BUSINESS: Craft Trade Fair Dos and Don'ts – advice from the British Craft Trade Fair

This article was originally published in the Autumn 2010 issue of UK Handmade Magazine.

The BCTF in Harrogate is one of the most successful trade shows in the UK arts and crafts calendar. The ethos behind the event is twofold: to bring high quality art, design and craft within the reach of ordinary people and to promote British makers and help them understand the commercial reality of running a business so that their work is accessible to a wider audience.

Image taken at the 2010 BCTF by Michael J Oakes Photography

Margeret Bunn (along with her husband, Philip) has been running craft fairs across the country for nearly 30 years and for 17 of those, she has been running the BCTF. Attendance has steadily risen year on year, despite the recession and in 2010, some 4,700 visitors came through the door over the three days. With some 500 stalls, Margeret makes sure that exhibitors are as prepared as possible so that they make the most of the event. She is friendly and approachable and always on hand to answer questions and give advice.

Image taken at the 2010 BCTF by Michael J Oakes Photography

Exclusively for UK Handmade, Margeret shares with us her top tips for those thinking about doing trade fairs.

• Know your audience: Trade fairs are very different from retail events. You’re not selling to the general public, but to shops and galleries. They won’t expect to take any stock away on the day (so no need to bring lots of stock), but will be looking to place orders with you based on what you have on display.

• Keep your display simple and effective: It’s important that you make your display eye-catching and inviting and there’s a fine balance between having too much on display and not enough. Make sure you have plenty of marketing literature – business cards, catalogues, price lists – buyers will often contact you in the days or weeks that follow the event, so it’s important they know how to reach you. 

• Pricing: It’s important to get your pricing right and it is common for exhibitors to under price their work. There are three prices you need to know well – cost price (what it actually costs you to make your work, including time, overheads, materials, etc.), trade price (the price you’re willing to sell to stockists and make a profit) and retail price. As a general rule of thumb, the retail price should be twice the trade price. When pricing your work elsewhere, stick to that retail price – it’s not a good idea to undercut your stockists! Most importantly, know your pricing inside out. Buyers will feel confident in buying from you if you come across as confident.

Image taken at the 2010 BCTF by Michael J Oakes Photography

• Understand the jargon: Get to know what is meant by terms like sale or return (SOR), pro forma invoicing, delivery/dispatch notes, etc. Other things to be aware of when selling SOR are insurance provisions (if stock is not owned by the stockist, their insurance may not cover it), who pays for breakages/damage, duration of agreement, how will your work be displayed, etc. 

• Always follow up: A lot of buyers won’t place orders on the day, but will leave you their contact details. It’s important that you always follow up with these buyers within a few weeks of the event – buyers are looking for proactive and confident sellers. 

• Be realistic on your lead times: It’s easy to get carried away if a buyer places a large order with you and promise a quick turnaround. However, it’s important to be realistic on how long it will take you to fulfil that order and any others you receive during the event. It’s better to under promise and over deliver and buyers will often be happy with a lead time of 12-16 weeks. 

• Be patient: Don’t be too downhearted if your first event isn’t a roaring success. Often, buyers will wait a while before buying to see if you’re serious about your business. View each event as a learning experience – talk to other exhibitors, be objective about what worked and what didn’t so you can adjust things for the next show. Above all, enjoy yourself!

Image taken at the 2010 BCTF by Michael J Oakes Photography

To find out more about the BCTF, visit the website at http://www.bctf.co.uk/. They are always happy to speak to people interested in exhibiting and can give help on all aspects of marketing and PR.

For further information, see Caroline Mornement’s book, Second Steps: A One-stop Resource for All Who Are Setting Up a Business in the Applied Arts (ISBN 10 0955002621; ISBN-13: 978-0955002625) published by BCF Books.