The Working at Shows Forum

Question

FestivalNet

Monday, February 16, 2009 10:24 pm EST

This forum is a place to discuss the world of owrking at festivals and special events. Feel free to add a post, add a topic or suggest a new forum category.

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Answer 1

i have just signed onto this site and havent a clue how this works... are there other artist on here??

Answer 2

FNO has been around for years as the top site for art/craft show and festival info, there details are the best and they have tons of shows. This community is new, but it should become a great place for artists, crafters and other folks working in this market. Check out the show tips page, http://festivalnet.com/craft_show_tips.html and the neswletters archive for some good info, http://festivalnet.com/other/news_letters/index.html.

Answer 3

Those pages linked: [url]http://festivalnet.com/craft_show_tips.html[/url] [url]http://festivalnet.com/other/news_letters/index.html[/url]

Answer 4

I have a suggestion to the forum and FNO newsletter to include LEGAL aspects of our business. It looks like there is very little info on this - street performers/artists working on public property are protected by 1st Amendment of the Constitution, and there are several web-sites featuring legal battles between street performers and their city governments, but there are no web-sites to get legal advice for festival artists and vendors. It looks like we don't have any legal rights at all and the management of the festival always wins. I've been in situations when my rent was raised at the last moment, despite the fact that I put a deposit a year ago, I was refused spots at festivals based on residency ("we have local face-painters who need money"), I was in a situation once when there was a huge church tent with free face-painting right next to me, though management told me I would be the only face-painter at the show etc etc I never took any legal action, but I wonder if I could...Does anybody know any web-sites giving free legal advice to festival folk?

Answer 5

I too am new to this site and have no idea what to do with it other than look for Craft Shows in my area. I make small seasonal arrangements that are sellable and fun to make, however, they are inexpensive and I need to sell a whole lot of them to pay for my space. I am a recently retired USPS mailman and would like to know what else I could sell that might increase my intake of cash. Can you help me? In Northwest Houston, Texas.

Answer 6

Well my wife thinks I am a artist. I am also new is the welcome wagon on the road?

Answer 7

Yes i do belive that some type of legal advise page or forum would be nice. I have not done very many shows yet but I ave found that its the little stuff that adds up. I am not made of money and what i do have and make is never enough so if I could learn from somebody eles mistake that would be nice. What advise does any one have? I am a weood turner and if there is anything some one is will to share it greatly excepted.

Answer 8

I am new on this site as well and new to the world of craft fairs. I make greeting cards and am looking for small venues as a beginner. I also have some questions that I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with. At outdoor craft fairs I see information about the size of the space that is available, but do organizers include the tents or is that something that we have to purchase and put up ourselves? I am also looking for local church and school fairs in the CT area. If anyone has any info on these smaller venues that would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 9

Since local and state laws have such a wide variance, it would be very hard to have a general legal page here. (We're in Louisiana; since the legal code here is based upon Napoleanic law we have laws like no other state.) Also, Dominions (Pennsylvania and Virginia come to mind; there may be others) are somewhat different from other states. Your best bet would be to contact someone who does something similar to you in the geographical locations you're showing in, and ask them how they handle specific situations. In addition to searching for all types of fairs in every state, this site is great for advertising what you can do and how you do it to promoters, other vendors, and potential customers through still photos, videos, blogs, and written descriptions. We just discovered this aspect of festivalnet.com recently, and tried to put it to use in advertising our business. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated, as we're newbies at this whole festival/selling thing. David & Lisa Brown at Bear Paw Sticks & Staffs

Answer 10

Every state is different so the best bet to see what you need in your area is to go to a few shows in your area and ask the vendors. Vendors are mostly very friendly people and are willing to answer all your questions. I have done shows for almost 30 years but only in the western states. I always help new people who want to get into doing shows. Eva of EJ's Crafts

Answer 11

I have been doing shows for a year and i love it it is just finding the good ones you know that is where the problem starts . I will do a show everyone raves about and do okay and also the shows they say are bad I will do great

Answer 12

Better include the mystique of 'good ones' and 'bad ones' in your finds. Keep track and start looking for why yours may be good and 'theirs' are bad. When you notice what the mix of products is, what sort of visitors frequent the shows, and ...don't forget the weather (have they had devastating tornadoes in the show vicinity in the past three months...), you'll at least come to understand that there are literally hundreds of variables involved. Maybe yours was good because 'they' didn't fit the venue or yours is just ok because you are an unknown and 'they' aren't...or there were 10 more of your 'kind' at the show and the attendance was down -or never supported multiples of anything...Who knows, but it is all so interesting that I just keep lovin' the whole process. The wins are precious and the losses are to be evaluated before moving on.

