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patti

this has been one of my best shows in the past but last two years I've seen a decline. the patrons that show up depend on the music. this year was worst I've seen. music was geared for the 15-20 year old crowd all three days of show resulting in lower sales than usual. Hordes of scantily dressed teens crowded the streets without much interest or money to buy anything. I love this venue and staff is great.great atmosphere too.. but music is the deciding factor for good buying patrons.

Laurel Rund

Show Name: Sunfest 2012 Juried Art Show
City and State: West Palm Beach, FL
Your Medium: Digital Art
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2012
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: $501-$2000
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 5 (great)
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 1 (poor)
Overall: 2
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio:Poor
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Very well organized.
Massive crowds.
Great food vendors.
Entertainment (rock, alternative, hip hop).
Monetary awards.
Friendly and helpful staff.
Easy set-up and take-down.
Well advertised and promoted.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: No parking provided for trailers or over-sized vehicles (~$25/day). Music was geared to young ears, interested in music and no money to buy art.
Advertising and promotion was for MUSIC, no mention of the art show on flyers posted around town. Crowds rushed like gerbils between the music stages. Mostly heard, "Gotta go!"

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show:
We've heard stories of how great this show used to be when it was connected to a FREE jazz festival. The crowds then were 1/10th the size (20k vs. 200k) but they included a high % of art lovers who had money to purchase. The average age of attendees was 40-something and the music seemed a vehicle to draw people to the art show. Sunfest is now a huge MUSIC festival with a bit of art culture strung along the roadway between two giant performance stages. Average age is is now 20-something, and the entrance, food and parking cost (about $50/person) is more akin to a pro-football game. The smell of cooking food and plenty of beer complete the scene. It is a rocking' party!

The result is that most artists reported very low sales. The Best of Show award winner sold only a couple of pieces. We sold $700, but the show cost nearly twice that to participate (we rented a trailer, ate at the festival and stayed in an area hotel). Jewelry vendors and crafts with a music theme seemed to do okay.

David Olday

Show Name: SunFest
City and State: West Palm Beach, Fl
Your Medium: Glass
Year you most recently exhibited at this Show: 2011
Your Estimated Sales at this Show: < $500
Number of Years You have Exhibited in this Show: 1st time
Attendance: (1 is poor, 5 is great) 5 (great)
Location: 4
Facilities: 4
Ease of Participating: 4
Sales: 4
Overall: 4
Booth Fee vs. Your Sales Ratio: Good
Estimated Attendance: 50,001+ people

Good Things about this Art Fair: Some of the nicest folks I've worked with so far. They made someone who was moving from small shows to large shows feel welcome. Crowds were good. Booth sitters were very helpful. You drive up to your spot to set up and drive up to your spot to break down.

Bad Things about this Art Fair: I was told the focus was moving from art to the music and it did seem the atendees were more in a festival mood than an art mood.

Advice to Other Artists Considering this Show: Be prepared for all levels of customers from the unwashed masses to the very knowledgeable. Bring stock as most sales seemed to be based on impulse and while people seemed interested in that I could do custom work no orders for custom work ever developed. I believe my mistake was not understanding this.

Additional Commentary on this Show (or about this form): Oh, the mistakes I made here. I didn't bring enough stock. My tent wasn't all that great and even though it stayed up it was by sheer luck. My displays weren't right for the crowd, too folksy. But I had a great time and I hope to be there again this year.

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