Why you’re Looking at your Craft Show Setup Wrong
Craft shows require a lot of work to prepare for and you may have spent weeks perfecting your setup on your dining room table. But before you settle on your display, consider if you’re looking at it from the wrong perspective.
The Wrong Perspective
While working on your craft show setup, you likely stand at the front, placing your items. Once done, you stand back as though you’re going to snap a picture, focusing on the most important subject of the show: your booth.
When viewing your display from this angle, and from the perspective of a vendor, you’re missing a lot of opportunities.
Although you’re there to showcase your work, it’s not all about you. Here are some other perspectives to consider…
The Right Perspective
The purpose of setting up a booth at a craft show is to:
- Attract shoppers
- Sell to shoppers
- And to help create a good experience (for shoppers, organizers, and other vendors)
Let’s take a closer look at each perspective you should keep in mind as you assess your display.
1) Look at your Craft Show Display as a Shopper
Consider how shoppers will walk the venue. Head towards the entrance, turn around and imagine you’re a shopper approaching your booth from several feet away.
What do you see?
Most shoppers won’t approach your booth or table head-on so be sure there’s something that catches their eye from a few feet away.
In most venues, traffic will flow in both directions, so be sure that your display is eye-catching from shoppers walking back towards the entrance.
Now imagine the venue is full of people; will shoppers see anything on your table if they’re behind other shoppers?
Raising elements of your display can help shoppers see your products from far away and over the crowds.
If you build your craft show display using zones, it will be easy to move things around based on each event’s layout. Here’s how to set up zones and create the proper layout for your table or booth: Craft Show Table Layout Tips
You should also implement one or more eye-catching merchandising techniques. Check out Want to Stand Out at a Craft Show? Try these Display Tricks for 10 visual merchandising tricks you can apply to your display.
Now imagine you’re shopping at your table or booth.
Is it easy to pick items up and place them back or will other items fall over? Consider placing excess stock behind your table so your selection doesn’t feel overwhelming and is easy to shop.
Too many types of products or product options can actually harm your sales, so don’t be afraid to pare things down.
Here’s why you shouldn’t offer too many options: Why Too Many Products will Harm your Craft Business’s Sales and here’s how to tell if you’re making too many types of products: How to Tell if your Craft Business Has Too Many Products
Lastly, walk where shoppers will and ensure your space looks tidy. Hide bins and personal belongings under that table and ensure your tablecloth hovers just above the ground at the front of your table.
If shoppers can see your space from the back, make sure it looks somewhat tidy from this angle too.
2) Look at your Craft Show Display as a Salesperson
Your display should be set up so it helps shoppers see how your products can be paired together. If a vendor is selling jewelry and has a pair of earrings that look great with one of their necklaces, those two items should be displayed next to each other; not on opposite sides of the table.
Next, walk the event to see what other vendors are selling.
How do your products differ from your direct competitors? Be sure to point those benefits out to your shoppers. You may also want to alter your display to highlight pieces that are different from your competitors.
For example, if you’re selling jewelry and other jewelry vendors have a lot of delicate gold necklaces similar to yours, you may decide to highlight silver pieces in your zone 1.
Lastly, look for vendors selling products that complement yours.
For example, if a vendor is selling tops and your jewelry would look great with them, be sure to point out your complimenting pieces to shoppers carrying a shopping bag from the top vendor.
Don’t forget to hand out marketing materials to shoppers. The majority of shoppers won’t buy from you that day. But if they know where to find you after the event, they may buy from you in the future.
3) Look at your Craft Show Display as the Event Organizer
A craft show needs to be a good experience for everyone, so it’s important to look for anything that might be an annoyance to the organizer or other vendors.
Are you within your allotted space? If the organizers allowed every vendor to expand their display by a foot or two, they’d run into a problem with aisle space.
Be sure your display is contained within your booth/table/allotted space and there aren’t tripping hazards spilling out into the aisle.
Are you showcasing products you didn’t mention on your craft show application? Craft show organizers will choose applicants based on the category of product they sell; they don’t want too many vendors selling the same items. If you stated on your application that you sell stuffed crochet animals but have decided last minute to put all your knitted scarves on display instead, organizers may not be pleased.
Your display should also be well-branded. Organizers have likely promoted which vendors are going to be at the event and maybe even given sneak peeks of the products they’ll be bringing. Do you have signage that helps shoppers find you by name?
If there’s a product organizers have shared on their social media or website, consider putting that front and center in your craft show display. Shoppers may be specifically looking for it.
For more rules you should be following if you want to be invited back to the event, check out: Craft Show Etiquette; What Organizers Expect
Let me know if you’re going to make any changes to your display or if you have any questions!
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Hey, I’m Erin 🙂 I write about small business and craft show techniques I’ve learned from being a small business owner for almost 2 decades, selling at dozens of craft shows, and earning a diploma in Visual Communication Design. I hope you find my advice helpful!
I have read all your articles and find them all very informative and interesting. I have one major question regarding raising the height of my tables or merchandise. I need to be able to carry and handle my tables all by myself and hopefully in one trip with a rolling platform cart. I have purchased two different tables and have returned them both. Having troubles finding a sturdy table that does not wobble. My first was “Mainstays” fold in half card tables and not sure how to raise the height, except for PVC pipe, but wobbles. The second table was a “Lifetime” brand fold in half 2ft x 4ft table that was also wobbly. Both tables the center bracket does not want to keep the tables completely out. Any suggestions? Would appreciate it! Chris.
I buy the six foot tables from sams. they do not fold but are light weight enough to pick up alone. You may consider renting tables from the organizer
I sell quilts, afghans, crocheted items, pillows and hand embroidery. also small angel ornaments. trying to make a small 10 x 10 space is a real challenge, as there is not a way to display large quilts (too heavy) other than on the table. suggestions??
Hi Cindy, thanks for reading! You may consider using a rollbar and draping a quilt over that so shoppers can see the design, and then keep the rest folded on the table.
Alternatively, you could keep all quilts folded on the table and print some photos of your quilts to frame and display on the table so shoppers can see the design without having to unfold the quilt.
I hope that helps!
~Erin
If you have a canopy hang them from 3 sides and instead of a large table have a quilt rack and a smaller table and chair (for your wrapping and register) in the center. This also process shade if you’re outdoors. People will always come in from the sun and then take a look around.
well I have been reading all your suggestions and tried one this last weekend, don’t over load the tables!! it worked, had the best show ever.
still working on the quilts though. thank you for all the great tips.
Getting ready to do my show ,tommrow. Last year his show was not good. Lookin forward to the set up. Got everything one color and texture…
Just learned to put things together,I was going to mix it up. Can’t wait to see the results…
Thank you!
Sorry that should be “provides” not process!!
Erin, your blog is such a blessing. I love reciving new post. I am always so excited to implement the things I read into my next event. your blogs have helped me elevate my booth. I recall my first show I had no ideal how to set up or display, it was a 2 day show. I layed each piece of jewlery neatly on the table , no price tags, no props, nothing. It was the grace of God I sold anything. I saw how the other people set up and immediately after the show I ran to the store spent one 1/3 of my profits and puchased props. I read one of your post that night , set up the next day and doubled what I’d made the day before. I think because my table was polished I felt an extra confidence that came through in my interactions with everyone. Thanks again.
Thank you so much Michele! What a lovely comment to read 🙂 Good for you for investing your profits into props…in the middle of a show. And such a great outcome to double your income in the second half! I agree, there’s a confidence that comes through when you feel prepared and proud of your display, which positively impacts sales.
Thank you so much for sharing!
~Erin