Beer Graphic Art Applied on Thrown Out Store Shelves and Used as Wall Display

Autumn of 2012 marked our showtime feel equally an fine art vendor, at Cooper Immature Festival in Memphis, TN. Over the years, we've padded our resume with quite a few more shows and experimented with a LOT of trial and error on our vendor booth layout and setup. We've learned a lot, both from our own experiences and from looking to other vendors for inspiration.

Today, we're going to share with you our height 16 ideas for selling at art festivals, craft fairs and indie markets. These tips tin be summed up into three key categories: Booth Display, Signage/Décor and—the well-nigh important—Branding.

FIRST, Allow'Southward DIVE INTO VENDOR Berth DISPLAY.

1. Program out your booth space BEFORE the day of your festival.

Earlier we set up pes at an art festival, our vendor booth is completely laid out. Nosotros measure all our display pieces (shelves, tables, etc.) and configure the infinite to help speed up the set upwards time. Plus, not all shows accept the same options for berth sizes (because that would just be besides like shooting fish in a barrel). This year, our Cooper Immature booth featured a ten' x 15' space, while some of our vacation shows ranged from a vi' x eight' space to a 10' x 20' double booth. Information technology helps to lay everything out beforehand to know what will or will not fit in the allotted space. In one case everything is measured, we use Adobe Illustrator to plan out the booth infinite, with everything to scale. We impress out copies to take with u.s. during set up, besides every bit email a copy to ourselves in case we lose the newspaper copies (it happens).

Here'south a look at my Adobe Illustrator artboard for our near recent Cooper Young Festival vendor berth:

And hither is our finished vendor booth, based on that original mock upwardly:

2. Display vertically.

When potential buyers pass your vendor booth, they're not seeing product that is flat on tables. At least some of your piece of work needs to be in their line of sight.

One mode we add height to our booth brandish is with these adjustable white metal shelf units we found at IKEA (store them here) . The shelves are completely adjustable and IKEA sells private shelves, so you lot can add to the original four included. Nosotros switch it upward depending on what art we need to display at each festival or market.

In the past, we've used these custom built white-washed wood displays on rollers, which our brother built for united states. We love how they look in our berth, every bit they mimic a more retail-style setting. Nevertheless, these are rather heavy and bulky to transport.

Looking for something a trivial more transport friendly, this year we commissioned a custom white forest peg wall. The unit breaks downwards into four separate pieces, and so information technology's easy and convenient for traveling. Everything hooks together via large bolts and wing nuts, with the shelves and pegs packed separately. It's also completely adjustable, equally the pegs can be configured in various ways. This wall unit is great for displaying our larger 5 console wood pieces, which serve as great middle catchers for potential buyers walking past our vendor booth.

For smaller shows, we have just two of the iv wall panels, usually paired with one of the white IKEA shelf units. Bonus: extra pegs are cracking for hanging ornaments!

Clear acrylic risers are also a neat way to subtly add together tiptop and levels when displaying artwork on a table. Because they're clear, they don't take abroad from your displayed art. We use combinations of this five piece set from Displays2Go.

3. Choose brandish colors that volition make your piece of work pop.

As you can see, for our larger brandish pieces (shelves, walls), we incorporate equally much white as possible. Because all sides of our wood art is stained in a nighttime stop, the white background helps it pop. We besides adopt how clean the white and neutral hues wait.

4. Store and display multiple art prints.

We have ALL-CAPS-STRUGGLED with how to display and store our art prints, other than stuffing them in baskets for browsing. We recently discovered these gilded wire baskets from IKEA that slide on perfectly to our white IKEA shelves. They are great at storing stacks of prints!

To actually display the prints, we chopped up a 4" ten 4" piece of lumber and sawed angled grooves down the top. We stained them to friction match the colour of our wood art. The fine art prints stand upwards perfectly in the grooves of the wood, which we then prop upward above the wire baskets. It's easy for buyers to see the print displayed and but pick it up from the basket underneath for purchase.

v. Use slim Christmas trees to display holiday ornaments.

During our holiday shows, our Christmas ornaments are HUGE sellers. While nosotros use our peg wall for some ornamentation overflow, ornaments look best hanging on an actual Christmas tree. This also amend demonstrates to potential buyers how it volition wait on their own tree. However, for those smaller berth spaces, a full Christmas tree takes upward too much valuable existent estate and just isn't practical. And some of the smaller, table-elevation trees aren't known for being sturdy. Considering our ornaments are on the heavier side, we've had issues with the smaller copse tipping over ... especially when buyers are trying to take the ornaments off the trees to purchase. We constitute a bully slim Christmas tree from our local At Home . It measures just 18" in diameter but can even so can concord quite a few ornaments. Nosotros re-stock throughout the show to keep the tree looking full.

