NI Craft Fairs 2010

personalpresence

fi99 wrote: »

personalpresence ...... the success of a craft fair is very much down to the organiser, we stall holders rely very much on them puting A LOT OF WORK into actually advertising the fair as much as possible and in as many different places as possible.
I was also at a fair on saturday which was very poorly attended and someone told me that it had not been advertised very well and this reflected on everybodys sales
because of this if they try to organise another fair the people that were there on sat will most likely never go back

Yep - good point. I suppose those with a good reputation are popular from both sides of the table. Still, I decided to take it all as a learning experience.

Onwards and upwards!

dragonfly50

Morning everyone
The weekend wasn't spectacular for me either. I'm doing Lorne for first time on Saturday hoping it will be good as it does have a reputation.
All the crafters I've met are always so positive and hopeful even on a bad day!!! What does that say about us!
Fi99 - was wondering if people did better in the first hall.

harleygirl_2

Welcome Freddie and Kagapig. I'm doing Lorne on Saturday too dragonfly, hope it is good, as it is my wee daughters 6th birthday and I had forgotten I had booked this

I'm also in Friends on Tuesday (no idea where it is) should be good

smokiewater

Welcome to all the new folks!

Jen - I agree with Fi on the debt collection area - don't be too soft, sometimes you just have to go for it!

Dragonfly - I was in the first hall on Saturday at the Elim, and while I went home happy, felt that there were just too many stalls, and too many of the same thing. Don't think any hall was busier than the other, friends of mine were in the foyer and didn't go home too happy either. What is worse abouta poorly attended fair, is when they take the tables down as you are packing up - someone actually lifted my stuff of the table, set it on the floor and took away the table!

Organizers this is what we remember:

Well attended shows
Shows that aren't so well attended, but are full of spenders!
Where they help you unload the van
Where the food is good - free teas, coffees and lunches are always welcome - the stew was great on Sat and just £2.50
And of course awful shows that you would never do again!

Anyone got anything else to add to that list?

fi99

freddie wrote: »

Bit of a lurker on this thread, Think i am looking for inspiration to get started.

Anyone doing the Magic of Christmas at kings hall?
Looks very expensive but was thinking if worth it i better get making.

hi freddie i really wanted to do the magic of christmas but i can only do the sunday as i am already booked elsewhere on the saturday. the price was kinda putting me off too but it likes like they are putting a lot of effort into advertising. Although this is their first year doing it. All the fairs everywhere are so unpredictable at the minute, ya just gotta give them and go!!

fi99

dragonfly50 wrote: »

Morning everyone
The weekend wasn't spectacular for me either. I'm doing Lorne for first time on Saturday hoping it will be good as it does have a reputation.
All the crafters I've met are always so positive and hopeful even on a bad day!!! What does that say about us!
Fi99 - was wondering if people did better in the first hall.

dragonfly...where u in same place as me on sat? not sure if i know who you are? its hard to keep track of people with the different name on here to business/real name!!!!! lol apologies!!

crazycatcandles

smokiewater wrote: »

Welcome to all the new folks!




Where the food is good - free teas, coffees and lunches are always welcome - the stew was great on Sat and just £2.50
And of course awful shows that you would never do again!

Anyone got anything else to add to that list?

The stew was lovely, my sis went on about it all day, the cupcakes were good too!!!

lullaandbelle

:THi

We are new to the forum. We have loved reading all the threads it is great to have a list of upcoming craft fairs.

We are trying to organise a pop - up shop in a shopping centre in Ballymena for 2 weekends in December. There seems to be a large footfall - especially around christmas! Would anyone be interested in taking a stall. We can only take 4/5 stalls on each day and places for jewellery stalls are limited.

Please send any enquiries or expressions of interest to

[EMAIL="lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk"]lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk[/EMAIL]

personalpresence

lullaandbelle wrote: »

:THi

We are new to the forum. We have loved reading all the threads it is great to have a list of upcoming craft fairs.

We are trying to organise a pop - up shop in a shopping centre in Ballymena for 2 weekends in December. There seems to be a large footfall - especially around christmas! Would anyone be interested in taking a stall. We can only take 4/5 stalls on each day and places for jewellery stalls are limited.

Please send any enquiries or expressions of interest to

[EMAIL="lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk"]lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk[/EMAIL]

Ballymena is my main shopping area and it can get busy, certainly in the lead up to Christmas. There are actually 2 seperate shopping centres, with different shops in, each one seems as busy as the other whenever I go there. There are also loads of shops in the streets surrounding and in between the 2 centres, so plenty of foot traffic for sure.

I think in the month of December, they open up late every night as well. However, be aware that on Sundays most of the surrounding shops are closed.

Still, I've seen what I think are the 'pop up shops' and as they are placed in the mall itself, everybody has to pass them.

Could be interesting!

smokiewater

lullaandbelle wrote: »

:THi

We are new to the forum. We have loved reading all the threads it is great to have a list of upcoming craft fairs.

We are trying to organise a pop - up shop in a shopping centre in Ballymena for 2 weekends in December. There seems to be a large footfall - especially around christmas! Would anyone be interested in taking a stall. We can only take 4/5 stalls on each day and places for jewellery stalls are limited.

Please send any enquiries or expressions of interest to

[EMAIL="lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk"]lullaandbelle@aol.co.uk[/EMAIL]

Hi there

If you are taking a shop unit, be aware of rates - we took a kiosk in the Flagship centre last Christmas and 3 months later got a rates bill for £400!!!!! We argued that we had done lots of mall promotions before and had not been charged rates, but apparently if you take any fixed structure for any period of time (no matter how short) you are liable for the rates for that period. Check this out with the centre management and rates office before you sign anything!

We are booked in for a mall promotion in Connswater this year, so fingers crossed it will be good.