First Bridal Fair Tips and Tricks: Booth Setup, Door Prizes, and More!

[cookerup]

Hi,
I hope you all can help me with advice. I am doing my first bridal fair on Feb. 25. I just found out about it last night, so if there's anything I need to order for it, I have to do it yesterday.

It is being held in a small rural town of barely 5000 people, and I have no idea of how many people will be going through. It's only costing me $25 for the booth, plus a door prize to be given away, so I figured I'm not going to be out that much, and if I only get a few good leads it will be worth it.

I plan to have a drawing for free cooking show(s), and can give a few door prizes --I'm thinking my own gift certificates, since this is 50 miles from where I live and some of the people attending could be from small towns that are even farther away. How do you set up your booth? What works and doesn't work? Do you put flyers, recruiting info, wedding registry info, etc in a bag and give it to them, or do you just have it laying there for them to pick up? I absent-mindedly ordered 100 extra f/w catalogs that I didn't need, but now I'm glad I did because I can give those. Any suggestions or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Ruth Mescher

 

[littlelillygirl]

Bridal fairI am doing a bridal fair this weekend. I plan to have Wedding Registry flyers available (I don't have many yet.). I will also have catalogs to hand out. I have about 150 old catalogs that I have rounded up to at least get something in their hands. I also have a little survey form I made up (if you email me I can send it IF you have publisher) that asks for contact info and wedding date. If they book an appointment with me for setting up a registry, I will give them a new catalog (or if they specifically request it). I plan to make the table really light with new S.A. stands, Valentine's candy hearts in the Bowl Caddy, the mini whisk filled with Hershey's kisses and wrapped in tulle, and a few products. I don't want much because I want the table to be attractive and a real draw.

If you have more questions, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

Another note is that I often don't tell people what I am giving away because then I don't have to listen to "Oh, I already have that, so I don't want to register." You can tell them it's a surprise if they ask.

 

[cookerup]

Thanks so much for your input.

I do have another question. Just today I found out about a two-day Farm and Home Expo being held in a town 25 miles away. It is being held by the town newspaper, it is the 12th year for it,and they want exhibitors. The ad in the newspaper says "dont miss your chance to show your products and services to thousands of prospective customers!" It costs $125 for a booth, which includes a $20 credit towards purchase of an advertisement in the Farm and Home Expo Special Section of the newspaper. It says 20,000 sections will be printed and distributed in SW Iowa. The booths are curtained, and an 8 ft table with skirt is $18.50 extra. I am very tempted to do it, but my husband thinks it sounds expensive and I would have to sell a lot of product to pay for it. I told him that I don't know if you really sell a lot at things like this, that it is more important for the leads you get. Please give me your thoughts on this.

Ruth Mescher

 

[fruit76loop]

Not badThat is not a bad price! I just paid $200 for a 10X10 booth at a bridal fair for 6 hours. Well worth the $$!We also have an annual Home & Garden Show and it is $375. Always worth the $$$!

I live in Wyoming, so anytime people get to go out and see something they do! I live in a large town-small city (don't know which to qualify it as for you city folk where the population is 1.6 million ) of about 50,000 people.

I have heard of people paying $1000's for booths in bigger cities.

If you can spare the $ and want to grow your business that is the way to do it!

 

[cookerup]

Thanks!Thanks, Marlene! I'm going to do it.

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

I would definaltely go for it!! think of it like this....how many customers and recruits would you be missing out on if you didnt do it? i pay 70 dollars a month for a craft fair every month. some months i get several leads and shows sometimes i only get a couple. its always worth a shot!!

 

[Tamara Foster]

Bridal Show Know HowI have done many bridal expos and have tried many things including making wedding planners to give away. Here is the problem as I once saw it. On average the brides are thinking 1 or 2 years from now and we are thinking "I have an available date 2 weeks from now"! They are usually being herded through like cattle and are carrying the dreaded "bag of no return"! From my experiece and the testimonies of other brides to be anything going into that bag will most likely not be seen again unless it's attached to a Food Chopper. I have, however, seemed to come up with a winning combo. I don't hand out anything at the expo. I don't have a drawing slip either. In fact I don't even do a prize drawing anymore. I'm going for quality, not quantity. Every bride I make contact with fills out a Wedding Registry Information sheet and Survey. Friends of the bride fill out a Friend of the Bride Survey. That means that every bride I make contact with is setting up a registry. While they are filling out the sheet I talk with them about setting up a Cooking show now to "preview" the products. I may offer a booking bonus for close dates. The 3 questions on the sheet they fill out ask if they are interested in having a show now, if they want info on how the PC can help pay for their wedding and if they want me to contact someone to set up a Wedding shower. I have been doing a simple display and I do not sit behind the table. If I have someone book a close show I will give then a host packet inside some outlandish bag that won't get lost. But, of course, all this is a waste of time and money if there is no follow up. Let me know if you need more details 248-322-2695

 

[littlelillygirl]

I think it would depend what you want to get out of the booth. If you are looking for sales, I would not count on it, but if you are looking for leads, bookings, and getting your name out there in might be a good opportunity.

When I have done booths, I average about 1 sale. Sometimes the bookings are great, while other times, I get good leads that never pan out. A lot of a booth is what you make it. How much do you want the leads, bookings, etc? Are you out from behind your booth talking to people as they come past? Do you have things there that will draw them to your table?