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...

Vintage Fall Display Inspiration

from 2012 to 2017, i worked with and for Rita Reade,

the proprietor of the creative vintage business Mammabellarte 

and co-founder, along with her sister-in-love, artist Christie Repasy, 
of The Vintage Marketplace vintage show in Southern California.

Rita hired me as her visual designer and stylist

to style all of her beautiful creations into an inspiring booth setting for each show,
as well as doing the same for the entrance to the show as a photo backdrop.

you'll find that many of the techniques & tips used here
are just in time for vendors doing fall shows,
as well as fall store window displays!

continue reading for all of the usable details...

A Blooming Spring Display

One of my former clients was a local vintage / antique show.
Every three months - once per season - this event took over a local park,

filling up with 60+ vendors of vintage and vintage-inspired goods in beautiful booths, 

and drawing crowds of thousands of people over two days.

And lucky me, not only did I get to SHOP the show each season, 

but I was let loose to create a fun, fanciful, and enticing entry display!

The goal was to create an area that welcomes guests / shoppers, 

reflects the seasonal theme of the show,

and provides an opportunity for guests to snap photos of themselves & friends

as souvenirs of their happy day.
They also happen to share those photos on social media, which helps to promote the event!

In January, the spring show planning began. In February, the show producer and I 

spent a day creating huge flowers from paper for the display at the entrance to the show.

continue reading to see more...

Hey, Vendors - What's Your Sign?

I have a pet peeve when it comes to the vintage world...
It affects me when I am photographing a show.

It affects me when I am looking for a particular booth.
I see it affecting customers as they shop, and I wonder how many vendors / curators DON'T see it.

But then.... my pet peeve is something that ISN'T seen:

It's missing signage.

Sadly, the lack of a sign in a booth is a very common mistake.

At every show I attend (and that's a LOT), I see several booths without signage.
In photos shared on social media - by shows and even the vendors themselves! - I see it every day.
There have been times I'd love to have contacted the vendor who created such a lovely display, 

but I have no idea who it IS  - because they didn't make a sign with their name on it for their booth.

To quote Nancy Kerrigan, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???
Why on Earth would anyone go to all of the trouble of having a booth in a show

and then NOT put their name on a sign in that booth?!

It defies logic. 

Especially when there are more easy ways to create a sign than I can count.

There are difficult ways, too, and that's fine... just make one, for heavens' sake!
Put that baby on your booth wall, hang it from your pop up, stick it on the front of your cash stand!

Here are some incredibly amazing signs that I saw on my recent trip to 

The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair,

where some of the best vendors / curators in the vintage biz show off their stuff.
Yes, there are still people there who didn't have signs....

but THIS is how the PROs do it: 

Though all of the signs above are neutral in color, they have incredible visual impact.
From scale and lighting, to unique materials and simple construction,

you NOTICE the name of the vendor/curator in the booth as soon as you look at it.

Details:
Lisa Souers gathered up all kinds of letters and mounted them to old boards.
Junk Hunks revived marquee letters and lit them with patio lights.
Farm Salvation and FOUND painted on old glass windows.
Storehouse Goods painted on a rusty old windmill part.
Home Sweet Home painted on simple chalkboard panels.
Atelier de Campagne had a scrap of metal laser-cut.

The signs in this image all have color in common, running the gamut of the rainbow

while also presenting the brand of the business in visual form. 
As individual as the people who made them, they speak before customers are even IN the booth.

Details:
The Urban Gardener simply painted her biz name over a thrifted framed painting.
American Country Charm ironed letters onto children's denim overalls.
Marigold Vintage used a children's chalkboard.
Apron Strings used a cabinet door. Unexpected Necessities used a headboard.

This Old House painted on old wood planks.
Tailfeathers used blocks painted with letters, topped with birds.

This is basic marketing, folks... just like biz cards and social media accounts,

you need signage in your booth at a show, and in a store. 

Help customers find & remember you!
Help show hosts, photographers, writers promote you through sharing!

So.... to recap, you can use these items to make a sign:

framed paintings . chalkboards . children's clothing items . cutout wood letters . old wood boards

headboards . cabinet doors . old windows . old window screens . an old windmill tail

laser-cut metal scraps . salvaged sign lettering . salvaged marquee letters . salvaged ANYTHING

fabric . paper . posterboard . cardboard . paint . stickers . felt pens . pencils . crayons

here's some of the signage I created for my past vintage business:

 small signs on the cash counter and on the register    .   a flag flying over the booth

 a headboard made into a sign, attached to the fence outside my barn where my shows were held

decals applied to canvas panels that created sides of the booth

a painted kitchen cabinet door that hung from the tent frame

It wasn't hard to make those signs, and I used them for years.

Do YOU have a clever, creative sign for your vintage business?
Share a photo of it on my facebook page!

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! )