I thought I’d take a short break from talking about crafting an economic recovery to give you another sneak peek into my gift fair prep. (Not to mention the fact that I’m swamped with prep work, so it’s kinda where my brain is at.) In this video, I talk about setting up (and hating) my displays and why I’m mailing out 760 postcards before the show.
gift fair prep: is pre-show marketing really worth it? from megan auman on Vimeo.
And if you’re interested in learning just how I came up with 760 addresses to send postcards to, you won’t want to miss my Marketing for Makers e-course. I’ll be sharing lots of secrets for marketing your business. Space in the class is limited, so make sure you’re on the Marketing for Makers e-mail list to be the first to know when the class launches.
Megan Auman is a designer, maker, educator, and entrepreneur who has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for great design and sustainable business. Her 
I totally agree with you Megan. I even got some emails from vendors before the upcoming Chicago Market this weekend and now that I’ve decided to go I’ve made what I feel like is a subconsious mental note to go see them. Good luck at the Gift Fair!
Loving this series as I prepare for my first trade show. Will you be talking more about your booth display? Specifically walls, if you make them, thanks!
Helen – I’m not actually building walls for this show (my package at the gift fair includes them) but I have built them in the past.
What show are you doing?
Hi Megan – I’ve been lurking for a while now on your blog and love reading your advice about wholesale shows, and crafting business in general. Do you mind sharing how you go about finding a mailing list for your postcards? I’ve been “google-ing” to find boutiques to send postcards but have only found about 25 good ones. And how do you find out about the press? That’s a great idea to send the press a postcard! I’ll be doing the BMAC Show in Baltimore as a first-timer with 5 other local DC crafters. We are so excited, but nervous! If you are attending the show, we’d love for you to stop by our Booth (#1521).
[...] out these two posts from the CMBA archives – why I’m not quitting my day job and is pre-show marketing really worth it – to see that you don’t have to have a fancy set-up or lots of editing to create a [...]