Answer 13

In the present general economy we've noticed that food and jewelry sell consistently. Everything else is kind of hit-or-miss right now. We just did a show where we sold one walking stick, but made our expenses and a small profit on what we cleaned out of the sheds, back porch, and carport. The show before was suppedly arts, crafts, and plants only (nursery festival), but there were mostly resale items. We were one of six or so crafters out of around fifty or sixty vendors! We just made expenses on that one.

Answer 14

Ah,yes, jewelry and food...I believe they are the sustenance of mainstream American craft shows. What is sad to see is when what is touted to be a 'festival' or 'art and craft' show actually turns into a garage sale! And, I've been to too many seasonal shows that presumably feature handcrafted, original work only to find resale decorations that naturally sell for pennies. The craftsman who actually does original decorations finds himself either trying to rationalize why his prices reflect cost of materials or gritting his teeth and smiling. This is why I prefer juried shows and shows that have proven to be consistent BUT I also look for fresh venues that I can tailor my art and craft (because I do both) around. I don't like competing with China resins when each sculpted polymer piece I make is an original- but there it is! Sadly the buyers are as much the reason as the promoters who naturally look for happy vendors and attendance numbers. I do think though, the promoter has the power (and our application fees) to advertise in a less broad-spectrum fashion than it does. Feature artists (like FNO) are a lot more interesting to read about than simply mentioning there will be... arts and crafts. The promoters are looking at capturing an audience but they are not particularly interested in where it comes from...you and I definitely are. That's why we are paying for a 'store' isn't it? We need to get out of the 'lower case' mentality and make our case for 'UPPER CASE' ORIGINALITY! When you are served nothing but hamburger you don't even know steak when you see it, right? I don't advocate elimination of the 'draws' because they have their merits, too. I would imagine most of us would(I do) actually subscribe to paying extra for an offer of individualized advertising if there was a guarantee it was done and if it were offered like table rentals on our applications. And I think there are better results for all vendors when there is even a little personalized advance notice about what will be onsite. You can do your own advertising campaigns, too- Events Calendars for yourself, mailing lists etc., but you need a business and promotions manager to do it right and who, of us can claim to be so 'big' as to manage that! Well, the resale people can, they've got 'recognition factors' going for them and bargain prices to boot! And they don't need to advertise personally. Promoters don't have to have an imbalance of vendor-types like you speak of, and shouldn't unless they really are a Garage Sale. I would never have even made expenses at your event since that Honda I talk about all the time CERTAINLY wouldn't hold what I've got in MY garage!

Answer 15

We are leaving Friday 4/3 for the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro, LA. Supposedly this festival has 4 separate sections for its vendors: juried arts & crafts with no resale allowed ($105), non-juried arts & crafts with new resale allowed ($75), garage-sale (used) type items (fee unspecified) , and commercial (fee unspecified). This is our first year on the festival circuit (4th festival this year), and we've already experienced shows advertised like this one (Arts & Crafts) with major "crossover" between arts & crafts, new resale, and garage-sale items. I get kind of bent when we pay the higher fee for juried arts & crafts to sell David's handcrafted walking sticks, only to find the stall next door is selling bedsheets and tupperware, and is included in the juried judging! What can you do but not go back the following year? By the way, the only time we clean out the sheds & take anything other than David's sticks is the local "Trade Days" shows, which are well known as garage-sale type shows. We (often mistakenly) assume that "Arts & Crafts" means just that, and take sticks only to those. Live & learn. It'll be interesting to see how this 4/4 festival goes.

Answer 16

I think it all depends on you're product. You must have quality work. And it shows!

Answer 17

It looks like there are quite a few newbies here, so I thought I pass along some things I've learned over the years that have helped me. The question about needing your own tent - yes, you need your own. Some shows will have large circus type tents under which you can set up, but for most you will need a 10x10 white canopy with sides. You will need to weight or stake it to the ground. Don't ever infringe on your neighbor's space, not even a fraction of an inch. Most veteran crafters/artists will not be understanding about this. We want every inch we paid for, and so will you. Next would be insurance. Get some. Your personal assets are tied to your business and your home owners insurance does not cover your business. If someone sues you, you can lose your house, your car, everything you own. For around $300 per year you can have peace of mind. It's worth every penny. Finally, be patient. You may very well work at this business for a couple years (or more) and not show a profit. I don't want to scare anyone off here, but this is most definately not a get rich quick business. It's long hours - sometimes it pays off and sometimes you lose your shirt at a show. This is a business, and although it's sometimes tough for us creative types to treat it as such, you must. Be professional, have separate accounts for your business, if you take credit cards, get each card verified at the time sale. And again, be patient. Very few of us made money right off the bat. It takes time to learn the business, perfect your sales technique, and learn what makes a good show and what makes a bad show for you. Hope I didn't come across as a downer. I love what I do, but I'm also pretty realistic. It's very easy to get discouraged and have expectations that are unrealistic. Eventually things fall into place. It just takes time, research, and unfortunately, money. Good luck to all!

