How to Make Money at Street Fairs and Festivals


Also, sets seem to do quite well and people are attracted to groups of items that make sense.

It always pays to offer something useful and promote yourself shamelessly, as you say. I want to thank you for this article, it changed my way of thinking about what I should sell. I am new to craft fairs and have in the past just made a bunch of diferent items and hope they sell. I have one item a bird feeder, that I have done wll with at the shows I have done.

I never thought to just concentrate on making this item the focus of my booth. I have other items to sell along with my bird feeders. This site has given me a bunch of good tips. I am hoping to join soon so I can take full advantage. I had to learn the hard way that what does well in one market may not do so well in others.

4 Ways to Make Money Selling at Festivals - wikiHow

At schools, the pens and the other items under At churches and conferences the large sets and journals for gift giving do wel. THe smaller baskets and the fancier flower pens to great at girls night out and corporate events. I love this site. The information that was given will help me in so many ways. Maybe just a tiny wooden cottage with heated queen size beds? Sponsors are much more involved in their major investments these days, especially if your event draws out one of the most illustrious demographics out there: Since the spending habits of an average festival-goer have evolved, so has the value of sponsoring these types of events.

Sponsorship is most effective when it positively impacts the demographic being exposed to it.

Beyond basic signage and a few larger-than-life advertisements, the coolest thing this sponsor did was revolutionize the way festival goers charged their cell phones by providing free mobile charging units that festival goers could take and use for free while enjoying the festival. These types of sponsorships are the ones you want to encourage your sponsors to get involved in. The key is to work with your sponsors and ensure your partnerships will be mutually beneficial for everyone involved, especially your festival goers.

Merchandise is an often overlooked festival revenue source. Some festivals literally have over a hundred artists come and play at their event, each selling their own merchandise to an audience that festival has worked very hard to draw in. However, even beyond bands and artists selling merch, festivals often neglect to sell their own uniquely branded products! Whether it be t-shirts, hoodies, hats, lawn chairs, tents, or whatever other quality product you can brand with your amazing logo, each product is a chance to generate new revenue and spread the brand beyond the event itself.

Even more cool is, unlike your artists, festivals have the opportunity to start selling merch long before the tents are open.

Why not offer festival goers the chance to buy a t-shirt while buying their tickets? This makes for a great selfie moment when their t-shirt arrives at the door alongside their festival ticket! Online shopping is now one of the most popular ways to consume goods and festivals need to start getting in on the action! If your brand is becoming more and more synonymous with cool trending culture, starting thinking bigger!

Vendors can be anything from food trucks, to craft kiosks, henna tattoo stations, art galleries, and anything else in between. Of course just like it was for artist merchandise , since you were the one to actually draw in the consumers, your festival is entitled to collect a certain percentage of the profits made by any vendor selling products or offering paid services at your event.

On top of collecting a percentage of vendor sales, you can also initially charge an application fee when vendors apply to participate in your festival. This has become an industry standard across North America and in many locations in Europe, and therefore not a revenue source you want to miss out on! The more booze you sell, the more money your festival can make.

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One question to ask a vendor is how many times they have worked this fair. Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web. I understand there are books available at Amazon. Similar to number 10, this could be profitable but has huge downfalls, especially if you run into someone who actually knows what they are talking about and calls you on your dumb shit. The best booths are clean and not too cluttered. Most cities do not require a license or it is included in your fair rent.

This is sometimes how festivals offering highly discounted tickets or free admission can break even, or even generate a profit. If you do switch to RFID, be sure to prepare your vendors for the new pace. You should also find ways to draw customers in and try to avoid mistakes that will cost your money. Business by Industry Making Money Selling. Scout the show ahead of time.

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Before vending a show, take time to scout it out. Go and see what people are selling. Check out the quality of work, evaluating whether your products are of similar quality and whether or not they fit the general feel of the show. For instance, edgy, experimental art is not likely to fit in at a county craft festival.

See what's being carried around by customers, as that will give you an idea of what will sell. Also, look to see what types of booths have long lines.

10 Unconventional Ways to Make Money at Festivals

It can also help to ask around about that show and other shows. Most vendors and artists have been to more than one show, and they may be able to recommend other shows, particularly if the one you're visiting isn't right for your art or product. Stick with small shows early on. If you've never vended a festival, it's best to start small.

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You don't want to throw a large amount of money into a venture that completely flops. Plus, if you jump into a large show, you'll have to deal with a much larger scale of people, which can be hard if you don't have the experience ahead of time. Plan ahead for volume. When your vending at a festival, whether a music festival, renaissance festival, or craft fair, you need to plan ahead for how many customers you may have. Most festivals will have attendance numbers to give you some idea of how much product you need. You don't want to bring too much product and not have the space for it, but you need enough that you're not selling out before the event is over.

Tailor the product to the show. Not every venue is going to be appropriate for what you sell. In addition, you need to pick and choose what you take to each show. You won't take all the same things that you take to an art festival that you would to a renaissance festival, for instance.

Think about the audience and what they are likely to buy before deciding what to bring. At festivals, you can't have as many choices as you normally would in a store or restaurant. You can overwhelm customers who don't have much time to make a decision, or you run the risk of making your booth look overcrowded and messy if you bring too many products or have too many choices.

You need to pare down your choices. Stick to your most popular items. Create a well-crafted booth. The best booths are clean and not too cluttered. They should highlight your best products. Make sure to include touches like tablecloths, backdrops, and both vertical and horizontal displays to make your booth look more professional.

In other words, you may want vibrant splashes of color to complement your work if your an artist, while if you're running an upscale jewelry booth, you may want to keep it more refined with muted colors that highlight the jewelry. If you're going for an artistic or bohemian look, consider adding touches like strings of lights or vases of tree limbs that you hang items off of.

Also, be sure to have some branding.

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That is, a banner or sign can help customers remember your brand name. Offer products in a range of prices.

Festival Profits - How to Make Money at Fairs and Festivals

Whether you're selling art or food, you want to be able to reach a wide range of customers. That means you need to price some items on the low end of the pricing range. However, pricing some items higher means you are able to make a better profit, and you don't have to sell as many items. However, you don't want to sell too many items at cost, as it drives down your profits.