I guess I was in the wrong fair. But why did they market me so heavily since Maple & Main in Sylvania, Ohio in the beginning of June. Did they just want my booth fee and nothing else? This was the first fair in a long time that I did not get above the booth fee (let alone the application fee). The booth fee was $100 and the application fee was $20. All I made for the show was $80. The last time I was under like this was in my first year form the 2012 Ella Sharp Art Beer and Wine Festival. I paid $65 for a booth that year and only sold one 5x7 for $25. This fair feels similar to that one. WoodsStock was put on by the Schedel Arboretum and Gardens in Elmore, Ohio.
So, if I was not a good fit - why did they go after me so heavily? I was $40 out of all the money put into this fair. Maybe it was the weather. For for the first three hours of the fair there was a heavy rain. Maybe it was the patrons of the fair. They were a lot older then my demographic crowd that buys my prints. I hate being under like this. It was an extremely frustrating day. And this fair reminded me how frustrating my first year in art fairs was.
So, did they just want my booth fee. Did they know that I was not a good fit? Did they just want want to fleece me? I may never know... This is one to take off the list for next year for sure!
The spinkler guy across from me was having a very good day. Me not so much...
How am I going to make any money here?
Comments
Greg Little, I half heartedly agree with the higher booth fee indicating a better event... however i can tell you that we have done some events and payed a few hundred and they were not worth going back... The story of woodsstock was a convergence of weather, and other external factors... we were perched just outside of the Toledo metro area... and they were in water crisis with no potable water, and the danger was not permitting them to even boil the water... people were staying in, hunkering down. Weather did not help the other factors which were all beyong the pale of the promotors to control.
http://www.artshowreviews.com/2014/08/woodsstock-music-art-festival...
that is my review... in the event you wish to read it.
I was also at Woodsstock at Schedel Gardens, and share the frustration. We were fortunate to make booth, but not much more than booth and gas...AS i said in my evaluation it was 95% a weather issue. I was a bit surprised this was a "first time" event because of the good organization, and vivid publicity. But the combination of the weather, and the Toledo water crisis made for a bad show. Yes, age demographics were much older than what i expected also. but in our case they were buyers, thankfully.
Around here in south Louisiana the most I've ever paid for a booth is about $225 plus a jury fee. That was at Oak Alley Plantation for a 2 day show. It was well known and long running. They have decided to stop the shows, I believe primarily due to a bad experience at the spring event that was weather related.
We do not have the shows like many of you do that cost much more for booth rental. I am in a show that runs twice a year that has a booth fee of $150. This show has been running for decades now and has about 300 booths and 1000's of shoppers. There is a paid admission & food sales. Food sales are manned by community organizations like Rotary who volunteer too do the cooking. I do well enough that I go back each time. I am in the black each time and usually have customer call me later for repeat business in between the shows. This particular show is literally about 5 minutes from my house. If it were any closer it would be in my back yard! LOL So I cannot pass it up.
Though our shows do not demand the same booth fees as many of the one y'all are in, I have learned that booth fees can predict what kind of show it'll be. We have quit doing the ones that are under $100 for a one day show, those at churchs/schools, etc. The only time I have lost money is at church and school events. It works out better for me to just write a check for a donation than to go to the trouble and expense of the small shows.
I would be interested in larger shows but they all so far away--2-3 day drive one way--that it seems illogical to go. I am wondering how to find some closer to home, say a days drive one way. This one is large and the closest to us (about 6 hours) but I have not been because I just found out about it late this spring, after the application deadline ..... http://www.redriverrevel.com/. Any here been to it? How did you fare at it?
Oh, I remember this sprinkler guy. I was running the Greektown show in downtown Detroit some years ago and he wanted me to put him in the park ... hmmm
and there you go, right product, right place ... so much to learn in this business.
Here is a blurry picture if the sprinkler guy...
This weekend is another show, this time three days and it is my hometown show...hoping to do much better...last year the attendance was 22,000 and this is the 47th year. This is my first year for shows and I am still trying to get everything right!
My best show in net profit is a $100 show. However it has been going on a long time and has a lot of community support. One rule that I follow is that I don't do a show where music is the main event.
The first year thing is what usually scares me off.. but then the $200 show was a second year show and artists from the year before were really good.. so I got fooled
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