Craft
Marketer Newsletter
Arts
& Crafts Business Help
Issue Number 33, August 26, 2004
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Shows, Fairs and Events to Sell Your Crafts
For years, craft shows have
been one of the easiest ways
of selling handmade items. Fairs and events that have been
around for awhile bring in thousands of prospective customers.
As an exhibitor, your commitment
is brief, your costs are
generally known in advance, and most of the attendants are
there to have fun. Of course, craft shows usually also mean
being on your feet for 12 hours a day for 2 to 3 days and
maintaining a positive, friendly attitude -- not always
easy to do.
If you plan to sell your work
at local events only, you should
always visit the show in advance and get an idea if the event is
a good fit for your items.
When you want to expand into
other states, you may not be willing
to travel thousands of miles just for researching a craft fair.
The solution to finding appropriate
shows from a distance is
to make use of craft show reviews. One of my favorites for
years has been the Sunshine Artist Audit book.
www.sunshineartist.com
SA has craft artists 'audit'
fairs and grade each event by
a number of important elements like sales, crowds, weather,
booth layout, contact details and more. This information can
save you hundreds of dollars by helping you identify only the
best shows and the shows most likely to be a fit for your media.
Searching and locating craft
fairs has become easier with
the number of in-print show guides and several online event
search sites. Click here for for a craft
shows list.
More Types of Events
Beyond craft shows, there are
thousands of other events
which provide opportunities for selling crafts. Here's a
list of non-craft events where your work may stand out:
• Antique shows
• Apparel:
Accessories
Women’s
Men’s
Children’s
Shoes
• Baby / children’s expos
• Bath / kitchen shows
• Boats / yachts shows
• Bridal / wedding shows
• Ethnic events / festivals
• Fashion shows held locally
• Fishing / hunting expos
• Furniture expos
• Gems /jewelry / lapidary shows
• Gift shows
• Heritage events / demonstrations
• Home / garden shows
• Home decor shows
• Horticulture expos
• Hotels / resorts shows
• Interior design shows
• Landscaping shows
• Pet industry trade shows:
Bird shows
Cat shows
Dog shows
Horse shows
• Photographs shows
• Religious expos
• Textiles shows
• Toy shows
• Travel / tourism shows
• Woodworking expos
For locating events by genre,
see
http://www.tsnn.com
http://www.tradeshowweek.com
http://www.tradeshowbiz.com
Or do a search in the box below
for these terms:
"trade show directory"
"events directory"
Have a great week!
James Dillehay