Evolution of an Art Fair Booth and Design Tips

There was so much I didn't know when I started doing art fairs and one was where to start when creating a booth. It was overwhelming. I needed a tent, displays, weights - the list went on and on! I called a friend for advise (we used to do trade shows together) and she made the comment "you were responsible for a 20x120 foot booth and you can't do a 10x10?!" Yes.. I used to be involved with trade shows for a major collectible company, but somehow creating a booth for "me" was daunting!  

I ordered a tent and started to build my booth and I am sharing some photos of how my booth has changed over the years. I was really happy with my first booth however it took manpower to assemble since I was using heavy tables and lots of props. I quickly learned it was not the way to go. Then I had an "ah-ha" moment when I attended a seminar and we could submit slides of our work and booth for a critique and how a jury may score us. I anxiously waited for my turn. Then the slides went up. My work looked great, however even I shuttered looking at the photo of my booth. The person running the seminar struggled to find some positive things to say. I was crushed to say the least.

My very first booth. Yikes!

I thought this was an improvement. This one never made it to the shows!

After the workshop I approached the instructor and said "is there anything I can salvage from my booth?" and I got some great advise. She said my booth looked like I should be selling leather. My work is light and delicate and the booth was heavy and dark. The work and the booth were disconnected and it was so obvious but I didn't see it. Sometimes we get too close to our own work and can't see the flaws.  So... with 3 weeks until my first show applications were due I had to rebuild an entire booth! It was the holidays and the Christmas tree stayed outside because my living room became my "workshop" while I built my booth. I tossed everything out and started from scratch.

I bought folding bookcases for "cases" and used mirrors as the top. The mirror works well with glass jewelry. Yep, they are heavy but worth it. I lightened it up and made neck forms that went with the color scheme (however, they were lightweight and "flew" in the wind). I liked the etegere that I thought highlighted my best sellers as people walked by, but after watching how people shopped I realized no one ever bought anything from it! It was a pain to put together and I had to zip tie it to the poles for stability so I used it for a year and then ditched it. I set up my display in the traditional "L" shape where I stood behind the counter, but in the last couple of years I have changed that too. It is hard to tell from the photo below, but I bought glass shelving that I use to create levels and interest. It was an improvement, but there were more changes to come.

A major improvement but still not there!

This is my current booth. I decided to open it up so I could work with customers. I felt that I was putting a barrier between me and my clients when I stood behind the counter. It has several "stations" and ways to draw people into the booth. The best sellers are on the aisle to catch their attention and then they are drawn into the booth and  the pieces in the back. This gets customers off the aisle and a cozy place to shop. There is also an area with a mirror above where I can work with customers but others still have access to me. It has a nice flow and seems to work well. I have a poster on the wall that shows the process of how to make the beads. Having it large on the wall works well visually, but also when I am describing and pointing to the photos others in the booth stop to listen. I love interacting with customers and educating them on the process so I have found this to work well!

My booth from last season. I think I am happy with it.. this year I need lights!

So I have come along way since that first attempt at a booth. It is a process and I continually watch how people shop, listen to comments, make sure my best sellers are moving, etc. I am constantly re-merchandising at a show by how items are moving.. or not. It is my "store" for the weekend and I love it! I also learned merchandising and enhanced my sales skills by working at a boutique part time. The experience has been priceless!

10 Tips for Designing your Booth:

• Purchase the best tent you can afford
• Make sure your booth enhances your work and is appropriate for your target customer
• Display on multiple levels to keep the eye moving and add interest
• Make sure your display pieces don't overpower your work - less is more!
• Floor covering goes a long way - if it is "cushy" people tend to shop longer
• Use your walls and corners
• Wall coverings can make your booth cozy and also blocks out the beating sun!
• Merchandise your pieces based on how customers shop (I display by color palette)
• Lighting - if you sell jewelry it is beneficial to invest in lighting - especially on those cloudy days
• Watch your customers and improve as you go. It's a process.

Yes this all fits in my 2-door Honda!!

