Well I don't know about hurricane Katia supposedly arriving overnight, but if yesterday is anything to go by then we don't need any more hurricanes, we've had quite enough bad weather thank you very much!!
It seemed like a very long day yesterday at the show and overall it was lovely, except for the weather. Why has virtually every event this year been blighted by the cold, heavy rain or high winds?
Anyway, just for a change I didn't take any photos at all, but I did make a little film, it's on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkDoOx0EXP4
A day in the life of me, my better half and Bernard, (of course).
I felt so sorry for some of the stallholders, the wind was incredibly strong at times and wickedly blustery. One minute everything would be calm then the next, a great whoosh, clatter and bang, someone else's gazebo would be bending or breaking!
We're glad to be home.
And on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, memories drift back to that awful day when it seems the whole world stood and watched in disbelief at the unfolding events. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
What on earth was I doing moaning about a bit of bad weather!!
Showing posts with label How to become an exhibitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to become an exhibitor. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Friday, 8 July 2011
Being an Exhibitor - Episode 4
The big day.Ever since I can remember we have done the same thing when we prepare for a show. We consult "THE BOOK"! Right from the beginning we kept a list of the things we needed to take, mainly because as demonstrators staying on site you can't afford to forget anything, (although I do remember forgetting to pack our work table once....it's only the most important thing we need). So give it a try - imagine yourself at the fair and mentally go through your day thinking of all the things you may need and jot them down in a book. I'll start you off:
Basics: Fuel in your vehicle - stock - table/s and covering cloth - shelves/stands - any working equipment/tools - insurance documents - show paperwork/passes etc - phone
Stationery: Price tags - pens - rubber bands - business cards - staples - paper - visitor book, (for customers to leave you their contact details) - drawing pins - cheque book, (if you need to pay the organiser) - scissors - sticky tape - labels - tape measure - mirror, (if you sell goods that need to be tried on) - carrier bags - string, (you never know when you might need it)
Financial: Money belt - sales book - receipt pad - credit card machine, (if you have one) - a float for your till/belt.
Other: Flask or bottle of drink - food - sweets, (for the sore throat you'll get from talking too much) - comfy old shoes, (just in case those new shoes that you have only worn in last week suddenly start to dig into your heels) - wear layers of clothes so that you can add layers if it's cold and take them off if it gets hot.
Each time we prepare for a show we tick each item off in pencil, then when everything is packed, we rub the ticks out ready for the next time. The books looking a bit ragged now but it still works. You will no doubt think of loads of things I've forgotten, so if you do, please tell me and I'll add it in my little book!
Then the last bit of advice - smile and enjoy yourself! Remember.......
Smiling
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the 'flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw me grin,
Suddenly I realised I'd passed it onto him.
I thought about the smile and realised what it's worth,
A single smile like mine could travel round the Earth.
So when you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected.
Start an epidemic - get the World infected!
Author Unknown
Friday, 1 July 2011
Exhibiting at Events - Episode 3
Are you ready now to make your first foray into the world of exhibitions? Have you chosen an event, sorted out your style and stand - so what else do you need to know and have in place?
You need to tell the Taxman! Essential. The tax officers are very helpful these days, phone them up, they won't bite, honest! Tell them your circumstances and about any other employment you have, then ask for advice, guidance and any paperwork needed for your new venture.
Remember, stock, material costs, overheads, stand fees etc., are all allowable against any income generated, so keep records from day one. Set yourself up with a simple day book of income and expenditure, then enter the purchase cost of your new day book as expense number one in the expenditure column!
If you also have a "proper job", it's worth checking your employment contract to make sure that you will not be breaking your terms of employment by working elsewhere. Some companies can be a bit funny if they think their employees may be being "disloyal" or creating a "conflict of interests".
Start a second bank account. A "number 2" personal account. It's not essential to have a business account immediately, but it is a very good idea to keep your self employment earnings and costs completely separate from your normal banking - it will help you with bookkeeping and to see how well or badly you are doing. You may need a business account later if for example you decide that you want to accept credit/debit cards.
Insurance. You need some, at the very least you should have public liability cover. There are quite a few ways you can arrange this. The amount and type needed will depend on the requirements of the organiser, always ask for advice.
1. There are companies who will cover you for individual events but it does work out a lot more expensive. There was a time when PL insurance was not needed by individual exhibitors at all events, (...the days when the event organisers could actually AFFORD to insure everyone!) But there were a few where you needed your own cover and I remember many years ago paying £47 for £5,000,000 product liability and £10,000,000 public liability cover for one particular five day event. Bearing in mind that the cost of the stand for five days at the time was £200 ish, you can see just how expensive it was in real terms!
