gathering some data, let's hear your opinions

[acejka]

Ok so let's pretend you own a small family owned business in a very corporate heavy area.

You have the chance to set up a booth at a fall festival that will be busy with local families, you are allowed to sell your gift cards, products etc at this fall festival.

How much, in percentage, would you feel free giving towards the main business holding this fall festival. It is being held at a retail store, outside in the fall, they are taking care of all advertising, basically all you have to do is show up with your items for sale and a table. It is guaranteed free marketing, with little sweat off your back.

Thanks!

Edited to add, we are the hosting business, we didn't want to charge a booth rental fee becuase we are worried that what if someone doesn't make anything that day, and they still have to pay a booth rental. We are wondering an appropriate amount to ask of the earnings.

Also, this is a large fall festival with activities and a moonbounce for kids, face painting, we are looking for local artists to do carictures, give aways, raffles and games for adults with prizes to the store as well. And everything is going on in a large area being cleared for the event, it's not just in a parking lot, there will be indoor restrooms, plenty of off road parking etc.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Ok so let's pretend you own a small family owned business in a very corporate heavy area.

You have the chance to set up a booth at a fall festival that will be busy with local families, you are allowed to sell your gift cards, products etc at this fall festival.

How much, in percentage, would you feel free giving towards the main business holding this fall festival. It is being held at a retail store, outside in the fall, they are taking care of all advertising, basically all you have to do is show up with your items for sale and a table. It is guaranteed free marketing, with little sweat off your back.

Thanks!

Seems an odd way of thinking about it, and I guess I don't really understand the nature of your question. Are you trying to determine how much to charge? Or how to determine ROI?

Rather than percentage, I would think that the main business would charge $XX amount for each "booth" area, rain or shine (and be sure to specify that in your contract!).

Our women's ministries council at our church used to hold a "home party/craft fair" every year, and charged $50 per vendor, per 8' table (we provided the tables). The vendors were entirely responsible for advertising to their client and customer lists (we provided a Word document for postcards). On the other end of the spectrum, I've been to exhibitions for my job that cost upwards of $4,000.

Are there other fairs or festivals in your state that you can use to compare fees?

ETA: I googled Fall Festival Booth, and got some links:

http://www.leandercommunityclub.org/files/Fall_Fest_Booth_Applciation2009.pdf
http://www.concordiafallfestival.com/forms/boothspace.pdf
http://haysvillefallfestival.com/files/Commercial2.pdf
http://www.francesvillefallfestival.com/Printable_Booth_Entry.htm

 

[The Mystery Machine]

"Fall Festival" as opposed to a "business expo affair" is sort of different for me. The clientel will be more causal, right?

A festival is meant to bring people into the main establishment, right? Sounds like you are in their parking lot, maybe?

Are you offering products & services or cash for "free" and is it to give to patrons like in a raffle or something?

Are they suggesting a donation %age to get you featured areas on the list of advertisers?

So no "booth fee"?

I don't know what the answer is really. I guess I would weigh all the factors. Good Luck!

 

[acejka]

Seems an odd way of thinking about it, and I guess I don't really understand the nature of your question. Are you trying to determine how much to charge? Or how to determine ROI?

Rather than percentage, I would think that the main business would charge $XX amount for each "booth" area, rain or shine (and be sure to specify that in your contract!).

Our women's ministries council at our church used to hold a "home party/craft fair" every year, and charged $50 per vendor, per 8' table (we provided the tables). The vendors were entirely responsible for advertising to their client and customer lists (we provided a Word document for postcards). On the other end of the spectrum, I've been to exhibitions for my job that cost upwards of $4,000.

Are there other fairs or festivals in your state that you can use to compare fees?

I'm gathering data in specific places to that area as well, but I thought I'd let the dis weigh in And I figured it couldn't hurt to have extra opinions.

We were going to do it as a booth rental, but we didn't think it was fair to say all business can rent a booth for $25 and then maybe someone actually didn't get any business, and they still had to pay $25. We were thinking say X% of your income from it goes towards our effort etc. I guess a booth rental might be better because even if they don't make anything, they still got the benefits of exposure.

