A couple of years later, any update on this event?
becky blair > Lin GloreSeptember 21, 2013 at 10:50pm
Okay... I will try to update, though I never seem to get any response to anything i ask or write on this site.
I am doing Festival in the Park this weekend (Sept 20-22, 2013). The promotors seem to be very organized, provide lots of info prior to the show, are very helpful, and the load in was good. i was able to set up on Thursday and pull right up to my space. It takes me about 3 hours (not counting putting out merchandise; which takes about another hour) to set up and 99.99% of the time I do it alone, so that is appreciated. There are lots of volunteers who will provide booth sitting for restroom breaks (and they do have real bathrooms for the artists); also appreciated when you show alone. I lost a 300 dollar sale Friday nite as a result of upgrading (misnomer in my opinion) to ios 7 on my iPad the day before. I thought Square was on the fritz and it was actually an incompatibility issue with ios 7 (which i despise, by the way). It took losing that 300.00 sale, almost losing another (but they very kindly came up with cash), trying everything i could think of, and finally upgrading Square so it would work. However, I did not have another opportunity to use it until this morning. the morning started strong, but then the rain started and i didn't have a significant sale after 1:20pm. The show was supposed to go until 9:30pm, but some artists started packing it up round 5. Volunteers announced around 7 that we could leave for the day.
This is a local show for me (we relocated to Charlotte about a year ago) and i was very hopeful for a good show. i got many wonderful comments, but people did not seem to be buying much besides food... that was a joke among some of the artists. Lots of ice cream, funnel cakes, etc, going by, but not many other purchases visible. I heard lots of disappointment from other artists concerning sales. Another vendor said she had done at least 1000 days last year in the rain, and she did the same as I today... about 350.00. Others who had also done it last year relayed very similar numbers, saying they had barely done booth fee.
I am trying to be optimistic about tomorrow. I feel one of the problems is that this park has wide sidewalks running through, but tents are set back about 10 feet from the sidewalk. My observation at shows is that people are hesitant to walk that far off the sidewalk to enter a tent. i did another show in Charlotte in the spring (same promoters, different location) and my space had been marked 8 feet wide instead of 10. Because of flower beds on either side, i had to back my space off the sidewalk 10 feet to fit. I was sure I would have no sales that day, but it was actually a great day for me until they told us to pack up for the day because of the rain. And then they cancelled the show for Sunday, because of rain. I am discouraged, but don't want to give up on this event since i am trying to establish myself here and I think it has potential.
Elbert Morris > becky blairSeptember 22, 2013 at 5:51pm
Becky,
Thanks for the mini review of Festival in the Park. I had thought about doing it this year but decided not to do it. Maybe after I see how you did for all three days I will think about it for next year.
I agree with you about the IOS7 update and am sorry you had problems with your Ipad and square after the update. One of the first things that I do before a show with or without a system update is to check out my Ipad and card reader to make sure they are working properly . I will run a charge through for $1.00 using my debit card and if all is good then I know I am ready for the show. I also have my android phone to use as a backup if needed. Don't want to put all my sales at the mercy of one operating system.
becky blair > Elbert MorrisSeptember 22, 2013 at 10:40pm
That's a good idea, Elbert... Thank you. I always make sure I have the proper tax loaded in, but now I will do more than that. It was a disappointing show. I told a neighbor, "if I hear one more 'oh my gosh, I LOVE your work! I have never seen anything like this!'... right before they turn and walk out, I will lose it." I restrained and refrained though. Many were complaining about sales. My morning started well but fell to nothing. i did more in one day at Lazy Daze in Cary, than 3 days at this show.
We walked the Festival two years ago. It was dusty & some artists were complaining about keeping things clean. We didn't see many packages walking by. Looking at the type of exhibitors, customers , and vendors there, we decided that our price points were too high for that venue. If it is a festival, we need the traffic numbers to be higher in order to generate sales. But, I do think that your work should sell well there. The fantasy-themed booths had customers in them. And there is a big 'ren-faire' following in the area.