Answer 18

There's nothing negative about your advice to new or returning craftsmen-it's all true and I'm sure that's short-cut most are looking for...And it's food for thought for those who have evolved with the business. We may take for granted and ignore the subtle changes in how business is done these days and seeing the views and experiences of others 'of our kind' helps our in our resolve to upgrade or adjust. Thanks.

Answer 19

Thank you natsnurture for sharing that information with us newbies. I had a post (about a month ago) about if anyone knew a good place to get insurance. It is a VERY important part of a craft business. It would only take someone tripping over your table leg in your booth for you to loose everything. Remember, when you do look for insurance, you can go to the BBB site to see what kind of rating the company has. I didn't get any responses to my post but I did find a place that was pretty reasonable. If anyone is interested just send me a note and I'll get you the contact information.

Answer 20

Times have truly changed in the Art/Craft show circuit. I started doing craft shows back in the mid 90's when there were many small shows where you could more or less get a feel for the business end of it as you grew. Sometimes we did well, sometimes we barely made cost, but it was always a learning experience. We had fun and grew our small business from non-juried craft shows to juried art shows. Life and family obligations took me elsewhere and I was away from the shows for over ten years, working a 9 to 5 in order to support my family. I put a few items in consignment shops over the years to bring in a bit of extra, but that was about it. After Hurricane Ivan took out our little back yard glass studio with a Live Oak tree while living in the Florida Panhandle we struggled to get back on our feet. Eventually we had no choice but to relocate and attempt to start over from the bottom by trying our hand at the show circuit again. WOW! Things have changed. The professional "Event Planners" took over and very basically priced bootstraping small businesses right out of the running. While some aspects of this are good, the price of getting started has sky rocketed. I'd always been a designer leaning towards juried shows with my original designed stained glass. Now I can't make enough with little handmade craft item to build back into my glass and more high end items. Expensive white tents, liability insurance and higher entry fees have stopped me from doing what I truly love as I struggle to survive in this economy. I pray every day to make a few sales on Internet sites like Etsy in order to afford the costs of getting out there again. The only advise I can give to those just walking into this for the first time is to seek out the few small shows that are still out there and get you feet wet. If it is meant to be you will grow into those fancy white tent shows when you're ready.

Answer 21

I am also new to the whole craft show world. I am wondering if anyone can give me any info on Tax ID #'s. Do I need to get one? How do I get one? I was told that some shows have temporary ID's. Also how do you know what you need to claim? This is where I get overwhelmed and confused. Also at most craft shows are you required to bring all your own tables and tents? Thanks for the help.

Answer 22

jules397 ----All of these questions can be more easily answered if you talk to a promoter directly. Some hand out the forms you need to fill out and send in with sales tax collected at the time you check in to the show, others inform you that all responsibility for the submission of collected taxes lies with you (which is true even if they hand you a form). Some states have a special license available for retired persons whose primary income is not craft sales and municipalities may charge for a day permit or' special event permit' in addition to a state sales tax license.' If you live in another state and do x number of shows per year in that state you may have to have a Temporary ID # from that state to do business there....BUT, in any case if this is going to be an all-out regularly pursued business, you need to talk with your state department of revenue, business licensing division and apply for a business license which will perhaps require a bond and a registered business name. Many states have an online Q and A site that will tell you what to do. Start soon, because all of this takes time. Until you have your ID# you can fill out show apps and indicate: State Business Lic Applied For - or- City of ......Applied For and then mail a photocopy( if required) or simply send them the ID# with expiration date. k.neff/ inNOVAtions Studio, Missouri

Answer 23

Thank you so much for the help. Greatly appreciated.

Answer 24

Has anyone been to the Lodi, CA Street Faire, which will be held on May 2, 2010 this year ? If so, would you share how well your sales went there, and if there were more lookers than buyers ? There have been some good suggestions from all of you, especially on insurance, since I am new back in the business.

Answer 25

I have insurance through RLI...I have no idea if it's good insurance or not because I've never had to file a claim and that's the only way to really know. The rates were what I thought were reasonable though. I can't help you with the street fair in California though. Good Luck!

Answer 26

I am looking for shows in Northern IL by Freeport. I sell Tastefully Simple and would love to find more local events if anyone knows of any please mail me at nova3459@hotmail.com. Thanks so much for the help.... Rhonda

Answer 27

Hey Rhonda! We can help you search the FNO database for your local Illinois shows, no problem. Email us at info@festivalnet.com if you want tech support and welcome to the community! Julie

Answer 28

I am doing my first show next month (the Wamego Tulip Festival) it is on the database on this site. I have gone to it for many years as a buyer. It always has a great turnout for a NE Kansas small town. It is a juried event and they WILL come to your booth throughout the weekend and if one is caught with resell items, you will be asked to leave and not allowed to return. They always have quality booths with all handcrafted items. For weighting down my tent, I am going to try coffee cans filled with cement and I bolts in the center. I thought those could be placed just inside beside each leg of my tent and held utilizing the i bolts and bungees should hold the tent in place in case of winds (which are very prevalent in Kansas). If anyone has tried this, I would be happy to hear how they worked or didn't. If not, then I will definitely repost on there and let everyone know if it worked.

