Arts and Crafts show equiptment

Craft show equiptment - Display

The equipment you will need is dependant on the number and kinds of show you're going to be doing. For example for an indoor show you may only need a table cloth. Many indoor shows provided tables and sometimes even a table cloth and a few chairs. Some shows charge a added fee and some do not. Some indoor shows require you to have a proper booth with side curtains or some way to distinguish your booth from the outsides and back of your neighbor. This can mean 8 foot high side walls and a back wall too. Make sure what is supplied and what is not. Usually the literature that accompanies the show application will detail what you need and what it expected of you and what they provide. Ask questions prior to application.

Display

A good display will possess all of the following elements in the order of importance.

1. Display properties.
2. Space economy and usability.
3. Ease of transportation and assembly.

In many cases a good display will let you put your best selling items up and into the customers field of vision. The adage, "eye level is buy level" applies here. For example, we have an acquaintance who sells jewelry and he places the jewelry no less than 50 inches high while we have seen many others display on a table, maybe 30 inches high. He does very well. The jewelry is viewed hanging exactly as it would be worn. Obviously not all items can or should be displayed in this fashion but think of how your wares are used and viewed. Elevating large heavy items such as bird baths, concrete items and heavy furniture may not be practical and in some cases even dangerous, but many light items such as paintings, photos and stained glass, candles and so forth can be arranged so that the best selling versions can be easily viewed by customers who are in the booth, and even more important, customers passing in front of the booth.

We have preformed tests to measured the time customers are actually in position to view the booth and wares. The longest time was not much more than 10 seconds, when they are browsing and looking hard, and in many cases the time was as short as 4 to 5 seconds with a cursory glance. In many cases the customers were distracted by other booths, shopping companions, loud noises and so forth. A potential customer may have already looked at 50 or 100 or more booths before they come to you. They begin to suffer from sensory overload and every thing looks the same. Your booth must be exciting and different enough to get them to stop.

Many commercially available booths have white walls. You can stand out by breaking the white up with colors and shapes. Be careful that you do not block too much light so that the booth is dark. One nice thing about the more expensive canopies is the availability of a clear roof window to let more light into the booth. This feature is well worth the extra cost.

A few years ago we were browsing and came across a booth with really nice photography, but the canopy was a dark color that did not transmit light and the photographs were hung in the back of the booth. This year we happened across the same people but they now have a light colored canopy and they display their best works where people can see them right away. From what they said it was a positive change.

A nice sign that runs the width of the booth can call attention to your setup. Some commercially available setups offer velcro mount banners. If you are using a wooden sign make really sure that it can not fall on someone's head.

Some crafters encroach on the common space with displays and racks thinking the goods will be more visible in the traffic area in front of the booths. This may be true but in the first place it is rude to place a rack in the common space in front of your booth. Not to mention if you did not pay for the space in front of your booth you are stealing.

Secondly obstructions tend to divert the traffic flow from around your booth and your neighbors booth as well much the same way as a projection from a stream or river bank diverts the flow of water. Racks in front of a booth can cause people to linger in front of the booth, many times visiting with other shoppers and usually not the least bit interested in making a purchase while other potential customers are diverted to the center and away from your booth.

Being a good neighbor is very important. Do not disrespect your neighbor by placing racks and goods where they can block the view to their booth. Remember that people look ahead and if you are sticking out a foot in a half you are blocking your neighbors booth.

If you shoo loitering customers away you can loose sales because it is sometimes difficult to tell if people are actually waiting to make a purchase and they just happened to run into a friend at that moment. And if you are reported as a very rude vendor you may be rejected next year. You never know who people are, they could be a relation to the promoter.

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