In my last post I was talking about my thoughts around submitting an application to a juried show.

Ok so which show(s) do I pick to submit entries to? How do I go about picking the ones that will work best for me and my product?

I have a bit of a check list I have come up with . . . for those of you that are old hats at this (not old as in aged -- old as in experienced ;)) I'd love to hear your thoughts. . .

This is what I've come up with.

1. What is the expected attendance? What kind of promotion/ advertising/ exposure will the show get ahead of time?
2. Will the attendees be there solely for the show or is the show part of something else?
3. What is the fee for the application/jury and if accepted for the booth/table/space?
4. What does the organizer provide for my fee? Electricity, table, room ambiance, entertainment?
5. What are the organizers looking for as far as product -- will they limit the number in each category?
6. What is the feedback from previous sellers?

So that's as far as I've gotten -- I'm sure there's some glaring oversights -- anyone?

So I have been thinking about entering a few juries and seeing about becoming a vendor in one of the fall/ Christmas shows this year. . .

This presents a few problems and is somewhat terrifying!

Firstly -- how do I pick the show(s) I want to sell at? There are quite a few, there are fees associated with submitting entries and it takes time and effort to get a good entry/application together. I want to put my best foot forward and focus my efforts on one or 2 shows. Which ones? How do I pick a show that is best suited to me and will have good attendance and a target audience that is best for my products?

Secondly -- although I have been a vendor in some previous shows, I have never submitted anything to a jury before and the thought is somewhat daunting. How do i best show off my product -- what are they looking for -- what will I be judged on?

Thirdly -- will I have enough time to create the inventory to sell at a show? I have so much going on in my life that I would have to set aside dedicated "making time".

So I thought I'd break it down and split the issues into different questions and put it out to you to see if you have any pointers? Maybe I'm not the only one with these worries and some of you veterans can answer some of my questions :)

So here goes -- the next posting will be dedicated to the first worry I have above -- choosing the best show to apply to. 

 Part One -- Which Show to Choose?