While we've talked about booth design, themes and merchandising there's a few other items that cannot go left unmentioned. What I am talking about is the use of good lighting, flooring and canopies. Bear with me if you feel you have this part down pat or this doesn't apply to you – I still might be able to surprise even the most veteran of art fair exhibitors with the following tips and ideas. Note: The photo provided is of my own display with my new Trimline canopy and flooring. I didn't use lighting as you can see, it was a sunny day.
In the past, I really didn't see a need for lighting or a canopy. When I first started out, I did indoor shows and didn't understand why a canopy or why shelling out more money for electricity to have a lamp or two, or why should I have something on the floor of my booth was necessary. It wasn't until I saw a few great booth displays that I had my ah-ha moment. What I saw was well lit booths drew more customers as light made objects pop. Good flooring helped your feet feel comfortable when standing all day long. Then when I decided venturing out and wanting to do outdoor events, a canopy was a must as it is a kind of insurance against the elements. So I was left a bunch of questions on which is best for me.
In my search I learned there are such things as bad canopies and lighting. It is still a learning process as even as recent as this past summer (July 2009) I had to get a new canopy. I must say if you are just starting out and have an idea of what you want your booth to look like, it is only at this point you should think about crossing this bridge or else you could find yourself waisting time and money.
Lighting
There are a couple of types and styles of lighting to consider such as wattage, where to place it, and what kind. When it comes to wattage, some shows limit the amount of wattage to prevent fires or short circuits. Most experts recommend using anywhere from 500-1,200 watts to illuminate a 10x10 booth and several smaller lights is better than one or two bigger ones. Placing the lights at a distance above the heads of your customers yet angled so they don't create shadows and light up your work is ideal. Track lighting works if you want light to shine down, from the top of your canopy as well as clamp on lights which can be found at hardware stores, office supply stores, IKEA, Wal-Mart, and Target as well as online display lighting companies such as www.brightmandesign.com . Do look into the differences of tungsten and halogen lights might have on your work as some lights work well for primitive style crafts while others are better for 2D artwork and jewelry.
Flooring
Good flooring will not only make you and your customers feet happy standing for long hours at a time, but also enhances your display too. Flooring can come in different styles like 8x10 carpeting, fake grass or bamboo mats, and anti-fatigue mats. Well, worth trying if you haven't already.
Canopies
Canopies have come a long way since the 1970's. Canopies now come in different prices yet in two standard styles: pop-up or dome. EZ-Up's and Caravan's are most common at shows. However, the ones that last the longest are the dome canopies such as the ones offered by Trimline. I own a Trimline and love it. For me, it is by far the best on the market as it is reliable and the design is very sturdy. Despite the expense, I can even set it up by myself. There are many art/craft message boards where people freely share their experiences about the canopies they have used – I highly recommend doing this to learn more about the different canopies in the marketplace. Lastly, when you have purchased your canopy take the time and set it up a couple of times before your next show. It can be very tricky or confusing to do at first, however you can't afford to waste it figuring out how to set one up when time is ticking during set-up time at a show. The next question will be all about how to attract people into your booth using the five senses.
