First Pop Up Event

The first event is always exciting. Luckily I had already been preparing for the launch of my website so my prints were in stock. However shipping a print out and setting them up for a bunch of curious fingers is completely different. I have done different events with my previous company before so I was familiar with some of the things I would need, but I figured I would share some of the things I was getting in order in case you are trying to prepare for an expo. Just remember you can't do everything all at once, unless you have some fat cash to work with.

I ordered these cute die cut stickers of my logo from sticker mule, however after I saw other logos I realized I didn't have my website or Instagram handle to guide people. WHOOPS! 

I ordered these post cards from Staples, unfortunately I couldn't get the double gloss because I was short on time, but I had ordered these before so I knew what to expect quality wise. They still were very helpful to guide people to my website since I missed that on the stickers. 

To take payment at the event I bought a new contactless square reader and I absolutely love it! It was easy to set up, easy to import my items from shopify and the contactless reader is no joke. It picks up payment SO fast it is unreal.

So for those curious fingers I ended up ordering two things: these plastic 8x10 covers that fold over the back to protect the artwork and these cardboard inserts that will keep your art from folding over your displays. If you want to be the hero of the event you should order some bags to take away the inconvenience of carrying around your artwork in their hands. It didn't have my logo, but convenience is more important in my opinion. See finished wrapped pieces below, I added my sticker to the back of each wrapped piece.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS bring an EZ Up to an outdoor event. Nothing saps your energy like the sun, plus it defines your work space which makes you look more professional and put together. I usedthis EZ UP by ABC Canopy that I borrowed from my roommate. I will be ordering one of my own (notes on that later). It was very sturdy, easy to assemble and came with everything you need. 

I also have this VERY large piece of art that I was hoping to sell so I wanted it to be behind me since I don't have a nice backdrop yet. So I ordered this easel that collapses and is easy to take with you on the go, plus its PINK so why not? It was the perfect plan. PERFECT I TELL YOU! 

It was not. I got to the event and it was really windy. Literally everyone is blowing everywhere. Every which way I tried to set up my big easel, my tiny easels, even the show boxes for my table were blowing around in the wind. I wanted to give up. I was defeated. Introducing the hero of the event, my mom. 

My hero arrives with the things I already asked to borrow: two tables and two chairs. She helps with setting up the canopy and pulling everything out. She also brought a little note pad, pens, some extra easels and a little trash can. But it's SO windy I can't really use anything that stands up. Big oof. 

So she runs back home and comes back with zip ties, a trellis and like 10 bricks. We end up putting bricks on the easel I had purchase to keep it weighted down and tying it to the post behind me so we can still hang up my big painting. It ended up being further behind me then I would've liked but it was better than empty space. 

Like I said. Not perfect, but better than nothing! I ended up putting objects in all the boxes to keep them from flying and stuffing all of my post cards and stickers underneath the boxes. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the trellis but it looked something like this.

The wind didn't keep me down though! I still set up my second table to work on my artwork while I was there. I think it's fun to do something engaging to get people interested, versus sitting at the table and staring at everyone desperately hoping they will buy something. 

You can visit my blog about organizing your art space to see more of these boxes for sorting your art supplies. I love them! 

Overall it ended up being a great first experience. I definitely sold more than I thought even though the event didn't have as much foot traffic as expected. BUT it was a FREE show for me, so even if I sold nothing it was worth it to get out there and meet new people. 

I never expect to make a lot of money the day of shows, but the networking and reach it provides is awesome. Just being able to have face to face conversations with people you'd never reach is a valuable tool. 

So don't be afraid to just jump out there. I wasn't as dialed as I wanted to be, I wasn't ready for the wind, but it was a great experience for next time. Speaking about the wind, I ended up talking to someone else in the industry and they showed me their set up. Just WOW. Her pop up tent is like a rolling art gallery. So next I want to work on getting walls on the pop up tent and having it set up so I can hang up my artwork. 

It's always a good day to try something new.