Question About Multi-Day Shows

[Former_Member]

I have just been accepted to my first two day show and I have questions about leaving my stuff set up and out. I sell jewlery and I'm assuming that the best practice is to take all my inventory with me at the end of the day? What about displays etc.? I'm also assuming I should use my tent wall panels at the end of the day to "close" up the tent, right? Anything else?

Also I'm going to have to travel and stay in a hotel for this. I will be using an SUV to transport my booth etc. and plan on arriving at the hotel the day before setup. I will again keep my inventory in the room with me but worry a bit about my leaving the booth stuff overnight in the car parked at the hotel. I plan on covering up stuff with a sheet or something and I guess there's not much more I can do but was wondering if you guys who travel to shows had any other thoughts or tips when staying over night at a hotel?

[DaffodilCorner]

Does the show provide security overnight? If so, leaving your display up shouldn't be a problem. But yes, I would take your inventory with you.

As for parking at the hotel, I have never had a problem leaving the fully packed car in the hotel parking lot overnight, but a friend recently had hers broken into in the hotel parking lot. I guess it depends a lot on the area of town the hotel is in. Definitely park under a light, and where there are lots of other vehicles.

[CindyTSews]

Every jeweler I know whether it be indoors or outdoors packs up their inventory and leaves their displays. I pull a 16' trailer and I personally have never had a problem. I also know 3 individuals who have had their entire trailers with contents stolen. But I use wheel boots on two tires so good luck with taking mine.

My canopy does have a burglar alarm made from parts of two smoke detectors which are activated by trip wires just inside the canopy.

[rocksandsalt]

Cindy, you're hardcore! Did you make the booth alarm yourself? I'd love to see a tutorial for this, we're doing a four day music festival in June with insane booth hours (10 a.m. - 2 a.m.!), and they also said that some vendors choose to be open 24 hours, so we're a little worried about how to secure the tent overnight.

Joseph, it helps for wind if you lower your tent a bit overnight.

[PJCRAFTSWORLD]

With multi-day shows we pack inventory and take it with us. We leave our tent and display items "closed up" in the tent.

Sara those are crazy hours. Do you have help?

[PlaynwithScraps]

I've never done a 2 day show but I have a friend who does indoors ones occasionally. Her insurance agent suggested she cover everything at night and take closeup pictures of all her covered tables. That way she can tell if someone moved the covers overnight.

[BohemianHollow]

Just this month I did a two day show and a three day show where I left everything (except the money) and just put up my walls. Absolutely nothing was touched. Everyone else at the shows did the same. Both shows have been going for over 30 years with no security and there has only been one or two stories of one or two items going missing. Maybe it's just the area or maybe people just don't think about it. Items seem to be much more safe than we realize. At least around here. :P

[HoldsIt]

I leave my stuff. I don't know that there is a huge black market for hair accessories! I will take things down if there is a call for rain and I'm not sure my tent will hold up well. A lot of times they won't let you drive in the next morning so make sure you can hand carry in whatever you take out.

[HoldsIt]

Now... I have heard of people being followed back to their hotel and then robbed of the cash they made.

[2CraftyChix]

I normally leave the bulk of my items in my tent over night - I take the money and anything else I don't want to leave outside. I make sure that the tent is secure and that I have the sides clamped near the bottom to the tent leg in case a zipper decides to give way during the night.

[Former_Member]

I always pack my jewelry and leave it in the trunk unless it's not a good area; then, I take it into the hotel room with me. I always park under a light near the front office or right at the room.

Another vendor had her inventory stolen at an outdoor show WITH security. It was the first time it had ever happened.

[XairianMaille]

I leave my tent and display tables up overnight with the side walls zipped up the whole way around, but I take my jewelry with me. I haven't stayed in a hotel for any of them yet, so I can't give an answer to that, but I would probably take my stuff inside with me. I'm just paranoid about that sort of thing (and considering that in the 11 years that my hubby and I have been together, we've had vehicles broken into four times - of course that was in a different state in a very large city).

[AtMyOwnPaceCreations]

I would take my product. I leave my setup but because my product is small, easy to take, I won't leave it. Yes there is security, but you stop folk.

[KimagineDesigns]

I take my inventory, and leave all the display stuff.

Now that I have sidewalls, I just zip everything up. Before I had the sidewalls, I covered my tables with a sheet (to keep things from blowing away) and then I lowered the tent to half-height.

I love being able to not have to set up two days in a row! Sunday is a breeze, I just have to put out all the pretties!

[Former_Member]

I have never worried about my display or my inventory. BUT I don't do shows in huge cities like you all do.

Always there's security. The canopy is zipped up and all my work is covered with sheets, mostly to protect it from over night mountain moisture and dew.

In all my years of participating in juried events never have i had anything taken over night. In fact, people are more like to take from you while you are present.

Some of my vendor buddies put their glass scopes or panels under their tables, but that's to protect them form the wind.

I think I'm fortunate to live in an area of the country where peoples products and canopy are respected.

