Arts and Craft Show Application and Fees

Application and Fees
A good show promoter at larger shows will have a set of application rules that crafters must adhere to in order to be considered for the show. Read the information carefully and make sure you are following the guidelines to the letter. Sending the wrong information could result in disqualification. If you are lucky there will be contact information for those who have questions but do not pester the promoter. Most likely they are dealing with many hundreds of entrants. Once you are accepted they will most likely send you a new set of rules for the show.

As we said before, booth fees range anywhere from $5.00 to $500.00 and more. And the bad news they seem to always be going up. Some greedy promoters need to learn about the law of diminishing demand. Smart vendors will only go so high and then call it quits. This leaves the less desirable crafters and the inevitable "buy/sell" vendors. This is another variable that can add to the demise of a good show.

Juried shows sometimes ask a non returnable jury fee, say $25.00. I have not been able to get a good answer why they do this. The most common answer is to weed out people who are not serious about applying to a show. I suppose organizing applications could be a problem if you were offering 200 booths and 600 or more crafters applied.

We learned recently of a show that collects a $25.00 early tear down fee that is only refunded if you stay for the duration of the show. This is puzzling and maybe a bit telling. If you have to force the vendors into staying for the whole show then maybe the show is not so hot. Usually the threat of disqualification is enough to get people to stay until the end.

That said it is disappointing to see people leave early, or even pacing up prior to the show end time. I am fairly sure that people would think twice about leaving or beginning to tear down early if they new that they would not be invited back the next year.

Many juried shows want the applicants to submit photos. For example they may want photos of the booth, photos of the vendor, and photos of the work.

For the best results, take a photo of your booth when it is set up on a nice day without customers standing in front. A good time is right after setup, assuming you set up early instead of at the last minute. A nice, professional looking sign is a good idea and try to have the booth clean, without packing boxes and trash.

If you use a digital photo make sure it is of good quality, not your telephone. The quality of the photo may be the deciding factor in being accepted or not. Good photos of your wares are very important and need to be of the highest quality if you expect to be accepted by high end shows.

If you do not have a good camera or if you are unable to take a good photo, check with a friend or family member or maybe a photography student. This point can not be understated. With all the competition to get into good shows you need to eliminate as many potential obstacles as possible.

Well run shows set a cut-off date for applications which is the last date they will accept application. This date can be many months in advance of the show and often the crafter must enclose a check for the booth rent well in advance. Early application can get expensive, especially if you are making application to more than a few shows.

We have a friend who sets up at 40 plus shows every year and the fees run into many thousands of dollars.

In most cases the booth fee is non returnable and we feel this is fair. The promoters are only trying to protect themselves against assigning booths, then having vendors skip out at the last minute, leaving them to scramble to cover the space. Bear in mind, many of these shows are used as a fund raiser for community organizations.

Notify the promoter immediately if you have a real emergency and they may have mercy on you. But don’t be surprised if they refuse to refund the booth fee. We had a booth fee returned by a promoter who was notorious for not returning fees for cancellations. Through no fault of our own we lost our studio in a fire and were unable to rebuild in time for the show. We immediately notified the promoters and they were very understanding. We in turn donated a large number of items for them to sell in their fund raising booth. One good turn deserves another.

Late entry, or application after the cut-off date, is handled differently from show to show. There are bound to be cancellations and emergencies that prevent vendors from attending. Most promoters do not like empty spaces so they plan on accepting some late entries. If for whatever reason you decide you want to try for a show after the cutoff date then by all means, contact them. But be polite and do not be rude or angry if they can not accommodate your late request. If you do you may spoil your chances another year. Many shows have a waiting list of vendors who did not quite make the cut or if the show filled up before the cut off date and other reasons. If you have done the show in the past you may find the promoters to be a bit more flexible. Do not be surprised if you are asked to pay more for late acceptance.

Electrical fees are common, especially for indoor shows. Many crafters, like ourselves, want to use lights to accent our wares. Indoor shows can be dark and gloomy and a spot light can focus peoples attention away from the cutter of all the booths to the goods for sale. In other instances, like a colored tent, the colors of the wares can be radically changed from the color of the light passing through the tent. We usually buy the electricity to make sure we are covered.

Other Fees.

Believe it our not, there are some shows where you are not allowed to plug your own light in or you are not allowed to cary your own setup in. Some venues are controlled by unions and fees are collected to cover the people who perform the service. Although rare in some places they are common in others. Make sure you read your application details.

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