Have never done Black Swamp before. Mount Mary I have done before. Dropped it for a few years to do a different show. Usually do ok. Not like I used to do. Mine is NOT one of the booths people run to when the gates open.
BSw = 2 day, MM 1 day
BSw = 60 K attendance, MM 15 K.
BSw = 110 exhibitors, MM 225 exhibitors
AFSB sales totals about the same (adjusted for 2 day vs 1 day per diem). I have been making BELOW their averages at MM, though.
For Black Swamp I would have travel expenses, Mount Mary not.
So Black Swamp is the big unknown. Can people fill me in on the flavor of the Black Swamp (oh wait, maybe I want to phrase that another way….)
Black Swamp may have 60 K, but that’s free attendance. How many of them are buyers? How many of them are there for entertainment?
That’s actually a LOT of people for a show with only 110 artists. I compared other shows I do with the same # of artists, and they all have much lower attendance.
What kind of work are they looking for? Conservative? Funky? Avant-garde? I do well in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland areas: but Bowling Green is not near these.
Are they serious shoppers, or impulse purchasers? Bargain hunters?
Thanks for your help! I appreciate it.
Replies
We only did Black Swamp once, 2 or 3 years ago. We make silver jewelry. We did OK. The set up is hard because you have to do it at 6:00 a.m. in the dark. It's very friendly and everyone is helpful. It is a college town, so we saw a lot of students and there was a game, so we also saw students with their parents. It was a festival atmosphere with bands playing all day, so many of the people walking around were there for the music rather than the art. It was an interesting mix of good artists from around the country and local crafters. While our sales were OK, we met people who did great. So, it depends on your art and your price point.