I was accepted to Boston Mills this year and I'm very excited to be able to join the elite artists who have done it in the past! I've got a couple questions about setup logistics for those who have done it previously.
I was accepted into the July show and I'm wondering what day/time setup usually is? I'm assuming sometime Friday before the artist dinner/preview night. Is it staggered or does everyone come in at once? Can you pull up close or is there a lot of dollying?
I'm in the South tent, so I know I'm covered above from the elements. I was thinking about not using my canopy at all, that way I can get as much light as possible, but then of course I can't close my booth up at night. What do most people in the tents do? Set up their full booths, or just the frame/propanels like I see at most indoor shows?
Thanks for your information!
Replies
For setup at Boston Mills, you will need to dolly from parking lots. It will be hot, muggy, and dusty; I don't remember a year when it wasn't this way. Give yourself plenty of time and begin setting up early in the morning or the day before (I'm pretty sure that last year for the 4th of July show, you could start setting up on Thurs. It maybe different this year. You certainly will have an early start to setup on Fri.). Cold ice water will be provided throughout. There are a few spot on the outer edges of the large tents where artists can drive close but those spaces have long been claimed by seasoned artists who have done the show before. Though it is always hot at setup, I find it very manageable. The trek to the large tents is flat along stone walkways...easy with a dolly.
You will not need to setup your canopy top inside the large tents unless you use your top to bounce light. However, before starting to setup pay attention to where condensation drip lines go from the roof of the big tent. At night the flaps of the large tents are closed and condensation builds on the inside roof top and drips along the seams. If you leave your work under these seams it can be damaged. The environment inside the large tents can be stuffy and most definitely dusty. You need to wipe things down at the start of each day and most certainly in the days following the show. In addition to lights, bring energy efficient fans to keep the air moving (fans were a must last year). Artist's parking is some distance from the show, so you'll need to bring your extra inventory with you at setup. There is ample storage for each artist in the center of the large tents.
I have done this show five times over the last several years and it has consistently been one of my top three profitable shows for the year, and I travel from Virginia. Even last year in 103 degree weather it was my second most profitable show for the year. I have developed a strong collector base and I find patrons to be loyal. If this is your first time, give attention to your mailing list; it will pay dividens in future years. Regrettably, I was juried out this year so you'll get to enjoy the fun without me... c'est la vie. Boston Mills is very good at communication and uses its website to disseminate information check it for details. This is a well organized show and a favorite for many artists. Best wishes to all of you doing the show.
P.S. Sorry for the repost. I realized that I had a few privacy settings turned on that made this post NOT viewable to all. Problem now fixed.
I'm in the June show out in the middle in my own tent. I've heard some complaints in prior years about having to dolly in from the parking lot across gravel. If that's the case, I'll have to get a different dolly as mine is a Sears convertible that has smaller hard tires in the rear which don't do well in sand (Piccolo Spoleto last year) and gravel may be worse. I've got back issues and knees are on a downhill slide, so the load-in is a critical component. Probably the easiest way is to just use Google Earth and see what the place looks like.
Robert M. Wallis, assuming you will be able to pull up to the sidewalks at the shows entrance to unload (you may have to wait a little but you'll be able to), then half your trek would be on cement sidewalks that then go through a breezeway... only after that, about 50 to 75 feet, would you have to travel on rock gravel to get to your outside tent location. Four all terrain tires on a dolly would, of course, be better but many artist pull their gear using setups like yours...I don't think it would be a problem for you but then I don't have your back. The trek is flat and gravel areas are hard packed below loose gravel. I use a Rock-n-Roller 12" with four all terrain tires, so I don't have direct experience with a dolly like yours, but it's not a long trek to the center on the gravel .
Hey, I appreciate that information. I've seen some modification to those dollies where the larger pneumatic tires are added to them for the rear, and that may be cheaper than a new dolly. Hello, Harbor Freight ;-)
I've done the show three or four years, and mostly in the center area with my own tent. I can't remember if the load-in time is staggered or not, but I don't recall there being a problem with too many people all at once. Definitely be prepared to dolly, however. I think it's possible to get closer to your booth with your van in the south tent, but space there is limited I think, so again, be prepared to dolly. Some people in the tents used their canopies and others didn't, but security isn't an issue, so you wouldn't need it for that reason. My other advice is to bring a fan, since it was one of the hottest shows that I did several years ago. Good luck.