໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა Hello all!
A few months back I finally took the courage to sign up for a booth at a local anime convention and I just wanna share my entire journey!
I have been selling my crochets since 2015 and it has always been my dream to booth at a convention someday. Sadly for the past few years, my full time job has consumed me and hence the plan was delayed till now.
As it was my first time boothing, I researched on an ideal setup and theme I wanted for my booth which suit my works: grassy, fluffy, whimsical, garden vibes.
Planning my setup:
This was what I came up with at my crafting desk! I was deciding between a banner or standee for my brand display but I chose a standee instead.
Planning my stocks:
Do give yourself a few months in advance to plan the things to sell to avoid last minute burnout!
As I have never sold at a convention before, I planned out products ranging from cheap to expensive and see what the outcome was.
I didn't have any expectations for a first time boother and I was not even sure if I can cover my booth costs at that point. I was also afraid that no one would visit my booth as I have more overseas customers than locals, and set my prices lower than usual.
To the venue:
I put my entire setup into a luggage and went down to the venue 1 hour prior to opening time. However, upon reaching the venue, space was a huge constraint and I had to modify my setup on the spot. Would give myself 2 hours before if I could D:
Actual day setup:
The booth came like that; fairly big for a craft booth, but as a first time boother I had no prior experience with a smaller booth so I was happy with whatever I am getting!
Aaaand after 1 hour of setup:
Got a help of a friend who took leave from work, super grateful to her!
I would encourage to get all the help you can have, as it is pretty tiring to mend a booth for 3 days straight from 9am-8pm! You will also need to schedule meal/ toilet breaks for yourself.
I had an area on the table specifically to put money and packaging stuffs so it was easier to pack stuffs on the spot.
And also to prepare a money box with spare change, and to offer the option for digital payments as some customers would prefer that!
I also decided to get a plushie feature wall, very useful to display plushies I would say! Hopefully I get to use it again for my future booths.
My secret 3-in-1 hideout for food/ supplies/ last minute crafting.
At the end of the convention, I met a lot of people, both new and long time customers, and felt even more motivated to craft again!
Overall, it was a tiring but fun experience and would definitely try boothing again if I am up for it, both locally or overseas :D
Signing off,
(🍑˘⊖˘🍑)♪
-momo-
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