Answer 29

Hello everyone, My husband and I are artists and have been doing festivals as a sole income now for 17 years. But I am new to this site. We do about 30 shows a year and I have posted reviews for most of them. We have found that the key to success is the quality of your product (i.e. what makes it different from what your customers have already seen) and your price. (i.e. is it something people won't pass by-they want to buy it now, kind-a thing). We have never done a show where we didn't make our expenses back at least. but in this economy we have to do all types of shows and do everything we can to make that sale.

Answer 30

I started out as a crafter making my product, "The Hip Klip & Pocket Accessory", a clip-on mini-purse and key chain. Demand has been so high we started outsourcing which now means we're a commercial vendor in most places. We do very well where ever we go with it but can't go much further than 200 miles from MD's Eastern Shore. I want to know how to find other folks who would like to sell our product at fairs/festivals.

Answer 31

Reyerware - my advice to you for holding down a tent in high winds is to bungee weights to your tent- the heavier the better. If your winds are anything like Springfest/Sunfest in Ocean City, MD you will need much more than coffee cans with cement but by now you might already know this. I'm thinking 5 gallon buckets with cement/bricks if you can't nail down a tether to the blacktop and strap your tent down that way. We had six six foot gridwalls filled with products and duct taped to the legs on one side and we were tethered on the other and STILL almost blew away! A few of our neighbor's tents (with all their stuff) did blow away.

Answer 32

STAR FLEET ART SHOW @ DR. SIR CHRISTOPHER A GREEN ESQ MD 9261142 @ 09:00am-EST - 17:00am-EST Monday February 14 2011AD

Answer 33

Does anyone have any idea what the average percentage of sales to festival goers is? I will be going to my first show and I do not have any idea how much I might sell. Example...if there are 4000 people that attend, can I expect to sell to 1% which would be 40.

Answer 34

Festivalnet.Com - Asheville

Friday, June 10, 2011 12:21 pm EDT

I haven't seen any such statistics.

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Answer 35

I have a question as I have never worked a show. What do you do when the show closes for a two day event? Do you stay in a hotel or are you allowed to camp at your site? Sleep in a camper? It seems like it would be difficult to pack everything up at night and go to a hotel only to come back in the am to set it all up again.

Answer 36

I am a newbie, having done my first show last November. It was a small show with only about 15 vendors. I did well but had to travel quite a ways (from Rupert, ID to Salt Lake City, UT) since I find little show activity in my area. This adds to my cost but I cannot add to the price of my items as I believe they are priced competitively and fairly. I tried to get an application to a show in my area but there are only two of them listed on FNO and I was told there is a waiting list and I was not offered the opportunity to be on that list as there are so many artists selling jewelry. I am not real good on the computer but have my "store" with a couple of items on FNO. What is a good way for me to find outlets, small shows where I don't have too far to travel? Any suggestions?

Answer 37

I am new to all of this and just stumbled onto this site i build youngsters chair\stool, so far. I cant wait to start hitting the craft shows and have been checking out all the good advice I can come across online. I look forward to any advise and friendships that will cross my path in this new venture.

Answer 38

Hey Cate! We do list about 35 events within 50 miles of your zip. The Spring Mini‑Cassia Craft Fair is coming up in March in Rupert, Magic Valley's Largest Yard Sale in April in Filer, Shoshone Art in the Park in July... If you're not getting good search results please get in touch with us! Info@festivalnet.com Welcome ya'll!

Answer 39

Hey all, I am new to this site. I am a realtor and I have done expo events and other events before. I absolutely love meeting people and talking to people. It's a much more personal touch. I would love to join any and all available shows. I know there aren't many realtors interested in these expos so I feel this is a great opportunity for me to get out there and meet you. Thanks and have a great day, Daniel Stokes

Answer 40

I live in the Chicago area. My craft is making candles. does anyone have advise as to what type of shows I should be doing & are there a lot of candle makers at shows? I haven't done a show yet. Can I get some advise how to start up and be successful? Thanks

Answer 41

I Am new to the whole fairs and festival's And could really use some help. I have been a pro member for a year as of last may, I let it lapse but intend to get a new subscription soon. Here's my question: I want to do I guess a vendor spot also playing live music can I even do that at most events ? I plan to be selling DVD, CD, and live recordings, plus swag merch. Also. I am not sure if I can even do the fairs and festivals like this

Answer 42

Festive Rock

Monday, November 18, 2019 03:16 am EST

I want to work on that show.

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