Hi all!
I had my first event yesterday and it was a success! There was a company putting on a community event for people who may be struggling and going through some tough times. They had a lot of families come and a bunch of free give aways. It was a great event with, lots of people and Santa Claus even made an appearance.
How did I find the event? I've been doing a lot of research online through CL, google, newspapers for upcoming fairs, events and even checking out big name venues such as CalExpo. Seems like there are many events going on within the coming months. I found this event through Craigslist. It was fairly easy to book the event with a small vendor fee.
There was some challenges preparing for the event but the more you do it, the more you will become a pro. Here are some tips for planning your first event:
- Make sure you email, connect with the agency and state your interest. Ask questions such as how many people will be in attendance, location, time, what time you should arrive for prep, how big are the tables, will you be close to a plug (if you need it), cost to be a vendor.
- Order more items and make sure you have enough. (for more info on how many you should order, read the Paparazzi Accessories Manual) Order a wide variety of items. You never know what people like. Don't forget to ask them who is the target audience (ie. Family, suggestion would be to stock on youth items than you normally would)
- Think about how you want to set up our booth: table cloth, jewelry holders...what would make it stand out. For this first one, I put my shadow box up, necklace stand and some bowls at Goodwill for rings and youth items. BE CREATIVE! Make your own. There are many DIY items out there you can do. It doesn't really have to be super expensive. Make it your own.
- One thing that was really helpful for me was I had a Square- which allows you to accept credit cards on hand through your smart phone. Super convenient!
- The night before: PACK ALL ITEMS and make sure to double check. The next morning should be just going to the venue and setting up.
- Make sure you have extra change in smaller bills and quarters.
- Keep extra flyers and business cards on hand. Let customers know if they would like to host a party, you are available. Of if they are looking for specific items for a special night, or someone's birthday, you can meet them in a public space. Promote your website, facebook or other social media site you have set up. For those interested in becoming a consultant or hosting a part, make sure you also get their information and follow up no more later than a week.
- HAVE FUN! Be PROUD of yourself because YOU did this all your own. YOU made this happen!
- Last step is to think about positives, negatives and how it could be better next time around.
