Craft shows and pop-ups require loads of practice and you will always learn new things, forget something, or have something not go according to plan. Let's get you prepped on the basics though!
Be CRAFTY when getting started!
Your needs WILL change over time. They'll even change from event to event depending on the audience, location, the elements, the booth size, etc etc. I recommend NOT investing big $$$ up front on displays!!! See how far you can get with things you find at the thrift store or borrowed from friends while you learn what works best for your product offerings.
TIP: Make your display look cohesive by sticking to 3 or fewer colors when painting your displays. I always recommend wood or metal displays over plastic for how easy it is to paint and seal for durable customization.
MUST Haves:
Seller's Permit - many craft shows will require you to submit this to them and have it on you at your booth should there be a random check.
Price Menus & Tags - the more price signs you have, the better! People get intimidated to ask for the price and are famously illiterate - plaster that stuff everywhere! You will save yourself a lot of annoyance not having to answer the same questions all day long. You can also include signs that tell people about the product, such as a "nickel free" or "sensitive skin approved" sign above your jewelry.
Way to Accept Payment - this can be either a card reader and/or your venmo code. You should also bring small bills if people pay in cash and need change. The more payment types you accept, the better.
There are many different card readers, and each have pros/cons. If you have a shopify store already, use the shopify card reader as it syncs inventory and sales automatically. I enjoyed the SumUp card reader when I got started for it's low per-transaction costs, but you can run into issues if wifi connectivity is spotty.
Table - I recommend starting with a 6ft table. I currently have a 4ft and a 6ft and wish I had a 6ft and an 8ft, but I have a LOT of product. Some people use bed risers under the legs of their table to make them taller and closer to customer eye-level.
Tablecloth - Every day I kick myself for not splurging on a nice wrinkle-resistant tablecloth. I personally prefer the kind that are flowy (rather than the spandex looking kind) as they completely hide whatever inventory you have stored under the table. You can add additional table runners on top to hide stains or add extra flair.
Business Cards - pretty self explanatory :)
Brand Signage - it doesn't have to be fancy, but you should have your shop name clearly visible somewhere. I used paper letters cutout on a banner and painted cardboard shapes when I started - both of which worked fine! I now have a table runner sign from HERE and a long narrow banner from HERE. The larger signs should have info about who you are and what you sell.
Gift Bags - I recommend 1-2 different sizes depending on what you sell. I use the paper gift bags from Paper Mart and paper merchandise bags from HERE for stickers. Customize these with a branded stamp and ink!
Miscellaneous Essentials I Can't Live Without
- Large S Hooks
- Museum Putty (to post price menus or signs with easy removal)
- Reusable zip ties (game changer!!!!)
- Clamps - bigger is better (7 inch spring, beach chair clamps also work)
- Hooks with clips on them
Check out my Craftshow Checklist HERE
NICE to Haves:
Backdrop Stand - get one with a flat base! Bigger is better! Also just great to have for doing photoshoots!
Director's Chair - essential to get off your feet while still being at the customers' eye level
Freebies - great to draw people into your booth or give to people if they agree to follow you on IG. I usually use b-grade or super tiny stickers for this.
Mirror - depends on if your product offerings require trying on, but having a cute mirror can create a great photo op at your booth (Bonus points if you put your brand name on the mirror!)
Shopping Basket - not essential at all, but it does always delight my customers and allows them to really stock up beyond the limits of their hands.
Planning Your Booth Layout
Flow of Traffic - avoid traffic jams! If there is one spot where people tend to spend a lot of time (for me it is my sticker wall), think about spreading it out or making a standalone display for that product that doesn't block the entrance to your booth or where people want to check out. The layout should make it difficult for customers to miss anything, move with the flow of overall event traffic, and allow clear access to wherever you want people to checkout.
Best Sellers Out Front - lead with the most popular stuff to grab the customers' attention and draw them into your booth.
