Booth This Saturday, What to Do?

[babywings76]

I'm doing a booth this Saturday for free at a local family day festival kindof thing. It's mostly just games and food and a bounce around thing. A radio station will be there and so far only a handful of business vendors. A chiropractor, Tastefully Simple, and me! The organizer may have gotten a few more by now, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, I'm on my own for tables, canopy, etc. I have no idea what to do! My director has offered me the use of a canopy (10x10) but my space is 12x12, should I still use it? I don't know if anyone else will be using a canopy. My director also has a PC yard sign I can use, but she is doing a vendor fair so I'm unable to borrow her banner. No one else has a banner that I can borrow. So, what should my display focus? November and Dec. specials? Should I make the homemade for the holidays stuff and try to get people thinking about gifts and parties? I have no idea how many people will be coming to this. It's on a main road, but this is their first year. It's free, so hopefully it'll be busy. I used up a lot of my extra Spring/summer catalogs at my last fair. I don't know if I have enough stuff to give out. SHould I place a supply order and get the new mini's?

Okay, sorry for the random questions thrown in there. Any help with ideas would be great!

 

[babywings76]

no bites yet...Should I stay with a fall theme? Can I incorporate Christmas stuff, or would it seem to early to have that?

 

[laurichef]

Will you get the new minis in time?

I would bring the canopy, but decide when you get there if you need it. I brought mine last Sat, but I was under the trees, so I did not bother. It felt much more open w/o it.
As far as a theme, stick w/ what you are comfortable with. Maybe a fall colored tablecloth. If you have the holiday items, display them. Keep it simple. Have the DCB out, and talk about the quick easy meals you can make in it.
Have your binder there w/ the specials in it. I never make a big deal of the specials at fairs, because most people did not go there thinking of having a party - that happens in the follow-up. I have one catalog in a binder (separated into page protectors), and only give out minis. I direct them to the website to view the rest, or try to get a show booked.
If there will be food offered at the fair, don't bother making things to sell.
Give out recipe cards, talk to everyone. Don't have PC recipe cards? Print recipes on card stock w/ you info on it.

hope this helps.
If I can find my camera, I will upload my last fair photos.

 

[tlag1986]

I just did a small booth at our local festival. I gave away around 900 recipe cards that I had stamped with my information on them. Also I set my booth up with only the bamboo bowl for mini catalogs, the pumpkin dish for business cards, the bakers cooling rack with a help wanted sign on it, the new trio-dots dish just to look at, the trifle bowl for my DPDS that I had people fill out for a free party or $20 gift certificate, and the DCB with the lid sideways to show it off. I had two folders one for fundraisers, and one for host specials I also had wedding shower information for anyone who asked about a sign I had made.

I just stood in front of my booth and anyone who just wanted the recipe card I gave it to them, but if they showed any interest I offered them to sign up for my drawing. The drawing is one that everyone wins all the people who marked yes or maybe to the party will win a party I had 17 (150 DPDS filled out).

I also had 2 yes marked for business information, and 2 maybes. I have already email them some recruiting information I have and will follow up with phone calls today.

I offered no food and really had little product, but I got a good response. HTH

 

[kam]

We just did a booth this past weekend. A couple directors set it up. It looked really nice. They kept the Cranberry theme. So it wasn't Fall or Christmas so much. But they did put something Christmas-y in the Trifle Bowl and we had the starbright candies for people to take (used both the red and the green candies).

We had most of the new products to show. Definitely show the new products. Most people that stopped by were familiar with PC already - so they were interested in the new products. The dots pieces always get a lot of looks too! Many loved the Festive Holiday cookbook.

I gave recipe cards (with my name & info on a label in the corner). I feel they will be less likely to throw those away.

I also got rid of old cattys and minis. If someone was interested, I gave them the new mini catty.

One thing though - I was by myself and had to just set the old cattys and recipe cards out. I noticed people were seeing different covers on the cattys and taking one of each and also taking one of each recipe card! That was NOT what I intended.

So, I quickly changed to having only one cover of the old cattys out at one time and only having one recipe card type out at one time. Once they were gone, I switched to another recipe / catty cover. This was only since I couldn't hand out recipe cards to each person.

Good Luck!

 

[kam]

Oh, I forgot about the door prize. Offer something and have them fill out a door prize slip (if you don't want to make one up, you could just have them fill out the ones we use at shows).

This will be a good way to get contact info. Otherwise people may not want to provide their info.

 

[babywings76]

Great ideas! Thanks so much!

 

[lauradahl]

My experience in September at an Expo tells me to have the specials out there...make mention of them, especially with stoneware coming on special. I had 7 bookings from my booth for the month of September alone...all because of the special. I will be doing another one the beginning of November and I will market that special like crazy. I will have host packets made up to hand out for those that book a show on the spot. That worked really well in September. I had my planner so I could book them in. I got their information, coached them a little to get started and then followed up the next day with them more in depth. HTH

 

[mrssyvo]

Lisa, Could you attach your help Wanted sign? I have been looking for something to print up for my upcoming festivals, and can not locate one. TIA

 

[tlag1986]

I hope it shows up for you. I got this from my Advanced Director. This is what she uses for all her booths.

 

[pcchefjane]

What is your Festival booth special for the consultant kit it says about? I have a Fair booth in about 12 days and am ordering lots of recipe cards to hand out. I will also give out mini-catalogs since I have a bunch and want to get these out before I do the Christmas ones.

 

[tlag1986]

You could do what ever you wanted with it. I offered $10 off the kit. The sign is rather generic so it could be used however you would like.

 

[esavvymom]

I hope it shows up for you. I got this from my Advanced Director. This is what she uses for all her booths.

Does it WORK? Has she gotten recruits off of it? (I'm guessing 'YES' since she is an ADVANCED Director. )

 

[tlag1986]

Yes she has gotten many this way.

 

[babywings76]

How do I print off that thumbnail picture? I'd like to use it at my booth.

 

[esavvymom]

How do I print off that thumbnail picture? I'd like to use it at my booth.

Check out this thread. That sign was reposted as a Word Doc.