Picking, Preparing, Packing and Panicking

I've tried to compile all the common questions I've seen or received to create a kind of 'crash guide' for doing shows for those that haven't or maybe feel like they still have more to learn. This is written from my own experiences simply with the intention to help. That being said, you are welcome to disagree with me on things, leave your thoughts in the comments and let me know if you think there's something I should add or change. Remember, every show is a snowflake. My experiences will not be your experiences. What works for me, may not work for you.

Picking an event:

It's important to know that not every event is for you. Not every event is a profitable event, not every event is reaching the correct audience for your brand. If you make fan art, you might not do well at a church fundraiser. If you make dishcloths and coasters a comic con is not going to be your audience. Picking the correct show for your products is the foundation to a good event. So how do you do that?

• Is your inventory themed? Look for a show that fits that theme. (Example: I sell goats and horror characters, so shows that focus on horror, oddities, and spooky things will work better for me that high school fundraisers or beach festivals).

• Is this event reaching the correct demographic for you? Do you sell more to children or adults? If you sell to children look for events that have activities directed at children.

• Consider ticket prices, if you sell lower ticket items you may do better at shows that don't charge admission such as harvest and art festivals or shows put on by your local schools. (Ticket prices don't make or break a show, it's just something to consider for your specific needs or expectations).

• Location and advertising might not seem important but if you are looking at an event that is being held in a 'not so great' area of town maybe skip it. If it's not being advertised, you can expect a low turnout. Do your research on the event location and check its social media presence before committing to anything.

• Is there something drawing people to the event? Shows with heavy foot traffic often offer something to the attendees. This is something to look for when you're looking for 'bigger' shows.

• Event location, can you handle an outdoor show?

  • Outdoor shows are a whole different game. You need a tent, weights and a whole range of other items.

  • indoor shows are much easier.

How do I even find shows?

• Facebook, love it or hate it. Facebook has tons of fb groups for vendors, events and shows. You can also search for events directly by area. It's a resource, use it.

• You can also do event searches for your area... there are tons of directories online that keep track of local fairs, festivals and shows.

• What if there isn't anything in driving distance? Then you have to drive. I'm sorry, that unfortunately is the reality. I live in the capitol of my state, and we don't have good shows here. I've accepted my fate which means driving up to 5 hours for my good shows. It's crazy ... but it's my reality. Alternatively, you could look for virtual shows, I have no experience with these.

• Network. Go to shows, go talk to vendors. You can ask what other shows people do in the area. It's helpful to make friends. Most people are more than happy to share their experiences.

How do I know if the show is a gem or a dud?

• You don't. Some of this is just risk. You can do your research and ask previous vendors how a show went. Keep in mind that just because a show was good last year, doesn't mean it'll be good this year. Sometimes bad shows improve the following years; there is no way to know. There are a million factors that can make or break a show. Foot traffic, weather, economy, other events in the area.

• Your best defense against bad shows is doing your research. Look at their social media pages. Look at the event photos from previous years. Check out the event page if they have one, look at projected attendance and interest. You can ask in fb vendor groups if anyone has any feedback on a particular show.

Is the event even legit?

• Here is a quick list of some red flags. Keep in mind that these aren't always the tell-tale signs, but these are things to be warry of:

  • Events using AI imagery or AI written captions.

  • Won't have an established website or social media pages.

  • Will only be using stock images to advertise the event.

  • Events with social media pages that look too new or have low interactions and low follower counts.

  • Vague information. "TBA" dates or locations. Information that has been changed or updated several times.

  • Pushy event coordinators. Be suspicious of anyone who just seems like they are only after your money. They typically won't have you sign any kind of contract. Vendor information will be vague. Payment methods will be "friends and family" or some other unsecured unprofessional method (such as Venmo or cash app). Do not ever pay for an event via "friends and family".

  • Real events will have contracts, invoices, vendor information, a digital footprint and wont hound you to 'pay up'.

Juried events are a thing!

• You apply and someone is going to review your application. This is meant to give show coordinators the ability to curate their vendor list based on the show. Does your product fit the vibe of the show? Is there too much repetition? Do you have handmade goods or mass-produced goods? These are things they consider in order to maintain a higher standard for the show. (usually)

• On the flip side this may mean that if 5 crocheters have submitted applications ahead of you, you won't be selected for the show. OR this could mean the coordinators are trying to limit the amount of MLA businesses and actually love the crochet vendors, resulting in no Scentsy sellers but 15 crochet booths. You have no way of knowing which way it's going to go. Don't be put off by "juried events" ... worse that could happen is they say no!

• Be as detailed as possible on your application for juried events. if you only say "crochet stuffies" you're not giving the coordinator any extra Information to work with. BE SPECIFIC. List your animals and art style.

• If you can always include pictures of your product and booth setup.

• NOTE:

  • Sometimes juried events include an application fee.

  • Sometimes you'll get waitlisted.

  • Juried events tend to work out better for brands with a unique presence.

Give yourself grace with your event planning ... just because 3 shows in May accepted you as a vendor, does not mean you should do three shows in May. Pace yourself, shows can be physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting.

Hot take: If you've been nonstop working on inventory since January for a show in May, selling nothing online in the meantime, it doesn't actually matter if you sell out at your show. That is not a profitable show. You should not be doing that.

Ok, you signed up for a show. How much inventory do you take?

• Understanding your inventory means understanding your costs. Before you do anything else, sit down and add up your show costs.

  • Table fee, booth add-ons (fixtures, Wi-Fi, electric)

  • Travel expenses, gas, food, lodging, tolls, rental vehicles

  • Purchases for the event, fixtures, bags, supplies/materials

• Now you multiply that number by 3-5x (some people will give you higher numbers - it's safe to say these people are on a much higher level than you and you need to ignore them).

