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Florida vs. Northeast summer markets

Posted by Geoff Coe on April 26, 2011 at 11:11am in Business of Art Fairs

I'm getting ready to spend the summer in the Northeast, and I've got only one month of show experience there (last September) on which to base sales projections. 

For those of you who have sold extensively in both these markets: How would you say your per-show sales compare (as a percentage)? 20% better? 50% better?  Some other number?

Just to focus the "scope" of the responses: I'm not really looking for lots of description on how this show or that is great, or sucks, or hearing "war stories", unless the description would help explain why your sales differ as they do. 

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Replies

  • Nels Johnson April 27, 2011 at 10:58am

    Generally, you should be able to 20-30% better in tge NE markets because they don't have twenty kazillion shows going on every weekend--thank God for weather called winter.

    I do mostly midwest for 5 months, and for the most part, there is no comparison with the average florida shows--midwest sales are much stronger--they only see you once a year, and they come out to buy.

    Good luck, as always, if you can get in the better shows, say a Longs Park, the Hamptons, etc. your chances for big sales are exponentially better, that is a proven.  Talk to Bill Slade, he knows.

    • Patty Lindquist > Nels Johnson May 10, 2011 at 1:14pm
      My experience has always been that sales are better generally in the north east than Florida for the reasons Nels has said- they have a short window of pleasant weather and they use it.  Floridians know there will be another show near them next weekend!
      • Geoff Coe > Patty Lindquist May 10, 2011 at 4:00pm

        Thank you, Patty and Nels!!

         

  • Chris Hoyt April 27, 2011 at 6:56am
    What shows have you lined up in the northeast?
  • Alison Thomas April 26, 2011 at 2:06pm
    There are so many shows in Florida that I am betting (and hoping) that equal caliber shows outside of Florida get better sales.  I've only done one show so far outside of Florida and the atmosphere was totally different.  Most Florida shows seem like a social ocassion.  People come to meet their friends, ooh and aah at the art, have lunch and go home and do it again the following weekend.  The one northern show I did was the only major art show anywhere near there.  People came with spots to fill, measurements, and tape measures.  It was so refreshing. 
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