Framing stand at Fall Festival?

[framinzfun]

Our township (really rural area) has a fall Festival in September. I was kicking around the idea of having a stand at the festival showcasing my shop. I thought it might be a good way to get out there and be surrounded by people who live relatively near my store. Has anyone ever done anything like this? It is like a country festival, with artisans, food, tractor rides, crafts... etc etc. I was to it twice, and it seems to draw a good amount of people... so long as it doesn't rain.
Some ideas I was thinking about was maybe making some small frames from scraps, and having a small table where little kids could do drawings on mat scraps, and I could quick pop it into a frame (with my sticker on back, of course). And maybe have a free raffle of a print that is framed, and that way I can get peoples names and addresses without having to be too pushy.
Any other ideas? Does this sound like a good idea? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Elaine]

Good exposure, I did one when I first opened to gain exposure in the community. Weather is the biggest issue. The idea of engaging the kids is good, drags the parents in :D Also had a sign up for mailing list drawing, candy on the table. Gained a few customers, but not a lot.

my 2 cents!

Elaine

[FTP]

I do a farmers Market every Sunday selling framed vintage ad's and two fall festivals. We get alot of new customers this way, also it is a way of just being in the community. Give it a try!

[Jerry Ervin]

Like the big ad campaign says - Just Do It


I have done many of these over the years. Sometimes you get a lot of business off the exposer, and sometimes you get very little.

If business is slow and you are looking to get feet in the door, go for it.

Be prepared to be very exhausted when it is over.

[FTP]

Well Jerry you are right in saying Be prepared to be very exhausted when it is over.
But well woth it today for me, sold 6 pictures took in one framing job and all the fresh Jersey corn a girl could eat!!!!!!
Despite the 100 degree heat and recent NJ sales tax increase it was a good day!

[Grumbler F.K.A. Harry]

Our town has one of these as well and we participate each year This will be our third year. So far each year has paid for itself directly and immediately. ( I must tell you that it only costs us about $40 to register and the booth is made of stuff we have.) Plus people come in months later and say, "I saw you at the fall festival".... So I go spend a nice New England Fall afternoon in the sun and meet a whole bunch of new people. It is well worth the time.

We do a print giveaway and a gift certificate give away each year. Both have been successful.

We just build a booth that tells people what we do and gives me things to show them and talk to them about.

I will try to send a picture.

Do it. It can work. You can bet your local BB won't be there.

[BILL WARD]

1st item in the list of importance----GET A TENT! (prefer one with side & read curtains-front curtain id ok if it divided down the middle) Neither you nor your artwork will appreciate the hot sun all day!!!!! dont JUST have framed stuff---bring some photographs/prints/cataloges(& work order forms-someone just might want work done, so dont let the opportunity pass by!!!!!!). bring a chair(with pad), some munchies, WATER(w/lemon helps the thirst), a good portable radio\(soft/plesant background), workup a frame of @8X10 with all the various parts seperate (mat w & w/o fillet to show off), plain & suede mats in showy colors). work up a short PR piece that tells others about ALL the things your place can/will do for them--have name, adr, tele, map(?) and get them printed in brite colors(& attach a biz card(no this is NOT overkill). this is THE time to toooooot your own horn and show off to the world, get them hooked on coming in to see you with art work on their minds...harpon/hook em! you'll not get the chance at that many people anytime soon.....so go do it!(you might even workup & try to get a amall piece in the paper about how youre gonna be there and will bave all this stuff to see/buy/contract for etc etc & get it in the local(& surrounding) paper(s)...remember papers cant print what you dont tell/show them and what they do not know is going on around them

[j Paul]

Instead of popping the kids masterpieces in some Free Frames why don't you just mat them for them, using up your mat scraps that you have cut into NON-STANDARD sizes so that they might have a reason to come into a custom frame shop?

