This past weekend was the first outdoor two-day festival that I attended as a vendor instead of a patron. I've done plenty of indoor festivals and one-day events, however, an outdoor event is a whole different rodeo! It was definitely a thrill and sales of plenty, however, there were some things that I wanted to share so that your first event has the least anomalies as possible!
-This post contains affiliate links from Blick Art Materials and ABC Mouse. If you complete a purchase from one of these links or use a trial for a free month, I receive a small commission with no additional charge to you! I use that small commission to keep this information that I'm sharing with you free so that you can enjoy! I've personally used ABC Mouse with my son and its worked wonders. I've also personally ordered art supplies from Blick Art Materials and their shipping is super fast with really good prices compared to other art/craft stores.
1.) Weigh that tent down with 200 lbs!
Yes, you read correctly.....those tents are like a huge kite if a storm decides to roll through or a gust of wind. Using the stakes if you're in the grass seems like a solution until those stakes shimmy their way out of the ground and your tent is down the road. If you're on solid pavement be sure to secure the weight to the actual leg somehow as patrons move around and bump into the sides sometimes those weights only weigh the tent down if they're attached!
2.) Tie down anything wobbly, any price tags, and secure everything!
Zip ties are going to be your best friend! The aerodynamics are completely different depending on where the event is held, how many walls you have open in your tent, what's in your tent, who's next to you and how many walls they have up. Keep this in mind as I had "practiced" setting up everything in my front yard before the event as a trial run and wow were things different once I actually got to the event on the day of the festival! Having a limited time to get everything set up was also a factor.
3.) Put all the walls up when you're setting up if not using them
Then use a chip-clip to pin them all up if it's sunny. These events are usually all day and the weather throughout the day can change rapidly sometimes. Don't wanna be caught in the rain having to put up a wall suddenly!
4.) Have 8-10 different price points
Some patrons will arrive with $50 or less, however, if you have a debit/credit card reader then you've just unlocked the power to price your items into higher price categories. Have a few items that you know for sure that will sell at a lower price point so that even if you don't make a ton of sales or sales are slow due to weather then you can at the least make enough to cover the cost of your lunch for the day and your spot at the event/festival.5.) Business cards and branding
Its never too late to start creating a brand and a name for yourself that repeat customers will remember you by and associate with your wonderful products. If you return to do another event you won't have to worry about getting the same spot again as customers will remember your name and brand which travels much farther and better than a physical location at a once a year festival! Be sure to have your information updated and correct with plenty of business cards so that you can continue business after you fold up your tent for the day!
Hopefully, this short but sweet list helps to ease your antsy but excitedness for your first event! If you're wondering what kind of inventory I have to offer then please take a look at my website!
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