Making your booth stand out in 2014

[MzMolly65]

Combine that with some hearing loss and what you think you see and hear can sometimes be hilarious.

WHAT? Did you say, "How to make my TOOTH stand out."?

 

[Dennis]

 

[MzMolly65]

View attachment 7519

ROFLMAO!! That's me on the right btw.

 

[maya]

Or, ya know, you could repeat yourself multiple times all starting with Okay. :eyeroll:

 

[DeeAnna]

Here's another helpful thread on the subject of booths and fairs. It was started by Shawnee aka Alchemy and Ashes, a talented Florida soaper. She's into Ren Faires and related events, and her booth shows that influence. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=30560

 

[Sagebrush]

Thanks, DeeAnna...that was a great read!

And the rest of you are cracking me up! That dog picture had me literally laughing out loud

 

[Celestial Balance]

I use 4x8 folding tables that raise to different heights. I am able to put 7 tables in my 10x10 booth with a walk space on one side. I also use boards which I cover to add additional elevation to my tables. Four tables go across the front and two on one side with one table in the back for our use not display. I use 8 ft fitted table clothes across the front tables. This method of stacking tables gives a lot of real estate in a little 10x10 booth

My brain is not calculating the math on this. How do you get 4, 8 ft tables across the front of a 10 space? Do you have a photo? Are you doing them at different levels?

 

[Celestial Balance]

Here are some photos of my set up.... It is crazy how much my colors and style have evolved over the years. This year I am thinking of ditching the burlap because it wrinkles so easily and makes me nutty to look at it and see it wrinkled. I use old wood crates and try to find wood boxes and such at thrift stores. I am considering making them all the same color because I am tired of them being all different. I like to use bed risers to get some height on my tables. Raise those tables up and it helps with sales. I try to add dimension and get things up.

 

[navigator9]

Wow, you get a whole lotta product into that small space. You could give lessons on how to get the most out of every inch you've paid for!

 

[MzMolly65]

How to make a little look like a lot?

I've been making soap since November .. not a really long time but I feel I've got my favorites figured out and they've all been tested by family and friends. I've sorted out my quirks and can answer most peoples questions without hesitation. I feel ready but want to be careful and go slowly.

There's a gift shop at the local marina that took a small bunch on consignment so I can test the sales markets before thinking I'm "all that and a bag of chips", LOL! She was very happy with what I brought her and thought it would sell quickly. I'll go this Saturday and check on that.

My bedroom is a mess of curing soap and supplies, hubby is complaining (you all said he would) and while I love feeding this artistic yet useful hobby, I either need to sell it or I need to cut back on making it. "Boo on the cutting back part", she frowns.

I had a tiny, beach front market lined up that would be perfect tourist sales but wouldn't require me to have a lot of stock so I could gently test the market before jumping in whole hog but that fell through when the market owner decided they needed to covert that land to parking space *sighs* (sing with me .. pave paradise and put up a parking lot)

I checked a few other markets near me. One has no soap at the moment and another has 1 soap seller but I saw her soaps and without knocking anyone, I feel I would still do well there. Anyway .. they are bigger markets with full 10x10 spaces and I don't feel I have enough stock to fill that adequately and have it look nice. I have about 50 lbs of ready stock and anything else I'm making needs cure time. In that 50 lbs I have about 3 different recipes with 16 different colours and scents. Does anyone think I can fill a 10x10 with just that amount of stock and make it look like I have TONS of stock?

Usually more is better because I think poorly stocked booths always look so sad, at least from my perspective. Any thoughts? If I can't make it look professional I won't do it.

I'm playing with different ideas but would love feedback from those of you who were once new at this but are more experienced now.

 

[Seawolfe]

If I were facing my first 10x10 booth like you, I'd find a friend to share it with me. You could set it up like two completely different booths, or of your stuff is similar or compliments each other than set up like that (provided the people who make the market allow it).

But maybe that's just me - I like to buddy up when I test new waters.

