• Home
  • Work with CfB
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Cutting for Business

  • New? Start Here!
  • Visit the Shop
    • Ebooks
    • Business Names
    • Craft Business Consultations
    • Order Forms
    • SVG Files
    • Etsy Shop
  • Join Craft Business Help
  • Must Have Products
  • Etsy Shop
  • Free Cut Files
  • Free Etsy Listings


Affiliate links may be present in the following article. For my full disclosure policy, see this link.
Additionally, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

8 Questions to Ask a Craft Show Organizer Before Signing Up

Filed Under: Shows, Fairs, Classes, Markets, and More

With the changing of seasons from Winter to Spring, you’ll likely see more craft shows and fairs popping up. While I’ve shared a lot of information related to fairs and markets before, I realized I haven’t given you any advice on how to choose craft shows that might work best for your business.

The best way to determine if a craft show is right for your business is to ask the organizer some questions. Here’s a list of those questions:

8 Questions to Ask a Craft Show Organizer Before Signing Up

  1. How many shows have you hosted in the past? It’s no secret: First year events (and not just craft shows and fairs) rarely do off without issues. If the organizer hasn’t had experience hosting other large events in the past, you may want to skip it.
  2. How many vendor spaces are available and how many spaces remain? This is a good question to ask because you can see if the show will be full or not. If it is two weeks to the event and there are 100 out of 150 vendor spaces remaining, it might be a red flag to not attend the show.
  3. How many vendors are returning from last year? If the event was held last year, the organizer should be able to give you an estimate of how many returning vendors will be present. If very few vendors from last year are returning this year, it’s probably a sign that last year’s show didn’t perform well.
  4. Is this a juried event? A juried event means that vendors must submit samples before being accepted into the show. This helps organizers know how many of each type of vendor will be at each show. (Read more about this here.) I’ve seen shows where there have been 50 spaces and 35 of them have been jewelry. If you sell jewelry, it might not be the show for you.
  5. How many people are expected to attend? A good organizer will have an estimate of the number of people that will attend the show and should be able to give you the demographic of those being advertised to. Knowing how many potential customers (and information about them) will be available can help you make a decision about whether or not the booth fee is worth it – and it can help you determine how much inventory to bring. (Here are my tips on how much to take with you.)
  6. Is there a fee to attend the show? Put simply, if shoppers have to pay to get through the door to shop – you will have more serious shoppers. Keep this in mind as you choose craft shows.
  7. Besides the booth fee, what other costs are there? At many shows, it is expected that all vendors donate a giveaway product for a raffle or donate loot to giveaway bags. Be sure you are clear on the expectations before you sign up for the show.
  8. The show specifics. Be sure to ask the event organizer all the logistics questions: How large is the booth space? Is it inside or outside? Is electricity available? For outside shows, what happens if it rains/snows? What time is setup? What time is tear down? Are there cancellation fees? While most show organizers will have a sheet with all of this information covered, be sure to go over the information carefully. If anything you need to know is missing, don’t be afraid to ask.

Craft shows and fairs can be hit or miss. If you attend a show and don’t do as well as you expected – don’t put the blame entirely on yourself. A lot of the success of vendors falls onto the shoulders of the organizers.

Ready to read my craft show tips? Head over here.

Love this post? Save it to Pinterest!

8 Questions to Ask a Craft Show Organizer Before Signing Up - Great for Silhouette Portrait or Cameo and Cricut Explore or Maker small business crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Related Posts

  • How Much Inventory to Take to a Craft Show or Fair?How Much Inventory to Take to a Craft Show or Fair?
  • 22 Craft Show Tips and Tricks22 Craft Show Tips and Tricks
  • Juried vs Non-Juried Craft Shows – What is the Difference?Juried vs Non-Juried Craft Shows – What is the Difference?
  • 5 Ways to Find Local Craft Shows and Fairs5 Ways to Find Local Craft Shows and Fairs
  • 8 Tips for Customizing Products at Craft Shows8 Tips for Customizing Products at Craft Shows
  • How to Host a Craft Holiday Market in Your HomeHow to Host a Craft Holiday Market in Your Home

Connect with Cutting for Business

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Get Cutting for Business in Your Inbox

Buy Books


Cutting for Business is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. See the disclosures page for full disclosure information.


« 30+ Engagement & Bachelorette Sayings for Crafters
Free Farmhouse Laundry Room SVG Cut File »

Comments

  1. Greg Art says

    March 23, 2018 at 11:09 am

    This fits in with sections you listed but, ask if they are going to promote/advertise the event.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:23 am

      Absolutely!

      Reply

Comments on Cutting for Business are moderated before posting. This ensures that this blog does not get overrun by spam or inappropriate comments. Please allow up to 7 days before you'll see your comment. Thanks, Christine

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Make Money

Love to craft and ready to make some money? You're in the right place! Whether you own a Silhouette Cameo, a Cricut Maker, a Silhouette Curio, a Cricut Joy, or even a Glowforge, get tips and tricks to make an income with your machine.



Ready to Buy Craft Business Names



Free Fonts

Copyright © 2021 · Cutting for Business
Disclosures · Privacy Policy
This site is not affiliated with Silhouette America or Cricut (Provo Craft & Novelty, Inc.)

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT