Craft Fair Tips For a Fun and Successful Event

We learn so much from doing craft fairs, whether they are successful or not.  My most recent craft fair a couple of weeks ago was quite successful.  My definition of successful is having a fun time and making money while sharing your craft.  That leads me to:

Tip #1: Set a goal.  What do you want to get out of the craft fair?  Then, what do you need to do to reach that goal?

If you want to sell a certain number of pieces or make a certain amount of money, then you need to do what you can to make that happen.  That often means creating more to sell.  I worked very hard for 2 weeks leading up to this craft fair to finish more pieces, but also add new products that may appeal to a craft show crowd.  Thus...

Tip #2:  Know your crowd.  How many people are expected?  Where is marketing occurring?  Where is the event being held? 

All of this can tell you something about who is attending.  You also want to have a range of prices.  Many craft show veterans will tell you that you must have lower priced items for impulse buys.  I created a new line just for craft shows that I can sell inexpensively and then use as free gifts for purchases (at shows and online).  Best if these items are no more than $5.00.  Mine range from $1-2.00.

Tip #3:  Plan your display.  How do you brand your product or your online shop?
Branding is important in a craft show display as well.  You can't just set stuff on a table and expect people to crowd to you and want to buy.  You have to draw them in.  What colors do you want to use or not use?  Think height!  Different levels really appeal to the eye and draw people in and make them want to look at everything.  I also try to set up vignettes, but that may or may not work, depending on what you sell.

**Bonus Tip**  Due to the economy, people are not spending as much as they used to.  Plan for that.
Offer deals for purchases of more than one.  For Example:  Buy one, get one half off OR $2.00 each or 3/$5.00 for example.  When thinking about your inventory, bring a variety but maybe work harder on creating more of your $25.00 and under items.

Those are my tips this time around.  I hope you find them useful.  Please comment with other ideas.  Thanks!