Art Show Booth Concept Design

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I recently had the joy of assisting Leah Nadeau, a contemporary artist based in Portland, Oregon, in making a huge leap forward in her career by helping her to design and set up her booth display at the renowned Palm Springs Modernism Show. 

(Yes, I AM still retired! The fact that I am not publicly marketing my services any longer doesn't keep me from stepping up occasionally to assist creatives and small business owners by using the skills that I have honed over more than half a century.)  When this talented artist posted on Instagram that she was in need of help at this show in my area, I volunteered. She graciously accepted - enthusiastically! And together, we created a concept and a plan, then put that plan into action as we met at the Palm Springs Convention Center on setup day before the show opened.

Let me share the design-to-installation process with you, along with some 'adventures' that were had along the way...

Design always begins with a goal.
While any activity involving the purchase of goods has an obvious goal (sales), in this case the main goal was to present the artist's artwork in the best way possible - in a way that reflected not just the style of her art, but what inspires her, what she communicates via her art, and how she wants the viewer to experience her art.  

In addition, this artist did this show to expand the exposure of her art, reaching new clients for the art on display in the booth and to reach more clients who desire custom commissioned work. This meant that her art displayed in her booth had to communicate in various ways to various groups of people... and this show attracts more than 15 thousand people over three days every February, and her efforts would be seen by all of them!

For those who came to purchase art during the show, there needed to be a variety of sizes, color palettes, and types of art available - from canvas & framing options to pricing levels, there had to be choices that would appeal to a span of potential buyers.

For those who came to the show to discover new artists with the goal of having custom commissioned work done later, her display needed to show some variety to grab their interest - and she prepared a GORGEOUS catalog with imagery and information about her commission process. It was one of the best pieces of marketing material that I have EVER seen. One of her friends helped her create it - and that's why we say 'It takes a tribe' to succeed. 

Another aspect of her presence at the show was to gather new contacts for her mailing list and to lead people to her website - where she sells more than just original paintings. She offers glassware, textiles, home & gift goods, and seasonal decor elements featuring her art online, but those weren't allowed to be sold at this show. She brought a few of those items and we used them as 'props' on the table in her booth.

You can see how multi-faceted the design for the booth needed to be to meet these criteria. With those parameters and goals in place, the design process began...

Trade Show Booth Concept Design

here's a look at something you haven't seen much of on my design blog: the design concepts i create for NON-retail spaces.

i've shared a few trade show booth shots before, including the display setups i've created for wholesale gift shows in the USA. i've also shared the redesign i undertook with my daughter in her 'Heeling Sole' barefoot massage studio in Texas several years ago. (i'll link all of those posts at the end of this one)

when you combine those two things, you see Deb designing a trade show booth concept for her daughter to set up at the national convention of her industry...

i'd like to share the project with you with the goal of helping you prepare for any trade show, convention, even pop-up space that your business might have as you promote what you do.

continue reading for my narrative and Jeni's input on our process and how those goals were met...

Calling All Vintage Chicks!

Have you ever been to The Farm Chicks show?
Do you WANT to go?!
Click over to The Farm Chicks facebook page and enter to WIN two tickets 

to the show this June 3 & 4!

The show takes place at the Spokane Fairgrounds in Washington state, 

and it's truly jaw-dropping... 

From 2007 to 2011, I was a vendor at this vintage, antique & handmade show.

Farm Chicks is one of the BEST shows of this type in the country, 

featuring hundreds of talented artists, makers, dealers, and 'junkers' 

all gathered in one place, indoors, once a year - with booths like these: 

(the last 3 photos are of my own RETREAT booths at the show)

My very first year as a vendor, I was pretty ambitious - 

because before the show opened on the first day, I ran around for two hours shooting 

six episodes of a video series for the now-defunct Gift & Home Channel!

In my videos, you'll learn about arranging small spaces for maximum accessibility,

be inspired by creative display tips & tricks, realize how your visual style impacts your brand,

and find out how these shows can be a terrific source for new & unique products for your store.

In my own high-energy, fast-talking, fast-moving style,
I packed a LOT of info into each 5 to 7-minute video, and some amazing women joined me

to share their tips, tricks, secrets, and lessons on camera... you'll learn a lot from them, too!

You can find all six of those videos on my YouTube channel.

I'm heading back to the show as a shopper this June, 

and can't wait to enjoy the atmosphere and experience of being there again.
If you get a chance, GO!!! And if you see me there, say hello!

(and don't forget to enter the ticket giveaway over on The Farm Chicks facebook page! )

The Show Must Go On.....

I received a very nice email today from a very nice gentleman who has been a reader for a while. His questions are quite timely, so I thought I'd address them here so that others with similar issues might gain some insight...

