Craft Show Display

I'm always on the lookout for great craft show display ideas. Of course it's very helpful to read tips on how to set up a great craft show booth, but when you can see those principles put into practice in real craft and trade show booth displays, it can be much easier to imagine how you could apply the same principles to your own craft show booth.

At the bottom of the page you'll find two photos taken at a major craft show. There are some excellent craft show displays shown in each photo. If you like, you can jump down to the photos and ask yourself what works with each booth that you can see in the pictures.

Here's my list of reasons why these craft show displays work:

• Lots of great lighting

  Count how many lights are in a single booth and notice how the lighting enhances and draws your eyes toward the items in each craft show display. There aren't just two or three lights in each booth; there are plenty of lights throughout each booth, and some of the lights are used effectively to highlight the major pieces in the booth.

• Open feeling

  For the most part, the entries into the booths are wide open with no little bits of furniture or display racks blocking the entrance. There is also plenty of room to move around in the booths.

• Use of colors that enhance the products

  These artists have clearly paid attention to the way the colors used in their craft displays work with their line of products. Notice the way the booth with the scarves uses a simple white display with a little bit of black to enhance and not compete with the strong colors in the scarves.

• Unified product line

  In addition to creating lovely individual pieces, these artists have also considered how their products as a whole work together. Nowhere is that more clear than in the craft show display with the fruit sculptures (at the back of the photo on the top). The artist has presented a unified style. Because he or she is not trying to be all things to all people, the work within the booth creates a compelling statement that will speak to the right buyers.

• Displays that fade into the background

  While these trade show booth displays are wonderful, they are not the first thing you notice. The products are the first things you notice when you look at each booth, and that's a big part of what makes the displays wonderful. I wouldn't walk up to any of these artists and say, "You have a wonderful display." I'd be too busy focusing on their great items.

• Items displayed at varied heights

  The booths with the scarves, the fruit, and the pottery (beside the scarves) each have a very different feel, but they all have one thing in common. Items are displayed at a variety of heights in each booth. No one has displayed items in unending rows upon rows of straight lines.

• No clutter

  Although they've made good use of space, the booths are not cluttered. If you provide too many options, people will often choose nothing. There's a fine balance between not enough product and clutter. The designers of these booths have found that balance.

• Raised counters and display stands

  Items are, for the most part, displayed in the prime area between waist height and eye level. There's no need to bend over to see each artist's treasures.

• Busy and happy looking people

  There are no artists slumped in a chair looking bored.

• Big first impressions

  Many of the booths make a big first impression. They can be seen from a distance and provide an overall sense of the artist's sense of style before you even enter the booth.

• High quality displays

  While this is easier to assess from close up, there appear to be no cheap looking displays. Low quality displays can really take away from the perceived value of your work.

• Displays that encourage customers to touch

  Most items are displayed within easy reach. Nothing is so elaborately displayed that people will avoid picking things up because they "don't want to ruin the display."

• Professionalism

  Although the displays must be portable, there's a real air of permanence and professionalism to them. Any of the booths could easily be a corner of a well designed store.

These craft show booth photos illustrate exactly how you can take tips for creating a great craft show booth and apply them to your own craft displays. A picture can actually be a great tool for assessing a craft show booth. It's amazing how well a photo can help you to see things that you may not see when you?re simply standing in front of your booth.

Do you have photos of your own booth? Why don't you take a look at your booth photos and see what works and what could be improved in your own craft show display?

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