How can an artist measure the success or failure of an art or craft show? This is something that should be done every time they participate in a show.
Success can depend on different factors depending on what your goals for a show are. Goals can include sales revenues, orders taken, number of items sold, new retail customers gained, promotional material handed out, and emails collected.
Most artists are at a show to make a profit on their artwork. To measure a show's success, a good rule of thumb to use is to earn revenues that are 4 times the show fees. Show fees should include any travel costs, and meals. So a show that costs $100 to enter, then another $400 to travel to, and $100 for meals would in actuality cost you $600 to participate in. A successful show, then, would be revenues of at least $2400. Remember you still have your material costs to pay for, and that is not part of the cost of the show itself. Your material costs are something that you will have no matter where you sell your work.
If your work is a custom made product, then you can use your custom orders as a measure. But if you do take orders, you also need to take payment, or else you cannot count the order as part of your revenues.
It is a good practice to keep track of your costs and relevant factors related to each show. Many shows also produce revenue afterward. Customers see you at a show then they purchase from you later. Ask your customers where they heard of you, or how did they come to you. This way you can get an idea of which promotional ideas are working for you.
Other factors to track are: weather, show related expenses, how many years you have been doing the show, what other participants said about the show, if you met your goals, what type of products sold there.
Although you cannot plan for weather, being prepared for bad weather at outside shows will make your shows much more successful. If you can protect your merchandise from being ruined in bad weather, not only do you not have a loss for that show, you also may be one of the artists that can continue to show throughout the entire length of the show.
If you have done a show more than once and you do not make a significant profit, then you are wasting your time at that show. Maybe you need to do more research the next time you apply for a show. Or possibly the promoter misrepresented the show to you. When you know who your work appeals to, you can look for that type of demographic at shows you attend.
Most artists who travel regularly to shows all summer, look to sell several thousand dollars of artwork at each show. Don't underestimate what you can make at an art show. Just make sure to choose the right one.