Customer Needs - this is important for deciding which products to bring and how to display them. If I'm vending a music festival, I'm focusing way more on the lighters and hats rather than art prints. If i'm vending an event catering to plus-size customers, I should definitely bring necklace extenders to that event, even though I don't normally bring those. Will people want to try on the product (generally yes for hats, necklaces, hair claws)?
Building Upward & Filling The Space - a bunch of product laying flat on a table is not likely to draw people into your booth. Building upward allows customers to see your product offerings before they even enter your booth and gives customers more to look at at various eye levels. It is overall just way more engaging to have a more dynamic display.
Even if you don't have a ton of product, you can still display items in multiple ways to fill the space. You can have a few prints in a box for folks to flip through AND hang them visibly from your backdrop. Make a display board that shows off all of your stickers in a different place than where you may have the product shoppable.
Booth Formations
Single Table - you get the idea :)
Inward L-Shape Table Arrangement - Best for shows where you are not on a corner BUT I also love using this on a corner with my standing grid walls in the freestanding triangle shape so people can walk around and view all sides of the sticker walls without clogging up the space.
Outward L-Shape Using Tables - This arrangement only works if you have a corner spot. I especially love it for festivals because you will have so much stuff behind the booth, you need all the storage space you can get.
Outward L-Shape Using Table & Walls - Again, only works on a corner booth. The main headache I've gotten with this arrangement is that the flow is very disjointed for customers. They usually need to be directed to view the product on that side. When we did this layout for Outside Lands, we learned that people had been stealing stickers from the sticker wall because there was no one from our team on that side to watch & take their money. We finally split the wall and plopped a chair between them as a second checkout station.
Displays
It should also be noted that I have a LOT of product so I need whatever is going to help me cram as much stuff into a 10x10 space as humanly possible. Read my recommendations with what may be our different needs in mind!
Tiered shelves are a great option for all sorts of product. They pack flat and are super customizable as they are usually made of unfinished wood. While the ladder style display (top) served me well for its affordability, ridges on the shelves that you can prop your product in, and compact size when folded flat, I have really fallen in love with the stairstep style shelves (bottom) because I can fully hide all of my junk behind it without seeing it from the front and things don't fall through it. It is a pricier and bulkier option though.
Tabletop pegboards (specifically the Skadis pegboard from IKEA) served me best for shows that required travel.
Pros: They are affordable, super durable, easy to paint, require zero building, and allow you to build upward with the privacy to hang things like inventory or gift bags on the back of them without creating a full 7 foot tall wall.
Cons: You can only use IKEA-specific or DIYed accessories; having to clamp to the back of the table means you are leaving a ton of open table space.
Wire grid cubes are my new favorite display product, especially since I found cute colored ones.
Pros: Affordable; Durable; You can build any shape you may need with them; Can hang tons of different shelves and accessories on them; Best behind-the-booth clothing/product storage I've found; Pack down flat
Cons: You can see through them so you can't hide your junk behind them unless you cover it
The wire grid walls + pegboard combo is unmatched for my sticker display needs. Depending on the space, I place them in a line or ziptie them into a triangle (my favorite for allowing max traffic flow and visibility)
Pros: Durable; You can add any accessories using zipties or adaptors on the grid wall part or pegboard accessories on the board; Tons of usable space.
Cons: Heavy and a bit precarious; Would be annoying to paint the metal grids; creates a huge wall so not ideal for outward L-shape booth arrangements.
I could go on and on, but ultimately the needs of your booth are extremely unique to you and your brand. Do yourself a favor and keep things like your POS items or variety of products as simple as you can. And HAVE FUN with all of it!!!
Related Helpful Videos I've Made: (browse them all HERE)
DIY Backdrop From Plastic Table Cloths
Pegboard Display For Stickers
Nail Polish Shelf Sticker Display
My 4ft Wide Pop-Up Display
My Outsidelands Booth
All Of My Full Booth Setups
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