Your Ideal Craft Fair or Event

[DamianMilesJeweller]

Many of us have attended various craft fairs and events over the years and I would like to know the best and worst bits.

I don't want any names of events and organisers, just what you thought was a good idea, what you would improve and what was bad or didn't work.

I'm tentatively thinking about organising something but would like to know what it would take to make the best fair. I won't be checking i on the thread very often as it's pretty manic for me at the moment, but I will come back to it.

Many thanks and wishing you all a very busy Christmas!

[DamianMilesJeweller]

I'll go first.

The good bits;

1. Available WiFi for card payments etc.
2. Carefully vetted sellers to ensure a decent standard.
3. Not too many of the same thing and if there are more than one of the same type, not next to each other.
4. Good parking arrangements.
5. Well allotted set up and take down time.
6. Free entry.
7. Activities for children.
8. Competitions and raffles.
9. Power supply.
10. Uniformity.
11. Great advertising.
12. External signage.
13. Stall minders? For comfort breaks etc.
14. Food and drink on site to encourage shoppers to stay longer.

The bad bits.
1. Pretty much the reverse of everything above.
2. "Distant" organisers.
3. Bad layouts constrict the flow of visitors and sometimes blocking them off.


Just a few, but I'm keen to hear more, go for it. Differences for seasonal events would be great suggestions as well. I would really like to be able to do this and offer the perfect (or as near to it as possible) event.

[Lasercutz]

Good idea Damian - I don't do craft fairs but I'm sure other here can give some input!

Best
Dave

[BeadedPerfectly]

Hi Damian, all you mention are good (and the bad is bad!).

Making sure that the sellers match up with how the fair is advertised.....is it handmade crafts or a craft and gift fair. This is a particular gripe of mine, attending craft fairs that have quality hand made products next to cheap bought in goods.

The venue is also very important, making sure it is a place people want to come to anyway with the fair being the icing on the cake or if the fair is the primary focus there are other things going on to keep potential customers in the event. Having said all that though, I attend some events which have so much else going on that the craft stalls are a small part and therefore sales are lower, so it is a careful balance.

Making sure that the stall fee is reflective of the amount of potential income for the stall holder and the facilities available.

This one is hard, but trying to make sure that the stall holders are customer focused......not sitting there on phones. If there are still customers wandering around at the finish time that stalls do not start to pack up. After a long day we are all eager to pack up but the customers don't realise that and they come first even at the end of the day.

I'm sure there are lots more.....I may be back!

[FeltSewCreativeMake]

Def agree with all the above, and love the stall minder idea - am doing events on my own this year so have had to spend the day with my legs crossed at some events! Completely with Carole on the cheap bought in goods!
Would also add being up front about what’s included - have had several where I’ve been told a price and then the booking form had turned up with a load of additional costs on it. Or one next week where I have no idea what I’m actually paying for as nothing is included apart from the pitch allocation!
Also, making sure it doesn’t clash with any other big events. And ensuring any activities don’t take people away from stalls. I did a fair a couple of years ago that had half hours entertainmment on every hour, and the marquee would just empty each time

[Former_Member]

Location is key in our experience. That's where the money should be spent by the organiser (and of course passed on to the stallholder through the cost of the stall).
Often the best results come from a craft event taking place in a prominent position within a larger event for example during an 'arts week' in a town or maybe a 'reggatta week' or a village 'flower festival'. There's people about the town or village drawn in by the larger event and being in the right location will get the craft fair noticed and you'll have a ready made footfall.
Agree with most of the other points made but doubt that money spent on advertising ever pays off these days for a craft fair.
Best wishes to all for the new year ahead

Dave and Dos

[AnimalGlassDesigns]

Just in case people didn’t realise, Etsy made local do have a few craft fairs in the Southwest this year. The closing dates are soon though, scroll to the end of this to see where they are
https://etsy.wishpond.com/etsymadelocal-uk/?utm_medium=Website&utm_source=Website&utm_campaign=etsym...