Festival & Craft Show Check List

You made it into the local Craft Show or Festival and now you’re wondering “What do I take?” You’re first show will always be the ‘testing ground’ for the next and where you learn ‘what works and what doesn’t’. No matter how many shows I do, I always learn something new or how to do it differently. I’m always ‘testing the waters’ for new ideas, displays and setups. But first, getting to the show is the most important part of the whole experience. Below I’ve put together a Basic Show List of what I take (and I’m always adding to it).

Show Check List
1.Dolly – I found that this makes moving from car to booth much easier and quicker.
2.Cash Box & Cash; suggest getting to the bank a day or two before the show for your cash. Make sure to have a good mix of bills and plenty of coins.
3.Invoice/Receipt Book (suggest double copy and carbonless)
4.Credit Card machine, slips, clipboard & CC Signage
5.Business Signage (If you have one), Business Cards & card holder
6.Camera – I always try to take several pictures of my booth, from different angles, showing the different displays and then a couple of the over-all booth. This gives me pictures of what it looks like, what worked and what didn’t. I also use them to send in for juried shows.
7.Extra writing tablets (Taking notes, ideas from customers or for taking custom orders)
8.5-6 pens (no matter how many you have, you’ll always come home with less)
9.Show Kit:
oTape
oMarkers
oScissors
oCalculator (try to have 2 on hand if more than one person is working the booth)
oColored dot stickers (for mark-downs or special pricing)
10.Sales Tax sheet & copy of State Sales Tax Certificate
11.Bags (small, medium, large),
12.Tissues (cut several squares so you have plenty on hand to wrap your items)
13.Boxes (Jewelry boxes because that is what I sell)
14.4-6 mini customer browsing baskets (I give these to customers for them to ‘hold’ their selections)
15.1-2 Mirrors (If you are selling jewelry)
16.Tables & Chairs (If you are not renting from the show promoter)
17.Displays
oFloor & table display racks
oWire racks & risers
oJewelry busts & Earring holders
oBaskets, or anything else you use as a prop
18.Table cloths, scarves & drapes
19.Lighting or lamps you use for lighting
20.Several heavy duty 200’ extension cord, tri plugs, & electrical tape
21.Kleenex, alcohol wipes, extra paper towels
22.Jewelry Tool Kit
oPliers: round & flat nose
oCutters & snipers
oCrimp bead pliers
oExtra findings in both gold & silver: ear posts & wires, crimp beads, hoops, jumprings, headpins, & clasps
oBeading wire
oArtistic & Sterling wire
23.Your Product
24. Several hammers, drills, screwdrivers, & pliers
25.Water, snacks and lunch if you’re not going to leave your booth
26. Your cell phone


And always pack your car/truck the night before and go through everything to make sure you have it all. Murphy’s Law applies…no matter how much you anticipate and plan, you’re always going to forget something!

Customer Service in a Fast Paced World

In just a few short weeks many cities will be inundated with Fall Craft Shows and Fall/Holiday Festivals. Patrons will scurry from place to place, looking for just the right gifts and packages; checking their lists and marking thru names. Halls and shops will be filled with floral designs, jewelry, food vendors, wood workers, potpourri and candles, embroidery and crocheted items ….all these artists and craftsmen have worked hard over the summer building a Fall/Holiday inventory for the buying public. It occurred to me yesterday at the first show of the season, that Custom Service is the ‘Brake or Make’ of a business. So, here are a few tips for great customer service.

·Always have a smile and pleasant attitude, Grumpy never sold anything. Greet customers with a “Hello and Welcome to ‘X’ and a warm smile. Don’t rush or push the customer or make them feel ‘boxed in’, allow them to move among your tables and through your booth. Be enthusiastic and Love what you do, it will show through to your customers!
·Let them know of any discounts or specials you might be offering for that show. Customers like to know where to get the best deals, especially in today’s economy.
·Be knowledgeable about your products. Tell a story of how you came to have a particular item, (especially if it is humorous). I have gemstones, so if a customer is looking at a particular piece I’ll let them know what stone it is, where it’s mined (if I know) or how I got it, and how the piece was designed. The last thing a customer wants to hear is ‘I don’t know, just something I thought was cute and picked up.’
·If I don’t carry a particular item, but I know of a fellow artist that does, I’ll refer the customer to that person. I want my customers to be happy and my fellow artists to be successful too!
·Chat with your customers, get to know them, give them the personal touch....find out what they like, what they don’t like, what they prefer and what they look for in gifts. Know them and the people they buy for. I’ll often ask a repeat customer “how did so-and-so like the gift you bought last time?” This also gives me feedback on how I’m doing as a business, how my jewelry is accepted and what I need to do differently or better.
·Lastly, always, always include your business card. I always add and mention my business card to every customer. I let them know about my websites and not just a ‘buying site’ either. I tell them on my blog there is useful information such as industry news, calendar dates and show discounts, and a spotlight on a new gem or jewelry design.

Find your ‘Nitch’, go with it and enjoy what you do and it will show to everyone!