Newsletter - March 24, 2010
The Jewelry Crafter
A newsletter for the home jeweler
This newsletter will be published every 2 weeks, and will include hints and tips for your jewelry business. Any feedback or comments about the topics presented here are always appreciated. Click here to e-mail us.
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This Week’s Sponsor:
Choosing And Applying To Craft Shows
By
Mary Harvey
In the last issue, we talked about how to find out where the craft shows are. This week, we will discuss how to choose a show, and how to apply to be a vendor.
There are two different types of craft shows - the non-juried show and the juried show. The non-juried show is a show that is usually open to anyone. All you have to do is submit an application, and if there is room, you are in. These shows can be anything from flea markets, to school craft shows, community events, farmers markets, or any other community-type venue. These are great shows if you are just starting out, or if you have items that are inexpensive. The downside is that sometimes there are many of the same type of vendor competing for sales.
The juried show is a little different. These shows have strict guidelines that you must meet in order to participate. Usually, you have to submit photos or slides of your work, and sometimes a separate jury fee with your application. The show management looks at all of the applicants and chooses which ones they want in their show. Juried shows are usually more of an art or fine craft venue, and everything must be made by the artist (no commercial or resale products). The benefit to juried shows is that the management usually limits how many of each type of vendor participates, so the competition between vendors isn’t a fierce as a non-juried show.
When choosing a craft show, it is important to check it out before you apply. If you can attend the show, you can see for yourself what kind of venue it is and how many people it draws before you apply. If you weren’t able to check a prior show out, ask around. Talk to people who may have attended, or talk to other vendors. If it’s a first-time show, ask the show management what they are doing to promote it. If they are seriously promoting the show, it may be worth it to apply.
When you decide to apply to a craft show, you will need to read the application very carefully. In the case of a juried show, you will need to submit everything they ask for. If they want a certain number of slides, make sure to submit slides and not pictures (and vice versa). It’s important to send high quality images that are nice and clear. If they want a picture of your booth, make sure you send that, also. Send exactly the number of images they ask for, no more, no less. If they want the jury fee in a separate check, make sure to do that, because if you are not selected, they will send your entry fee back, but usually not the jury fee. The application process for a juried show is extremely important - like they say, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”.
Craft shows are a lot of work, but can be a lot of fun, too. Just remember to check out the venue before you apply, and make sure to follow all of the instructions on the application to maximize your chances of being accepted.
In the next issue...”I’ve been accepted...Now what?”
Custom Jewelry Supply - Supplies for the jewelry designer