Showing and Selling at Festivals

Michael Smith

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
72
I'm planning on renting a table at a local ukulele festival. Seems like a pretty good one here in The Wine Country in august. I have not done festivals before. Any pointers would be appreciated. I have about 10 instruments I would like to show.
 
1: There are credit card phone apps often cheaper than machines
2: Make instruments loud enough too be heard above the noise
3: Do festivals where you know the competition is not a threat to sales - every builder and their dog will be at WCF

Joking aside, I do just one festival a year and have my wife with me. She sets up the table and keeps track of visitors, enquiries and sales. People want to meet the maker so the one day I do is full-on with no break. I have a range of work which this year includes a limited edition run of string boxes which carry my logo and a set of strings:
Because I am very privileged to have a following I pre-sell about 50% of the pieces through my social media postings of the build progress and preparation for the festival. I also arrange to have an evening meal with clients... It really is about selling yourself if you want to sell your work and treating customers meaningfully. I'm very fortunate here in the UK because there are just a few ukulele makers. My competition at the one show I do is usually the big brands so I am as far as the builders go, by default, centre-stage at this festival. It is regrettable that there are not more builders here in the UK because I rarely get to talk to other builders or see their work.
 
Last edited:
Beautiful box, Pete.

I want one.
 
1: I pre-sell about 50% of the pieces through my social media postings of the build progress and preparation for the festival.

With this in mind, Michael, would it be helpful for you to post pictures here of the instruments you plan to take to the festival?

I love what I see on your site. I especially like your Southwest Concert. I visit your site from time to time to see whether you've posted pics of a new ukulele.
 
I think Mike is right about business cards. I also think Pete is right about choosing festivals. You should speak to the festival organisers as each is different. Despite what Pete says, there are LOADS of builders in the UK. They don't go to the one big festival that he goes to but they go to others and some choose not to have a stall but just to go and hand out cards and talk to people about their ukes. I organise 2 festivals in the UK (both big) and I consult on a few other music fests (non-uke-centric but uke-friendly). For each, if a builder gets in touch, we are happy to talk to him/her about options.

I think it's best to speak to other builders but also to organisers and to try to think about the various different ways of getting your ukes seen.

:)

not a luthier but a festival organiser & long-time uke player
mary
 
Last edited:
Just checked out your website. Those are some beautiful looking ukuleles. Marvelous headstocks
 
Just to respond to that broadside Mary - when, upon your advice I applied to exhibit at your festival I was not invited... Although there are LOADS of builders in the UK (how many we just don't know) there are few who only build ukulele, who I could discuss the fine points of cellulose spray finishing with or sourcing suitable materials or design developments but more important, who make a principal living from building and selling ukulele. You have only recently entered the arena as a festival organiser and now after just a few brief years are an expert publicly chastising me and giving me advice? My horse is not that high that I need steps to climb on it. I was not boasting a position but stating a fact. After 21 years of doing it I have by circumstance been put in my place by my clients - I haven't sought it and certainly don't revel in it or hold it over anyone trying to make it in this niche industry. I have much to learn and there are those new to this business who can teach me. However my experience as a builder is different from yours as a player and organiser. I spent last year at 'my' festival struggling on several occasions to find the right thing to say to 'builders' who were visiting my table. I would much rather be looking at a piece wishing I could do that and when this happens I am delighted - I wished it happened more often. I personally don't know who will be at the Festival next week but I hope to be surprised and challenged so I can up my game. It doesn't alter the fact that I will be meeting 'my people' who looks forward to talking to me, seeing my new work and planning their next purchase. I'm not going to attend a festival where my work will be ignored, criticised for its price tag or ridiculed by those old enough to know better. This is the principal lesson for anyone exhibitnig - know your market and concentrate on that. Tempting though it might be, I know that showing at any US festival or Japanese for that matter would be uneconomical. It might be exciting and informative but little money would come my way....

As far as it goes Michael, expect to sell everything and don't be disappointed if you don't. Talk to the other makers there and find out what they do and how they do it. More important, find out who supplies them with wood and materials. Smile a lot and take any praise with a pinch of salt. Treat your sales much more seriously - if your work is good enough you always build more than one ukulele for your serious clients. Watch carefully who sells the most and if its not you find out why they were successful. If you can't demonstrate your instruments well, find someone who can and have a quick repair kit for those who out of a lack of care or pure ignorance scuff up the front of your instruments - happened to me one year and I had to take the uke off display and swallow my anger at my own stupidity (I saw him coming and did nothing) at not packing an emergency polishing kit.

All the best. Sell well and make friends.
 
I want to thank you guys for all the great information you mentioned I would have likely fumbled at my first trip to the festival rodeo.

