What you should know before planning a festival sale!

Hi All,

The festival sales booth. The image above is from the 2008 festival season. This particular post is directed to my art buddies who are thinking of doing shows or are planning to continue doing shows in 2009. The season is fast approaching and a lot of shows in the sun belt have already passed.

As you can see from the photo above, there are some problems with my booth layout. The big problem is with the available wall space and overall appearance of the booth. Lighting is also a problem; though it is daylight, nightfall will be a disaster because there are no lights. Usually I have lights but this particular show had limited electric hook ups and my two battery powered lanterns were all I had (that was bad). Uneven ground can be a problem at shows. What you can't see from the photo above is that my wall panels supporting the art is leaning back. Work out the layout of your booth at home. I have a full size truck but a large cargo trailer would be better. Why? Because the cargo trailer would allow for me to take more wall panels, a table, and more stuff to make the booth better. I am limited to the size of the bed of my truck. A good looking booth goes a long way in drawing potential customers in to see your work.

I must say I really don't like outdoor festivals. My feet hurt (because I stand all day - the only way to sell), I don't eat good or sleep good, and I usually don't have any help. The weather can be a problem and I also believe that a lot of the festivals I attend are not good venues for artists. That is particularly why I won't be going back to many of the shows I've tried. The expense associated with the shows vary but expect to pay more for better venues. I've spent as little as $25 for the space to as much as $500. To be honest, one show I love (an indoor, one day event) is only $50 for the day and I sell a lot of art there. Nothing is more frustrating than spending $400 - $700 to cover your expenses for a weekend and only break even in sales.

So why did I create this post? Simple...before you plan your shows or a campaign to become a festival artist consider the following;

• The booth tent, and fixtures can be expensive. Expect to spend $500 for the most basic of needs. The black panels in the picture above were over $500 alone.
• Events that you expect to make money at may NOT be good money making events.
• Be prepared to talk to people. Some are nice...some are just plain rude. The rude people are typically only there for the "free" stuff and they think you are there to rip people off.
• Going alone is hard! Be prepared to carry everything by yourself. If you can't carry your equipment at home (alone) then forget hauling it from the truck to your space. Which in some cases can be pretty far. Get a good dolly...you WILL use it.
• Be thick skinned. Some folks are very happy to look at your artwork and tell you what they think of it. Everyone becomes a critic and you have to stand there and smile because you are the professional. You would be a fool to comment back to them in a manner that defends your art. Focus on the buyers, not the rude people.
• Be prepared to lose money. People steal. Keep your money on you. Those cash boxes are easy to walk away with and your neighbor and all the other vendors don't have a clue who everyone is.
• Mind your expenses. Good businesses make money and bad businesses fail. Don't underestimate the true cost of a show. Your equipment, the booth fee, jury fee, travel and hotel expenses, food, cost of materials and framing, and any loss due to theft or the weather.
  
• Most important...be a professional. Dress appropriately, speak clearly, clean up, and be positive.
  

I hope the advice above helps you in the 2009 festival season. Festivals can be fun, and they can be not so fun. You decide if festivals are for you; but keep in mind they are not easy, and in my humble opinion, not worth the hassle unless you can make at least 5 times more in profit than what it costs you to be there.