What Kind of Displays to Consider

Good Morning everyone...As I said before, I am obsessed with making the perfect booth/display. I am sure alot of you are obsessing over that too. I recieved my 2x 4 foot banner in the mail yesterday..It looks great..very eye catching I think..which is what I wanted. I cant take a photo of it and post it bacuae my daughter took it to school today..so I will post it tomorrow morning. Anywho, I thought of a great way to display my duckie ducks, its easy to make (husband reqired) portable , and eyecatching. I wanted a ladder system..I surfed the net and found a picture of exactly what look i was trying to go for. If you can make this, then Its brilliant! My husband swears he can make it ...(we'll see about that)

My ducks will definitely pop and make peoplt swoon on over . :) As for my table ..I have yet to find a cover .I dont know if white is what I will go with or a robin egg blue..well see. Soaps are being displayed on cake plates in varoius heights. My goal is simple set up yet effective.

Part 4 : Thinking About Secruity

Ok...Good Morning all! Something else maybe to consider when you are at the craft show is security. My upcoming show is 3 days long and setup is the day prior. These days, anything is possible. Here are some points I came across that made me think twice . You definitely dont want people stealing your work and or your hard-earned cash; it does happen.

1. Keep your money on your person. Don’t have a money box, or bag you “hide” in your booth.

2 .Be especially alert at set-up and break-down when there is a lot of commotion.

3 .Jewelers with gold and precious stones: You should have at least one or more additional people with you at shows. If you feel you are being cased during a show, alert the staff. Trust your instincts. Consider using dummy bags. Don’t register in your hotel under your show name. Don’t take a first floor hotel room, or a room near the elevator or stairs. Fill up with gas the last morning of the show so that when you leave, you will go far before having to stop. Keep a disposal camera in your booth, and take a picture of someone you think is casing your booth. Bad guys don’t want to be seen and remembered. During daily set-up and take-down, always keep your merchandise on your person or securely locked to an immovable object. Don’t give anyone an opportunity.

4. Accept Credit Cards, thereby reducing carrying a lot of cash.

5. Be careful about hiring non-show people who happen to be around at set-up and offer to help you for a twenty.

6. It is recommend to remove your work from your booth at night even though most shows provide overnight security

. 7. Don’t leave tempting items in your booth overnight: cameras, radios, briefcases, etc.

8. Lock your vehicle! Remember to lock the back and side doors of your parked trucks and vans

Coffee-Holic Sister at a Craft Show in 2007 Before The Show

I found this picture and thought I would post it. This is my sister who helps me out frequently . She cannot live without her coffee. She is a Tim Horton's fanatic, but this time there was no Tim's in sight. She did manage to find a little coffee house (that wasnt opened yet, too early!)... they let her in poor soul.

Part 3 : Before The Show

Good Morning All! I guess I should have posted this first but, oh well. Better late than never, right?

1. 2-3 months in advance: If you have a website, post your show schedule.

2. 2-3 weeks in advance: Postcard/Invitation mailing to previous customers in and near the show.

3. 2 weeks before: Check your business cards/brochures supply, replenish if necessary.

4. 1 day to one week before: Get a haircut if you need it. (You never get another chance to make a first impression)

5. 1 week before: Plan show clothes and have them cleaned for the show.

6. Day before: Review map of route to festival.

7. Days before: Pack carefully. At every festival, someone has forgotten a vital piece of their display.

8. Week before: Photo document your newest work for next season’s jury.

9. Week before: Pack camera/film so you can photograph your booth.

10.Week before: Check your vehicle: tire, fluids, belts, etc

Part 2: Your Work and You

Your work:

1. Have various price points so that you have broad appeal to the masses.

2. Have work of various sizes, colors, fragrances (what ever u may do)

3. Be true to yourself. Time and time again, I see that it is the artists who really have something to say that sell the best, regardless of price

You -

1. Be clean and smell good. Basic, but true. People do not want to talk to, let alone buy from, someone who smells. Don’t eat onions and tuna fish and expect to sell.

2. Be well dressed. People buy more from people who dress (shoes too) like them.

3. Interact with the public. If you can’t, then hire someone who can. (You must still be present at the show)

4. People are not just buying your product , they are buying an experience, your story, you. You could tell them about yourself; what inspired you .

6. (this one aggravates me for sure, I hope that guy in the picture isnt doing #6) Don’t sit behind your booth reading a book or newspaper , and especially doing crossword puzzles and expect to sell. You’ve got to interact with the public.

7. Don’t leave your booth for long periods of time, or with a booth sitter for more than 20 minutes. People will give up on an artist they can’t find after a few tries.

8. Inform and educate. The more people know about you and your technique, the more they will buy.

9. If you do commission work, let people know about it and explain what that means.

10.If you can’t make the sale, give them a show schedule and suggest they visit you again

Tips to Maximize Your Sales : Your Booth

Since I have an upcoming large Spring show next month, I thought I would post some tips that I came across on the net . The pic posted is just an example I found on the internet of a typical 10 x 10 booth. (not my booth)

Your Booth - 1. Before the show: Details count. Review every element of your booth, just as you review your work.

2. Before the show, and at the show: Have professional price tags. Ideally, price tags are typed or laser printed on heavy weight paper, or glued to mat board. Price tags authenticate the price, reducing the “haggle.”

3. At the show: Use a floor covering. It completes your booth and covers up ugly directional traffic markings and muddy ground.

4. At the show: Adjust often during the show. Shelf work should be arranged neatly. Keep glass clean, and bring touch up paint/markers for those unexpected nicks.

5. At the show: Don’t over fill your both. More is not always better. Have more stock in back, so that you can pull out that special piece for the right person.

6. At the show: think about multiple levels, and great bases that are the same. Don’t make bases so interesting that they detract from your work.

7. At the show: Have plenty of business cards and if you are redoing them, include pictures of your product . It greatly helps people remember who you are.

8. At the show: Keep a guest book, and maintain a database for future mailings.

9. At the show: If you love how your booth looks, take a photo for next season’s juries. The biggest weakness we see in the juries, are dark booth slides. Try to take a booth shot when the booth is bright and full of light. If you don’t love your booth, evaluate how it could be improved.

10. At the show: Keep your booth tidy so that the visitor at 4 pm on Sunday has the same positive experience that the visitor Saturday morning had.

11. At the show: maximize your experience, and take a look around for great booth ideas from other artists.

12. Wear your name badge during the show. This lets the public know who you are right away

Tomorrow , Ill be talking about "Your Work"...

Martha on Etsy....great segment!

If you havent had a chance to view Martha on Friday talking with Rob , here is the link to that. He did an amazing job..He even looks like Prince William!

http://mothtoflame.com/video_ms.html