Preparing for Another Year of Events

There are a lot of exciting things happening on the horizon and I’ve been working to get things scheduled on my calendar. It’s a little challenging this year as our daughter is finishing high school and will be heading off to college in August. Hard to believe we are at this point of becoming empty nesters! I don’t really know what it is going to be like without teens running in and out of the house as they head off to whatever is on tap for the day.

I thought I would give some insights into what I look at when I’m picking events.

1. Cost – This is a big factor for me when picking an event. And when I mean cost, I’m not just talking about the cost of the booth, I’m also talking about the cost of gas to get there and back, the amount of time I’m working the event, and the cost of a hotel if it’s necessary to stay overnight before or after an event. Other costs to consider, do I have to rent tables and chairs or can I provide my own? Do I have to rent a pop-up or can I bring my own? What supplies do I need before the event? Do I need handouts, stickers, or bags? Do I need to take time off from my full-time job to do the event?

2. Stock – Do I have enough stock for an event? Do I have enough time to order more stock? I use POD for stock, mainly because I do not have the space to store a huge amount of extra stock.

3. Traffic. I don’t mean traffic on the roads. I mean foot traffic. What is the average number of people attending the event? Is it a new event? How long has the event been around?

4. Event Theme. Yes, the theme of the event is important. I want to pick events where I think I will get the most exposure to my target market.

I hope these points will help you when you are picking your next event. If you have any thoughts you would like to share, drop me a line.