[wavejewelry]

For a 2 day show I leave the tent lowered and put my table, chairs and display all together and cover it all with a large tarp secured with rope and clips. I don't use the tent walls because occasionally, artisans have come back the next morning to find someone sleeping in their closed up tent and this monthly show does have security! I always take my jewelry inventory with me and I'd never leave it in the car. I wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. Your tent and display items would probably be safe in your car but you may not want to cover them. That way a thief, looking for valuables, could see that you only have display stuff in your car.

[Former_Member]

I zip up my walls. Tuck the bowls in bins and put the bins under the tables. Blue tarp every thing in the tent. You'd be amazed at the moisture that condenses in the tent over night, the tarps keep everything dry. I tuck the bowls in bins cause if someone else's tent crashes into mine the bowls are safe under the tables instead of on them.

[TigersandDragons]

It depends on the show, it's location, and the level of security, even though all shows I do state they are not liable for theft.

We have a big wooden lock box under the table and can fit our jewellery panels in there. For indoor shows, that's what we usually do, and throw cloths over the displays, as well as taking a few packed cases back to the hotel room. Bought a small fold-up trolley to make it easier to haul the cases back and forth each day. There are a couple of shows that I am more secure after years of experience and will leave most jewellery just under the cloths (except sterling).

For outdoor, we pack up and either take everything to the car, or the crafts lock up trailer (some shows provide this). Throw cloths on top of the tables, then clamp tarps on top of that in case the tent leaks over night (or is blown away), close up the walls of the tent with tarps and ball ties. Some people use zip ties, and cut them off every morning. Used to bring a huge metal trunk that would sit under the table, and pack all our displays and stock in there, and leave the locked trunk in the tent, since there was always some security milling about, and it would be a hassle to try to steal or break into the trunk.

I have left stock in the car a few times, but most of the time I bring the cases into the hotel and specifically book main floor rooms whenever possible.

[Mulchandmore]

I do many 2-day shows and 2 4-day shows but don't do hotels (don't do big city shows) so we always camp. I take my wheel to the car, cover or put away anything that can be damaged by rain or dampness and shut the tent tight.
Have never had problems. But if I did jewelry I would take it with me.
When at an inside show I stay til it is being locked and am usually the first there in the morning.

[RoyGBivandCO]

Most outdoor shows I do have security so I leave the stock but take my embroidery machine and battery packs, which I leave in the van cause they are too heavy to carry too often!. One three day show that I do in downtown Toronto with streetfair hrs noon to midnight, but lots of drinking and partying afterwards, I leave my tent and fixtures and load everything else in the van for the night. I have not had any issues, but my insurance does cover my equipment and stock in transit, which is great peace of mind.

[Former_Member]

I have only done indoor multi-day shows. All of which are comic conventions. I just cover my items up with sheets and clamp the sheets to my displays - that way it's pretty hard to just lift the sheet and take something. I've never had any issues with theft, but the comic conventions are not open after the convention is closed for the day so it's really just other vendors there.

I would just get walls for your tent, and you can probably lock the walls down with padlocks or something. Maybe take your expensive inventory with you, but it's likely you can leave most of that set up in your booth as long as you cover and secure it well. Most multi-day outdoor shows have security at night, so you should be fine. I can't imagine having to set up everything every day, ugh.

[rocksandsalt]

Just remember folks, the small print in those security company contracts say that they're there as a 'visual presence' only. If your hard work gets stolen you have no recourse.

[jill2day]

One more thought. I use zip ties on all my zippers at night. That is not a big deterrent, but one the is easily visible to see if they have been tampered with.

I leave everything (except $$) in the booth during the shows and everything in the van the night before a show, but I don't do jewelry! garments are pretty tough to be stealthy with taking! Which is also why, when my booth things are in the van, I leave a couple of the plastic dress hangers 1/2 forms on the top, so it will be know it is NOT jewelry or anything "precious"!

And yes, insurance is one thing I am happy to have bought but never use. Although I buy it mostly incase my garments and tent fall onto my neighbors glass work!

[CindyTSews]

I do not have time to do a tutorial but the alarm system is made using the horn from a smoke detector, a pull type kill switch from a wave runner, very thin air craft cable with snap hooks on one end and connected to the kill switch. the cables are connected in the canopy about 24" off the ground so critters won't affect it. if someone comes in the canopy they will pull the trip wires and set off the smoke alarm. the alarm part is in a small wooden box with a sliding lid.

[Former_Member]

I'm thinking that for some creative geeky person who reads this (again not me) there could be a small market for arts and craft even farmer's market vendors for a tent alarm like what ChicagoCoutureBags describes that has a bluetooth/wifi capable way of sending a signal to the owner's phone, as well as making noise. Just a thought.

Thanks guys for the input... from what I've read:
1) minimally take the expensive stuff with you at night;
2) cover everything with sheets to help with humidity and sticky hands;
3) lower tent to help with over night stability;
4) use tent side walls to zip up and possibly "lock up" with zip ties or pad locks.

All excellent suggestions.