Hey guys! I just finished at my first art fair ever and would like to hear any suggestions you would have for my booth or artwork. I'm doing my second in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in about 4 weeks so I hope to incorporate any suggestions quickly.
I was given some advice from other exhibitors:
- Add a divider in the back of the booth where I can store things and behind which I can sit so as to allow people to feel better about going in and browsing.
- Price tags with a description of the work and answers to the most common questions about the piece.
- More smaller dollar pieces.
I was happy with the amount of orders received and the response to the work seems to be great.
I would appreciate any advice from the pros. :)
Replies
General ideas..... try to set up your furniture in a vignette. It will help customers see it as it might be used in their home or on their patio.
I like the idea of a rug to ground everything. I also thought about a roll of flooring that looks like brick. Or those interlocking squares (not sure of the name) that look like brick might look good. I am thinking some people may have brick patios and this would reflect that setting.
In our booth we usually have 2-3 tables with professionally finished floor length table covers. We can use the underside for storing some back stock and ice chest, as you have in your booth. I know some shows reported on here do not allow table covers. But for those that do, that is an option. We got ours at Premier Table Linens and they are solid black. Here's a link to what we've been using ..... click here.
I'm curious, what would be the reasoning behind not allowing table covers?
Probably a bit overkill here. :)
Love it! It really tells the whole story. I'm predicting a stellar art fair career for you. Thanks.
Thanks. The professional looking picture of my console table is from the 90s when I was featured in Gumps catalog. :)
That was my favorite of the photos featured here. It helps potential customers see how it can be used in their home. Most people don't have imagination enough to visualize set up in their home. As an example, that is why better furniture stores set up vignettes with their furniture and a few accessories. It helps customers "see it" in their home.
Hello Howard -- it is easy to add your photos to your post and makes it more attractive to readers here. All I did was click on the "attachment" you had listed above, saved it to my desktop, then clicked on the little "image" icon in the toolbar to upload it here. Can you upload the rest of them?
Hey Howard, will this photo be your booth shot photo? If so, you will need to hide the cooler and cups sitting on the table. I do think a carpet and lights would make things look really nice.
I see you have a weight on the leg on the left of your tent. Do you have them on other legs? If there is a storm or big winds you will need that.
Maybe somewhere in the back of your booth you can add a small counter or have a blocked in area to store your extras and supplies. Take a look at other artist's booths next time you are at a show. Look to see how they hide their extras and supplies. That may give you some ideas.
You do have some nice work.
If this is going to be your booth shot you might want to consult with Larry Berman. Like Jimmy, I am not a pro on booth shots.
I just snapped a few shots while we were setting up so this isn't my booth photo, I didn't even have a booth photo when I applied to Art Fair on the Square. I've got a photographer coming to my booth in Lake Geneva so I plan on making some improvements to my setup and adding a lot more products. I'll look into the carpet and lights. It seems the others have a divider in the back where they can sit and put things. We are planning on making our own divider wall that we can also use to hang some of our pieces and photos. I did have another large weight on the other side plus the pot rack is pretty heavy and hanging from the other side. I'm planning on making some weights for the next show.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Hello Mr. Howard Lien. I'm still kind of a rookie to the art fair, but I would say that a carpet would be nice to add and some lights. You would like the buyer to visualize your work in their house. Have a great day.