I joined a well organized local artist guild. We had open studios this weekend and last weekend. On one of the days I invited a local ukulele club during open studio to come play for their lunch. After inviting them in the days that followed my panic went from no players showing up to all hundred showing up and only having barbecue for 30 or 40. In the end as if by magic about 30 came, set up under the oak tree by my shop and belted out some pretty good music for 3 hours and had a great time. This turned out to be successful. I sold three of my more elaborate expensive instruments and made several connections for upcoming commissions. About 200 people filtered thru my shop over the two weekends. Many were simply art lovers out for the weekend looking at photography, painting, sculpture etc. About 40% were uke players. Just about everyone knew someone who played and wanted to send them to my website. I'm not sure if I just got lucky or this type of advertising really works. It felt like having potential customers in the shop with all the band saws, other tools, wood, instruments in progress, really helped.
 
If you have a smart phone, get a Square Up credit card swiper (free from Square Up) or one of the other ones (PayPal etc). Wine Country is a nice festival, but count on it being pretty hot that time of year. Dress in lightweight clothing or you may regret it (jeans were way too hot). You will probably be in the shade, but make sure of that when you sign up for your booth. Some people might ask you to install a strap button, so it might not hurt to offer that service just to get a rapport going. Good luck and have fun.
–Lori
 
I just did my first show in Memphis- I spent more time walking around looking at other peoples instruments then standing behind my own table.
 
I like your open studio story - it helps to have players making good uke music and folks enjoying a good time.
I used to sell almost all of my paintings in the annual east bay open studios when i lived down there - at about 0 overhead.

For the trade show I suggest you make a point to jot down your goals and have a sense of priority among them, and plan your time so that you don't miss any of your objectives. From the responses above, and there may be more:
-Marketing for future customers, press etc - lots of business cards
-See other people's work, and learn from them - might not get much of this if you're in your booth the whole time; see if you can have a friend cover some of the time.
-Sales. If you sell your ten fantastic, but long term benefits from the two above might be as valuable or more.
-Social & networking in your very rich regional uke/luthier community.

& Don't forget a tuner!

-Vinnie
 
Pete Howlett I was not broadsiding you.

BE NICE!

You have been invited to many ukulele festivals in the UK and you go to one. I personally invited you to mine more than once and could post the message here.

We all know why you go to only the one and nobody judges you or is unhappy about it. I would go as far as to say that people are glad to see you there. We CERTAINLY recommend to people that they check out your ukes there and anytime they are at SUS (who stock them here in the UK).

There are dozens of luthiers here in the UK at this moment in time. Some are full time and some are not and a lot of them talk to each other. The community element of it is inspiring. I did get frustrated by your suggestion that there weren't many when there are so very many and those men and women are working hard and trying to better themselves.

I feature meet-the-luthier talks at every festival I'm involved with (inviting different ones each time). You have a standing invite to my festivals and I'll even remind you the next time one happens. We'd love to welcome you.

:)
m

Just to respond to that broadside Mary - when, upon your advice I applied to exhibit at your festival I was not invited... Although there are LOADS of builders in the UK (how many we just don't know) there are few who only build ukulele, who I could discuss the fine points of cellulose spray finishing with or sourcing suitable materials or design developments but more important, who make a principal living from building and selling ukulele. You have only recently entered the arena as a festival organiser and now after just a few brief years are an expert publicly chastising me and giving me advice? My horse is not that high that I need steps to climb on it. I was not boasting a position but stating a fact. After 21 years of doing it I have by circumstance been put in my place by my clients - I haven't sought it and certainly don't revel in it or hold it over anyone trying to make it in this niche industry. I have much to learn and there are those new to this business who can teach me. However my experience as a builder is different from yours as a player and organiser. I spent last year at 'my' festival struggling on several occasions to find the right thing to say to 'builders' who were visiting my table. I would much rather be looking at a piece wishing I could do that and when this happens I am delighted - I wished it happened more often. I personally don't know who will be at the Festival next week but I hope to be surprised and challenged so I can up my game. It doesn't alter the fact that I will be meeting 'my people' who looks forward to talking to me, seeing my new work and planning their next purchase. I'm not going to attend a festival where my work will be ignored, criticised for its price tag or ridiculed by those old enough to know better. This is the principal lesson for anyone exhibitnig - know your market and concentrate on that. Tempting though it might be, I know that showing at any US festival or Japanese for that matter would be uneconomical. It might be exciting and informative but little money would come my way....

As far as it goes Michael, expect to sell everything and don't be disappointed if you don't. Talk to the other makers there and find out what they do and how they do it. More important, find out who supplies them with wood and materials. Smile a lot and take any praise with a pinch of salt. Treat your sales much more seriously - if your work is good enough you always build more than one ukulele for your serious clients. Watch carefully who sells the most and if its not you find out why they were successful. If you can't demonstrate your instruments well, find someone who can and have a quick repair kit for those who out of a lack of care or pure ignorance scuff up the front of your instruments - happened to me one year and I had to take the uke off display and swallow my anger at my own stupidity (I saw him coming and did nothing) at not packing an emergency polishing kit.

All the best. Sell well and make friends.
 
Top Bottom