2. Annual insurance cover is easier and less expensive to organise. You can either go through a specialist broker, (Google "craft event insurance" or ask other exhibitors for their agent) or you can join an organisation like the NMTF, (National Market Traders Federation) or other trade associations who will often include insurance and all sorts of other benefits like legal cover and special card processing deals to their membership. Average cost it seems is between £80-£150 per year.
Be prepared for taking payments at events. This is becoming a real bugbear. The cheque guarantee card system is being scrapped this year which means that payments made by cheque may not necessarily be honoured by the issuing bank. So if you accept a cheque from a customer the transaction will have to be based on trust......
Card payments are more and more popular, but the costs of being able to accept them can be quite high. First of all you need a business bank account, then a merchant bank account and a card payment processor like Barclaycard or Streamline. You will also be expected to commit to a contract term of generally 18 months or more. All of this will take time to organise and a lot of paperwork, so if this is your chosen route, make sure you set things up well in advance and do plenty of research and comparisons between providers before you make a decision.
Alternatively you can use one of the ever increasing number of companies who offer shorter term rental of card processing machines. They organise the processing and merchant bank account set up for you but you will no doubt pay handsomely for the privilege in terms of set up fees and commission charges. Then there's the new idea of phone to phone payments, and Paypal through a laptop, the mooted "oyster" type cards....It is a complicated labyrinth of different charges, rentals and contracts to negotiate which is incredibly "catch 22". The card processing company will base your charges on how much business you expect to do over say one year - but until you have accepted card payments, how do you know how much business you will put through? It's all guesswork!
Good old fashioned pounds, shillings and pence! It seems we are going back to the past - cash is king again. The large events now provide at least one ATM cash machine on site and most now have more than one bank offering a counter service. Even at smaller events, it is likely that there will be an ATM machine fairly close or a local shop offering a cashback service, so ironically it has become easier for folks to obtain cash than it once was. The only problem of course is keeping cash payments safe. It's a good idea to equip yourself with a discreet money belt, please don't ever leave cash lying around even in a locked box, it's just to easy to take.
What else? There are other things you will need to check out but they will depend on the service or product you are supplying. For example if you are involved in food of any description, do you have any necessary hygiene certification and full ingredients list with allergy warnings? If you are a maker of toys, furniture, clothes, household decorations etc., do your products meet the needs of Trading Standards? For cosmetics, potions and lotions, have you checked out what ingredient labelling is required. For jewellers, woodworkers, etc., there are requirements of a makers to describe their products accurately.
Better safe than sorry, a bit of time spent in research beforehand can help prevent problems later on. Do your homework!
I must point out that all of this information has been drawn from our own experience and that of our crafty friends. I can't claim that it is a complete guide by any means, but I hope at least some of it will be of help to someone. The next (and final) episode will be about the big day itself.....
Far too much blabbering again, time to go now!
You need to tell the Taxman! Essential. The tax officers are very helpful these days, phone them up, they won't bite, honest! Tell them your circumstances and about any other employment you have, then ask for advice, guidance and any paperwork needed for your new venture.
Remember, stock, material costs, overheads, stand fees etc., are all allowable against any income generated, so keep records from day one. Set yourself up with a simple day book of income and expenditure, then enter the purchase cost of your new day book as expense number one in the expenditure column!
If you also have a "proper job", it's worth checking your employment contract to make sure that you will not be breaking your terms of employment by working elsewhere. Some companies can be a bit funny if they think their employees may be being "disloyal" or creating a "conflict of interests".
Start a second bank account. A "number 2" personal account. It's not essential to have a business account immediately, but it is a very good idea to keep your self employment earnings and costs completely separate from your normal banking - it will help you with bookkeeping and to see how well or badly you are doing. You may need a business account later if for example you decide that you want to accept credit/debit cards.
Insurance. You need some, at the very least you should have public liability cover. There are quite a few ways you can arrange this. The amount and type needed will depend on the requirements of the organiser, always ask for advice.
1. There are companies who will cover you for individual events but it does work out a lot more expensive. There was a time when PL insurance was not needed by individual exhibitors at all events, (...the days when the event organisers could actually AFFORD to insure everyone!) But there were a few where you needed your own cover and I remember many years ago paying £47 for £5,000,000 product liability and £10,000,000 public liability cover for one particular five day event. Bearing in mind that the cost of the stand for five days at the time was £200 ish, you can see just how expensive it was in real terms!
