Looking back at the last year

What a year! We’re still here, optimistic about this year, and ready to see everyone's smiling faces this summer and fall. While events and festivals won't fully come back we are confident outdoor and safe events can take place. Are you ready to come back and join us?

It was just one year ago when the reality of the pandemic began to set in.  We have spent some time reflecting and even in a year of many hardships we definitely found some bright spots, let's take a quick journey back through the last year.  

March through May was mostly an odd blur, we mastered the ability to cancel and postpone events in a very clean and efficient way.  For the most part our community was understanding and supportive of these hard decisions.  We used our free time to work on staff development, learn new ways to work, stay virtually connected to our clients and enjoyed as much sunshine as we could. 

In June we produced our first ever drive-in style event with our partners Events Hatched. Drag Drive-in was a non stop drag show that guests could safely view from their cars.  The excitement and energy around this event really solidified our love for in person live events.

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A Drag Queen performing at a drive-in event in 2020

June also bought us the opportunity to do a number of virtual events for Nashville Pride, Kentuckiana Pride and the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce.  We worked with a number of great local artists and venues to help produce Pride in Local, a joint streaming event between Nashville and Austin.   

Every August the world famous Tomato Art Fest takes over east Nashville.  After the east Nashville community was devastated by the March 3rd tornado and then the pandemic we could not fully cancel this event.  We changed it up and safety produced the Tomato Art Fest….ish.

With the support of our friends and neighbors we had one great and colorful Porch Parade, a socially distanced Tomato Art Show a virtual for our vendor marketplace and contests.  

We round out the fall of 2020 with the queen of bounce, Big Freedia at the OUTLOUD Drive-In. By this point in the year everyone was ready to safely get out and have some fun. We loved being able to provide the experience while also supporting local artists, drag queens, production staff and more. 

While 2020 was nothing that anyone could have expected, we worked hard to improve our operations, our company, ourselves and not take live events for granted.  Three words to describe our 2020 would be- Learn, adapt, repeat.  What are your 3 words?

See you at a festival soon. 

2020 Festival Vendor Survey Results

8 Reasons Event Sponsorship Is Good For Business

3 Questions For Festivals Right Now

Made by hand: Ashley Owens weaves together business, pleasure, and community

April 2018 | Vendor Spotlight

When Ashley Owens, owner of Black Sheep Goods, sets up shop with her loom at any of the 10-ish festivals she attends as a vendor each year, people take notice.

Her 3-year-old company specializes in hand-woven tapestries, DIY Weaving Kits, fiber jewelry, and handspun yarn made with all reclaimed fibers. While events and festivals are a great way for her to promote her business and sell merchandise, Ashley loves the community-building aspects that festivals offer.

“Community is a big part of what I do,” Ashley said. “I like to educate people on this relaxing and meditative art of weaving. Seeing people try it out on my sample loom I have out at shows makes me so happy.”

Festivals also give her the opportunity to showcase her ever evolving product lineup. Her latest innovation? Black Sheep Goods now offers one-of-a-kind, ice-dyed clothing and accessories made with dyeing technique that uses melting ice to create a watercolor effect.

FAVORITE FESTIVAL MOMENT:
Narrowing down my favorite is hard, but the funniest has to be when a storm was coming in and tents starting blowing everywhere and people were helping out left and right trying to hang on to these tents so they wouldn’t blow over. It all happened so fast that we couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

TIPS FOR NEW VENDORS:
I would say bring lots of snacks, make friends with your neighbor vendors, and interact with your customers. Talk to them, connect with them. Just think that every person that walks into your booth is a potential sale so don't be afraid to go for the sale. And if they pass on a sale then at least hand them a business card.

How could spending a day at our next event boost your business?

You could spend another day hunkered over your desk or in the studio creating. Or you could step into the sunshine, energy, and excitement of one of our world-class events where thousands of potential customers will be gathered together to meet each other and support local businesses. We’ve helped hundreds of businesses increase their brand awareness and connect with new customers and collaborators. Contact us to find out which upcoming opportunities are the best fit for you and your company and start positioning your brand as part of the fabric of your neighborhood.

Beyond Tables & Tents: 6 Surefire Tips for Maximizing your Vendor Booth Opportunity

April Feature

We’ve talked a lot recently about the benefits of sponsoring and vending at events and festivals. The exposure. The brand awareness. The sales. The networking… it’s good stuff.

NOW we want to share a few ideas for making the best use of your vendor booth space. Whether you’re pushing merch, recruiting talent, or just trying to get your name out there - here are our top 6 tips for boosting your booth appeal so you and your new customers (or friends. or future employees.) go home happy.