'Hi Deb,

I've been a fan of yours for a while now - I use your ideas/philosophies in my Irish Shop.

This year, I am participating in an Irish Festival . It's held Labor Day Weekend on the grounds of Hallmarks' Crown Center retail and hotel grounds. I can't tell you how many folks come out for it, it is a huge music and sales event that draws from all over. There will surely be more than 200,000 people out for the weekend.

I will have a 10 X 20 foot space to show my eclectic group of products that range from Irish perfumes, to scarves, Ruanas, hats, home and garden decor and jewelry. Do you have any ideas/guidance regarding showing retail in a festival? I don't know if I dare to make the space I have open for the public to meander in, or hold them back by tables stacked with my wares. I need a thought or two on merchandising in an area like this.

Thanks for being there (on the net) I really think that you have it on the ball!
Chuck Denton, Doherty & Sullivan Irish Goods, Lee's Summit, MO.'http://www.dsirish.com/

OK, well, first of all, thank you so much for reading my blogs, Chuck. I really appreciate that, and your kind comments! And the Irish thing, well, with family names like Shaughnessy and Kennedy, I'm all over that...

Now, I have to let you know that one of the reasons this is a timely issue is that I myself am preparing for show season. 'Mr. Deb' and I have started a second business, wherein we restyle & refurbish items and sell them at flea market shows. I presently have a 10 X 10 mock-up of a booth in the living room, working out the kinks and making a plan for our displays.

I've learned over the years that display of products is something that works differently in different situations. At trade shows and craft/ethnic/flea markets, the 10 X 10 space can be maximized to increase sales by utilizing a few simple marketing ideas.

One: You have five seconds to catch a customers' eye. Yep, five whole seconds! Use scale (big), color (bold), your logo & name (large scale, placed at eye-ball height across the back of your booth), and utilize everything you've learned from me about leveraging your brand image! You also need to prominently place your products within the 'strike zone' - yes sir, just like baseball: from the shoulders to the knees is prime viewing & selling location. I personally think it needs to be from waist to shoulders, just to minimize damaged goods in a crowded setting. If your products are all small, then you need to make huge models of them, or use large photo blow-ups on the back wall, or find props to lift them up and get them in the customer's line of vision. If you want them to die a slow death, lay them flat on a table where they will become invisible. (I can hear the pulse flatline now....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........)

Two: Invite them in. Don't block the front of your booth/space with tables - it's the equivalent of saying 'Don't get too close'. Not what you want when you are trying to make a sale! Allow lots of open space in the center of your booth so people can come in, turn, look around, and NOT bump into others in the booth. (This is called the 'Butt-brush factor' and people will leave without buying anything if they feel their personal space has been invaded. Really!) Put those tables against the walls - and don't let them go all the way to the aisle, either - leave some 'breathing room - a foot or so.

Three: Think vertically. On top of those tables, use some shelves, cubes, smaller tables, items to create more levels and more space for products to be at eye level. Using fixtures made from clear glass or acrylic will make the products show up better, as they won't block light or views. (You are selling the merchandise, not the fixtures!) If you have jewelry or other really small items, make SURE you provide an additional light source to make them show up - Daylight is not enough. Use clamp lights positioned over the cubes to beam light straight down onto the merchandise.

Four: Prevent theft with a few simple methods: Put valuable small items like jewelry into cases with glass doors, or trays with plexi tops on them. Have a sales person positioned at these fixtures at all times, giving them the job of attending to customers who are interested. Attention and eye contact with customers is the number one way to minimize 'shrink', or loss. It's worth paying an extra person to work your booth.

Five: Identify yourself and your business. Make SURE you have business cards handy. Put a banner with your biz name on the back wall, or on the table covers. Have your entire staff wear tshirts that are all the same color to coordinate with your logo color. You want people to recognize who it is that can assist them with a sale. Make it easy, make it memorable. Use bags that have your logo and contact info printed on them - or at least toss a biz card into a plain bag. (But really, why not have your business advertised at a show for free? People carrying your logo bags around is just that: advertising).

Chuck, you've got an eclectic selection of merchandise to deal with. I'd suggest that you arrange it in groups - put all of the accessories (jewelry, perfumes, scarves, hats, etc.) together on one side of the booth, and locate the home decor & garden items on the other side. Create a large focal point in each area so people can easily see what you've got, and make products easily accessible to them. And Chuck, please send me photos of your booth displays - I'd love to see what you do!

The photos shown here were taken on our recent shopping trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, Ca. The biggest lesson to be learned there? If you clean it up and display it thoughtfully, you can charge more for it. And people will pay it! ;0) Presentation truly makes all the difference!