2. Annual insurance cover is easier and less expensive to organise. You can either go through a specialist broker, (Google "craft event insurance" or ask other exhibitors for their agent) or you can join an organisation like the NMTF, (National Market Traders Federation) or other trade associations who will often include insurance and all sorts of other benefits like legal cover and special card processing deals to their membership. Average cost it seems is between £80-£150 per year.
Be prepared for taking payments at events. This is becoming a real bugbear. The cheque guarantee card system is being scrapped this year which means that payments made by cheque may not necessarily be honoured by the issuing bank. So if you accept a cheque from a customer the transaction will have to be based on trust......
Card payments are more and more popular, but the costs of being able to accept them can be quite high. First of all you need a business bank account, then a merchant bank account and a card payment processor like Barclaycard or Streamline. You will also be expected to commit to a contract term of generally 18 months or more. All of this will take time to organise and a lot of paperwork, so if this is your chosen route, make sure you set things up well in advance and do plenty of research and comparisons between providers before you make a decision.
Alternatively you can use one of the ever increasing number of companies who offer shorter term rental of card processing machines. They organise the processing and merchant bank account set up for you but you will no doubt pay handsomely for the privilege in terms of set up fees and commission charges. Then there's the new idea of phone to phone payments, and Paypal through a laptop, the mooted "oyster" type cards....It is a complicated labyrinth of different charges, rentals and contracts to negotiate which is incredibly "catch 22". The card processing company will base your charges on how much business you expect to do over say one year - but until you have accepted card payments, how do you know how much business you will put through? It's all guesswork!
Good old fashioned pounds, shillings and pence! It seems we are going back to the past - cash is king again. The large events now provide at least one ATM cash machine on site and most now have more than one bank offering a counter service. Even at smaller events, it is likely that there will be an ATM machine fairly close or a local shop offering a cashback service, so ironically it has become easier for folks to obtain cash than it once was. The only problem of course is keeping cash payments safe. It's a good idea to equip yourself with a discreet money belt, please don't ever leave cash lying around even in a locked box, it's just to easy to take.
What else? There are other things you will need to check out but they will depend on the service or product you are supplying. For example if you are involved in food of any description, do you have any necessary hygiene certification and full ingredients list with allergy warnings? If you are a maker of toys, furniture, clothes, household decorations etc., do your products meet the needs of Trading Standards? For cosmetics, potions and lotions, have you checked out what ingredient labelling is required. For jewellers, woodworkers, etc., there are requirements of a makers to describe their products accurately.
Better safe than sorry, a bit of time spent in research beforehand can help prevent problems later on. Do your homework!
I must point out that all of this information has been drawn from our own experience and that of our crafty friends. I can't claim that it is a complete guide by any means, but I hope at least some of it will be of help to someone. The next (and final) episode will be about the big day itself.....
Far too much blabbering again, time to go now!
Friday, 24 June 2011
Exhibiting at a Craft Fair - Episode 2 Presentation
This follows on from episode one found here http://seatweaving.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-become-exhibitor-episode-1.html
You've done the leg work and the research, found a few fairs and events that you fancy and now you've just got to make the booking and prepare for the big day(s). So, how do you want the World to see you? Are you quirky, cutting-edge-super-modern, traditional, designer, cool, quaint, eco-friendly, romantic, sophisticated...... some, all or none of the above?
How you present yourself does matter. As a visitor walks past you he or she will more than likely decide in the first 2 or 3 seconds of seeing your stand whether or not to take a closer look. So it is important to transmit what you do and your style with a display that has the right impact on passers-by in a matter of seconds. How? The best way I've found is to look at other "brands". Let's take Tesco for example. They have a simple philosophy, (and a bigger research budget than me!). Plainer packaging is down to earth, good, wholesome "value", but the "treat yourself to the finest" range has a more sophisticated packaging design with lots of black. Ask yourself, when you shop at a supermarket do you instinctively look for certain ranges of goods by their packaging?
