After attending several wedding fayres I have been party to some of the pitfalls.
Not every wedding fayre gives you the best chance to impress your potential customers and some can even hinder you.
Understanding what to ask the venue and what to look out for will create a better selling opportunity.
1.
Where is the wedding fayre? Is it at a big hotel or small village hall? Generally the smaller the venue the less visitors will attend.
Try to find out before the event how many exhibitors there will be and what the average attendance is.
2.
How well advertised is the event? Is it advertised online, in newspapers, forums, magazines, banner outside the event? If you can't find the event advertised anywhere how can the brides to be? Most venues are very good at advertising but not all, some will only put a small banner outside and unfortunately this isn't going to attract enough visitors.
3.
How many stall holders supply the same goods or services as you? If it is more than two (three businesses of the same type altogether) then it may not be worth your while attending.
You want to have as little competition as possible.
Ask the venue what is the maximum they will allow.
Generally they allow 2 to 3 but if they are struggling to get stall holders then they may take on more than you would like.
4.
Where is the stall itself in the venue? Will there be lots of people walking past or barely a handful? Will you be in the main room or a smaller room to the side that no one can find? Remember the hotel's concern is how many people walk through THEIR doors, how many look at THEIR venue, not how many potential customers walk past your stall.
5.
What time of year is it? The wedding fayre season runs from September through to May.
However, I find exhibiting at fayres too early or too late in the season is a waste of money.
I recommend the following months; October, November, February and March.
Even the normally busy wedding fayres becoming quieter later in the season.
6.
How much does the stall cost? Is it worth it? You should consider all the factors here; time of year, attendance, your travel costs, your profit margins, etc.
7.
Getting a discount.
Ever had a hotel or wedding venue call you a week before their wedding fayre? Have you ever wondered why? They are struggling to fill their stalls.
Now you can take this as a sign that the wedding fayre might be poorly attended, but what if you could get the stall at a cheaper price? Would it be worth it then? Tell them you are happy to attend but as it is short notice you want a discount.
In my experience they will offer it or at least offer another incentive, i.
e.
a larger stall for the same price.
8.
Consider a stall share.
This is not for everyone but can be a good idea for small start-ups.
Some of the bigger wedding fayres, normally described as wedding exhibitions, are very well attended and are an excellent way to launch your business.
But they can also very expensive.
If you know another business which is happy to stall share, approach the organisers.
Not all venues will allow this but there is no harm in asking.
Last thing, the venue is there to make money for themselves not for you.
You have paid for a chance to meet potential customers and therefore you should get what you paid for.
Make the stall work for you.
Don't just let it make money for the wedding venue.
You are there to promote your business and generate sales.
So make that next wedding fayre a success for you and your business.