GET THERE EARLY!!!
There are some vendors who get to the shows very early and some who get there just minutes before the event starts. Since it takes us a long time to set up, we are one of the early birds. As time goes on, things can become more hectic by the minute. It's nice to get there, unload, park the vehicle and set up. Whatever works for you.
The squeeze. In a lot of events, a 10x10 space is exactly what you get. Your canopy is 10x10 and have you ever found yourself getting to an event where canopies are set up on each side of you and they have 'squeezed' you out. Like, you are short several inches which makes propping up your canopy difficult. One time in Clovis I arrived there somewhat late (coming from the Bay Area in the wee hours of the morning) and found that I only had about 4 feet for my space. Each space was supposedly 10x10, but a number of vendors used a 'few extra inches' and I ended up with that. They had to push their canopies over to allow me to get in. I must say that was not very easy to do.
Get to your event early. It's hell waiting at the end of a street for cars/vans/trucks to unload. Plus as time goes on, people do get stressed out. Also, if there are any problems with your space, etc., you can get things worked out a lot easier (if possible).
