How To Join A Small Craft Fair

In the near future, @beyouprojects will join the Pasar Santai, a very interesting local exhibition. I want to share how to join a small craft fair like this.

During my exploration in the craft world, I have participated in three mini craft fairs.

This mini term of a small craft fair refers to the size of the booth which only consists of one shelf or one table and the duration is only half a day. 

First, I took part in an exhibition at the Pekanbaru Soeman HS library. The second, I took part in an exhibition at a famous Islamic School in Pekanbaru. The third, will be in the near future, the Pasar Santai.

Pantai Santai is a pop up market that is held in a certain period of time. It seems like once a month, I'm not sure. The location is in Gondang Legi, Jogja, which was once a restaurant surrounded by paddy fields. I once met the restaurant owner, a beautiful lady who is interested in traditional clothing. However, I only knows her at a glance. So I don't know much about this place either.

The concept of the Pasar Santai is family activity. The main program is children's activities. While homemade or handmade booths are an addition to the parents who accompany their children.

How do we join a small craft fair like Pasar Santai?

1. LOOKING FOR EXHIBITION INFO

In the past, when social media didn't help much, I got info from exhibition banners on the road. They usually included the contact number on the banner. Then I called the contact person to ask if they rented the booth. Is the stand still available? How much do I have to pay for the booth?

Nowadays, the exhibition information is very easy to find on social media. This information is not only about the exhibition but also about registration for participants. We just have to look for exhibition info regularly once a week if we want to join. Currently, Instagram is the platform that provides the most exhibition info. Maybe in the future it can change according to the times. But for now, you have to look for it on Instagram.

Use the right hashtag to find info. For example, I found info about the Pasar Santai through the hashtag #popupmarketjogja. I used the hashtag because I was looking for a half-day exhibition. This is because my product stock is not much and I'm starting to take part in the exhibition again after a long hiatus.

2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

For newcomers, choosing an environment is very important for building networking. In the past, I was quite successful in building networking with fellow small-scale exhibitors. We exchanged information about the location and organizers of the upcoming exhibitions. We also collaborated to rent a large booth jointly.

After moving to this town, I have not found such networking. Maybe this is the right time to take part in an exhibition again to find such networking. Small scale exhibitions will familiarize fellow participants. Indeed, the character of the local community is also influential but at least we have to try it. I will not choose to take part in an exhibition with a wholesaler. My merchandise will be invisible.

3. PLANNING REALISTIC TARGETS

For participants who have just taken part in the exhibition for the first time, with not too much online turnover, the target of a turnover of tens of millions of rupiah is not reliable. Moreover, the Pasar Santai location is far from the city and we only have 5 hours to sell.

When I first joined a small exhibition like this, my target was just to practice courage. Alhamdulillah, the event was covered by a local newspaper and my profile was written in the newspaper. The turnover itself was very sad. Only one item sold. But thanks to the participation, my friends from fellow sellers became numerous. They kept informing about other exhibitions. Over time I was able to rent a permanent outlet in a large mall there and joined the big bazaars at the mall atrium.

Besides networking, the target at Pasar Santai will also be to bring up courage again. I would also like to hear comments directly from visitors about my product. I realized that there was still a lot of work to be done from my new business.

4. ADJUSTING THE BUDGET

I do not dare to owe, but that does not mean I have never been in debt. There are times when we humans are forced to do it. Therefore, I am always careful in calculating the budget. For the beginning of the business, I use a little shopping money, no debt. That is why, I always use small steps first.

For the Pasar Santai, I use online product stock only. I might add a little more. I am not sure about offline tastes here. Maybe if there is a second exhibition, third and so on later, then I can ascertain which product to bring.

The cost to be borne is only a contribution of Rp 50,000. I asked my own children to look after the booth so that I could meet other participants. It's time to invite my children to try some bussiness together. I also drive myself to the location. Rent a booth in a mall for 1.5 million rupiah a day is certainly not realistically for me right now.

For packaging, I will use a used newspaper that is formed into a bag. You don't read it wrong, I will use used newspapers!

5. EXCELLENT PREPARATION

Although the target is not heavy and the costs incurred are not many, but we must maximize the results. Here are some preparations to do:

• Notify our products enthusiasts on social media.
• Conduct product inventory.
• Add some products if necessary.
• Prepare packaging.
• Make a business card.
• Planning the appearance of the booth.
• If it's outdoor, make a backup plan in anticipation of rain.
• Never forget the documentation. The documentation is not only in the form of photos, but also videos if possible.

If you speak Indonesian, you may watch my video about joining a small craft fair below.

All this time we have learned together making various craft. Now, let's level up by learning to sell it. Please give your best prayers for me!

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