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Better Booth Display = Better Sales
With the August Buyers Market of American Craft less than one month away, many artists across the country are working hard to perfect their booth displays. Gone are the days of simply putting your work on a folding table. Today’s booth displays need to effectively showcase an artist’s work, especially at a wholesale tradeshow. Artists exhibiting in a tradeshow need to make their work stand out from the crowd, and the booth is the first place (after the work itself) where artists can differentiate themselves.
Here are three factors to consider when planning your booth.
Size
How big a booth do you need? This will largely be based on the variety of product lines you will be presenting. Often, artists with only a few lines will need a smaller space to display their work. However, the more lines or variety between pieces in a single line, the more space an artist may need to properly exhibit them. Also consider the size of your work. If you are a furniture maker, for example, you will probably need more than the typical 10 x 10 foot booth to show even one complete line. In some shows, having a larger booth allows an artist to add a dramatic flair that expresses both their products’ uniqueness and high quality.
Lighting
A properly lit booth will greatly enhance the appearance of your work, and ideally boost your sales by attracting more customers. It is best to create a lighting scheme that is free of shadows. Avoid shining bright lights in your customer’s eyes, otherwise they might not see your products and move on to the next booth. Remember to bring extra lights and light bulbs—just in case something breaks, a bulb burns out, or if you just want to adjust your booth’s lok.
Display Furniture
As mentioned above, the days of simply putting your work out on a folding table are over. From shelving systems to modular panels, walls and pedestals, the choices in display furniture and materials are nearly endless. No matter what type of display you choose, you should consider:
- The cost of the materials
- The cost of shipping the booth (if you’re shipping it to the show)
- The labor involved in putting the booth together
- The labor involved in taking the booth apart
- Most importantly, how your work will look with the furniture
With the right combination of a winning booth design and a high quality handmade product, tradeshow success is right around the corner!
Got a good booth design tip? Post it to the Wholesale Matters blog!
On the Arts Funding Frontline
The Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $9 million increase for the NEA in its FY 2008 spending bill on June 19, 2007. Other than a $10 million increase in the first year of the Bush Administration, this is the largest increase the Senate subcommittee has provided in the last twelve years. However, the Senate figure doesn't come close to the substantial increase of $35 million provided by the House Appropriations Committee. The agency, currently funded at $124.4 million, has only seen increases of about 3% for the last several years.
Sharpen Your Business Skills at the Visiting Artist Program
Time is running out to enroll! Visit www.ArtsBusinessInstitute.org to register for the next Visiting Artist Program, August 4-6, 2007. Enrollment deadline is July 27, 2007.
The Visiting Artist Program provides artists the opportunity to develop the skills necessary for running a successful arts business. This summer’s program is hosted by the Arts Business Institute (ABI), a national non-profit education organization that provides artists with real-world business knowledge.
Artists participating in the program will attend a variety of business education seminars and participate in guided tours of the Buyers Market. Attending artists will also have the opportunity to sign up for one-on-one mentoring sessions with ABI faculty and Buyers Market staff. Sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and advance registration is required.
Featured speakers include Bruce Baker, Nancy Markoe and other ABI faculty and Buyers Market staff. Topics will include How to Wholesale, Pricing, and other timely issues facing today’s emerging artist.
Wholesale Matters Blog-Watch
Wholesale Matters, the official Buyers Market blog, is updated almost every day. Find out what’s new in wholesale, get wholesale tips and tricks, find cool online business tools, and more at http://buyersmarketblog.typepad.com. Here are a few recent headlines:
- More words of wisdom from Seth Godin
- What are you doing to prepare for BMAC?
- Back from CODA
OPPORTUNITIES KNOCKING
Call for Entries: 2008 NICHE Awards
Applications for the 2008 NICHE Awards are now available online at www.AmericanCraft.com. Artists can download an application at the newly revamped NICHE Awards web page. Other useful information includes updated rules and guidelines, as well as information about the 2008 NICHE Awards ceremony, special display and finalist notifications.
Categories include Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Metal, Wood, Jewelry, Home Furnishings, Goblets, Judaica, Mixed Media, Narrative, Recycled, Teapots and more. New categories include Handmade Beads and Polymer Clay.
Judging is based on three main criteria:
- technical excellence, both in surface design and form
- market viability
- a distinct quality of unique, original and creative thought
Finalists are invited to display their work in the NICHE Awards exhibit at the February Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, February 15-18, 2008, and will be included in the Winter 2008 issue of NICHE magazine. Winners will be announced at the February 2008 Buyers Market and featured in the Spring 2008 issue of NICHE magazine.
Quote of the Month:
An idea is a point of departure and no more. As soon as you elaborate it, it becomes transformed by thought.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Spanish artist.
Market Insider
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