I am the member of a local art group that sponsors monthly fine art and craft shows during the winter tourist season. I am also president of the group -- which places me in the sometimes uncomfortable position of having to confront errant members. We have been having complaints from other artists about the placement of bins and chairs by some during the shows. Our spaces are 12'x12' spaces. There is room behind the spaces for spreading out if desired. The spaces butt up to the walkway. We have some members who feel they should be able to place their chairs across the walkway from their booth. One or two want to sit in the middle of the walkway. Others spread out from their spaces -- frequently encroaching on the space of their neighbors. There are questions about spreading out under a tree that may be next to a persons space (including trees with large roots!). There are other questions about spreading out if a neighbor is a no-show.
How do other groups handle these problems? I have real difficulty with people who sit in the middle of the walkway or across from the walkway. I feel it is a safety issue as well as a discourtesy to the customers and to other artists. What types of rules do other groups have regarding these issues?
Any help and suggestions are more than welcome and much appreciated.
Replies
I think there is a huge difference between a print bin and a chair. Print bins attract groups of people in front of them which does make people go around and miss the booths next to it. I don't see any problem with sitting across the walkway as long as the walkway is not blocked. How does sitting across the walkway block access to other booths? I don't see a safety issue either as long as the walkway is not blocked. Most successful artists that I see aren't sitting much anyway.
I do believe there should be nothing directly in front of the booth. But as a 2D artists anywhere I sit in my booth blocks my artwork. I prefer to sit in the back behind my booth although I have to leave a wall open which cuts down on my display area. Generally one reason I get a corner is so that I can sit to the side. The vast majority of shows I have encountered in and around Virginia are exactly 10' x 10', no side space, no back space. Everyone besides the jewelers or other easily stolen work, sits across the walkway.
I also believe, in the case of my art, that being too close to the potential customer can hinder sales. The whole Bruce Baker sales technique says, say hello and leave them alone yet be accessible until they come back to you. Personally I shop that way. I will leave a store or booth where someone is breathing down my neck.
As for no show neighbors I have been in two shows recently where my neighbor didn't show and I was encouraged to spread into that space so the show didn't have noticeable gaps.
"I don't see any problem with sitting across the walkway as long as the walkway is not blocked. How does sitting across the walkway block access to other booths?"
It leaves to many variables unanswered... Are there store fronts that it might upset? Does everyone have the same opportunity to sit across from their booth? Are you in someones grass? The rules are in place for a reason. you rent a specific amount of space and everyone knows this is the space allotted when they apply to the show... I have designed my booth, both indoors and out to comply with the space written in the contract. It does not matter whether or not you see a problem with it. That is why they call them rules! My grandson said to me one night that he tossed a book in class across the isle to a classmate and he received demerits for it. He told me that he did not see any reason for the rule and was mad because he received the demerits. I explained to him (8 years old) that we may not always like the rules but no matter where you go or what you do there will be rules that you will have to live by. Just because you may not like the rule, agree with the rule, or think that it is not a problem that you break the rule they are still the rules and you agreed to abide by them.
No shows I have ever done have had a rule that you could not sit across the walkway from your booth and that includes the shows where the booth space is exactly 10' x 10'. I thought Charlotte was asking about the advisability of a rule not the breaking of an already existing rule. I think a rule against putting print bins, easels, tables, etc. in front of your booth is much more important and a rule against sitting in the middle of the walkway is good too depending on the width of the walkway. Also, in Charlotte's case of an all volunteer show, not putting print bins, etc. outside of your space is going to be a lot easier to enforce since chairs can be moved pretty easily but print bins cannot.
If there is a rule against putting my chair across the walkway from my booth I will follow it. I've just never seen one. I would much rather shows worry about buy/sell and art outside of the booth area which does block access to other booths.
As for sitting in back, one of the things I do first when I survey my spot at a show is look around and see if I think theft may be a problem. If I think there may be a problem I always put up a full back of pro panels. That along with the sta-bars pretty much keeps someone from coming in through the back.
Charlotte, if circumstances dictate that you need to keep people from sitting across the aisle, put two booths right against each other, then the next two booths against each other in the opposite direction and that gives each person 2 feet to the side of their booth to sit in.
So you feel justified not staying within your assigned space.
Giving every exhibitor an extra two feet just for their chair eliminates a paying space every five spaces. That means 20% fewer spaces for exhibitors. And 20% less revenue for the promoter.
Do you sit outside you booth in the rain? If not, then you can sit inside your booth all the time.
She already said her spaces were 12 x 12. Actually when it rains I stand inside my booth and my chair stays outside and gets wet.
i agree with larry 2 ft behind booth is plenty of room to put a chair, i think rules should be enforced, ask them to move or next time don't invite back, also mention it is a safety thing, i am sure there are fire regulations forbidding sitting in middle of isles
You all have made some interesting comments. Our group is a juried member group and we put on monthly shows from October through April. Everyone is a volunteer. All of us are doing the shows. Therefore, having someone "walk" the show is virtually impossible. As a result, we have to depend upon complaints -- which do not always work. Your general agreement that nothing should be place in front of the booth, in the walkway, or across the walkway helps. When I have ammunition from other groups, it is easier to deal with it. I have one member who tells me that it is done in all shows. NOT. Thank you for your comments.
Yeah, it's "done" at every show we all do. It's rude, obnoxious, and celf centered, but it is done at every show. Your job as the promoter is to stop it.
I respectfully disagree... We do not all do it! And as for the promoter, it is not their job to stop it but to manage the show and enforce the rules and regulations of the show. It is the job of the artists and exhibitors to stop it and follow the rules and regulations. Promoters are not show police and at the professional level we should not need or require show police.
Sorry, I was trying to be sarcastic, and it evidently didn't work.
As far as "show police", the exhibitors' job is NOT to patrol the show, but sell. It's not my neighbor's job to go over three rows and tell someone what to do. As a recovering promoter I firmly believe it's the promoters job to "police" the show and enforce the rules s/he made. It's the promoter's job to regularly walk the show and be visible to the exhibitors.
And "professionals" can be the biggest offenders. There's always some Prima Dona who feels that since s/he is so good at what they do, they have special priviliges.
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