never really considered all the pros and cons of show reviews before.

The only positive point I see to show reviews are that artists and crafts people hopefully don’t get suckered into doing bad shows where the promoter is not truly doing their best to advertise the show.

There are many factors involved in if a vendor has a good show.  Factors ranging from their financial  and emotional investment, what is happening in their lives-before, on the way to, during, and after the show, what they are selling, how they are displaying their items, their own marketing skills, their own attitudes and actions in their booth, to the purchasing habits of the customers at the show.  Even the placement of your booth and the weather (too good or bad) could affect sales at a show.

As the artist who prompted the conversation pointed out some crafters who know of really good shows wait years to get juried in.  They might not want extra competition either getting in or competing for sales so they might hesitate to tell you everything they know about the show.  On the other hand everyone who has ever experienced a bad show is pretty quick to tell you about it.

So how do you know if you can trust a show review?  I suggest using your best judgement.  Reviews by someone selling merchandise similar to yours should be more valuable to you than those by someone whose product sells in a whole different category, but then again they are your competitor.

Compare the number of bad reviews to good, remembering it’s nearly impossible to please everyone all the time.  Ask lots of questions about why people felt that way about the show and which factors might have played a part, while talking to crafters personally about shows.  When possible consider the values and motives of sources.

Better yet, attend shows as a customer if possible before entering as a vendor.  Look closely at the number of people attending, look at what booths are busy, what is selling, how much money is being spent.  If booths in one area of the show are making lots of sales while others aren’t see if the set-up allows for proper flow of traffic to all the booths.  Is your most likely customer in attendance, are people buying products that are the same style as yours and that sell in your price range?  How many competitors will there be in your category?

Remember while it is the promoters job to advertise the show, it is your job to advertise your product.  How much better would every show be if, every vendor told 100 other people about the show?

What do you think are art and craft show reviews worth their weight in gold?

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Shasta has always been an artist and crafter. She participated in craft shows since she was a child with her mom. She has sold her own art at shows since Dec. 2005 and has promoted The Extravaganza Craft Shows. She is now the publisher of The Extravaganza Craft News a newsletter to make artist’s and crafter’s craft show booths more profitable.

There are several ways to #advertise your art and #craft event to vendors.  The idea is to find the most effective ways and stick with them.  You must test and record the results of your advertising to know what was most effective.

Advertising is best done when it reaches a target audience.  Your target audience is artists and crafters who sell merchandise at art and craft shows,  advertise where they are most likely to see it.

Places artists and crafters look for shows include (but are not limited to) Art and Craft Show Publications, local Chambers of Commerce, visitors centers, fairgrounds and events centers, bulletin boards, the internet, newspapers, radio, and TV.  Have a successful show already?  Maintain a mailing list.  Art and craft vendors also ask other artists and crafters at events they are attending if they know of other great shows in the area.

Art and Craft Publications

Art and craft publications are also known as craft fair guides, art and craft show listings, and many other names search the internet using the right keywords and you will find more than a few.  Art and craft publications contain many listings of art and craft shows.  They also usually contain some advertising for event insurance, outdoor canopies for shows, displays, and art and craft supplies.  They usually cover a specified area such as one state, several states, a region, or the nation.  Some will also contain hints and tips, checklists, book and product reviews, display ideas, etc.

Now for a quick message from our sponsor, smile:
My favorite, The Extravaganza Craft News, covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Local Places Artists and Crafters Look for Events

Local places artists and crafters look for events include the Chamber of Commerce, visitors centers, civic centers, fairgrounds and events centers, basically any where an art and craft show might be held.  Ask when booking your event if they will include your event on a calendar of upcoming events.  Be sure they inform their employees of your upcoming event so they will be ready to refer artists and crafters your way.

Bulletin Boards

Artists and crafters will also check bulletin boards in grocery stores, gas stations, art and craft stores, on college campuses, in salons, at local restaurants, and many other businesses.

Hang posters, postcards, or business cards on bulletin boards everywhere you go.  Be sure your advertising has a headline gauranteed to get the attention of artists and crafters who want to sell their merchandise.  Don’t forget the basics a date and time for your show and a way to contact you including (at least) your name and phone number.

The Internet

The internet is a great resource and you don’t have to spend a fortune on a webpage or webdesigner anymore.  You can buy a website and everything you need to run it for under $100/year.  You can get one that has a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get editor) so that you can design and run it yourself or hire someone to run it for you.  A website is a great place to tell artists, crafters, and customers about your upcoming shows, and to upload your applications.  Need simple instructions for building a webpage visit http://www.extravaganzacrafts.com/index.php?pr=Build_a_website.

Newspapers

The problem with advertising anything in newspapers is actually reaching your target audience.  Reaching thousands of people who don’t sell their art and crafts at shows probably won’t help your business as much as reaching 100 people who do.

Newspapers do have other resources available other than paid ads.  Call the paper and ask about their policy for press releases, people in business, guest written articles, and calls to artists and crafters.  Ask who you send them to and the correct address.  Send a press release and call to artists to many local newspapers.  The free resources will probably benefit your business more than paid advertising at this time, but if they won’t run your articles ask if they offer a deal on paid advertising with submissions.

Ask if they have a (printed/online) calendar of events and how soon your event will begin appearing on it.  Don’t forget your contact information.

Radio and TV

Radio stations often offer a discount on large numbers of ads.  Ask them if they can offer you a deal if you order ads now to advertise to artists and crafters and again later to advertise to customers.  They also offer package deals for onsite advertising.  Ask the radio station if they would like to sponsor your event and have their logo included on all your advertising.

