If you are an artist or a crafter, choosing a show to participate in to sell your work is a very important decision. Art shows are often expensive to participate in, both from the monetary fees they require, and then also from the labor, and equipment you need to have to put together a booth. That does not even take into consideration any travel time, meals, or hotel expenses. So you want to make sure to choose carefully which shows you apply for and accept.

Here is a guideline for choosing shows:

1. A good rule of thumb is to have revenues of at least 4 times the show fee. So plan your show choices accordingly, unless you think that the show will provide you with future or ongoing sales. Then you can include that in your analysis.

2. There is no way to be absolutely sure how well a show will go. But you can stack the odds in your favor with some basic research.

3. Before you send in a show application, learn as much as you can about the show in particular, and the show promoter. Do they advertise the show well? Is the show in its first year or have they done it successfully before? Do they have a lot of competition between categories or do they work well with the vendors?

4. Research the demographic of the show attendees and the area the show is in? Are these the type of people who your products appeal to? Can they afford to buy your products?

5. What are all the costs associated with this show? What would your travel expenses cost?

6. Are there other possible sources of revenue in the area? Are there any retailers you can set up appointments with ahead of time?

7. Do you have existing customers that you can contact to meet you at the show?

8. Do you have enough inventory in stock or will you by the time of the show to make enough sales to earn twice the revenue you need to make 4 times the show fee?

Once you have answered all of these questions to your own satisfaction, you will have enough information to make an informed decision about the show, and whether it would be a profitable show for you to attend. Make sure that you leave yourself enough time between shows. Each person has a different rate of recovery which is personal to them.

Once you have worked an art or craft show, it is a good idea to keep records of the metrics from the show. Track and compare your shows each year, and from year to year. This is a good way to see trends from year to year, and from show to show. You can eliminate the shows that prove unsuccessful, and add more that match your criteria until you find the best shows for your particular art or craft.

Learn more about this author, Paula Atwell.
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