Now that a new year has officially begun that means so has another show season! Here at Jackalope we have both our Spring Fairs right around the corner. Fairs are a great way to expose your work to a wider demographic and increase shop traffic, but how do you better guarantee someone buying your product vs. just looking? 

First things first, they need to know about you.  In large part it is the responsibility of the fair organizer to advertise and ensure people come out to shop. However do not solely rely on the fair. It is also your responsibility to share your upcoming events with your current fan base. Not only will that help retain your current shoppers, but having 100+ people promote an event is better then a handful.   

Now that you got them through the door (or tent!) the trick is to intrigue the customer. Making sure you put your best foot forward in terms of booth display is important to first bring the shoppers in, especially when placed in a sea of booths. You can read more about our booth display tips and tricks on our blog post The Perfect Booth Display. 

Silver Spoon at Jackalope Pasadena, great use of space in creating her own brick & mortar store. 

So how do you intrigue the customer? People are more willing to branch out if they can try your product first. There are several ways to go about this. 

1. The first is by providing samples or allowing the customer to try on your product. Let them test your lotion, taste your chocolate, smell your candle etc. Having testers and products that are already open and accessible is helpful.  If you are a clothing designer, fitting rooms are a great option, even makeshift ones. For accessories include a mirror so the shopper can see themselves wearing your product! 

2. The next is by creating a price point that is comfortable with your newfound followers. That doesn’t mean lowering all of your inventory prices, but perhaps creating a product that will fall in a less risky price range. This could be a travel size lotion, a snack pack etc. Chances are they will run out and crave more! Varying price points will attract a magnitude of shoppers.

3. If you can’t create a smaller sampler, maybe offer a new customer discount or a special rate for Jackalope shoppers? Make sure to advertise this as well because your current followers may be more enticed to come and stock up.  As a thank you, you could include a code or coupon for returning customers. It doesn’t have to be huge, but make them feel special and want to hear more. 

Now that you have them hooked, make sure you stay in touch and keep them well informed of your whereabouts! Keeping a newsletter is a great way to remain active with your followers. To help obtain newsletter signups, we love an incentive! Get a piece of candy for signing up, be entered to win a free piece, this is a great way to introduce them to you. 

And most importantly, make sure to have a continuous smile on your face. You want to be approachable and available to help with each person that may come into your booth. Be attentive but not obsessive and anticipate questions. If you are having a bad day, it will show (even if you think you are hiding it) and the customer will feel that energy. At the end of the day we can get people to come out, but it is up to you to sell your product, no one knows you better then you! 

We want take a moment and go more in depth to what exactly we are looking for at Jackalope Arts and how you can increase your chances on jury acceptance.  

Your application is your resume for us to view, so it's best to really put some thought into it. Please note our jury often changes so go into this with the expectation that they have not seen your work before. 

While the specific types of art and craft work that we are accepting is quite broad, there are definite quality features that our jury will keep in mind during review.  

Some of the key factors to keep in mind:

•  We're looking for trendsetting, indie goods - not just your run of the mill craft fair feature.  We want to see new and innovative ideas brought to the table that will captivate our patrons and provide a dynamic experience at the fair.  Use the space provided in your application and really describe what makes your work unique.

• Photos that show off your booth display (if you have participated in fairs before).   If our jurors can see an idea of your booth set up - it really helps give a concept of the professionalism that you put into your display.

• If you haven't participated in a fair before, it can be a good idea to create a mock set up.  This can not only help us, but help give you an idea of how you might be able to display your work in an attractive way to fair-goers.

• Photos detailing your strongest work.  Professional photos of your work and photos that are obviously well-crafted, show the jury that you put thought and time into your branding -- and will in turn be a great vendor for our fair.  We want to see close-up images of your best signatures item(s).  Our applications allow for 6 total images included - it's best to include as many as possible to really show the jury what you're all about.

• Web presence.  In addition to your application and images submitted, we will likely be poking around on your provided weblinks.  Make sure that the links you provide work, and that your website is current.  We love to see if you have work for sale online - and how you have that set up.  If you have a blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter - make sure they are updated so we can see current information and work when reviewing your application.  We love to see artisans who are active on their social media channels. 
   

• Really emphasize your brand.  Some artisans create items that aren't necessarily unique by trade - but everyone has a certain something that makes their work unique.  Highlight that for the jury.  We want to know what little sparkle you've added to really make your jewelry line -- your bath and body products -- stand out from the rest.  Some categories are very competitive - so it's really important that you show the jury why to choose YOU.  Think about your packaging, logo, product ingredients, presentation etc. these all reflect your brand. 

• We can't stress this enough: double check your application before you send it in.  
  • Make sure your email address is correct! 
  • Double check your website links.  
  • A link to generic sites like Etsy.com won't help us find YOU.  We need your unique URLs

---

What we are NOT looking for:  

• Vintage resale items… or any resale items for that matter.  We are a handmade only fair and want the maker behind the one of a kind goods there.
   
• This event is all about the community getting a chance to meet local creators, so it's important that you're not selling someone else's work in your booth. 
   
• Artisans with no images of their work to be found.  Our jury can't make a decision on your work if they can't see it.  Please take the time to curate images that you want our jury to pay special attention to.  While they will likely spend time viewing your website, they can't go hunting for your best work - you need to make it obvious.  
   
• Commercial resellers and product consultants.  

---

We are really looking forward to reviewing your application and giving our local community of artisans an opportunity to sell their wares at Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair.

We look forward to seeing your application soon!

Haven't gotten to it yet?  

Have specific questions about your application?  Email us: vendors@jackalopeartfair.com 

Not quite ready to apply yet but want to stay in the loop?!  Sign up for our Newsletter!