[BUDDY]

framinzfun ;
When we first started out we used to regularly exhibit in a Business and professional woman's organization trade show of the areas businesses .It did give us great exposure. However we found that a large percentage of the attendants came to see what give aways they could get. In fact there was a lot of competition among the exhibitors to have something different to offer and on it place your shops info.

This often could get costly .Might i suggest considering offering small but inviting Gift certificates with your shops business card info on them. actually you could use cards and print the offer on the back.

This put your location's address and phone number along with what you did in their hands and encourage them to keep it since it was worth money.

The trick was to offer a gift large enough to get them in your doors but not so large as to cause you to frame for free or even close to it.

Bigger offers are nice but you will need to limit them and this way more people are likely to come in at least once.

Also remember the IRS only allows you to right off what the cost of materials you donate COST and not what it is worth on the RETAIL market .So partial discounts allow you give a gift and still make some profit while not having to worry about what is deductible.
BUDDY

[Julia]

Framinzfun:
If you decide to do this, maybe tie in with National Custom Picture Framing Month. I know it is in October, but maybe you can use this venue to drive traffic to your store in October. Showcase some amazing shadowboxes, etc.,...
Julia

[Grumbler F.K.A. Harry]

Here come the picture i mentioned....

Hopefully. Thanks Jay for the instructions.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b144/grumblegrumble/PICT0038.jpg

[J Phipps TN]

Harry,

I see a sign on the table that says FREE. What is the promotion? Your booth looks really great.

I have done a Fall Festival once. I think I did it the wrong way. We did have success but I worried the whole time about the Art work getting damaged. I think Harry's booth is a better way to do it.

Harry,
What are your walls made of and did you order them, or make them yourself? I may look into to trying again this year.

[Grumbler F.K.A. Harry]

The FREE sign was for a giveaway of a framed NE Patriots Superbowl Poster. The one on display in the middle of the booth. The other FREE was for a LE print I had hanging around plus a $10 Gift Cert toward framing it. The person that won the LE print never framed it. The person who won the Pats prit became a customer. My cost for the two about $40. I got over 100 names and addresses. PLus met a whole bunsh of new potential customers. Well worth it.

The walss were made by us. They are 2x3 frames with raw canvas stretched over them. The are light weight and modulare. We actually have 40 running feet of these panels that we can configure in a variety of shapes. They work great.

This booth was from the first year we did this. The booth from LY was even nicer looking but I don't have any pics.

[framinzfun]

Thanks Harry, I love your booth, and may steal some ideas... if you don't mind. How did you run the print giveaway... like a drawing? Did you do it at the show? Also, the background panels... they are frames with canvas stretched over them, so how did you hang the framed pieces on them... or is there another 2x3 running down the middle?
I'm actually sort of excited about this fall festival thing... it'll be my first large exposure, aside from print advertising, and I think it will be good, because it is a pretty focused demographic there, considering it is run by my township, and all of the people will be my neighbors. I got the form in the mail today, and it is $5 to register... cheap, eh? Another $5 each if you want electricity, a table, or a tent... I will definitely do the tent, and probably a table (I have a nice folding table, but may want 2).
I just need to figure out what I want to display. I was thinking about maybe actually taking a cool piece of equipment along to show people, and the most transportable thing is my Fletcher Oval cutter, but who knows.

[Grumbler F.K.A. Harry]

Framinzfun,
Yes, on the 4'wide panels there is another 2x3 running down the center. The framed peices are hung with drapery/curtain hooks. They poke right through the canvas. Use 2 hooks for anything larger than 16x20. The really big peices are held up with a picture hook in the center 2x3. The pannels are linked togehter using a hinge system made of screw eyes and a pin. We also tie it down to hold it up straight.

As for the giveaway, people had to complete an address form including phone and e-mail. Any that were not complete were tossed. We did the drawing after the event. Called the winners and they had to come to our shop to pick up their prize. That way, at least we got them to come to our place.

I enjoy doing this event each year. It is a nice way to get to people and actually get to "talk" to them.

Best of luck to you.