Growing your markets stalls business by selling at Big Shows and Festivals is a natural evolution. You will have considerably more earning potential at an event which has a 5,000 footfall than your local market which may have 100 people attending. The only downside is that you will need to pay for your pitch up-front and it will be considerably more than your average market pitch cost. Let’s look into what that means and what you can do to get into one.
We will look at finding the right event or festival for your brand and when to apply. Many businesses will have the capacity to find or make enough stock for large 4-day events, others may struggle for one or two days. Larger events are fun, there is good stallholder camaraderie and you can sell your wares all at once to large audiences thus making all of your income in one go, rather than a drip, drip effort at weekly markets.
Some businesses may not be less appropriate for selling at shows, some may be perfect.
Festivals
Getting A Stall Space
Applications usually open for Festivals just as the festival season finishes or at the latest 6 months before the event. For larger events you may need to show stall pictures, size requirements, what your company stands for and full details of what you are selling. For example, whatever you sell at V-Festival, it needs to be 100% vegan. Every event will have their own specifications, and they can afford to be picky because there is a lot of competition for pitches. For example, V-Festival https://vfestuk.co.uk/book-a-stall/
Festival Pitches Don’t Come Cheap
Bear in mind that you will be paying for your stall up-front. At least £100 per trading day. V-Festival fees for 2021 are around £360 per stall (3-4 days trading). You will doubtless need staff and bear in mind that stalls do tend to be open into the small hours of the morning. Remember to factor in sleeping time!
Think about your pricing and your audience. Festival-goers will be less interested in buying something they have to cart about with them or leave in their damp tent for the duration of the festival. Food will always be a winner and you will have a captive audience. Working out how much stock to bring will of course always be a challenge.
Have an Eye-Catching Stall
With so much competition from other stalls, you will want to stand out and offer something different or practical for festival-goers. Think of outside-the-box ways to appeal to this very specific audience.
Country Shows
Getting A Stall Space
Compared to Festivals, Country Shows are a very calm, civilised affair! Applications usually open between March-May and usually most applications are accommodated if you apply early enough. Fees are around £80+ per day’s trading.
Before applying, think of your audience and consider if people here for a day out, would buy from your stall. Would they be prepared to carry around heavy or bulky items for the day for example or should you consider offering a buy now, collect later service?
Game Fairs/International Equestrian Events
Getting A Stall Space
Both Game Fairs and Equestrian Events are extremely well attended and there will be good footfall. Not only will it be a good day-out for you too, there is a good amount of spending power at these shows.
These are somewhat better attended than the traditional Country Shows and have a higher per day price tag. £150+
The earlier you apply, the better chance of getting a good pitch. You will have a lot of competition, so make sure that the marquee or spot that you have booked is not too far away from the buzz of the main arena. Sometimes opting for a less expensive pitch is not as cost effective as the higher priced one. Really consider what your outcomes are for these before spending too much for your pitch fee.
There are sometimes different ways of getting into these events, rather than going direct. Have a look at https://www.ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk and https://www.livingcrafts.co.uk/exhibitor-information
Food Festivals
Food Festivals are usually well attended, if the organisers have advertised it well enough. They can be very intense, particularly if these are held in towns with a captive audience. Customers at these events enjoy sampling the free tasters on offer and therefore don’t need much persuasion to pay it a visit! Be aware that customers have come to expect freebies and are not very selective in what they put into their mouths. This can be extremely frustrating, particularly if you feel that you are feeding the 5,000 for free! The tip is to hold back your tasters and only offer them to folk who may be interested in your product, but this is not so easy in reality as it really does get manic. You will certainly need two people serving on your stall, even if it is just to cover you while you go to the loo or for the constant cleaning up and filling up of taster pots!
Christmas Events
Book Your Stall In Early!
Christmas is the time that all market folk look forward to. This when trade generally doubles for the last couple of months leading up to Christmas. Everyone is spend-happy!
Applying for the best events is done in January or February. For Christmas events we all take on extra staff to man the numerous stalls that we have running at the same time. We would have 4 or 5 stalls out selling on the week-ends leading up to Christmas. Make the most of it while it lasts and double up on your stalls by getting your friends and family to do stalls for you. Bring out special seasonal products, decorate your stall accordingly and generally get into the spirit of it all with your customers.
Be Mindful…
Before you hand over your hard-earned money on your pitch fees, find out from the organisers how many people they expect at their event, just so you can establish the potential footfall and you can bring the relevant amount of stock. Many of the bigger events will have this information on their website sometimes including the expected demographics too.
One very important aspect to establish is how the organisers are going to advertise their event. Some smaller operators think they can just run a normal market and call it a Food Festival or Christmas Market, increase the pitch fees and leave it at that, not making any effort to promote their event. So, ask relevant questions before you book your pitch. Advertising is key and remember People attract People.
Do The Maths: Will It Work For You?
| Event | Event Cost +/- | Footfall | Usual/Expected Takings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Usual Market | £25.00 | 100 | £160 |
| Food Festival | £90.00/day | 1,000 | £575 |
| Country Show | £100.00/day | 5,000 | £640 |
| Game Fair | £200/day | 140,000 | £1,240 |
| Festival | £130/day | 170,000 | £832 |
The above is just an example, worked out on from the event cost, rather than the potential footfall. Also the takings are conservative on all counts and based on each sale being in the region of £10 each. Now you need to look at your own usual costs to see if selling a lot of stock on one day rather than on a few days at a market, makes sense for your business. Remember, that attending an event also means you get in for free – if you have time to have a look around too, it may add to the fun of it!
Best of Luck!