So using the same ideas, if you want an elegant look for say a jewellery display, maybe darker colours with a bit of sleek contrast here and there, perhaps a bit of rich velvet or silk will give the "treat yourself to the finest" look, (think Harrods). Or for an excellent value, fresh, wholesome and earthy look, (some soap, candles, honey and foodies maybe?) simplicity, natural tones, greens, beige, pale blue and ethnic fabric, hessian, some fresh flowers and gingham! There was a superb example of this at a show we were at recently, a lady potter with her beautifully simple pots displayed on tartan squares with a plain blue cotton fabric background - stunning! The colourful tartan showed off her uncluttered elegant designs to perfection. I was drawn to her stand and just had to have a closer look.
The things to avoid in a display. The colour red. Be careful how much you use, it can subliminally warn some people away, but is a great tool in small quantities to attract attention. Likewise bright highlighter colours like fluorescent banana yellow and fuchsia pink - use with great care! And untidiness, I know it can be hard sometimes, but try to keep it neat.
Okay, so that's an overview of creating an image, so once you've got an overall vision of that, what about the nuts and bolts of showing off your stock? Obviously how you do this is going to depend on what you make or demonstrate, so I'll talk in general terms. Most people walking past a display won't necessarily look at things that are below waist height or above eye line to begin with, so bear this in mind. Put your most eye catching pieces within that range to attract their attention. You could also use Leonardo Da Vinci's principle - the magic triangle. If you look at his art, there is virtually always a triangulation - in his Madonna and Child paintings your eyes are drawn firstly by the Madonna's face, then down to the child, then to the feet, they are the most detailed and brightest spots in the painting, you are then captivated and start to look around then into the background image. Arranging your stand with this in mind you can draw the customers eyes from one bright piece to another and hopefully gain their interest. So what are the basic essentials for display:
A table. You need a really good one, not a special offer DIY paste table, it will fall over or collapse if someone leans on it, (and they will....). Some organisers provide good solid tables at events, some don't, so when you make your booking ask if tables are supplied and if so, how big they are. Cover your table completely with fabric or something right down to the floor all the way around, then you'll be able to hide overstock or empty boxes underneath. Use drawing pins or self stick velcro to hold the cover in place.
Staging. Shelves, covered boxes, pegboard or any other means of adding height, depth and interest. I've seen some fabulous props used for this, vintage shoemakers wooden lasts mounted onto a base and used to show off jewellery, ornate wooden hat stands adorned with belts and bags, antique plant troughs full of pottery sitting in straw and butchers hooks to hang baskets from the gazebo roof. Just one word of warning though, whatever you do use as a prop make sure it is safe and secure! If you are outdoors use tent pegs into the ground for any tall display, or indoors bungee them to an immovable object, never assume the best case scenario, the one in our dreams where all of the children will be perfectly well behaved and no-one will trip over or lose their balance and all tea cups are non-spill - instead anticipate the worst possible event and make sure that your display can take it
Lighting. Not always a possibility and it usually costs extra to have power on your stand. However, if you have access to electric make the best use of it. Crystal clear directional light can change the look of anything, especially glossy items like jewellery and polished furniture or metal, but it will also show up any imperfections! Be aware that there are rules about using electrical goods at a public event, they have to be very new with a current twelve month guarantee period and safety labels intact or if they're out of guarantee they have to be "PAT" tested and certified for safety. It need not be too expensive to get this done, ask the fair organiser as they may well have a deal going with an electrician for all of their exhibitors. We know this because our son is a certified PAT tester and he arranges equipment tests at a very reasonable cost for our friend who organises antique fairs!
Okay, you've done all of that, so now practice! Set up your stand at home, move things around, look at it from all angles and ask everybody for an opinion. Mess about until you're happy.
Coo.......that was a lot of blabbering.........Next episode, all the other things you need to remember for the big day including how to prepare yourself.
You've done the leg work and the research, found a few fairs and events that you fancy and now you've just got to make the booking and prepare for the big day(s). So, how do you want the World to see you? Are you quirky, cutting-edge-super-modern, traditional, designer, cool, quaint, eco-friendly, romantic, sophisticated...... some, all or none of the above?
How you present yourself does matter. As a visitor walks past you he or she will more than likely decide in the first 2 or 3 seconds of seeing your stand whether or not to take a closer look. So it is important to transmit what you do and your style with a display that has the right impact on passers-by in a matter of seconds. How? The best way I've found is to look at other "brands". Let's take Tesco for example. They have a simple philosophy, (and a bigger research budget than me!). Plainer packaging is down to earth, good, wholesome "value", but the "treat yourself to the finest" range has a more sophisticated packaging design with lots of black. Ask yourself, when you shop at a supermarket do you instinctively look for certain ranges of goods by their packaging?