1. Bring a friend. Always work a booth with another person. Not only is this helpful during bathroom breaks, but having someone else by your side who can answer questions and use a Square reader is super handy during high-traffic times. They can also help you get unstuck from a conversation with a chatty Cathy when it’s time for you to move on. Just pick a code word in advance. Coo coo!

2. Let ‘em linger, even if they’re not buying anything. See, people are more likely to enter a booth when someone else is there ahead of them. Don’t lose patience with the person who spends a lot of time looking and then leaves without buying; they’re doing you a favor by helping you show how friendly and popular you are, and that sends a message to other passers-by that it’s safe for them to stop in, too.

3. Be cool, baby. Nobody likes a pushy salesperson, so let people browse and ask questions. Let ‘em tell you about their Yorkie’s dietary restrictions. Heck, even bid them a fond farewell as they leave with a handful of sweets from your candy bowl - which, btw, we recommend you display on your table as a friendly lure. Never let ‘em see you sweat and they’re likely to come back later to make a purchase.
    

4. Gamify. People love free stuff… but even more, people love to win free stuff. Make your booth space an interactive experience by giving people a chance to step inside and try their luck. Maybe they spin a wheel and - yippee! - win a prize. Or they guess how many Jelly Beans are in a jar and wait anxiously as you announce a new winner every hour. You get the idea. Find a way to create some high energy around your booth and attract a crowd on command.

5. Know your role. Actually, better yet, know the role the event producer is playing before you show up. At all of our events, we provide vendors with a 10’x10’ space. But other event producers may provide something else or have many levels of space for rent. If it’s not clear, then be sure to ask what will be provided so you can pack appropriately.

6. Create a selfie situation. Attract people to your booth by giving them something sensational to take a picture with, in front of, beside, inside, on top of… you get the picture. (You get the pun, too) ;)  We recently featured one of our successful vendors whose “traveling booth” serves as a great photo backdrop.  But you don’t have to go THAT big to make it work. Cut the center out of a posterboard and bedazzle it with your company name or logo and - voila - you’ve created a real life photo frame that people can pose behind. Say cheese! 

How many potential customers do you talk to in a typical day?

If you’re like most business owners, you probably don’t even want to tell us the answer (because it’s 0) - and that’s okay. We get it! Most industries don’t allow you to get out and meet face-to-face with your customers on the regular, even though that is one of the best ways to promote your brand, make sales, and even find inspiration for how to improve your products and services to make even more money. That’s why we are so excited to be able to connect you with the thousands of people who attend each of our 15+ events throughout the year. And, for a small price, you get to make a huge investment in the success of your company.

Let’s talk about which of our upcoming opportunities sounds like the best fit for your goals. We’d love to introduce you to the neighbors… thousands of them.

How Anna B. Webb built a successful business leveraging Nashville events and a trailer named Ginger

March 2018 | Vendor Spotlight

She’s a designer and an artist in about as many ways as you can be. Over the past 9 years, Anna B. Webb has made a living designing dazzling aesthetics for home interiors and sets, then as a self-taught graphic designer, and as an artist with her business HeArt of Nashville, known for her popular paintings of the Nashville skyline. 

If you string your show schedule together carefully, you can have a strong art presence without the bricks and mortar part....and what business doesn't love that?” Anna B. Webb

Her career path tells the story of a woman who knows how to reinvent herself, to stay relevant, and to say yes to a good opportunity when it presents itself…even if that means turning a trailer into a vendor booth on wheels.

“My art business was launched when I decided to stop publishing an annual Nashville event calendar,” Anna said. “Over the eight years of [the calendar’s] run, the same information eventually became easily accessible on the internet.  Meanwhile, the demand for more of my Nashville skyline paintings that used to be on the cover had continued to grow. It's a classic, when one door closes.....another door opens story.”

She’s participated in more festivals than she can count. From well known venues including Centennial Park and Bicentennial Capitol Mall to small schools, churches and fields all over town. She’s had a presence at a slew of Nashville’s events, large and small. And now, she rolls into each venue every bit the true arts professional in her 1955 trailer retrofitted as her mobile art gallery, which she lovingly calls Ginger.

Why so many festivals?

“It's fabulous exposure!” Anna said. “Especially since Nashville has so many people moving here every day.  They go looking for the interesting things to do in their new home and a festival is on that list every time.  So you're immediately in the path of a lot of newcomers who couldn't possibly know about you any other way and it can be very lucrative both that day and down the road.”

Favorite festival moment:

I was at a large festival during the solar eclipse of 2017.  People were there from all over the world to be in the path of it.  Everyone was excited in anticipation. They were also in a mood to shop, so I found myself literally running into my trailer and back out again for a look.  It was crazy. As it got dark, you could see the lights come up in the Nashville skyline in the middle of the day and it got really quiet. It was a fairly cloudy day but just moments before it was to become a full eclipse, a cluster of clouds parted and we could see it perfectly.  