NEXT UP, WE Have BOOTH SIGNAGE/DÉCOR.

6. Emphasize your business proper name for potential buyers with branded signage.

We have our friends over at Ella Jude to give thanks for this easy DIY pop-out booth sign idea. For this sign, we painted a thin piece of forest white, and so transferred our logo (with our image transfer process) to both sides, though we've seen others manus paint their logo. Nosotros bought two pieces of copper pipe and an elbow joint and glued them all together to course an L-shaped corner. To hang the wood sign from the copper pipe, we spray-painted loose-leafage rings to lucifer the copper pipe. We and so utilise clear nothing ties to attach the sign to our booth or tent. We're hoping to brand an even larger version this year.

For boosted branded signage, nosotros bought a large white vinyl banner with grommets and designed it to include our logo, website and social media handles. We use this when we have infinite available. For our outdoor fine art shows, such as Cooper Young, we hang the imprint on the back of our tent so buyers walking downwards the sidewalks backside the booths tin can see our name.

7. Tell your story with signage.

Nosotros sell handmade image transfers on wood and marble tile. The near common question we receive from customers during festivals and shows is, "Is this mod podge?" No. Prototype transfer is a different process that actually takes more energy and a significantly longer amount of fourth dimension than modern podge. Though, our procedure tin can sometimes exist difficult to explain to customers. This year, we created visual aids to assist explain our handmade process.

We made these "process walls" from large panels of wood bought from Lowe'southward. We sanded them smooth and white-done them to match our other brandish walls. We added a wood leg to the back, fastened with a uncomplicated swivel to permit them to stand up on their own (thanks to Sarah from Signet Sealed for this swivel thought). Kristen took photos of each key step of our handmade process and we had them printed and mounted to mat board for sturdiness. We spray-painted metal bulldog clips the same copper finish as our sign and hung them on tacks, directly down each wall. For the titles at the top, we transferred the words "ARCHd" and "PROCESS" to small wood planks and attached via velcro strips. Now, when customers ask how we make our fine art, we tin can walk them through the entire process with these images. It'south much easier to follow. Plus, these large signs help with the "vertical" strategy of our booth display and serve every bit some other eye-catcher for potential buyers walking by.

8. Price everything AND display your prices.

All of our items are individually priced on the back. Yet, that doesn't end customers from asking how much things are. Constantly. We designed a single affiche list all of our items with pricing, framed it and displayed it on a decorative easel at the entrance of our booth. Now customers can easily see the range of prices and products we offer, all in one place.

Another way to display pricing in your festival booth is with simple decorative frames nigh clusters of similar products. For our bookend sets, we designed pricing sheets in Adobe Illustrator with our brand colors, printed them on cardstock at FedEx Function and stuck them in a white frame we got on clearance at T.J. Maxx .

9. Some products need a picayune extra signage.

This tidbit has more to do with product packaging than simple signage. We sell marble tile coaster sets that include a different design or photo on each tile. However, for packaging purposes, we tie upward our sets tightly with hemp. After the first one or two festivals or shows with customers wanting to untie all the sets to look at each tile, we started press the full fix on a piece of cardstock and sticking the sheet nether the hemp on the back. Now, customers tin can just selection upward a coaster bundle and plough information technology over to view what'due south included in each full set. So, if you happen to sell multi-packs of an item—be it coasters, art prints, notecards, etc.—include a capitalist sheet with the full prepare for a picayune less of a headache.

10. Decorate your vendor berth space.

For united states, information technology's all in the details. We similar to employ the term shabby chic when describing our ideal vendor berth temper. We desire our space to exist fun and inviting. For united states of america, garland does the trick. It'southward easy to hang from the inside of our tent, besides as light enough to string betwixt piping and drape at indoor shows. While at that place are a ton of DIY Pinterest posts on how to make your own garland, we went the piece of cake route and bought white/gold fabric garland and pom pom garland from the seasonal section of our local At Habitation.

For some shows, we'll add together vases of fresh flowers. It helps give our booth that "homey" feel.

Room permitting, props can assist raise your vendor berth. To display our wood bookends, we bring stacks of books from habitation and place a few betwixt each set. The more you can demonstrate how your products volitionactually exist used, the easier for the buyer to motion picture your work in their home. Plus, the books are just pretty. And through all our shows, markets and festivals, we've but had one customer actually ask if the prop books are for sale. No. Definitely not for auction.

At outdoor shows, we try to always include an outdoor area carpet in the main portion of our vendor booth. It can help even out rough gravel spots, as well as contribute again to that "homey" feel.

Final UP IS OUR MOST Of import TOPIC: BRANDING.

