PROMOTIONS
FX
And We Are Off:
You arrive early and start setting up your booth. It's early in the morning and you only have a certain amount of time before the event starts. As you are closer to being all set up, you find yourself gazing at the other booths or vendor tables. Not because you are curious as to what products they sell, but because you are sizing up the way their booth looks compared to yours! Admit it! Everyone does! At this point, you ask yourself, "Does my booth look as good as theirs?" Honestly, you SHOULD be asking yourself this question!
How your booth looks is very important because you only have a short amount of time to get the attention of the largest number of people that you can! Which booths people go to will depend upon which ones visually stand out first. Customers also know that they only have a certain amount of time to visit all of the booths before the end of the event, so they are certainly going to go to the ones that seem worthy of their time! Entering a craft fair is like entering a sea of color, lights, textures, and sounds. There are booths and people everywhere you look, which makes it very easy for your personal booth and products to get lost in the crowd. Make sure your there’s something about your booth which makes it stand out from the rest. Have pretty tablecloths instead of bare display surfaces. Make sure your booth has colors, and that they compliment one another. You can even hang small chandeliers or paper lanterns if you’re in a tent, as long as they don’t contradict the aesthetic of your products.
A Few Other Tips:
-
Don't get in a rut doing the same thing everytime. If you attend many events and have a local following, change your display up a bit to give your customers something new to see each time they visit your booth, without taking away from your basic theme.
-
Have a theme or recognizable look to your booth. Utilize color or design to make your booth visially appealing and recognizable to repeat customers.
-
Don't have a FLAT display. Build up your display using different levels. Raise items on the back of your table up higher and at eye level, then place items in the front of the display lower.
-
Use props that make sense. Don't use too many props that clutter your table and confuse people as to what you actually sell.
-
Brand yourself with brochures, business cards or postcards and display them easily for people to take. These items do not have to expensive, but having them makes you look more professional and gives people a way to contact you after the event.
-
If you sell jewelry or apparel items, have a mirror that your customers can use to see how your products look on them.
-
Display your products so that customers can easily try them on, or view them.
-
Utilize extra lighting in your booth. Even if you are just using vendor tables, extra lighting that is facing your products will really make a big difference! Even if there is enough lighting at your event, you'd be surprised what adding a little extra direct lighting on your products does!
-
Price ALL of your products for sale. If the event is busy, you may lose customers who have to wait just to find out the cost of your items.
-
Be creative with your display. Try and imagine that your display is an actual retail display in a store. How would that look? Just because it is a vendor event, doesn't mean your display has to look cheap!
-
Utilize the space well. There are many ways to fill up a booth space. Decide if you should allow customers to come into your booth, or if it would be more feasable to have your tables on the outside perimeter of the space. Do you want to be in front talking directly to your customers, or should you be behind your tables? These are important things to consider!
-
Make sure you have easy access to all of the supplies you need. Order forms, credit card processor, your cash and anything else you need to complete your sale.
-
Utilize fabric curtains around your tent or booth space that coordinate with your display.
-
Solid color tabelcloths are usually best. Using patterns will make it harder for people to see your products.
-
Use a well fitting tablecloth. A sure fire way to make your display look cheap is to not use a tablecloth that fits your table well and covers the entire table in the front and sides.
-
Brand your products using creative labels - even simple hang tag labels. Make them yourself, especially if your items are handmade. Add information about the product along with your website or contact info on the labels.
-
After the event, look around at some of the other booths and displays. Take notes on things that other people are doing that you like. You can get a lot of great ideas on what you can do differently at your next event!
-
Just remember, simple is better. Having a clean look to your display will always win over having a cluttered display with too much stuff.
-
Make sure to tidy up as the day carries on, reorganizing after people browse to keep your area clean and inviting.
FX Promotions is looking forward
to sharing a successful 2020
Display Tables:
The next consideration is tables - we recommend the ones that fold in half and extend out. This will save you much vehicle space while transporting. These types of tables can be found in the $40 to 60 range for lighter items. Keep an eye out for local and garage sales. In a pinch you can use card tables. If you are planning on doing this often, it is better to spend the money on tables that will endure.
Products and displays that are heavy (items like stone, woodworking, soaps etc.) you will want to invest in good weight bearing tables! Weak table collapse and destroy your displays and products - an expensive mistake - it's better to invest in at least one load bearing table for heavier items.
Never do a “flat” table display. Get those items up – use risers, crates, or boxes or stands to elevate items and make them more visible.
If your products are laying flat on your table. your 'sales' will pass you by. Most important rule – get it up off that table top.
Check that your displays look full, but not cluttered. Delicate area here. In retail, clerks are often made to "front shelves". This means you pull all items forward to make the shelves look full. Why? People have been shown to be more inclined to want to buy from full displays. Empty displays or ones with holes in them give the impression of being "picked over" and people will pass them by uninterested.
Try to color coordinate your products, or placed according to theme. Don't make your most expensive item the front and center one! Many people want to browse then buy, but don't want to spend a lot. Having items at a few price points helps ensure continuous sales flow. Don't lose money and under-sell either, you still need to make a profit.
Make good use of your full space! Hang items when possible, use a floor display like a set of shelves or rack. If you can, place a rug or something on the ground to give your booth a homey, warm & welcoming appeal - even at outdoor events-
Craft Fair Basics:
Decorating your displays and creating a nice set up can be done inexpensively. Dollar Stores are a great place to purchase disposable or reusable plastic table covers and handy to have if you are outdoors and the weather changes to rain. Great for a quick cover up on some of your more perishable items.
Building your displays and booths is as important as your crafts themselves! Yes, it's true. Your display is what will get people to come look at your products - or keep walking on by to your competition. Take the time and use your ingenuity to come up with a great display and you can start being successful immediately.
Set Up Points To Consider:
-
Do you have enough items in several price points available?
-
Do you have business cards or other literature?
-
Do you have a presence online?
-
Do you have the ability to take custom orders?
-
Do you have a book or portfolio of past projects others can view?
-
Do you have the vehicle space to carry both your product and booth/displays?
-
Are your products trendy, cute or in demand?
Successful Set Ups
Are You Ready for Your First Craft Fair?
You need more than just enthusiasm to get started.
We have put together a few things for you to think about.
The first step is to consider your products and if you want to do outdoor festivals, indoor only shows or a bit of both. We recommend getting an EZ-up canopy whether indoor or out, because it can travel with you to either event, it is easy to set up and can be customized to make a great little retail space that will help you stand out in the crowd!
Canopy Shelter:
Your Canopy Shelter will be your biggest investment, but one you should consider. EZ-up canopies are well - “EZ” to set up as goes the name. They are also water resistant and some are available withsidewalls, they can protect you from the elements, and also give you better display space free of distractions of other booths. 10 x 10' is usually the standard booth space size, although spaces do vary, but this canopy fits perfectly. The roof is fire and water resistant, it's portable and comes in a rolling case and it's pretty easy to set up. You can also hang or display items along the walls for extra display space & the white backdrop highlights items nicely.