Rising booth fees. Where is this going?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on February 8, 2010 at 6:30pm

They're doing it because they can. Actually, in 2008 I suggested to Howard to lower all his booth fees by $50-$100 for two years. Every artist would have considered him a hero to the industry. Now look where we are....

Not every show is a "Cherry Creek" or "Sausalito", even if they want to be. The direction that it's going is the only people who can afford to do art shows will be buy/sell because they have a minimal investment in what they do.

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

Permalink Reply by Nels Johnson on February 8, 2010 at 6:49pm

I totally agree. There is no chance for a beginner with original art to get into this businees cheaply anymore. This trend only benefits, the cliched, the entrenched rich artists. a beginner has no chance. My goodness, but most peope are barely making expenses at shows right now--and then you raise the fees. It is pure greed.

Permalink Reply by Dave Hinde on February 8, 2010 at 8:19pm

I just checked a few Artist fees in the Norfolk, Virginia area, and they seem to be holding the same as previous years. Stockley Gardens shows are at $225, Gosport (Portsmouth, VA) is $100, the Portsmouth Seawall show is $165. The Ocean View show is going up to $85. Granted, these shows don't pull 30-40,000 people, but they are a great starting place for artists. Most of the area shows are put on by artist organizations and charities, and they keep the price low so the local artists will support them.

Permalink Reply by Munks on February 8, 2010 at 9:23pm

Basic supply and demand economics says that if there is a higher demand, then the price of a good or service goes up until the price is relative with the demand. This holds fairly true throughout history as long as all things are considered equal (i.e. no outside influences such as taxes, innovation, war, famine, discoveries, legislation, lunatic interventions, etc.) for essential goods and services. . .

Sometimes non-essential goods and services prices rise artificially when demand is not quite as high as the supplier would prefer in order to make up for the shortfall which is the consequence of the lower demand - but that usually becomes apparent and demand drops rapidly relative to price unless it is manipulated or stimulated. Sometimes prices go down when the demand drops, but if people learn the demand is dropping - they question the value and perpetuate the drop in demand. And so it goes.

I'm just saying.

Permalink Reply by R. Michael Wommack on February 8, 2010 at 9:58pm

Main Street Fort Worth has kept their booth fee reasonable (I think) at $425 for a show that was my best last year.

Permalink Reply by Larry Berman on February 8, 2010 at 10:06pm

Actually Jay Downie does one better. When Fort Worth exceeds their budget in jury fees, he reduces the booth fee accordingly.

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

Permalink Reply by Shalana on February 9, 2010 at 1:55am

I'm definitely a beginner and booth fees are quite a discouragement to me. I've only done small local shows and more craft oriented shows thus far. I would really like to do a national art fair and focus on my fine wearable items, but the fees and other expense of setup and display are daunting to me - especially without any real gauge of how well my return will be.

Nels Johnson said:

I totally agree. There is no chance for a beginner with original art to get into this businees cheaply anymore. This trend only benefits, the cliched, the entrenched rich artists. a beginner has no chance. My goodness, but most peope are barely making expenses at shows right now--and then you raise the fees. It is pure greed.

Permalink Reply by Chris Hoyt on February 9, 2010 at 7:09am

Larry, with all due respect, I do a number of Country Folk Art shows where buy/sell is rampant. And over the years I have come to personally know a number of the B/S guys.
Even they are hurting. They don't have a "minimal investment". They must allocate at least half their sales income to purchase more stock. Many are no longer operating on a 100% markup, but rather 30% today. So 70% is funneled back into more stock. As an example, they will buy a 30 inch tin star for $4.50 each in quantity. They're selling that star at a show for $5.95. I, on the other hand, sell a product for $4.95 and my cost is six cents. Because I make it. I have probably done more shows with B/S than most people here. Many of them are personal friends. So this idea that they buy something for 80 cents and sell it for $10 is completely false. I have never encountered anybody with anything even close to that kind of markup.

And believe it or not, I have seen more B/S sellers go under in the past year than exhibitors with original work.

Sorry to get off topic.
Larry Berman said:

They're doing it because they can. Actually, in 2008 I suggested to Howard to lower all his booth fees by $50-$100 for two years. Every artist would have considered him a hero to the industry. Now look where we are....

Not every show is a "Cherry Creek" or "Sausalito", even if they want to be. The direction that it's going is the only people who can afford to do art shows will be buy/sell because they have a minimal investment in what they do.

Larry Berman
Digital Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

Permalink Reply by Nels Johnson on February 9, 2010 at 7:50am

Nice theory. But the fact remains, if you are now paying close to $500 for a booth fee and only taking in a little over $2k for the event, than more than 25% of expenses are eating into any profit. Don't forget about CGS as well as traveling expenses and sales tax. At this rate, very few of us can earn a living with these kind of cost ratios. It is still about pure promoter greed and spineless artists who will support these promoters.

Munks said:

Basic supply and demand economics says that if there is a higher demand, then the price of a good or service goes up until the price is relative with the demand. This holds fairly true throughout history as long as all things are considered equal (i.e. no outside influences such as taxes, innovation, war, famine, discoveries, legislation, lunatic interventions, etc.) for essential goods and services. . .

Sometimes non-essential goods and services prices rise artificially when demand is not quite as high as the supplier would prefer in order to make up for the shortfall which is the consequence of the lower demand - but that usually becomes apparent and demand drops rapidly relative to price unless it is manipulated or stimulated. Sometimes prices go down when the demand drops, but if people learn the demand is dropping - they question the value and perpetuate the drop in demand. And so it goes.

I'm just saying.

