A Shade of Art

Presentation is a key to making sales at art and craft shows. And it all begins with your layout. In this blog, I will discuss the basic things you need to get started and how easy it is to get set up.

Here is a list of 9 items you going to need:

• Tent
• Table
• Cloth
• 2 chairs
• Plastic envelope
• Water cooler
• Pencils and pens
• QR Barcode
• Bluetooth Receipt printer

Tent

Art festivals are held year-round, but many of those events are operated in the summer months. I recommend a Nylon 10 x 10 canopy to beat the heat and I also recommend investing in a removable wall for those cold windy days in the late fall. A good tent can be purchased online or brought in-store at a Sporting Goods sport with an average price is between $150 to $220.

Table

The standard size for a table I would recommend is six feet.  But I wouldn’t overthink it. You can visit your grandmother’s attic to find one, but if you want to make an impression, then Walmart typically sells them from $10 to $35.

Tablecloths

Tablecloths aren’t a necessity, but if you decide to use one, the most popular types are polyester, linen, and cotton. I prefer cotton. Polyester fabric is the easiest to clean, and they are usually the cheapest. But, again, don’t overthink it. Go with what works best for you.

2 chairs

I bring a chair for myself to sit, of course, and I bring a second chair for a guest in case they want to sit and chat and, ultimately, write out a check.

Packaging

I sell a lot of prints, and this may not be a requirement if you create different mediums such as pottery or sculptures, but it is good to keep honeycomb paper, bubble wrap, and boxes for your sold products.  I mostly use clear plastic sleeves for my 11 x 14 and 9 x 12.

Water cooler

I normally pack a water cooler with 12 cases of soda, bottled water, sandwiches, and snacks. It saves me from leaving my booth, possibly missing a sell and it also prevents me from going to those concession stands. They can be expensive!

Bonus tip – Bring extra cases of bottled water for those hot summer months because most of your guests (family and customers) do not think of bringing anything to drink until they start to walk around in the heat.

A poster with a QR Barcode

QR Codes are an easy way for a customer to use their phone to scan and connect to your social media or your website. Sometimes I might not make a sale with my first initial contact with a customer, but after a couple of days or weeks, they may contact me with a follow-up admission about buying my work. QR codes are a great way for your potential customer to bookmark your information and it also beats spending money on business cards.

Pencils and pens

This one is really simple. I would say bring a set of pens and pencils because sometimes ink pens tend to leak or dry out. So, it’s always good to have a spare.

Credit card scanner

A credit card scanner is useful when you deal with customers who choose not to pay with cash. There are swipe-less apps out there, but I like to use the app, Square, where I can tap the information to my phone to process a customer’s payment.

Bluetooth Receipt printer

A good point of sale is to provide documentation after a purchase and a good Bluetooth printer can be as low as $25, so it’s a worthy investment.  However, if you want to be tech savvy, you can find an app that allows you to send receipts via email.