FIELD NOTES / EXHIBITORS
What a craft fair booth fee leaves out.
A booth price becomes useful when you know the footprint, the edition year and the conditions attached to it. Start a budget with separate lines for confirmed costs and unanswered questions.
Make the comparison like for like
Compare the same kind of space: an indoor 10 × 10 foot booth, a covered table, and a shared display are different products. Check whether the advertised width and depth describe the selling area or include storage, aisles and tent legs. A smaller or restricted space may be the lowest published price without being available to you.
In our directory the price filter checks a single published option. If you also choose a booth width, both conditions must match that same option. The listing’s “from” price is a starting point for inspection, not a quotation for your business.
Separate application money from booth money
An application or jury fee may be payable before a selection decision and may be nonrefundable. A booth fee generally relates to the space once accepted. A deposit can be part of that booth fee rather than an additional charge. Read the payment schedule before adding these amounts together.
Write down which costs are due on submission, on acceptance and before the event. If the organizer has not explained how a deposit is credited, ask instead of assuming.
Build a question list for the organizer
- Does the space include tables, chairs, walls, electricity or lighting?
- Is a corner placement an optional extra?
- Are power charges measured by watts, amps, an outlet or a flat fee?
- Are taxes, processing charges, permits or insurance extra?
- Which payments become nonrefundable, and on what dates?
- Must you attend every day, and is early pack-down prohibited?
Budget beyond the organizer invoice
Travel, accommodation, display equipment, packaging, transport and time away from production can matter even when the booth fee is modest. Add your own figures; we do not estimate a seller’s profit from an organizer’s attendance claim.
For an estimate of units needed to cover the event, divide your own event cost by your contribution per item after variable costs. If either figure is unknown, keep the result as a scenario. It is not a sales forecast.