<Just posted this on Lulu but adding here incase you miss it. Higher risk this one than the eBay idea but still would be interesting to try>
Here we go.
On one of my off the wall promotional ideas again LOL…………..
As with many of you, I have attedned numerous small/medium craft fairs and markets but I have never tried one of the national shows at a major event (sdue to the cost).
The Living Heritage Craft SHows are some of the biggest in the UK and, as such, are very expensive but always last 2-3 days. They are held at large venues, usually stately homes and are visited by thousands.
(see http://www.craft-show.co.uk )
The cost of a standard table (14 x 6ft) for the events varies from £200 to over £350 so way out of our league.
However, if we could band a few of us together perhaps we could try one of these events. As an example there is an event at Knebworth on 6th-7th May. The cost for the table here is £200.
To make this viable for us we would need about ten to club together to fund the table and give at least a day of their time at the event. This would be £20 each. Les if we get more interested.
I chose Knebworth as this is fairly accessible from various directions.
If we can get ten authors interested I would be willing to attend the craft fair on all three days and 'run' the stall. Authors would be asked to attend at least one day but can spend all three there if they wish. I would limit the number of authors at the stall, probably to three, at any one time so that we are not over-whleming everyone. Similrly all others will be expected to sell all works, not just their own (although there will be a natural tendency to be more enthusiatsic about your own work than others of course).
I would effectively be there to set up the stall and would suggest that even if authors are not staying for all three days they have signed copies of their work available to sell over the three days, which you could leave with myself for safekeeping.
There are numerous other questions and things that would need to be sorted (such a one kitty and who runs it) but that is all details that I can organise later but at this point I am posting here to see if there are agroup interested. Once I have enough I will organise things.
Would we make a profit?
No idea. This would be a toe in the water check. Hopefully at £15-£20 each with the high attendance at these fairs we would be able to recoup that cost easily but it's a new idea so I don't know how it work work out but I'm up to give it a try. Also, as no-one will be on the stall all the time they will have access to the event so can enjoy the fair like any other punter.
I will be posting this on a couple of other forums too to try to band together the ten (or more) needed.
Thoughts peeps?
Taff
