Gift Show Business Model

These are shows where buyers, anywhere from Mom and Pop operations to large organizations such as national parks and museums, come to shop for products to sell in their retail outlets. At an average show, there will be 1200-1300 vendors and 5,000 to upwards of 12,000 or more attendees, depending on the show. And these buyers are coming to shop. They are actively buying inventory for their stores. They will spend money with someone – it might as well be you!

Rob commented that even up to this point, he sees very few laser-based businesses selling at these shows. Consider over 1,200 vendors exhibiting, yet only 2-3 create their goods by lasering. Is there room for you, maker? Oh, yes, there is!

It is essential to understand that the market is the place to receive orders. Buyers are not attending, expecting to carry inventory off with them. This means you take one of each product you are offering to these buyers and irresistibly display them. You must catch their attention as they walk the aisles. One way to do that might be to make a large-scale version of your smaller product so it catches their eye, ensuring they can’t miss it as they walk by.

The booth setup can be simple. There is no need to spend huge dollars to deck out the booth. What you reserve is an empty space; consider it a blank canvas for you to make your products the star of the show. Rob keeps it simple by setting up his table at the front so the items are no more than 18-24 inches away from them. The customer can clearly see and is encouraged to touch and experience the pieces. Your primary goal is to get the products in these buyers’ hands, literally! See the pictures on the opposite page for three versions of Baltic By Design’s displays.

Remember the original proposition - how would you like to know that every piece you make, you sell? Gift shows are the way. What you make are the pieces that your buyers ordered. You don’t speculate on the quantity of what will sell. You don’t get stuck with dozens of a given design that didn’t sell. Buyers know their shops and customers; they know what sells in their establishments; you simply fill their orders.

Rob and Barbie gave so much more advice in our interview. Watch the videos to learn more about the gift show model including; why NOT to do summer shows, how to handle the paperwork, considerations for some of the big company buyers you might meet - whether you can address their requirements and should you. They gave many great tips for how to be successful so watch our highly detailed interview on doing this form of wholesale business and how it works.

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