So using the same ideas, if you want an elegant look for say a jewellery display, maybe darker colours with a bit of sleek contrast here and there, perhaps a bit of rich velvet or silk will give the "treat yourself to the finest" look, (think Harrods). Or for an excellent value, fresh, wholesome and earthy look, (some soap, candles, honey and foodies maybe?) simplicity, natural tones, greens, beige, pale blue and ethnic fabric, hessian, some fresh flowers and gingham! There was a superb example of this at a show we were at recently, a lady potter with her beautifully simple pots displayed on tartan squares with a plain blue cotton fabric background - stunning! The colourful tartan showed off her uncluttered elegant designs to perfection. I was drawn to her stand and just had to have a closer look.
The things to avoid in a display. The colour red. Be careful how much you use, it can subliminally warn some people away, but is a great tool in small quantities to attract attention. Likewise bright highlighter colours like fluorescent banana yellow and fuchsia pink - use with great care! And untidiness, I know it can be hard sometimes, but try to keep it neat.
Okay, so that's an overview of creating an image, so once you've got an overall vision of that, what about the nuts and bolts of showing off your stock? Obviously how you do this is going to depend on what you make or demonstrate, so I'll talk in general terms. Most people walking past a display won't necessarily look at things that are below waist height or above eye line to begin with, so bear this in mind. Put your most eye catching pieces within that range to attract their attention. You could also use Leonardo Da Vinci's principle - the magic triangle. If you look at his art, there is virtually always a triangulation - in his Madonna and Child paintings your eyes are drawn firstly by the Madonna's face, then down to the child, then to the feet, they are the most detailed and brightest spots in the painting, you are then captivated and start to look around then into the background image. Arranging your stand with this in mind you can draw the customers eyes from one bright piece to another and hopefully gain their interest. So what are the basic essentials for display:
A table. You need a really good one, not a special offer DIY paste table, it will fall over or collapse if someone leans on it, (and they will....). Some organisers provide good solid tables at events, some don't, so when you make your booking ask if tables are supplied and if so, how big they are. Cover your table completely with fabric or something right down to the floor all the way around, then you'll be able to hide overstock or empty boxes underneath. Use drawing pins or self stick velcro to hold the cover in place.
Staging. Shelves, covered boxes, pegboard or any other means of adding height, depth and interest. I've seen some fabulous props used for this, vintage shoemakers wooden lasts mounted onto a base and used to show off jewellery, ornate wooden hat stands adorned with belts and bags, antique plant troughs full of pottery sitting in straw and butchers hooks to hang baskets from the gazebo roof. Just one word of warning though, whatever you do use as a prop make sure it is safe and secure! If you are outdoors use tent pegs into the ground for any tall display, or indoors bungee them to an immovable object, never assume the best case scenario, the one in our dreams where all of the children will be perfectly well behaved and no-one will trip over or lose their balance and all tea cups are non-spill - instead anticipate the worst possible event and make sure that your display can take it
Lighting. Not always a possibility and it usually costs extra to have power on your stand. However, if you have access to electric make the best use of it. Crystal clear directional light can change the look of anything, especially glossy items like jewellery and polished furniture or metal, but it will also show up any imperfections! Be aware that there are rules about using electrical goods at a public event, they have to be very new with a current twelve month guarantee period and safety labels intact or if they're out of guarantee they have to be "PAT" tested and certified for safety. It need not be too expensive to get this done, ask the fair organiser as they may well have a deal going with an electrician for all of their exhibitors. We know this because our son is a certified PAT tester and he arranges equipment tests at a very reasonable cost for our friend who organises antique fairs!
Okay, you've done all of that, so now practice! Set up your stand at home, move things around, look at it from all angles and ask everybody for an opinion. Mess about until you're happy.
Coo.......that was a lot of blabbering.........Next episode, all the other things you need to remember for the big day including how to prepare yourself.
Monday, 13 June 2011
How to become an exhibitor - Episode 1......
Okay as promised, (threatened!) a run down on what it's like to get out there and "strut your stuff" to the public at an event. Starting right at the beginning.
You're now really proficient at your craft/skill, you've made plenty of examples of your work, you've had good feedback from family/friends/colleagues and maybe some sales and commissions. You feel ready to take the next step so...., how do you choose your first show, fair or other event?