Permalink Reply by Munks on February 9, 2010 at 10:31am

Ayup. Actually the non-essential good/service I was talking about was booth fees. Jury fees too, for that matter.

I maintain these shows are going to evolve whether they want to or not. The smart and ethical promoters not beholden to "sponsors" understand this concept. I predict we are going to see formal and informal groups of artists putting together spontaneous shows - promoters with good reputations with artists are well-known and will still be around - artists with reputations for quality and originality will survive. Galleries that stay focused on art, customers, service, and sales - rather than relying on shady self-appointed art critics and cheap gimmick-y artist wannabe's will thrive. Most importantly, the mega-super-colossal-kickass art circuses (or is it "circi"?) are going to fizzle out over time. The "vendors" that learned to manipulate the jury and judging process - (you know who you are) won't be able to weather the market without someone to advertise to the public what great "artists" they are - just so that the public will then know.

No need to get upset - the world needs furniture painters, plumbers, and drywallers too. . .

Nels Johnson said:

Nice theory. But the fact remains, if you are now paying close to $500 for a booth fee and only taking in a little over $2k for the event, than more than 25% of expenses are eating into any profit. Don't forget about CGS as well as traveling expenses and sales tax. At this rate, very few of us can earn a living with these kind of cost ratios. It is still about pure promoter greed and spineless artists who will support these promoters.

Munks said:

Basic supply and demand economics says that if there is a higher demand, then the price of a good or service goes up until the price is relative with the demand. This holds fairly true throughout history as long as all things are considered equal (i.e. no outside influences such as taxes, innovation, war, famine, discoveries, legislation, lunatic interventions, etc.) for essential goods and services. . .

Sometimes non-essential goods and services prices rise artificially when demand is not quite as high as the supplier would prefer in order to make up for the shortfall which is the consequence of the lower demand - but that usually becomes apparent and demand drops rapidly relative to price unless it is manipulated or stimulated. Sometimes prices go down when the demand drops, but if people learn the demand is dropping - they question the value and perpetuate the drop in demand. And so it goes.

I'm just saying.

Permalink Reply by Michael Lee on February 9, 2010 at 5:29pm

You have to wonder if the location the promoter is using has raised the fee of the location. In most cases I doubt it. The shopping centers promoters use are loosing the anchor stores and many retail spaces are vacant. I am sure the owner of the lot is loosing money as well and is not raising the cost to hold a show in the location. You also have to ask are the employees of promoters getting raises.

Where is the extra money going? Is the promoter increasing the advertising budget? What good would that do bring in more people if they don't have extra money to spend? What I am doing is trying to find shows that are not run by the big expensive promoters. I cannot afford to put out $450.00 for a 2 day show then add expenses on top of that.

I do not make 10x my booth fees at these shows and I don't know any artist that are on a regular basis. I consider myself lucky if I can make 5x my booth fee at a low cost quality non promoter run show. On top of that just about every customer feels entitled to some type of discount.

Permalink Reply by Mark MacKinnon on February 10, 2010 at 11:30pm

I started doing art fairs last summer (09). so, I'm a newbie in this circuit.. I was a commercial photographer so not new to making images, but totally different selling to the art fair public than satisfying art directors or art departments.. I do have a gallery rep in London, (5 years doing well) and have exhibited in local galleries in NY, still no experience in the fair circuit.. until NOW.

What's expensive to get into this business? Any business takes some capital, and compared to the advertising biz this is pretty cheap. Maybe $10K, gets you a good tent, propanels, cases to carry the work, a small trailer, and necessary do dads that never end. (not counting my studio rent, or production expenses, I print and frame all my own work). You do have to have booth fees to lay out 3-6 months in advance, yikes... (My booth fee in Sausalito was $2900, double corner).

It comes down to the work you are offering, and the presentation you put forth. I did 12 shows last half of '09, and Im doing 12 more in the first 4 months of this year, with non stop applications and schedules, applying to every top show out there. Not every show is good, (barely making booth expenses at times) but as a whole I am having success, winning awards, best of shows, first place ribbons, learning along the way.. Traveling expenses, and logistics are daunting, along with time away from my family, whom I'm supporting with this gypsy lifestyle.. what I find is you have to keep going, have failures and successes and in the end it has balanced out. You build, I hear, I dont have much to go on.

I agree you cannot wing it, and have to have some capital, but you do not have to be an entrenched or wealthy artist to make a go of it. (I'm pretty much scraping the bottom of the well). I started shooting new work that appeals to the decorator home furnishing type buyer, while keeping my style intact. At least I had my cameras, printers and some head start, but no experience in setting up outdoors for a 2 or 3 day show. I jumped right in, since other avenues of income were or seemed over/ended!

I showed my work with enough buying support outside of the fair circuit that I felt I could compete for what dollars were being spent, even in down times. I keep spending more to exhibit in expensive shows, wondering if If it's worth taking a double booth, and what else I can do to enhance my chances out there. I'd rather exhibit in these shows that should have a better demographics, and patrons with disposable income. I do hear about the gravy days, that are apparently over, but keep the faith that if I can survive, it will only get better.. at least I'm doing what I want to do, and not working for anyone besides myself.. and many more hours per week than ever before. Finding time to create new work, and producing it is the most challenging right now, along with replenishing inventory. Hoping that the economy actually is improving.. can't get worse, can it?

Mark MacKinnon



Nels Johnson said:

I totally agree. There is no chance for a beginner with original art to get into this businees cheaply anymore. This trend only benefits, the cliched, the entrenched rich artists. a beginner has no chance. My goodness, but most peope are barely making expenses at shows right now--and then you raise the fees. It is pure greed.

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