Coming from a graphic design groundwork, I cannot stress enough the importance of practiced design and brand recognition. When customers visit our vendor booth at an fine art festival or market, we want them to walk away knowing our name, how to get in touch with usa after a evidence, where to buy our product locally, how to connect with u.s. via social media ... and the list goes on and on. We basically want to hitting them over head with our make. Again and again and again. As much as possible. Hither are a few ways we attain this.

11. Let your business cards serve double duty as price tags.

Instead of using bare toll tags, we punch a hole in our business organisation cards and string them on the dorsum of every piece of woods art. Nosotros blueprint them every bit a smaller square, just for this purpose. Nosotros print sticker labels with prices, which we then stick on the business cards. This ways every buyer is walking away with at least 1 of our business concern cards.

12. Include extra business concern cards and freebies at your bank check out station.

As a vendor at our starting time art festival, we completely underestimated how many visitors would want to walk abroad with our business card. Since then, nosotros try to come over-prepared. We'd rather accept also many business organization cards than run out halfway through a show. We also stick them in every shopping bag.

Another idea we've started doing for every show: free stickers. Why? People. Dearest. Stickers.Especiallyfree stickers. We create a blueprint and buy a large quantity to last us through a season. When a potential buyer walks by and you hand them out something complimentary, they are more likely to stop and browse your booth. Why? People. LOVE. Gratuitous things. We too always incorporate our website in the design, making it a pretty inexpensive marketing tool. Nosotros get ours from Sticker Mule.

13. Always come with some form of marketing materials, other than concern cards.

Marketing materials are great opportunities to reinforce your brand. They can offer a connection to a heir-apparent after he or she leaves the festival or market. We stuff every customer's bag with a business carte, a gratis sticker and at to the lowest degree one other piece of marketing collateral. For our local art festivals this year, we designed a "shop local" postcard which included a total list and map of the places customers could discover our products effectually the city. When you lot inevitably receive that super common question near where you are located or if y'all sell anywhere local, y'all can present the postcard. We likewise try to include a flyer with any upcoming promotions or events, such as the Small Business Saturday coupon example beneath. These serve as a call to activity and encourage echo customers.

14. Bring shopping bags for customers to carry abroad their purchases and BRAND them.

Numberless are a MUST. I repeat. Always bring bags in which your customers tin comport abroad their purchases. Plus, you lot tin can ensure they receive your marketing materials by pre-stuffing them in all the shopping bags. Also, bags are another run a risk for you to highlight your brand. Buy a rubber postage stamp with your logo and/or website, buy a stamp pad that matches your brand and voila! Branded merchandise bags. We use white kraft paper bags and purchased our postage stamp from Best Rubber Stamp , a local Memphis visitor. Super affordable and totally worth it.

15. Plant a way for your customers to connect with you afterward an fine art festival or market.

In addition to the coupons and flyers nosotros manus out at markets, we try our best to promote our social media and email list as a way to connect with our customers after shows. We bought these cute Instax clear magnetic frames from Urban Outfitters (that are no longer available) and designed little flyers for them with our social media handles. Then, we placed them around our vendor booth for customers to see while they shopped.

Nosotros besides include a clipboard at our check out station for visitors to add their name and electronic mail accost to our email list.

AND FINALLY, ONE Concluding BONUS TIP:

sixteen. Offer and/or upsell custom orders.

We often see customers early in a show who are browsing and not yet ready to buy. And then they come up back afterward and the item they wanted is sold out. While we stress to visitors that our inventory is express, some potential buyers want to browse the unabridged prove or market earlier settling on a purchase. For this, we always bring branded custom gild sheets, so we are prepared to accept the order and keep information technology organized. We designed them in Adobe Illustrator with a spot for them to write their name and contact information (electronic mail address and phone number, simply in case), as well as a grid for the possible items they could purchase. We offer local selection-up in Memphis, or the option to ship directly. And we're e'er certain to include fine print for when buyers tin can expect their item to be ready, along with a spot for them to sign (run across a sample custom order form in a higher place).

Some other custom order nosotros offer is the option to accept a customer's ain personal photo and transfer information technology to our wood art. While custom orders aren't a huge percentage of our event sales, our goal is to at least inform visitors to our booth about the service. To do this, we try to have a small-scale table next to our check out station with custom photograph examples, which we tin talk about while nosotros band upwards their purchases.

We hope you've enjoyed these vendor booth tips and ideas for selling at art festivals, craft fairs and indie markets. Have questions or in the market for some design help? Feel free to email united states at info (at) getarchd (dot) com.

Good luck and happy vending!

- Kristen and Lindsey Archer

sloneouldemove.blogspot.com

Source: https://getarchd.com/blogs/news/vendor-booth-ideas-and-tips

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