Before you do anything else, step back and impartially analyse your product or service. Who wants it, where do you think you'll find potential clients and just as importantly who wouldn't be interested in what you do? Ask everyone who is prepared to listen for their honest opinion. For example, our products and services cross over at least three different potential markets, antiques, craft and traditional skills, there's also possibly designer/maker events, but we know that we'd be useless at a pamper evening! So having established which categories you can potentially fit into with your work, you can start the process of finding events that will match your criteria. There's no lack of choice, but initially it's more sensible to go for local, smaller events. Why?
A. Because generally smaller events are less expensive therefore less of a financial risk and
B. You won't have wasted too much time and effort if it all goes wrong - but all feedback and experience is absolutely priceless.
Give yourself plenty of time, don't think that just because you've got everything in place you must do a show immediately. Pencil a few events into your diary that you fancy the look of and then go visit them as a customer. While you're there have a chat with other stallholders, see if you can meet the organiser, talk to other visitors - get their reactions. Look at the advertising, are there road signs, what's the access like, where do you park and does it cost, is there a "buzz" in the room, what competition is there for your range of products, how are people presenting their stands, is there a cafe and a toilet, is there FOOD! Boiled down to basics, did you feel inspired and comfortable at the event, was it an enjoyable time, did you buy anything, (or at least want to)? Don't worry if it takes you a few months or even a year to investigate all potential venues, the homework will be worth it. Keep notes, make sure you have the contact details of the organiser, cost of the event, address of the venue visited and the event dates along with a rough outline of what the day was like for you. What was the weather like, (always an important aspect when assessing any event in the UK!) and whether it was very busy, moderately so, or more like a morgue.
A story and a little gem of knowledge that was passed on to us by a great friend and fellow crafter about judging the likely success or failure of an event. We were alongside each other at a big, well attended outdoor fair a few years ago. Our friend was watching intently as the crowds milled around in the glorious sunshine - he was staring at everyones feet. After a while he looked up and said, "You can always tell whether it'll be a good day or not by peoples shoes you know. Today's going to be good."
Meanwhile while you're busy doing all of the above, you can formulate your unique brand "presentation", your look. That will be the topic of Episode 2......
You're now really proficient at your craft/skill, you've made plenty of examples of your work, you've had good feedback from family/friends/colleagues and maybe some sales and commissions. You feel ready to take the next step so...., how do you choose your first show, fair or other event?
Before you do anything else, step back and impartially analyse your product or service. Who wants it, where do you think you'll find potential clients and just as importantly who wouldn't be interested in what you do? Ask everyone who is prepared to listen for their honest opinion. For example, our products and services cross over at least three different potential markets, antiques, craft and traditional skills, there's also possibly designer/maker events, but we know that we'd be useless at a pamper evening! So having established which categories you can potentially fit into with your work, you can start the process of finding events that will match your criteria. There's no lack of choice, but initially it's more sensible to go for local, smaller events. Why?
A. Because generally smaller events are less expensive therefore less of a financial risk and
B. You won't have wasted too much time and effort if it all goes wrong - but all feedback and experience is absolutely priceless.
Give yourself plenty of time, don't think that just because you've got everything in place you must do a show immediately. Pencil a few events into your diary that you fancy the look of and then go visit them as a customer. While you're there have a chat with other stallholders, see if you can meet the organiser, talk to other visitors - get their reactions. Look at the advertising, are there road signs, what's the access like, where do you park and does it cost, is there a "buzz" in the room, what competition is there for your range of products, how are people presenting their stands, is there a cafe and a toilet, is there FOOD! Boiled down to basics, did you feel inspired and comfortable at the event, was it an enjoyable time, did you buy anything, (or at least want to)? Don't worry if it takes you a few months or even a year to investigate all potential venues, the homework will be worth it. Keep notes, make sure you have the contact details of the organiser, cost of the event, address of the venue visited and the event dates along with a rough outline of what the day was like for you. What was the weather like, (always an important aspect when assessing any event in the UK!) and whether it was very busy, moderately so, or more like a morgue.
A story and a little gem of knowledge that was passed on to us by a great friend and fellow crafter about judging the likely success or failure of an event. We were alongside each other at a big, well attended outdoor fair a few years ago. Our friend was watching intently as the crowds milled around in the glorious sunshine - he was staring at everyones feet. After a while he looked up and said, "You can always tell whether it'll be a good day or not by peoples shoes you know. Today's going to be good."
Meanwhile while you're busy doing all of the above, you can formulate your unique brand "presentation", your look. That will be the topic of Episode 2......
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