1st "real" show, how did you know when?

[liambesaw]

1 hour ago, Min said:

Beautiful pots Sam, that red is gorgeous, love the Ikebana!

edit: "it stinks when you go and spend about $1,000 on oxides and walk out with something you can easily carry on your shoulder!"  Bet we pay more here, cobalt carb 2.5 kg is 420, cobalt oxide is 460. Tin is 247 for 2.5 kg. Wouldn't even have to put it on my shoulder.

Ouch, I hate buying tin, it's definitely the most expensive thing I get.  5 lbs is 110 USD. Or about 70 USD less than what you get it for.  That is a bummer

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I don't even want to talk about what I paid for a 50# bag of titanium last year. My consolation is that it should last for a long time. 

Back to the original question though. Shawn, I think if you want to attempt a show of that size this year, start doing research on fall and winter shows now, with an eye out to test one or two. Spend the spring visiting shows you think might be doable with an eye to next year. It's not unreasonable to do a year of market research (no pun intended) when you're building an ordinary business, and the same principle holds for selling pots. Keep an eye out on the shoppers and their habits while visiting these shows: are they walking around with purchases, or are they just there for the kids activities and the cotton candy? Do the folks there look like they'd be the right demographic to buy your pots? What actually is being purchased there?

Also keep in mind that any sort of fall/Christmas show will be a different animal than those that happen in the spring and summer months. I find a good rule of thumb when you're starting out is that you'll usually earn 1/2 at a spring show that you will at a fall or Christmas one. 

You'll be testing things out of course, but try to have a wide range of price points for people to choose from, especially at those 4th quarter shows where people are buying gifts for others.  Plan a little bit of a product line. For a first time out, a good 1/2-2/3 of your stock should be in the "easily purchased" price range, eg $40 or less. This is your bread and butter. That particular show's prospectus does mention that some of their shoppers are looking for higher priced pieces, so be sure to have a handful of luxury pieces with you as well, ones that you're proud of.

[hitchmss]

One thing that @Callie Beller Diesel touches on is visiting shows; I think this is very sound advice. One thing you might do while you are at those shows, is to check out the price points of potters with like items to what you make. Make an honest comparison of the quality of your work in regards to what you see there, and see if its selling, and if so, is it like hot cakes? Of course, I wouldnt wait around all day watching one potter (cops might get called), but youll get a good idea of what other folks are interested in if you spend 10-15 minutes checking pots out in a booth. Asking vendors at shows is something I enjoy talking to other potters about, and Ill be honest with my info; generally take everything people will tell you with a good ol' grain.

This might help you with pricing your work, if you are having any troubles, and it will help you gain an idea of what kind of work, and at what price points the work is selling for. Granted, this changes so widely for each potter, from each show, that its nothing Id bet my whole 401k on, but its a good beginning.

One last thing, take the attendance figures that shows provide with a big grain of salt. Many shows tout 100-300k people in attendance, and ive been at those shows, where in reality its more like half of that. One time I called a show to ask the director some stats about the show to see if it was worth my drive to St Louis; told me there was 30,000 in attendance every year, and that the artists she polled had sales that hovered between $3-4k......I made $880 for the whole weekend, and MAYBE, maybe saw 300 people....I started counting at one time because there was such little sales. Long story short, some show organizers are in it to make a buck, and they'll tell you what you want to hear. Us production potters with price points averaging between $35-70 need to see a LOT of patrons at each show, so generally higher attendance numbers are better than lower, but it also depends on the crowd....are they more hot dog and beer drinkers, or art collectors?

[LeeU]

11 hours ago, shawnhar said:

If I had some branding

I spent over a year taking advantage of free SCORE webinars and SCORE local live presentations and learned a lot about branding and marketing.  All my presentation materials are in three colors-red, black & white, as is my distinctive logo-which references a box I made. I tell the story of the logo on my website (under About: Flower and Ash). I have go-alongs like display cards, a big canvass tote, a couple of nice looking notebooks with my logo.   Everything is presented as leeuceramics and it has really served me well to take the time to plan it out and wait for the elements to come together without gaps in the continuity. I resisted at first.  "C'mon, it's just merch...it's the work that is important", not the business card design.  But after seeing people's subtle reactions (I've had people ask me where I got the notebook/tote & then buy something after that). The booth banner looks great (as much as I hate booth-sitting & only do it rarely, usually at a non-profit fundraiser where I donate my sales). I used the Business forum here to settle on my business name-got lots of great feedback, pros and cons, and my chosen name has been terrific-people tell me they like the simplicity & they can remember my ceramics web address using Lee U as a tickler. Here's some pics for fun. Dirt cheap-Vista Print. 

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I am probably alone in this, but I advise against talking to an artist while they’re at a show. 

1) You have to be “on” and positive while you’re selling, and in that frame of mind, everything can be “great!” If someone is trying to preserve an upbeat sensibility, they may choose to frame things more optimistically. 

2) This one’s bigger: mostly, while the show is on, you don’t have an accurate view of how the show is actually going. There have been lots of shows where I had a great time and felt really good while things were happening, and when I got home and crunched the numbers, the show wasn’t as successful as previously suspected. Conversely, I’ve been at some shows where vendors get disappointed in the moment, or they’re  in a foul mood for whatever reason and are quite willing to bash the whole thing quite liberally. But again, once you get home and crunch numbers, it turns out it was overall pretty profitable. 