This is just my two cents from a local shopper/patron point of view since I've never exhibited there. Overall, it's a beautiful tree lined venue. I go about every other year. I primarily peruse the Artist's Walk section and I believe those entries are closed. In the Lake Walk section, you could be next to the band area, the kids section, or next to the Verizon or Charlotte Observer booths.... as someone who goes for the art and not the entertainment, I avoid the Lake Walk section. However, there is a ton of foot traffic in the area.
Obviously, I cannot speak as to how the setup or sales are but it does appear to be extremely organized. I will cop to contributing to several artists bottom line each time I go though....
Thanks, Kathy. It sounds lovely. I've been accepted into the Artist's Walk section in September and I am curious about tips on setup and getting prepared for the show and doing it. Going blind into a show in a city sometimes has its little surprises.
Replies
A couple of years later, any update on this event?
I am doing Festival in the Park this weekend (Sept 20-22, 2013). The promotors seem to be very organized, provide lots of info prior to the show, are very helpful, and the load in was good. i was able to set up on Thursday and pull right up to my space. It takes me about 3 hours (not counting putting out merchandise; which takes about another hour) to set up and 99.99% of the time I do it alone, so that is appreciated. There are lots of volunteers who will provide booth sitting for restroom breaks (and they do have real bathrooms for the artists); also appreciated when you show alone. I lost a 300 dollar sale Friday nite as a result of upgrading (misnomer in my opinion) to ios 7 on my iPad the day before. I thought Square was on the fritz and it was actually an incompatibility issue with ios 7 (which i despise, by the way). It took losing that 300.00 sale, almost losing another (but they very kindly came up with cash), trying everything i could think of, and finally upgrading Square so it would work. However, I did not have another opportunity to use it until this morning. the morning started strong, but then the rain started and i didn't have a significant sale after 1:20pm. The show was supposed to go until 9:30pm, but some artists started packing it up round 5. Volunteers announced around 7 that we could leave for the day.
This is a local show for me (we relocated to Charlotte about a year ago) and i was very hopeful for a good show. i got many wonderful comments, but people did not seem to be buying much besides food... that was a joke among some of the artists. Lots of ice cream, funnel cakes, etc, going by, but not many other purchases visible. I heard lots of disappointment from other artists concerning sales. Another vendor said she had done at least 1000 days last year in the rain, and she did the same as I today... about 350.00. Others who had also done it last year relayed very similar numbers, saying they had barely done booth fee.
I am trying to be optimistic about tomorrow. I feel one of the problems is that this park has wide sidewalks running through, but tents are set back about 10 feet from the sidewalk. My observation at shows is that people are hesitant to walk that far off the sidewalk to enter a tent. i did another show in Charlotte in the spring (same promoters, different location) and my space had been marked 8 feet wide instead of 10. Because of flower beds on either side, i had to back my space off the sidewalk 10 feet to fit. I was sure I would have no sales that day, but it was actually a great day for me until they told us to pack up for the day because of the rain. And then they cancelled the show for Sunday, because of rain. I am discouraged, but don't want to give up on this event since i am trying to establish myself here and I think it has potential.
Thanks for the mini review of Festival in the Park. I had thought about doing it this year but decided not to do it. Maybe after I see how you did for all three days I will think about it for next year.
I agree with you about the IOS7 update and am sorry you had problems with your Ipad and square after the update. One of the first things that I do before a show with or without a system update is to check out my Ipad and card reader to make sure they are working properly . I will run a charge through for $1.00 using my debit card and if all is good then I know I am ready for the show. I also have my android phone to use as a backup if needed. Don't want to put all my sales at the mercy of one operating system.
This is just my two cents from a local shopper/patron point of view since I've never exhibited there. Overall, it's a beautiful tree lined venue. I go about every other year. I primarily peruse the Artist's Walk section and I believe those entries are closed. In the Lake Walk section, you could be next to the band area, the kids section, or next to the Verizon or Charlotte Observer booths.... as someone who goes for the art and not the entertainment, I avoid the Lake Walk section. However, there is a ton of foot traffic in the area.
Obviously, I cannot speak as to how the setup or sales are but it does appear to be extremely organized. I will cop to contributing to several artists bottom line each time I go though....