lindsaycb Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 Okay, SunPrairie, WI has a corn fest in August that typically draws 50,000+ people. The arts & craft directory says over 80,000, but I'll use a lower number just for odds that its off.Now this festival has the beer tent, carnival, petting zoo, etc....is that too much to do along with a craft fair? Does anyone have any experience on this?I'm tempted to sign up my fall helper to 'help' me with it, but I'm worried that many go there for corn & beer and they don't really need soap too. Any input out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc26 Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I say do it. It is like with any show you could sell out or not make enough to cover your booth fee. Consider your costs to go and if you can afford to then do so. If you don't make a killing you will have gotten lots of exposure! I know the corn fests around here are huge! I am looking into trying to get into one myself. Just take lots of business cards, brochures, and scent lists and make sure to pass them out.If you have a kitchen soap or a mechanics soap I would make a ton of it and market it big time! That would be a big seller! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I have had both good and bad experiences..but with that attendance I think your chances are good!I try to stay away from ones with carnivals though..no one wants to carry a candle on the rides! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsaycb Posted July 9, 2006 Author Share Posted July 9, 2006 Hmmmm.....decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc26 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 sure people don't want to carry a candle on the rides but if you look at who is going on the rides (mostly kids) they are not the ones buying the candles. The moms would be the ones buying candles. Will you be able to pick where you will be? You may be able to pick and then just place yourself a bit further from the carnival area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barncat Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I actually know of a few people from WI that do that show. from what they say they do great, a lot of imports there though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnS Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Well IMO you could pass out cards etc and maybe sell a little but from what I see at carnival type events alot of kids with parents and alot of teens just hanging out.I take my grandkids every year and by the time I buy for 2 it is very costly.The tickets are almost $20 and all they can ride are maybe 3 rides.Buy so many tickets for $20.00 and some rides take 3-4 tickets per ride.Then they want to go on a couple of the rides twice.The fair/carnival I go to there are no crafters.There is building with some real estate people and auctineers etc but is is business and not crafts.Politicians too when it is election time.For the 2 kids I can spend easily $50-60 not counting food before we leave. Add another 10.Really more because we go back and get more tickets.Not feasible where I live.LynnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiestaff Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I have done arts& craft shows and fair/festival type shows, I personally perfer the fair and festivals.My first experience blew me out the water-I went ahead and booked two shows because my mom was in town to help, so I sent her to a A&C show with my daughter and neice to help her and I was going to do the fair myself, the first night I sold about 1200.00 so I called my Dh to meet me in the morning with stock from my shop before the fair started Saturday I sold a little over 2000.00 and my booth was about empty so I called my mom to see how the A&C show was going and it was ok but not great, I told her to pack it ALL up and come to my show the next morning so I would have something to sell for Sunday. That weekend we sold almost 5000.00 at the fair (I was pissed cause I was like 85.00 short of my 5,000.00). Okay so I learned really quick I like to do the fairs better than the A&C shows, I also learned that I can't do it alone EVER again-(I felt like I was set I had my cooler full of Dr Pepper and my cigs I had to ask the vendor next to me to watch my booth so I could use the port a pot I had to ask a teenager that was looking at my candles to PLEASE get me somthing to eat). This type of show is different from A&C the hours were from 5pm-12am, 10am-12am and 10am-10pm but well worth the long hours.So if you think about it a A&C show most people are there to spend a little money, get ideas of things they can make themselves and it's mainly woman and some children. Only a certain type of person goes to a A&C show.Now think about a fair-when you go to a fair you know you are gonna spend alot of money, everybody and their neighbor goes to a fair so your products are going to be seen by alot of different types of people,also most fairs have basicly trinket booths and people are glad to see some nice products to buy instead of junk and beleive it or not around here when people get a little beer in them they seem a little looser with the money.So I much rather a fair/festival than a A&C show so I would say "try it" and see how it goes-you will see all types of people who would never step foot in a A&C show-yeah I do have stories of things I've seen at the fairs that I would have never seen at a A&C show but I will also book a fair in a heartbeat.HTHANgie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsaycb Posted July 10, 2006 Author Share Posted July 10, 2006 barncat....you said lots of imports & what's odd is the application states only handmade crafts..no imports. So I wonder if they changed it this year.?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle110 Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I have done arts& craft shows and fair/festival type shows, I personally perfer the fair and festivals.My first experience blew me out the water-I went ahead and booked two shows because my mom was in town to help, so I sent her to a A&C show with my daughter and neice to help her and I was going to do the fair myself, the first night I sold about 1200.00 so I called my Dh to meet me in the morning with stock from my shop before the fair started Saturday I sold a little over 2000.00 and my booth was about empty so I called my mom to see how the A&C show was going and it was ok but not great, I told her to pack it ALL up and come to my show the next morning so I would have something to sell for Sunday. That weekend we sold almost 5000.00 at the fair (I was pissed cause I was like 85.00 short of my 5,000.00). Okay so I learned really quick I like to do the fairs better than the A&C shows, I also learned that I can't do it alone EVER again-(I felt like I was set I had my cooler full of Dr Pepper and my cigs I had to ask the vendor next to me to watch my booth so I could use the port a pot I had to ask a teenager that was looking at my candles to PLEASE get me somthing to eat). This type of show is different from A&C the hours were from 5pm-12am, 10am-12am and 10am-10pm but well worth the long hours.So if you think about it a A&C show most people are there to spend a little money, get ideas of things they can make themselves and it's mainly woman and some children. Only a certain type of person goes to a A&C show.Now think about a fair-when you go to a fair you know you are gonna spend alot of money, everybody and their neighbor goes to a fair so your products are going to be seen by alot of different types of people,also most fairs have basicly trinket booths and people are glad to see some nice products to buy instead of junk and beleive it or not around here when people get a little beer in them they seem a little looser with the money.So I much rather a fair/festival than a A&C show so I would say "try it" and see how it goes-you will see all types of people who would never step foot in a A&C show-yeah I do have stories of things I've seen at the fairs that I would have never seen at a A&C show but I will also book a fair in a heartbeat.HTHANgieI usually prefer fests as well, they draw a bigger crowd, people buy a lot more and are there to spend. There are a few Craft shows that really pull their own, but they are around the holiday.What is the booth fee? Do you have enough stock to handle that many people? A lot of shows will not let you come back if you run out. Also, that is not really that many people in the whole scheme of things but if the fee is not that much and it is close to home you won't have that much to lose. I say if everything looks good, go for it!Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiestaff Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Michelle I'm glad I'm not the only one who prefers fest over A&C shows.I had a guy contact me (he had seen me at another fair and wanted me to be in his) well he called and said he brings in 200,000 people to his fest and all this stuff and I was thinking "yeah bullsh*t" and the booth was 300.00 and I hate to spend big money on booth rent so I said I would think about it, well he called and said he would give me a 10x20 intstead of the 10x10 for the same price so I agreed, girl my head was spinning that was a awesome fair and he did bring the people as he promised and it was the first one I went to where the vendors were really taken care of-we had private parking areas and private port-a-pots with a key so we did not have to stand in line, he had people constantly checking with us to see if we needed anything and he had a exclusive so you did not have to compete with other vendors, now I'm first on the list every year.Angiestaff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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