| ==================== Show - Selling & Survival ==================== Show survival tactics Take a folding carrier. You can get them at hardware stores. They are tubular steel with a horizontal bed and fairly good sized wheels. The bed folds up and lies flat in your car. Then plan your boxes for your goodies so they can stack on there. Take bungie cords to keep them from slipping. Pack your rugs in plastic sleeves with ribbons to tie them (Like balogna covers). Find sturdy wooden drying racks to display. They fold down flat, but stand up to hold your nicest rugs. Make sturdy price tags/cards with your name, address and care instructions on them for each rug. Attach to fringe. If they have a plastic sleeve, all the better. Take plastic drop cloths that fold up. Put them in a milk crate or some such for portability. Sometimes it rains at shows. They make quick cover. Have clothes pins or clips handy to clip them to tables. Have covers for tables, fabric or some such that looks good with your product and long enough to touch the ground so you can hide things under the tables. If they don't provide tents, you will have to buy one. Most shows give you a ten x ten space. Get a tent that fits your space size that has zip sides in case of weather changes. Make a big sign with your name and store/studio title and be sure to put on there that these are hand loomed items so they don't confuse you with East India or some other place. Have some brochures with information about you, your studio, your concepts and materials. Take comfy folding chairs, sunscreen, hats, wraps because weather changes. Take a cooler that you can put out of sight. Put water, juices and small snacks inside that are not gooey. Have a belly pocketed band for your change. Get a carpenter's apron or make your own. Then you can face your clients. Provide security for large bills that will be lockable and out of sight. Take a friend along to help you watch your place. Bathroom breaks are important. Have fun! Juanita -------------- As for suggestions for your first show. Keep the set-up simple. When I started doing shows about 3 years ago, I had a great "booth", but it was far too much to carry around and set up by myself. So every show I did something different, and now I'm down to using garment racks as the "walls" and hanging stuff on them. I did make some changes to some of the garment racks so I can just lay the rugs over them flat. Of course it's exciting AND scarey. I always like to at least make my booth rent back, which usually happens, but I go into these things with the idea of having fun and getting my name out there. I pass out business cards to everyone, who comes into the booth and even to those just walking by if I can catch their eye. Oh yes, bring everything you've woven. Tuck extras under your table. Rearrange your stock every so often. Someone once mentioned it is good to put some away and take something different out. Lots of folks go around at least twice. They'll think you sold out and are restocking your display. I have things still in stock that I wove three years ago, and I recently sold a couple of rugs from way back then, so you never know what will sell or when. Most of all. Have fun. The other crafters around you are usually a big help. They'll watch your booth if you need a break. I usually do my shows alone, so I appreciate the help. I've kept an eye on other booths as well and even write up their sale. Lynne in Maine -------------- In the past I have used whatever a site has provided as back drop (pipe and drape). Then I made a simple frame of 1 1/4" PVC (left white) to hand Martha Stewart cotton drapes as a back drop. Then I was showing at the Philadelphia Furniture Show that required no tools to set up the booth (union rules) so I bought an E-Z Up 'tent' rigged a frame to hold up the M.S. cotton drapes and hung lights on the E-Z Up frame. The new e-Z Ups have a nice powder coat white frame instead of the old zinc. Now I use the E-Z Up frame and top most everywhere, sometimes with and sometimes without side curtains (M.S. or E-Z Up white). It filters out the blue light of mercury lighting at most indoor shows and I then add the warmer tones of incandescent low watt mini flood lights. Since most people are looking down at my benches I try to keep the rug a neutral brown or gray. I like the look of a dark green rug but I had to keep sweeping every few hours to not have it look tacky, so it is out. Also by having a lower 'ceiling' in my booth there is less feeling of being in a huge hall. Walt T. NE Tenn. |
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| (Have some brochures with information about you, your studio, your concepts and materials.) |
| Note: Be sure to check the two pages on this site about "HOMEMADE LABELS / HANGTAGS" and "DISPLAYING RUGS" |
| (Now I use the E-Z Up frame and top most everywhere.) |