What To Do Before the Show Get Organized With These Tips

April 2023, by Kim Schroeder, Warrens Cranberry Festival

The Warrens Cranberry Festival attracts a crowd.
Photo courtesy of Warrens Cranberry Festival 

Once accepted into a show, collect and organize all contracts and information about the event. Add all upcoming deadlines to your calendar and familiarize yourself with the show’s rules and regulations. 

It is also time to reserve housing. Book it early to help guarantee your room and rates. Make travel arrangements and allow for booth setup and teardown schedules. 

Learn about the event. Go to its website and do your research. 

Create the right booth presentation, and practice your setup several times before heading to the show. Make sure you can set it up and take it down.  

Modify your product displays at home. Use the internet to find ideas that work for your products. 

The best-looking booths have the products arranged at various levels. If products are not visible, customers cannot buy them. 

Create a display that is inviting and comfortable. Take several pictures of your booth setup for future shows that request photos of your setup. 

Invest in or create a banner or sign with your business name on it. Think of your booth as a storefront. 

Other preparation advice includes pricing all your items and displaying your prices. Appeal to the varied budgets of your buyers by having a wide variety of price points. 

Promotion Tips 

Advertise the event on your social media. As the event gets closer, consider offering a coupon code to use during the show. An example is: Be sure to stop by and use coupon code “Facebook” to receive a 10% discount. 

Think about your marketing materials. Look at the event as one of your biggest advertising opportunities. Make sure you sell not only your products but also your business. 

Prep your business cards for the show. You could set one in a frame or mount it on foam core and hang it up in your space. I would set it at the end of your table so people snapping pictures of your business card are not standing in the way of shoppers. 

Another idea is to let your business cards serve as price tags. Or, instead of handing out business cards, print flyers that have your information on them. These are harder to lose than a business card. 

Invite customers to join a mailing list by collecting their name and email. You can use a clipboard. 

What to Pack 

To Have a Successful Show