What I learnt from my first Craft Fair

This month saw the first craft fair, hopefully of many, for Georgia Hare Media Artist. It was at Pecks Farm shop in Hockliffe, a gorgeous hidden away barn and shop full of freshly cooked sausage rolls and samosas, curry sauces and fresh produce.

The day promised to be a successful day, with it happening on previous years and people driving past and coming in on a whim because they can see something is going on… However, the weather was not on our side this year. The wind was on a whole other level, the gazebo nearly went over plenty of times so …

LESSON 1) USE WEIGHTS ON YOUR GAZEBO

The wind also caused havoc when it came to display my prints. Jack had so kindly made me some stands to place on the table so a few of the prints could stand up right, giving me some much needed levels to the display. But because they are only small and light, the smallest gust of wind would knock them over, the prints along with it. The prints that were on the table would also fly around, and you would need about 25 pairs of hands to catch them all. Luckily, nothing got damaged, which means that I didn’t have any money going down the drain.

LESSON 2) HAVE PAPERWEIGHTS TO KEEP THE PRINTS ON THE TABLE

Along the back ‘wall’ of the gazebo, I hung string from corner to corner to peg prints from as a display wall. This worked really well to draw the eye in, and therefore the people, but as the wind gusts, although they stay on the string, they flap around which risks both damage, and people not being able to see them. As a makeshift fix I can use too pieces of rope per row of images which will hopefully keep them more still, but as a more long term fix I need to think of or create a more sturdy structure to display the images on. This may also help the gazebo be stronger and more weather resistant.

LESSON 3) DISPLAY THE IMAGES ON A MORE STRUCTURED BACK WALL

When talking to a customer, it’s difficult if you’re saying the right thing, but if this experience has taught me anything it’s ‘say whatever you need to say to make a sale’. I didn’t lie in anything that I said, but I had to use every bit of experience I have had in my years of practising photography to sell my services as well as my prints, something I think… I hope… I did quite well