The Show Application Process by Steve Reynolds

The Show Application Process
by: Steve Reynolds

This article focuses on the art/craft show application process, and the impact of that process on both the exhibitors and the show itself.

Anyone who does shows for a living understands completely how important it is to make the right choices. Those choices will flow from what the artist understands about the specific show under consideration. Primarily, we want to know if this venue is going to provide a suitable "return on investment" - that is to say, will the time and money required be rewarded with an adequate level of sales.

If a show is 2 hours away, and the exhibitors can set up that morning, then for most of us, that is a one day show that probably does not require a motel. Therefore, the level of sales necessary to make it worthwhile will be considerably different than it would for a show that is 8 hours away and runs for 3 days. That event would require a 5 day committment, and when all the expenses are tallied, it could easily run over a thousand dollars just to "break even" (not including time & materials).

So choosing a show is a critical decision, and because it has such an immediate impact on our lives, we need to know certain things about the show in advance if that decision is to be the right one. Otherwise, it is a crapshoot, and at best, we have to just hope that it all works out - and that is no way to run a successful studio.

As we sit down to lay out our schedule, we will gather the possibilities for any given weekend, then will do our best to pick the ones which appear to offer the best chance for acceptance, and, the greatest possibility of adequate sales. To do that correctly we need meaningful information - not just flashy advertising accolades - so here are some fundamental questions that need to be answered in the application packet itself:

[1] How many booths will there be in the show?;

[2] How many of those exhibitors are already juried in? (as award winners, etc);

[3] How many applications are received on average each year?

[4] How many medium categories are there?

[5] How many exhibitors will be allowed into each medium category?

[6] What is the focus of the show? (traditional; Renaissance; eclectic; contemporary; cutting edge; etc.)

[7] What kind of clientele does this show appeal to? (Is this an upper class vacation community, or a working class suburb? Are there high tech businesses and universities in the area, or is it in a farming community?)

[8] What is the average customer attendance for this show each year? (this means the people who come to consider buying - not the kids who come to listen to the music)

[9] What were the average sales figures per medium from last year's show?

[10] Is this show juried by a group of individuals? If so, what is the makeup and credentials of the jury members?

[11] What are the instructions to the jury? (are they told to take risks? or to favor more functional work? or to judge strictly by technical excellence? etc)

Armed with the right information, we can then decide which shows are most appropriate for what we do, and, we'll have a better sense of the shows where we have a reasonable chance of acceptance. Finding shows is part art and part science - honest straightforward information on the application will go a LONG way to making the process as fair as is reasonably possible for everyone involved.

Email: conreyn@newwave.net
Website: www.jolaf.com and www.electroniccottage.com

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