I have never used TV advertising but I hear that cable ads aren’t that expensive and can be targetted to reach people in the area of your show.  Again ask a TV station if they might like to sponsor your event.  Feature a happy artist or crafter in your ads looking for vendors.

Don’t ask more than one radio station, TV station, or newspaper to sponsor your event and ask them if they only work with specific people i.e. ABC Radio only works with XYZ News.

Mailing List

Tell artists and crafters which publications they can find your listings in.  Contact art and craft exhibitors who have attended your show in the past.  Keep them happy and they are likely to return.  Keep your list updated so you don’t waste money mailing to bad addresses.

Email autoresponders from AutoWebBusiness.com or Constant Contact make it easy to stay in contact with vendors.  I highly recommend you check out these two companies if you don’t already have some kind of automated follow up/email system in place.

Word of Mouth

Many artists and crafters still only hear about shows through word of mouth.  Keep your vendors happy and they are more likely to tell others only good things about your show.

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Just as creating your art or craft is an art, turning a looker into a buyer at a show is also an art.  You want to encourage each looker to imagine themselves at home using or wearing your product.

First you need to recognize that every person is bombarded with advertising/marketing materials for hundreds if not thousands of items everyday.  They may need or want some of these items but don’t have time to sift through all of the information that they see to find the ones they need.    How do you bring customers who are most likely to buy your product into your booth?

Before the Show

Send a postcard to customers in the area who’ve visited your booth in the past.  Offer them a discount for bringing in the postcard and a friend.

AutoWebBusiness.com or Constant Contact is a good way to let customers know about upcoming events.  I highly recommend you check out these two companies if you don’t already have some kind of automated follow up/email system in place.

Signage

Your sign should be visible from all the sides of your booth that your customers will be approaching from.  It should be clean and in a clear font.  It should tell the reader exactly what you have to offer them (not your business name).

For example:
If your product is baked goods your sign should say, “Delicious home made muffins, pies, candies, fudges, cakes, and cookies,” not Lacey’s.

If you product is woodworking your signs should say, “Woodturned pen and pencil sets, handcrafted wood utensils, unique wooden dishes, and original knotty pine picture frames,” not Jake’s Crafts.

This way a customer who has never seen your booth before knows exactly what you are selling before they arrive in front of it.  By telling them exactly what you have to offer you remind customers interested in your product not to miss your booth from across the building.

Layout and Traffic Flow

The next thing to consider is the layout and traffic flow of your booth.  Arrange your booth so that customers can enter (and exit) easily where they will be approaching from.  Is there enough room inside your booth that many customers can shop and move easily or will people feel trapped inside?

Selling large items or if you have a large variety of items to sell ask the show promoter for an additional half (or whole) booth.  You want to have plenty of space to display your items properly and still have room for your customers to move about freely.  You also need a place for customers to make purchases that is out of the way of shoppers but where you can keep an eye on your investment.

Look and Feel

The look of your booth needs to complement your products.  Use western style decor for western products, oriental style for oriental jewelry, if your make beach hats and bags you might use a beach cottage theme.

Color can add to or distract from your product so choose colors carefully.

Customers become attached to items through their senses.  They see something they like, touch it and feel the texture, and finally try it on.  Part of turning a looker into a buyer is to encourage them to see themselves using or wearing the item.

Encourage this process through your display by:
Selling wearables be sure and include a mirror in your display so they can see what they look like wearing the item.  Display items in a way that encourages people to try them on.

Selling furniture or home decor display your items as though you were decorating your own home with them.  The customer can now imagine how the items would look in their own home.

The smell of food is one of it’s biggest selling points next to a sample of the product.

Display your products with these things in mind and see your sales increase.

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Welcome Everyone,

I would like to welcome you all to my Blog Let’s Talk About Arts and Crafts. First off I would like to thank you all for staying on subject, being considerate of each other, and being considerate of my business.

Now to get the discussion started, I was wondering what effects you think the falling economy will have on the Art and Craft Show Industry if any.

Thank you,

Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
www.extravaganzacrafts.com
Making your art, craft, antique, trade show, fair, festival or farmers’ market booth more profitable.

Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. ]]> http://extravaganzacrafts.com/Blogs/1/hello-world/feed/ 3 http://extravaganzacrafts.com/Blogs/469/art-and-craft-show-booth-display-pictures/ http://extravaganzacrafts.com/Blogs/469/art-and-craft-show-booth-display-pictures/#comments Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:49:43 +0000 Shasta http://extravaganzacrafts.com/Blogs/?p=469 by Shasta McLaughlin
The Extravaganza Craft Productions
copyright 2009

I came across a new resource today.  I know that many of you come here looking for photos of art and craft show booth displays to gain inspiration for your own show booths.

Today I found out that Flickr has very many art and craft show booth pictures.  I saved several of them to my favorites to share with you.  You can view them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/37771513@N02/favorites/.

Many more pictures of art and craft show booths as well as the merchandise being sold were copyrighted so I haven’t included them.

Keywords you can use to search for more great pictures are:

• handmade
• arts market
• arts & crafts
• holiday craft show
• holiday
• art
• art show
• craft show
• farmer’s market
• market
• craft
• indie craft fair

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I wanted to let you all know that you can read, print or copy my articles at Ezine@rticles according to their terms of service.

I hope you enjoy my first article 8 Craft Show Hints and Tips for Everybody’s Success located at:

http://ezinearticles.com/?8-Craft-Show-Hints-and-Tips-for-Everyones-Success&id=833230

Thanks,

Shasta McLaughlin