3) If someone’s busy at a show, talking tips in front of customers is unprofessional, as it takes the vendor’s attention away from their customers. It’s like coming into a shop and hearing the clerks gossiping about the boss. Not cool. 

If you want the down low from a vendor, if you know them well, ask to meet them after (buy them food if they’re taking time out of their day). If you don’t know them that well or they’re from out of town, ask if they’d be open to a short phone call or email about the subject after the show.

 

[hitchmss]

8 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

3) If someone’s busy at a show, talking tips in front of customers is unprofessional, as it takes the vendor’s attention away from their customers. It’s like coming into a shop and hearing the clerks gossiping about the boss. Not cool. 

I would agree with this. I should have been a little more specific; If Im busy Ill chat a little bit, but will generally hand you a card and tell you to call me later. If Im free though, I do like to chat.

[shawnhar]

My wife ran a business for the last 5 years, I would never interfere with your ability to make money.

Maybe after the show I could help you load out and we can grab "a hot dog and a beer", lol.

 

[GEP]

I think it’s ok to talk to exhibitors while they’re working, but only with discretion and sensitivity. Between seasoned festival artists, there is a culture of how we behave in other artist’s booths, i.e. with great respect that our first objective is to sell. So if you are aspiring to be a festival artist, you might as well start learning/practicing this culture. Of course, never get between an artist and a customer. Boy do I hate it when aspiring potters want to talk my ear off, blocking my view of the rest of the booth while customers come and go. But if the booth is quiet and you present yourself profesionally and with respect, I’m happy to talk to you. Have your questions ready, things that require short answers. Your whole approach should convey “I know why you’re here and I won’t waste your time.”

I disagree that I might not know if a show is going well or not. I always know. I agree that I have my party face on for the most part, but I can distinguish between a customer and an inquiring artist, and treat them individually. Say if I’m having a bad show, I can keep a brave face for customers, but if a artist asks how it’s going, I’ll be honest. 

One question to never ask ... don’t ask for a sales amount in terms of dollars. The exact dollar amount is none of your business, and irrelevant to you anyways. Professionals understand that, so if you ask that question, you are conveying that your understanding of things is very shallow, and your mindset is nowhere close to being ready for this. When I get asked about sales, my answers come in adjectives. Amazing, good, average, disappointing, etc. Apply the adjective to your own expectations and experiences with selling. The only artists with whom I will share dollar amounts are the ones who I have known for a long time and have developed a lot of trust and respect. 

I do not want to be offered food or drinks afterwards. That’s asking me for more time, compared to finding me at a quiet moment in my booth. Once a show is over, I do not want to be social anymore. Though I will gladly take your email questions afterwards, as long as you are not expecting me to write long form essay answers, or expecting me to become your mentor on an ongoing basis.

Between festival artists, when we are in another artist’s booth chatting, and a customer walks in, it is perfectly normal to stop talking in the middle of a sentence, and exit with a small hand wave. Knowing you can come back and finish the conversation later. Or, if the artist across the aisle is in my booth talking, and a customer walks into their booth, I’ll point so the artist can go back. Again, the conversation might stop in the middle of a sentence. 

[hitchmss]

48 minutes ago, GEP said:

One question to never ask ... don’t ask for a sales amount in terms of dollars. The exact dollar amount is none of your business, and irrelevant to you anyways. Professionals understand that, so if you ask that question, you are conveying that your understanding of things is very shallow, and your mindset is nowhere close to being ready for this. When I get asked about sales, my answers come in adjectives. Amazing, good, average, disappointing, etc. Apply the adjective to your own expectations and experiences with selling. The only artists with whom I will share dollar amounts are the ones who I have known for a long time and have developed a lot of trust and respect. 

This is a general rule that I adhere to as well, however, there are circumstances where I will share exact dollar figures. If its another artist, that I dont know, who is just trying to scope things out, then Im gonna say like GEP said. But, in the essence of providing an educational experience for someone that I know is truly trying to learn, then I will share. For a long time I thought that making $2000 at a show was what everyone did....figured it was good enough. Started to learn more and more, and realized that I needed to tighten things up. Now Im likely not to go as far as opening my books to anyone, but if I knew someone personally, and they were truly interested in learning about the biz, then Im happy to share. I do NOT however share sales amounts with neighbors at shows.....can turn neighbors from good to bad quickly if you are outselling them.

Also, I agree with GEP's last paragraph; if I see a customer walk in, I will abruptly turn face and step out. Nothing worse than a neighbor/another artist who thinks its ok to chat while you have potential sales standing in your booth....Ive had to tell a few neighbors how this common practice/courtesy goes.....not a comfortable experience. Most seasoned artists know this though, and its all a good experience.

[Stephen]

Good that you are going to the show first. We have done some huge shows that end up being just huge block parties. As a rule of thumb I've found if it has 'Festival' without 'art'  in the name then the focus is not the art booths but the event itself. You are something for people to do along with eating, drinking and enjoying entertainment. They often say juried and no buy/sell and often have a lot of buy/sell.

If you total up the booth fees, gas, food and lodging that's your risk and if you end up doing a grand or less then you worked for free and essentially discarded a lot of pots for no gain.