The Average Show Experience - Getting Set Up
Everyone's show experiences are different...that's a given. My show experience started three season's ago in 2003. As they say 'you've come long way baby'. My shows can be broken into two groups...outdoor summer shows and indoor Christmas shows.
I started doing outdoor shows just last year and boy were my eyes opened to the differences in indoor versus outdoor shows. Outdoor shows are an experience unto themselves. They require more display items, generally a tent of some sort, and more set up time. I am able to fit all my display items for indoor shows into my Rav4. For outdoor shows, I have to use the F150 and I use the bed and the all the passenger seats.
For my first outdoor show, I started setting up the night before. This helps relieve some stress because you aren't rushing around trying to get set up before the customers get there. The best investment I think I made is a handcart. I can't for the life of me find a link to the one I bought, but its handle comes out so that it can become a flat cart or an upright cart. I did find this site with lots of choices.
The second necessary item that I invested in was a canopy tent. Most higher class shows won't even let you show if you don't provide your own tent. Just be sure that your tent will fit in the space you're allotted. Setting up a tent isn't always easy. I bought mine at Costco and it requires two people to set up (or at least it does for me...I'm sure someone out there knows how to set it up by themselves). You've got the frame, the roof of the tent, and generally sides that attach to the frame. It's a workout just to get the frame up.
Being a white tarp in a sea of white tarps isn't going to help you stand out. You need to add a little extra color. Some people have big signs that attach to their tents. Having a sign with your business name also gives you more credibility. Mine isn't fancy and only cost around $50 at a local sign shop. It's a plastic material that just rolls right up and stores away easily. I also decided to go with fabric draping around the tent and in front to soften the look of the display. It looks more inviting and approachable and helps you stand out from the crowd.
But getting people to enter your booth is just the first step. You want to make sure that your display is professional and organized. I'm still working on my own setup ... it changes from show to show, but is fairly standard for both indoor and outdoor shows. The basics that I stick with however are necklace displays/easels, bracelet T-bars, and earring racks. I started out with white fabric covering my tables but added some deep wine colored table clothes on which I then put white fabric for contrast.
Height is another important factor, for both indoor and outdoor shows. Adding table height is fairly easy if you buy some PVC pipe found at any local hardware store. Four equal cuts, slid over the legs of a table can add just enough height to bring attention to your work. Don't go too high or you might run into issues with people in wheelchairs not being able to see.
These are just some of the most basic requirements for getting set up. For outdoor shows it's also a good idea to have weights (sandbags work well) to anchor your tent in case of wind. Bungie cords are great for multiple uses. Bring a couple of towels and garbage bags. I've been to some shows where the closest garbage can is too far away and keeping your booth clean is super important. It's not a bad idea to have garbage or plastic bags for indoor shows too.
Next post I'll focus on some of the smaller essential items you'll need during your show.
I started doing outdoor shows just last year and boy were my eyes opened to the differences in indoor versus outdoor shows. Outdoor shows are an experience unto themselves. They require more display items, generally a tent of some sort, and more set up time. I am able to fit all my display items for indoor shows into my Rav4. For outdoor shows, I have to use the F150 and I use the bed and the all the passenger seats.
For my first outdoor show, I started setting up the night before. This helps relieve some stress because you aren't rushing around trying to get set up before the customers get there. The best investment I think I made is a handcart. I can't for the life of me find a link to the one I bought, but its handle comes out so that it can become a flat cart or an upright cart. I did find this site with lots of choices.The second necessary item that I invested in was a canopy tent. Most higher class shows won't even let you show if you don't provide your own tent. Just be sure that your tent will fit in the space you're allotted. Setting up a tent isn't always easy. I bought mine at Costco and it requires two people to set up (or at least it does for me...I'm sure someone out there knows how to set it up by themselves). You've got the frame, the roof of the tent, and generally sides that attach to the frame. It's a workout just to get the frame up.
Being a white tarp in a sea of white tarps isn't going to help you stand out. You need to add a little extra color. Some people have big signs that attach to their tents. Having a sign with your business name also gives you more credibility. Mine isn't fancy and only cost around $50 at a local sign shop. It's a plastic material that just rolls right up and stores away easily. I also decided to go with fabric draping around the tent and in front to soften the look of the display. It looks more inviting and approachable and helps you stand out from the crowd.
But getting people to enter your booth is just the first step. You want to make sure that your display is professional and organized. I'm still working on my own setup ... it changes from show to show, but is fairly standard for both indoor and outdoor shows. The basics that I stick with however are necklace displays/easels, bracelet T-bars, and earring racks. I started out with white fabric covering my tables but added some deep wine colored table clothes on which I then put white fabric for contrast.
Height is another important factor, for both indoor and outdoor shows. Adding table height is fairly easy if you buy some PVC pipe found at any local hardware store. Four equal cuts, slid over the legs of a table can add just enough height to bring attention to your work. Don't go too high or you might run into issues with people in wheelchairs not being able to see.
These are just some of the most basic requirements for getting set up. For outdoor shows it's also a good idea to have weights (sandbags work well) to anchor your tent in case of wind. Bungie cords are great for multiple uses. Bring a couple of towels and garbage bags. I've been to some shows where the closest garbage can is too far away and keeping your booth clean is super important. It's not a bad idea to have garbage or plastic bags for indoor shows too.
Next post I'll focus on some of the smaller essential items you'll need during your show.
posted by Megan @ 6:04 PM
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