• So, if you have $200 in expenses - Your inventory needs to be in the range of $600-1000. (More is never a bad thing).

• Make sure your inventory includes a broad range of prices. Mine for example ranges from $5-$150, focusing heavily on the $5-$45 range.

• Identify your show theme if there is one and curate your inventory to fit that theme.

Plan your booth:

• Planning your booth/display ahead of time eliminates the stress of figuring it out the day of and will also give you a chance to iron out any potential issues ahead of time.

• Did you sign up for a 6x6, 8x8, or 10x10?

• Larger booths lend you the ability to arrange tables and fixtures in different layouts. Common layouts include the "L shape" "U shape" and front facing tables.

• Identify your needs based on your booth size. Sketch your basic layout or set it up in an area of your house or even your yard.

• Work with your inventory. Do not just lay your items flat on the table. Use fixtures like shelves and trays and work your display vertically to maximize visibility and create eye catching display.

• Display your top selling items front and center.

• Identify any signs you might need for pricing or additional information.

• Make sure you clearly mark a "checkout area". The fewer questions people have to ask, the better.

• Create a 'focal point'. Use a large art piece or a decorated portion of your display to draw attention (a show stopper). You want to have something in your booth that will draw eyes from a distance away. Place it high, make it flashy.

• Don't over crowd your displays. If you have a basket of loaf cats, you don't need 8 loaf cats in the same color hanging out in the basket. Keep your extra inventory under the table and replenish as needed. Having too much of one item will also give people the impression that they can just 'come back later' for the item and you risk losing a sale.

Design your booth to display your brand: Your booth needs to say who you are before you get the chance to.

• Pick a few colors and lean into them. Use colored tablecloths, get a backdrop stand and hang colored backdrops. Paint your display pieces or fixtures. Use matching shopping bags.

• Get a banner or a sign that displays your name clearly. Put up a QR code for your website or social medias.

• Add decorations that fit your brand theme. Be careful not to fill your table with decorations that you aren't selling, this gets confusing for customers.

• Displays don't need to be expensive, you can find cute shelves, sheets, baskets, trays and all kinds of things to use at thrift stores.

Packing up your booth:

• Use soft bags for any soft inventory you have. Bins for crochet plushies is such a weird misuse of space and it's more difficult to travel with vs bags.

• Pack a bin of all your "tools" and promotional materials. Label your containers so you can quickly locate tools you may need during set up.

• Pack more business cards than you think you'll need.

• Pack your fixtures.

• If you are packing for an outdoor event here is an additional Checklist of tools and supplies that you may need:

Self-promotion prior your event:

• Start promoting your attendance at your event 2 weeks prior.

• Make use of available hashtags, fb groups and tag the show in your post.

• Make sure you include dates, times and ticketing information.

• Share the floorplan or map with your booth highlighted so people know where to find you.

• Make an event themed code for your online customers to use!

Here is my show tools/supplies CHECKLIST: (coming soon as a downloadable PDF)

Show arrival and set up:

• Some shows offer set up times the day before the event starts (more common 2-3 day shows). Check with your event coordinator for information about this.

• Set up the day of - show up early. Give yourself as much time as possible, so that you don't feel rushed. Rushing is an unnecessary source of stress.

• Most events will allow you to pull up to the doors to unload and then move your vehicle.

• Setting up your booth: arrange your tables and any large fixtures and backdrops that you have first. Put your inventory somewhere out of the way for now, don't block walkways with your stuff.

• Remember to be aware of your surroundings, introduce yourself to your booth neighbors and get comfortable with your venue. Locate bathrooms and food before the show starts.

• Don't forget to put up your banners and signs!

• Store any totes and empty bags in your vehicle ... keep your extra inventory under your table.

• Lastly, before the show starts make sure you have any wi-Fi information you may need. Set your POS system up and make sure its connected and put your cash someplace hidden from your customers but accessible to you.

Vendor Etiquette:

• Don't block walkways or other tables with displays or banners.

• Don't turn your displays to face into anyone else's booth.

• Don't disturb your booth neighbors with music or smelly food.

• Don't talk smack about other vendors selling similar products. They didn't sign up just to compete with you so don't treat them like they did. Be polite and show people grace. Word spreads fast and being nasty is just unprofessional.

• Keep your space contained and clean.

• Don't try to pull customers away from your neighbors.

• Greet but don't bark at customers, it's not a carnival.

• Share info with other vendors, not secrets. It's not gatekeeping and you're not obligated to tell anyone anything.

• Practice gratitude with customers, organizers and fellow vendors.

Sales:

• Don't sit in the corner with your head down and complain later that your sales were bad. Be friendly, greet your customers. Be available. If it feels like someone is going to interrupt what you are doing by asking a question, they won't, and you'll lose sales.

• Make your payment methods KNOWN. Put up a sign. Accept at least 3 forms of payment. Cash is KING. Have a POS (point of sale, you can get these with square, PayPal and shopify). Consider providing QR codes to accept payments with Venmo and cash app as well. If you're charging tax and/or transaction fees, please let people know ahead of time.

• Always offer customers a bag. No matter what the item is. This is your opportunity to provide further advertising such as a business card or a flier.

• Track your inventory and sales.

Packing up and heading home:

• Leave your space cleaner than you found it. DO NOT leave your booth filled with trash.

• Don't worry about organizing things ... you can do it when you get home.

  
  

Below are some of the displays and fixtures I use in my setup (links are affiliate links, I do get a commission from you using those links, so it helps us both out at no additional cost to you).

Full Vendor Supplies Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/409W98x