Craft Fair

[beckemmons]

What is the biggest event you have done and how much would you pay to set up somewhere? I got into Holiday House in Little Rock, AR but it is a 1200 set up fee. The most I have paid so far is 150. Now this event goes from a wed thru a sunday and lasts 12 hrs a day 3 of those days. I am trying to weight the pros and cons here. Anyone ever set up at this event?

[Guest OldGlory]

I am tempted to try a big show like that (in Gatlinburg, TN) just about every year. I shopped at this particular annual show for years and years and it's where I bought my first handmade CP soap. Fell in love with CP that year

 

I force myself to sit down with a calculator, pad of paper, and mechanical pencil before committing to anything that will cost me that much. So, for $1200 in cost you need to sell, let's just round this off, 240 candles with a $5 profit to simply pay for the cost of the booth. That doesn't include tables if they charge for those, or any other incidentals. That's 10 dozen candles right off the top. You might be able to sell 20 dozen candles at the show, or there might be 5 other candle vendors and you only sell 12 dozen. Nobody can predict the outcome of a craft fair.

 

Having said that, if you are more interested in building your brand, exposure, and marketing, and less concerned with making an actual profit, it might be the perfect show to do.

 

To me, those big expensive shows are for products with a higher profit margin.

[kandlekrazy]

Some big shows only allow 1-2 vendors with a particular product and some have no restrictions and that would be my first variable in spending that kind of $ to sell.  Know your competition.  The next is your area, how much do you sell at

smaller shows and if you multiply that by the # of days/hours would you do ok on paper?  Next is whether or not the event charges an admission fee, I found this could turn people off or make them buy more.  I'm one of

those that feel if I paid to get in I need to factor that into the cost of what I buy, others feel they need to buy more to justify the cost.  The other thing is what is the main focus of the show?  Is it a handmade/craft fair?

 

We have a huge vintage show at the Madonna Inn every year which is very pricey for vendors.   I've gone because Antiques & Vintage are my main work but I've never participated.  Two years in a row there has been only 1 candle vendor there and she was right inside the front door with a really tall display that you couldn't miss.  I'm going to say she did really well or wouldn't have come back.  I wasn't impressed with the look of her candles, I felt for this event it needed to be upscale and near perfect and they weren't.  If she is there next time, I will pick her brain a little.  If I knew I was the only candle or soap vendor at a huge event, I'd probably try it provided I had the time to make enough product for the event.

[TallTayl]

That seems high to me. Questions I ask:

Does the venue attract people in my market segment?

Does my brand fit with their show?

If i advertise to my customers, are they likely to go?

How many people attend annually?

What demographic attends?

Is it a sales venue, or one where people are picking up ideas (like a bridal or garden show)

Where will my booth be physically located within the show?

What size is the space? Will i need two spaces, for instance.

What other entertainment is there?

What is the competition?

Is it juried hand made only, or resellers?

What time of the year is the show.... Any major gift holidays close?

What commissions do they expect over and above the entry fee?

I usually attend at least one year to scope it out and see how many actual shopping bags are in hand walking around-to see if people are really buying or browsing.

The biggest event i do runs 19 days/weekends only. It attracts over 300,000 people/roughly 15,000 people a day. It took a good 3 years to build the base and make it profitable. There are definite selling trends (busy versus non busy hours, days when we hang around doing nothing versus selling like mad).