The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Vendor Events
Vendor events can be something of enjoyment or stress, depending on how you approach participating in them. I have participated in over 100 vendor events, from small art fairs to large 200+ vendor tables. During my time, I also participated in regional MLM training events. These are my top 5 points that may help you with your next vendor event.
You need to go into the event understanding that you might sell only some things and will be making small sales. There are even chances you can spend a whole weekend and not sell anything. Sales are the bonus part of participating in these events. These events are more used to get your information to people through interactions with potential customers. Making these connections and word of mouth is always the best advertising for any company. Having some giveaways to collect their name, email, and phone is an excellent way to make a return connection after the event. A newsletter sign-up is another way to connect with potential customers after the event.
Not only making connections with customers but also with vendors that are based around you. If you are alone and need to grab food or run to the bathroom. Having someone to help watch your table while you are away is essential. If you have someone to sit with at your table or when you're going to the bathroom or for food, check out other products and make quick connections with vendors that might not be near you. Make sure to help the vendor that is helping you by watching their table if they need to leave. The benefit is having more vendor contacts can lead to more vendor events, but you could also help them with more events.
Keeping the hangry monster away is vital during events. You will burn energy during the process and talk a lot. Having snacks and drinks in a cooler below your table will lower costs during events. At events, food and drinks are marked up to cover their expenses. Sometimes, only a little money is left for these foods after paying event fees and costs. Have snacks, small meals, foods, and drinks you need during your events in your cooler. This was used more when I had my young children with me at events, and I have continued to use this method to date.
After the event has ended and you have cleaned up your area, you might be exhausted and want to leave. This is where you might have to dig down and get that last bit of energy. Find the event coordinator and thank them for the beautiful event and for hosting you. Smaller events might not have a breakdown crew and might need help with clean-up. Please participate in the cleanup; this is important, as it shows respect for the host, and they will likely invite you to return for future events.
MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP! One to two days after your event, follow up with EVERYONE, making connections with customers through communication to which they agreed. Make sure to follow on social media other vendors' information that you gathered during the event. Post on social media thanking the host and how enjoyable the event was. Thanking any new followers and welcoming everyone after the event is something I can’t stress enough.
These are only a few tips I use during every vendor event. There are many more tips that I will be sharing over the next few months in future posts. Make sure to follow and sign up for my newsletter to stay updated when I post.
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