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The requirements for your booth will be spelled out in your contract for each show. This includes set up and break down times and policies to which you must adhere. In order to avoid having to have different displays for different shows, it makes sense to create a moveable display that will work well in the majority of situations–both for indoor and outdoor events. Even if the promoter supplies a backdrop, a rug or tables, you can bring your whole set-up and use it instead. Your display is your portable store, and since it reflects you and your product, you want it to be outstanding! A display that creates the best presentation for your crafts can make a huge difference in how well you sell your crafts.

Because you and your booth will be constant traveling companions, make sure it’s light yet sturdy, easily collapsible and just as easy to erect. You need to be prepared for wind, rain and bratty children running around knocking into display poles! Your booth may continuously evolve, and it may take years to find the best set up, only to find colors and trends changing, or your products developing and the whole look of your booth needing a facelift. As a creative person, have fun with your booth and allow your skills as a craftsperson to spill over into booth creation and display. If you need help with the construction, ask male friends or family members for assistance–and ask female friends for help with display ideas. (Or vice versa as the case may be.) A professional display marks you as a professional and enhances your products to promote optimum sales.

Basically you want the space to be comfortable for you and customers. You want it to be inviting, making customers feel welcome enough to cross over the threshold that separates the lookers from the buyers. It should be comfortable for you too, as you will be in it for days on end. It also needs to be attractive, yet well organized for a 10 X 10 space (or slightly larger in some cases). Use of colorful signs, banners and accessories attract people and enhance your craft items, hopefully encouraging visitors to pick them up. Use colors that follow a theme or complement the predominant colors or style of your products. Red, white and blue would be a good theme for country items, while black and silver would be a more contemporary look. Each craft style will dictate the best overall look for your display. You also need to have an area for doing business–taking money, wrapping and writing receipts–as well as a space for storage. If that sounds like a tall order, it is! That’s why it may take a while to get it right. Observe other booths and record what you like and don’t like.

Then take the best of the best and incorporate those ideas into your booth. The entrance to the booth is critical. It’s the make or break point for drawing a potential customer in. Experiment until you find the best mix of color, signage, banners, spacing and product display that works best to get people in "the door." Booth openings should be wide enough to allow several people in, and you should never stand out front or in the entry obstructing the flow. Have your bestsellers, lowest priced or most striking products closest to the entrance so you can optimize the five seconds you have to capture the potential buyer’s attention! Your booth sets a mood that is immediately picked up by shoppers passing by. Make sure it sets the right mood to interest people in stopping to take a look at your amazing crafts. Have the products in as natural setting as possible, that is, if you have home d?cor items, create a homey environment. If you create baskets, fill them with what people would naturally fill them with–and vary this throughout the year based on seasons and holidays.

If you produce jewelry items, have earrings and necklaces on mannequins to see how they would look, and have plenty of mirrors for customers to try things on. Display objects at eye level or slightly higher, but not on the ground. Have multiple levels of display for greater visual appeal. Hanging products should not obstruct views or be a hazard to a customer walking through your space.

Place your crafts so they are easily accessible and so customers will feel comfortable picking them up–and not afraid they will break something or mess up a "perfect" display. Statistics reveal people are four times more likely to make a purchase when they have touched the item. Booth design, product display and merchandising must all be carefully planned out as part of your overall sales strategy. Once you commit to taking your craft from pastime to profits, you become a professional businessperson and creating a quality booth and stunning display will be worth the effort in increased profits.

Craft Shows, your chance to show off your hand-made treasures to thousands of eager craft seekers. The big day is finally here. Your tables are filled with your hand-crafted items, the aisles are filled with young and old customers and you are ready to make your first sale. You’re excited and probably a little exhausted because getting to this point was a little tougher than you had imagined. First of all you had to ensure you had enough of your crafts made to last the weekend. Also, ensuring that last minute details have been taken care of, packing, travelling and finally setting up has been a whirlwind of activity.

Finally you hear the announcement "The Doors Are Now Open", now the real fun is about to begin! Although there are many, many details to be finalized leading up to craft shows, here are 3 very important ones. Along with your crafts, ensuring these 3 details are taken care of will help determine whether you have a great show or leave you wondering if it is all worth it.

1. Tables Most of the crafters I know use tables to display their crafts. Tables must be sturdy, safe, and of the proper size for the booth.

They should be (and are sometimes required to be) covered on top and on all sides, down to the floor. How you arrange your tables within your booth will be determined by the size of the booth. Some booth layouts will work for one crafter but may not be suitable for others. One thing you must determine prior to the show is whether tables are provided by the craft show producers or whether you must supply your own. Most craft shows we attend supply one table with the booth and more can be acquired for a fee. When you book the show, ensure you determine whether or not tables are supplied.

2. Money/Change One of the most embarassing times during our years of selling at craft shows was running out of change during the show! Imagine running around on a Saturday afternoon during a busy Craft Show trying to find a few hundred quarters! We learned our lesson quickly on this one. Take enough change! We find it much simpler to have all our crafts end in multiples of .25 cents. This way we need only take quarters as change along with some bills. I realize this may be a bit difficult when trying to figure in taxes, however a little forethought and planning should help you to set your prices so that making change can be kept to a minimum. If you remember just one thing, it should be that it will be easier to take extra money back to the bank after the Craft Show than it will be to try to find change during a weekend Craft Show.

3. Fire Extinguisher I know what you are thinking! What the heck does Fire Extinguishers have to do with Craft Shows? Let me tell you that a lot of crafters had their eyes opened on the first morning of a recent Craft Show. Shortly before the doors opened, the local Fire Marshall came to each of the booths and asked each crafter to show him their fire extinguisher. If they did not have one they had to get one before he left or close their booths. Talk about a shock. We have always carried a fire extinguisher with us to Craft Shows so we had no problem. However, many of the crafters had to go out to local hardware stores and purchase one that morning. You don’t need anything too elaborate, just one of those small household fire extinguishers will do. Do make sure it is UL (or equivalent) certified. It’s always a good plan to have an extra one around the house anyway! Although it is a good plan to carry a fire extinguisher, it is an extra thing to pack and carry. Instead of just leaving it home, you should first check with the Craft Show producers to see if it is necessary to have one in your booth.

Those are just 3 of the many preparations leading up to a Craft Show. Preparing for the next show actually starts (for us) before the current one is even over. Having all the preparations done well before hand can help ensure you have a successful, stress free and fun Craft Show. We like to get all of our show preparations done early in the year so we can concentrate on our crafts without worrying about things like hotels, booths, supplies, etc. We also find that having a checklist is a great help and time saver. Here’s hoping that your next Craft Show will be fun and profitable.