And thanks so much for the rain or shine line, we weren't thinking about that!

 

[acejka]

"Fall Festival" as opposed to a "business expo affair" is sort of different for me. The clientel will be more causal, right?

A festival is meant to bring people into the main establishment, right? Sounds like you are in their parking lot, maybe?

Are you offering products & services or cash for "free" and is it to give to patrons like in a raffle or something?

Are they suggesting a donation %age to get you featured areas on the list of advertisers?

So no "booth fee"?


I don't know what the answer is really. I guess I would weigh all the factors. Good Luck!

The main business (us) is a season based business that will be having a fall festival, raffles, giveaways, games, a moonbounce and activites for kids a few adult activites with free merchandise as prizes.

The vendors and the fall festival will take place on a side of their property that they are clearing out for the event.

We didn't want to charge a booth fee, just in case someone comes out, and doesn't make a lot from being out there. we were wondering if it would be better to charge a percentage of earnings instead of a booth fee.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I'm gathering data in specific places to that area as well, but I thought I'd let the dis weigh in And I figured it couldn't hurt to have extra opinions.

We were going to do it as a booth rental, but we didn't think it was fair to say all business can rent a booth for $25 and then maybe someone actually didn't get any business, and they still had to pay $25. We were thinking say X% of your income from it goes towards our effort etc. I guess a booth rental might be better because even if they don't make anything, they still got the benefits of exposure.

And thanks so much for the rain or shine line, we weren't thinking about that!

That's the risk you take as a vendor. Sometimes you hit a good show, sometimes you don't. If it's not successful, you don't register next year.

The problem with doing it as a percentage is that when you're working with smaller companies, they're not used to handling crowds as in a fair situation. They may not keep good sale records. Or it might be that sales don't come until later, after the fair, and they only provide information at the booth (realtors, etc.). You'd really want a fixed fee for the vendors -- your costs as host are fixed.

If you demonstrate the benefits of booth rental -- the anticipated crowd, past success or crowds (if any), etc. -- and set a reasonable fee, you'll get registration.

Following your festival, be sure to send a survey to the vendors, with well-aimed questions at improving for next year and getting their recommendations. You can even form a small vendor subcommittee which can help do some of this the following year, assuming this is planned to be an annual event.

Have fun with it!

 

[C.Ann]

For many, many years I rented booths at craft shows from the beginning of Sept. until early December - one place on Saturday, another on Sunday..

All of us crafters went into the booth rental fee knowing full well that there was a chance we would make nothing - or - we would make a bundle.. It's the nature of the beast, so to speak..

I don't really think people would be upset or unwilling to pay $25 for a space..
Considering all you're offering, that's actually quite a bargain!

I would just go with a flat fee for everyone for each "spot" (which you will need to determine the size of ahead of time so that vendors know what kind of tables and displays will fit in their $25 section)..

Sounds great - and there's no worries about the "fee".. Good luck!

 

[snykymom]

I wouldn't want to deal with the bookkeeping and accounting issues in determining a percentage. Gross sales or net? And if net, then how do you determine cost? How would you monitor the sales that these booths actually generated? What would you need as proof? And then if someone didn't pay you after the fact (since payment could only be determined after the fact), you'd have to sue or eat the fees. Do you really want to do that?

It's much cleaner to charge a fee up front and let the business decide if it's worth the risk to them that they won't make any money. If they're worried about it, they won't rent from you. Why should ]you worry about their business? Don't you have enough to worry about with your own business?

 

[lovesmurfs]

I wouldn't want to deal with the bookkeeping and accounting issues in determining a percentage. Gross sales or net? And if net, then how do you determine cost? How would you monitor the sales that these booths actually generated? What would you need as proof? And then if someone didn't pay you after the fact (since payment could only be determined after the fact), you'd have to sue or eat the fees. Do you really want to do that?

It's much cleaner to charge a fee up front and let the business decide if it's worth the risk to them that they won't make any money. If they're worried about it, they won't rent from you. Why should ]you worry about their business? Don't you have enough to worry about with your own business?

To add to this, if you have any competitors who want to exhibit, they may not want to provide this information, either.