It's hard to believe that Indie Craft Parade is only 1 week away! We're so excited about our vendors coming together: seeing old friends, making new ones, and finding out all the fabulous goods that everyone has been working on.
In today's post, we've put together a few details that our exhibitors should be aware of. Many of you are exhibiting for the first time at Indie Craft Parade and a number of you for the first time ever. Craft fairs are an awesome way to build your business, but coming prepared is really the best way to enjoy your experience.
Paige of Lightnest at the 2010 Indie Craft Parade.
The Crowds The biggest unexpected factor we encountered last year was the crowds. This means bring more items to sell than you think you need. Many of our vendors last year sold out or came close, and with an extra day this year, this seems even more likely. The Friday night gala will have a quiet, relaxed atmosphere where you can get to know the attendees and talk to them about your craft. However, we're prepared to be slammed Saturday and Sunday. Come with a backup plan for taking custom orders. Also, bring plenty of business cards that direct people to your online shop in case you run out of anything.
Volunteers will be making their way around each room to relieve you for 30 minutes at a time. Feel free to use this break to do some shopping, meet other artists, eat a meal, or just sit down!
The Music There will be live music playing throughout the event. Depending on where your booth is in relation to the musicians, it may or may not be loud. We'll do our best to keep it at a comfortable level, but please let us know if it's causing problems for communicating with customers at your booth.
The Perks Each artist will receive a goody bag when you check in. We're filling these with great items (i.e., no junky fliers) for your weekend in Greenville. This includes basic like bottled water and aspirin, as well as some coupons and discounts for local businesses, such as a $25 gift certificate to be used at a few of our favorite restaurants!
While we can't provide every meal for you, we do have food vendors on site that you can conveniently purchase food from. Each of them will be giving you a free voucher (found in your goody bag) for something at their booth. It might also be a good idea to pack snacks in case you're unable to break away from your booth.
We will also have a special meet and greet time for artists only before the doors open Friday night. We know the weekend will fly by, but you'll definitely want to make time to meet other artists while you're here!
If you're a craft show veteran and have any tips to add, please comment below!