And I close with one final comment... weights, weights, weights! You need to have the appropriate weights to be safe in storms (and there WILL be storms!). Even if it is a sunny day, put your weights on. You never know when the wind will pick up and a storm will suddenly come out of nowhere! It is as much for your safety as your neighbors. You don't want your tent blowing into your neighbor and damaging work! I learned this lesson and fortunately it was not at a show. I was taking a booth shot in my backyard and a little breeze came by. I watched my tent levitate and topple into the house. I built new heavy weights that week.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any additional tips! Just leave me a comment.

A Behind the Scenes Look at an Art Fair

Gridlocked cars and trailers, the sound of clanking metal bars hitting the ground, bins and bins of work being unloaded, yes, it is show time!  For artists, as much time goes into creating our booth as the artwork and it is our gallery that we put up and take down every weekend.  When the show opens the public sees rows of gleaming white tents with wonderful art and cheerful artists. However, only hours before the site was cluttered with vehicles and artists working feverishly to get their booths ready for the opening of the show. This is the time of year that I receive notifications from the shows I have applied to and my schedule is being finalized, so in anticipation of show season I thought I would give you a behind the scenes look at what goes into setting up for an art fair.

Does it look like this when you get to work?!

It always makes me giggle to hear the couples that have been doing the shows for years bickering about "you are not doing it right!" and somehow they have stayed married through the trials and tribulations of show life. Then there are the artists that go about setting up their booth like a well oiled machine making it look effortless. There are also many women who do the shows themselves because either they have found it easier to do without their spouse, or find it faster to do alone (no one to tell me I'm not doing it right except myself!)

Shows are sometimes a family affair. It's never too early to get the kids involved!

An average booth takes several hours to set up including the tent, walls, displays, and then of course our work. Sometimes set up is easy, but there can be unforeseen challenges. I once arrived at a show site and when I asked where my space was located the person pointed to the top of a hill. It required that I push my hand truck through the wet grass and halfway up I would lose part of my load and have to go back to retrieve pieces lost on the way. One would think that tear down would be easier, but going down the hill was like being on a luge track and one miscalculated turn sent things flying. I now have an impressive collection of bungee cords just for these situations.  

An artist who does the show circuit has to have stamina, good organizational skills, patience, a sense of humor, and a well stocked tool box. One never knows what they will encounter like a tree that grew since last year and is hitting your tent top, a sloping space that no amount of shims and boards will correct, finding that the two tents on either side of your space set up before you and left  9 ft to get your 10x10 tent into, and getting to the show at your designated set up time the night before with no way to get to your space because of a major gridlock and having to return at 5 am to set up. I also quickly found that if you are located in the street and it rains, the river of water has to run through your booth to get to the curb. Nothing you can do about that!  We have to endure the occassional storm and become proficient in securing our tents and "taking cover" when the sirens start blairing. And then there is the unexpected flat tire and having to call someone to come and get you and the phone conversation includes “did I mention I have a tent and my displays!”  

Yes...that entire booth fits in my 2-door Honda! Artist used to call me the "clown car".

When I worked in an office I took for granted the things I now call luxuries including indoor plumbing, running water, the snack machine, and the ability to take a lunch break.  Now I am grateful when offered free coffee, water, and a donut and I don’t need a gym membership since I workout several hours every weekend. But I am happy I traded in the corner office for life under a tent! I work with an amazing and talented group of artists and my “clients” are the best!

So next time you attend an art fair, think about what it looked like just a few hours before the show.  It is amazing that it all comes together and we stand in our “galleries” smiling and talking about our work and ignoring the soar muscles and aching back. Once the public arrives, we seem to forget all the work that went into setting up our booths.  We are now in our element and eager to greet returning customers and meet new ones. Then it is the process in reverse and we pack up to get ready for the next show.

What we all hope for, a sunny day and people coming out
 to enjoy the show and acquire that perfect piece of art. 

I'm counting down the days until show season and I look forward to reconnecting with artists and customers that I have not seen since the end of last summer. Hope to see you at a show this season!