I did the Fairfax Paragon show last fall and was not really happy with the results so I was hoping for better this spring. And I did do better, a little more than double what I did in the fall and I came out just a little above average for shows in this area. As usual I don’t get around much but the artists near me were happy with their sales.
This is a fairly small show with around 120 artists held in an upscale outdoor mall. Booths are on either side of the street with some booths also in a courtyard area. Although some spots seemed better than others I don’t think there were any truly bad spots. The people seem to look very carefully before they buy. Some came to my booth three times before they bought something and except for one small sale I didn’t sell anything before 2PM either day.
The weather on Saturday was pretty miserable, cold and cloudy, but it least it didn’t rain (much). Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day and that was my best selling day.
Load in and out are fairly easy. I was able to pull my van right up to my spot for both.
Paragon has no food booths (there are plenty of restaurants in the mall) and very subdued sponsor booths. Artist parking is about ¼ mile away depending on your booth location and it is enforced.
Most of the hotels in the area cater to business travelers for the many office buildings in the area so they don’t get many people on weekends. Both times I have done the show I have been able to snag the Hilton on Priceline for a really good price.
Comments
I just moved to Virginia last year and I'm finding some good shows around here. I would love to do Reston but have only gotten in once of 5 years of trying.
I just moved to the east coast, and since I haven't really applied to too many shows, I was happy to get into this one.
I knew nothing of the show or the location. Bill was very informative, and everything went smoothly.
I did okay - at least I covered my booth and hotel - and possibly made some connections for future shows. Most people don't buy my work at the shows - they take my info with them and contact me later - for custom work or to buy something they like.
I did have some clients come by - Facebook friends/fans and they bought. I always send out emails and let people know where I will be on FB, Twitter, etc.
Almost everyone who showed interest in my work asked me if I was going to be in Reston. Of course, I didn't know anything about it... but apparently "real" buyers go to that show?! I never will understand why people ask if you're going to be at the NEXT show instead of buying something at the show in the moment?!
Some of the folks around me did very little - and my neighbor did gangbusters. I mean - like probably 10K or more [good for him!]. There is certainly plenty of money in Fairfax.
I thought the crowd was a nice mix of all ages and income levels. I'm looking forward to doing more shows with Bill as he is genuinely interested in the artists and how we did at the show.
The show was April 28-29. I did the Silver Spring show last fall and was quite happy with it. I decided to do Arts in the Park in Richmond instead for the spring since I am in a gallery nearby and it is a local show for me.
Hi Alison, thanks for the review. I wish I had been there instead of spending 3 days talking with fellow vendors at a dead wildlife show in Ocean City MD!
What were the show dates?
I'm doing Bill's Paragon show in Silver Spring MD this coming weekend (May 5-6).
Funny how raising prices can raise expectations and sales! Good on you :)
I did have some new work up and moved things around in the booth a bit and eliminated my print bin but I don't think that was it. I actually raised prices slightly this year. From the very beginning I had the feeling this show was going to be different than the one in the fall. In the fall people were just walking like zombies. I even started asking on Sunday afternoon if the stock market had crashed or something, people just looked so depressed. This time they seemed much more enthusiastic. Even on Saturday when the weather was lousy they seemed happier.
Congrats on a good show Alison :) You say you did double the sales - did you do something in particular to get this result (eg changed booth layout, different style of your art or presentation, better sales pitch, changed pricepoints etc.) ?
I was down near the Fanfare restaurant on a corner. I suspect the traffic is better down near the REI end of the show but I was happy with my spot and with my sales.