Do Business Well

These are very specifically targeted events that are held in high profile venues and will probably give you your greatest concentration of potential customers.

The organisers have the responsibility to advertise the event. This is one of the most important things you should ask about before signing up.

Note: Promoting, marketing and advertising the event is the key to its success. If the advertising is poor, the show will be badly attended and you’ll have wasted your money.

You hire a stand for a fee, the cost of which depends very much on the reputation and popularity of the show and how long the show has been operating. Shows that have been running successfully for several years are likely to be your most expensive. But then you know that it has a proven track record.

The fee usually includes a designated space per square metre, walls (these are usually dry walling), carpeting, 1 x plug point, fascia board with the company name and a number of spotlights. Additional services are available on request.

Advantages

• Because shows and exhibitions are so niche market orientated, it is a very concentrated marketing exercise.
• You manage the stand yourself and do the selling yourself, which allows you fantastic marketing opportunities.
• Many of the shows have ‘trade-only’ days, which are quieter than the general public days, and give you an opportunity to discover business possibilities you didn’t know existed.
• Most shows and exhibitions include mini-workshops and demonstrations, all of which creates and increases awareness of crafts and hobbies.

Disadvantages

• This is the most expensive of all marketing exercises, particularly for someone starting out, but if you fit the exhibition profile it could be a very worthwhile investment. To make it more affordable, you could join forces with other complementary crafts or craft suppliers and share a stand or ‘rent’ space from a large stand-holder.
• If the show is not well advertised it can be a flop — an expensive flop!

Checklist of Things you’ll need at a Show or Exhibition

• A small fold up ladder

• Packaging tape (Duct Tape)
• Masking tape
• Prestick — lots of it, as you’re often not allowed to bang nails into the dry walling. So everything must be put up with Prestick or double sided tape; or you can get flat hooks that hook over the top of the walling. Display shops should have them
• Plastic rubbish bags
• Extension cord
• Multi purpose plug
• Calculator
• Notebook and several pens
• Price list

Change

• Money belt or money box
• First Aid kit (that includes headache relief, pain killer, antacid, anti diarrhoea)
• Cell phone AND charger
• Your personal phone book
• Tool kit with screwdrivers, hammer, nails, scissors, pliers
• A fold up trolley for carrying boxes

Hint: Have a special show/market box where you keep all these things. Make sure that it is NEVER touched at home! Then you know you’ll always have what you need, when you need it. There is nothing more infuriating than to be setting up at a show, miles from anywhere, and to find that your extension cord was ‘borrowed’ from the box and not returned, or you don’t have Prestick!

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