Though if I needed a bunch of stuff and didn't have time for soap to cure, Id make a bunch of bath fizzies, sugar scrubs, lotion bars, lip balms & body butters. Those are all quick and easy. And maybe find cute soap dishes, scrubbies and shaving stuff (if you do shaving soap).

Of course I know nothing of selling soap

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I agree with Seawolfe. Items that don't need to cure but are related to soap would be a good way to fill up space.

Another idea: use tablescaping to visually fill up the area while taking up space. Boxes, shelves, baskets... They provide a professional-looking touch while delineating areas where product is and isn't. They also take up space that you would otherwise feel like you needed to fill with product if you just had soaps out in rows on the table.

 

[Spicey477]

I don't know, MzMolly. I have done a few shows, none were a 10x10 booth size, just indoor table size shows. Now that it is spring and I am looking to do some outdoor markets, I am intimidated by the whole 10x10 thing. I like the idea of sharing space, but what about just moving your table up to the "front" of the booth area, or halfway up, so that you are not using the whole 10x10 space? Is that considered bad form to not use up the whole space?

 

[Celestial Balance]

like others are saying make complimentary products for filler and to increase sales. Just remember anything other than soap is a cosmetic so label properly. The best favor you can do yourself is to get Marie Gales book "Soap & Cosmetic Labeling" she makes the FDA gibberish easy to understand.

Use baskets they take up space. You can fill them with basket filler stuff like dried moss, stuff I call birds nest which is shredded wood filler for baskets..then you can put a few bars, fluff them up and make it look fuller. Do not forget you need a cute stand for your business cards.... signs with information on ingredients fill out a table nicely...there is a lot you can do to make it look full and organized. :razz:

How to make a little look like a lot?

I've been making soap since November .. not a really long time but I feel I've got my favorites figured out and they've all been tested by family and friends. I've sorted out my quirks and can answer most peoples questions without hesitation. I feel ready but want to be careful and go slowly.

There's a gift shop at the local marina that took a small bunch on consignment so I can test the sales markets before thinking I'm "all that and a bag of chips", LOL! She was very happy with what I brought her and thought it would sell quickly. I'll go this Saturday and check on that.

My bedroom is a mess of curing soap and supplies, hubby is complaining (you all said he would) and while I love feeding this artistic yet useful hobby, I either need to sell it or I need to cut back on making it. "Boo on the cutting back part", she frowns.

I had a tiny, beach front market lined up that would be perfect tourist sales but wouldn't require me to have a lot of stock so I could gently test the market before jumping in whole hog but that fell through when the market owner decided they needed to covert that land to parking space *sighs* (sing with me .. pave paradise and put up a parking lot)

I checked a few other markets near me. One has no soap at the moment and another has 1 soap seller but I saw her soaps and without knocking anyone, I feel I would still do well there. Anyway .. they are bigger markets with full 10x10 spaces and I don't feel I have enough stock to fill that adequately and have it look nice. I have about 50 lbs of ready stock and anything else I'm making needs cure time. In that 50 lbs I have about 3 different recipes with 16 different colours and scents. Does anyone think I can fill a 10x10 with just that amount of stock and make it look like I have TONS of stock?

Usually more is better because I think poorly stocked booths always look so sad, at least from my perspective. Any thoughts? If I can't make it look professional I won't do it.

I'm playing with different ideas but would love feedback from those of you who were once new at this but are more experienced now.

 

[Celestial Balance]

so I considered what cmzaha had posted about all those tables...I am still not sure how you get 8 ft long tables ACROSS and allow customers access but I took her idea and since I was doing a HUGE show I shared booth with a friend to cut down on my costs. I paid the booth she paid the gas and hotel...she paid less but I have more products. She made all the textiles in the photos, wash cloths, soap savers, poufs etc... We decided to split down the middle and put an island in. We used 6 four ft tables, the first 3 are stair stepped and are in the booth width ways. The 4th and 5th one are on risers side by side length ways and the last is on risers at the back width ways. It really worked to create space to walk around and kept us out of each others ways.