Thousands of people ‘ooohed’ and ‘aaahed’ together with our heads pointed to the sky and wearing our goofy looking glasses. My husband and some friends came to join in the experience. It was like a big global party and ended up being a really moving moment.

Advice for first time vendors:

1) Be patient and be kind.  The shopper, their kids, their husband, their chatty sister....AND their dog are your friends, not your enemy, and they all have a story that you might actually want to hear.  

2) Remember to enjoy yourself (festival fun really isn't just for the attendees) and they will naturally enjoy being in your booth.  You're there for a reason. Pay attention and it will reveal itself. One night, besides it being a great sales day, I swear I was really there to give some gals working in the booth next door a safe ride to their car.  To this day I get free ice cream when one of them is working. ;)

Interested in being a vendor? Contact us to chat about the possibilities.

 

Tips from seasoned vendor and awesome artist Kasey E Caldwell

February 2018 | Vendor Spotlight

Now is the time for business owners to gear up for festival season!

Kasey E Caldwell has been creating one-of-a-king mixed media wall art full time for the past five years and loving every minute of it. Especially during festival season.

She creates her art out of her home workshop and office with her company KCdesignZ LLC, so when the first festival of the season rolls around in March, she’s more than ready to get out and meet new friends and potential customers. Each year she participates in 15-20 events throughout the Nashville region

“These events are where I get my inspiration and get to actually interact with the customer,” Kasey said. “That's what it's all about! During January and February, I find myself slowing losing my inspiration and as soon as March comes around and I get to do my first show of the year all my excitement and purpose comes flooding back!”

She said festivals and events drive the majority of her income as an artist.

What was your favorite festival moment?

Gosh there are so many. However, I'll never forget the feel and energy surrounding Nashville Pride Fest the year the the Supreme Court ruled for same-sex marriage equality. It was so amazing to be a part of that and share in everyone’s happiness!
 

What advice do you have for first time vendors?

1. Weights, weights, weights.

2. Be patient, especially when it is time to load out.

3. Show up on time when time to set up.

4. Always load in a day early if that’s an option.

5. Bring a partner to help you if you can.

6. Never pack up early.

7. Bring plenty of back up.

8. Design your set up prior to the show.

Interested in being a vendor? Contact us to discover the possibilities.

3 Ways to Make Your Festival Sponsorship Count

Meaningful partnerships are at the heart of every festival we produce and - real talk - our events wouldn’t be successful without the support of our sponsors.

Nationally, from 2007 to 2017, sponsors have spent over $60 billion worldwide according to Forbes. In 2016 alone, sponsors in North America spent $22.3 billion, and that number is expected to grow to $23.2 billion by the end of 2017.

It’s no secret that, when done well, companies see positive results when they sponsor local events. But there’s more to a super successful sponsorship activation than sending a check and getting your logo printed on posters and banners. If you’re a sponsor or considering boosting your exposure by partnering with a local event, here are some tips to consider to maximize your sponsorship dollars and opportunities.

1) Festival planners have more ideas than they are typically able to pay for or produce each year.  Make sure and ask what they think the festival could use or is missing.  This might be a great opportunity to improve your presence at the festival and provide something that festival goers are looking for.    

For the last several years we have worked with First Tennessee Bank at the annual Tomato Art Fest to provide a misting tent.  In the dead heat of summer, it’s a much needed relief for festival goers and is a great way for the sponsor to interact with attendees and encourage them to swing by the First Tennessee booth space.  

Speaking of vendor booths….

2) While vendor booths are a great way to capture passers-by, look for creative ways to best leverage that asset by moving your booth out of the standard vendor footprint. During Nashville Pride Festival, Delta Air Lines worked with organizers to to name an existing tower overlook at Public Square Park in downtown Nashville the Delta Sky Lounge.  Since this structure was already part of the park, the additional cost for this visibility was low and their sky-high “booth space” boosted their visibility significantly.

3) Contests and interactive festival activities are always popular.  We work with a number of sponsors to help integrate activities they are planning prior to, during, or after the festival into the festival marketing outreach.  It’s important to think through what works best for your business.

If you want to drive traffic to your store, you could consider hosting a Festival Kick-Off event and invite clients and customers in for after-hours cocktails, snacks, and discounted shopping experience. Not only does it show your customers how much you appreciate their business, it’s also another way to let people know you’re supporting the local event and community.

We consider our sponsors to be partners and we approach and manage each relationship and sponsorship accordingly. While we have created interest from large national brands for many of the festivals we work with, the locally-owned and operated businesses still make up a large part of our sponsors each year and we are more than happy to chat with you about upcoming opportunities and customized activations.

Contact us today to set up a discovery call!