How To Organize A Craft Fair

x Tips for Organising a Arts and crafts Fair

Last Sabbatum I had a stall at a local craft off-white. Not whatsoever old arts and crafts off-white mind you, this was important to me for 2 reasons. First off, it was right here, in my hamlet – the starting time one we've ever had. Secondly, information technology was the first craft off-white that I've organised myself.  It was the culmination of a couple off months of planning, and, if I'g honest, a fair bit of anxiety.  I needn't have worried – it was a great success, and then I thought I'd share with you here a few things to consider if you lot'd similar to organise something similar yourself.

1. Practise your research regarding other markets and craft fairs in the surface area and make sure your upshot doesn't clash with another on the same solar day. Also as competing for visitors, y'all'll also be competing for stallholders.
2. As before long equally you've decided on a engagement, secure your venue.  You don't want to exist inviting stallholders until you've confirmed your accommodation for the day.
3. Invite / organise crafters as far in advance as possible. Many crafters book themselves into markets and arts and crafts fairs many months ahead.  It'south besides worth considering request for a deposit on the cost of the table – this decreases the adventure of stallholders not turning up on the twenty-four hour period.
4. Ensure that all your stallholders have public liability insurance.
5. Ensure you know how many tables you can fit into the available space. You don't desire to ask 20 crafters to attend and then notice when you lot're setting upward that you tin can only fit 19 tables into the room!  It'southward definitely worth having a trial 'set' before deciding how many crafters to invite.
6. Don't double up on crafts unless information technology's a Large event.  There'due south nothing worse for a stallholder than setting up at a fair of, say, 12 stalls to find that there are two or 3 other stallholders there selling something very similar. It'southward not fair on any of them.
7. Don't effort to charge as well much per stall / table, especially if it'south the offset time this effect has taken place. You lot won't take any thought what the footfall is going to be and won't exist able to make any claims as to probable number of visitors.
8. Advertising, advertising, advertising. You want as many people walking through the door of your venue as possible, so this is an instance where too much advertizing is never enough.  Go your event all over Facebook – on your personal feed (ask friends to share), on local selling pages, and on local community sites. Put a small ad in the local newspaper, a paragraph in the parish magazine, get it listed on'What's Happening in Your Expanse' blazon websites. Brand certain at that place are posters put upwards in the surface area. Don't forget your local tourist agency and local hotels / guest houses if you live in a pop surface area for visitors – local crafts are just the matter that they'll be interested in.
9. Have a spare cash float or two.  It's not unheard of for stallholders to arrive at a arts and crafts fair without their cash box.  Not me of course, oh no… well, only that in one case a few months agone 😀 and I was both grateful and impressed that the organisers had thought to bring along a couple of 'spare' floats for just that eventuality.
10. Rope in as much help as possible.  Setting up, decorating the venue and getting plenty of directional signage outside and in the immediate area can take longer than you lot anticipate.  If you're also planning on holding  raffle / tombola / lucky dip / block stall you'll need nonetheless more easily on deck.
11. A bonus tip – if you're holding the craft fair or market to raise coin for a local cause, consider also having a raffle / tombola / lucky dip / tea, coffee & cakes stall. Just make sure that you lot put out the call for donations well in advance

Source: https://thesoapmine.wordpress.com/2016/10/25/10-tips-for-organising-a-craft-fair/

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