High Booth Fees
Sunday August 13, 2006
How much is too much when it comes to paying booth fees? We have paid close to $1000 for retail craft shows in the past and well over $2000 for some wholesale events. Depending on which trade shows you attend, the fees can be even higher! When deciding how much to limit your booth fees to, keep in mind that booth fees are part of a crafter’s overhead. Without a brick and mortar storefront, this is how you get your products viewed. Also keep in mind, though that if a show is not worthwhile, you may be throwing more money away...
Comments
As soon as the booth fee exceeds 30% of my total sales, I drop the show. At 25%, I will look long and hard at doing the show again. For the cost of these booths, anything less and the promoter is not doing their job. I would rather do several smaller shows for much less money than to worry about surviving the “MONSTER” shows.
I’ve done some “charity fundraisers” and paid $300.00 or better only to find out that those who are in a much better position to spend are the ones who don’t!
I’d be more inclined to stick with shows I’ve done in the past rather than “hope” for a better outcome!
In fact I found another fundraiser in which they requested 40% vs my 60%. To that I say I am more than willing to donate 20% beyond that is not feasible nor realistic…particularly in the line of work that I do. I am a sole proprietor and have no employess.
Laurie
Show booth fees,are getting out of hand. you wuold be better off renting a shop than paying these fees,booth space and you have to have 2 mostly.town lisence,state lisence,and there is a lot of risk of rain,promoters need to stop this ,how about fees to get in ,people are broke before they get in.and a lot of sales are from regular people willing to buy a decoration ,HAND-CRAFTED,but the fees never stop each year they go up,and cut down on space size and intertainment,as for me i have stopped going to the ones that keep raising fees,there is expense for the crafters,motels,gas,food and then it may rain,I love the craft businees as good as the rest of the crafters ,but i believe that a change is comming,crafters stop throwing your money away,look for another way to sell even if you have had some some goods shows in that town.drop them for a year and you will see change>IVE HAD IT.MAD IN NC
As a fine artist, I too have had it with the increasing fees and lack of promotion. I have found that here in NC there are more and more opportunities to “rent spaces” in crafters malls and emporiums. You don’t have to worry about being there, or the weather, and if you keep it stocked, it more than pays for itself. For example, there is one here in my town that rents spaces for as low as $35.00 per month, their employees handle the transactions, they pay the sales tax, take out their small commission (10 to 12%) and send out a check at the end of the month. I was in a larger one that sent out checks bimonthly. I have found this is the way to go if you are serious about making a living from your art or craft. I am tired of making the promoters of these big shows rich while I don’t even “break even”. I will occaisionally do a local show for advertising only as I also do commissioned work, and find this works to meet new clients, but I go in with the attitude that I am not there to make immediate sales, but building contacts for future sales.
Hope this advise helps someone out there.