At the end of March, I achieved a big, audacious goal. I had a booth at the prestigious One of a Kind (OOAK) show in Toronto. My husband, Les, and I packed our truck full of products, banners, and display shelves, and headed west off “the Rock” (Newfoundland) to the “big smoke” (Toronto). There’s your oh-so-Canadian geography lesson for the day.
While my sales at the show weren’t as great as I had hoped, the show was a valuable experience for me. I learned a lot, I met some great people and made contacts.
There are 2 OOAK shows each year – in the spring for 5 days and again in November for 11 days. At the spring show, most buyers are looking for unique treasures for themselves. But at the end-of-year show, people are buying gifts for others, that is the big show to be at and I plan on returning for the November 2024 show.
What I learned about selling at the One of a Kind show The organizers do a good job of preparing new makers to be in the show, but there are still things you’ll only learn by being there and either making mistakes or learning from others. Here are some of my top learnings and tips for future, first-time makers (and these tips would probably apply to any big craft show). If you want to give out food samples, you’ll need a license. You will also need liability insurance and make sure it covers you for all contingencies. Good lighting and lots of it will really show off your displays and draw people to your booth. Big banners are key to grabbing buyers’ attention. You need to sell. People need to hear what you’re selling, why it’s unique, why they want it and, if appropriate, let them sample your wares. Samples and deals are key marketing tool and offer the buyer something in return for trying more. Set up your booth to follow the flow of traffic. That might mean, like it did for me, that you’ll switch up your original set up as you see how people are entering the venue and approaching your booth. Corner and end-aisle spots are prime locations! If you’re not local to the venue, rent a small spot through AirBnB. Doing that will save you hours in commuting and a ton of money on parking, hotels, dining out etc.
The best part of the show were the fellow vendors – a selected and juried group of artisans known as makers. These people made the experience great for me – they were generous with information and encouragement and good company for the 5 days of the show. I want to give a shout out to these fellow makers in particular: Debra at The Bean Ladies from Dundas, ON. She was so helpful with tried-and-true tips and equipment that I nominated her for the Unsung Hero award. Neil at Rootables from Vancouver, BC. He makes his own root-vegetables chips that include potatoes but so much more. Neil sold out! Good job, Neil. Damani from Mini Kitchen in Edmonton, AB. She set up a small-scale production line of sauces from around the world. We discussed having her co-pack and distribute my products in Alberta. My fellow, first-time exhibitor, Dianne, of Wild Upcycling. She left the stressful and fast-paced corporate world to pursue creative work and is thriving in her new “this is what I really want to do" environment. Cindy, a retired police officer, who was there helping a friend, Line Brunel, cover their booth. Line and Cindy allows us to borrow some lighting. it made a huge difference. Line loved our cookie samples and bought some mixes and preserves. In turn, I bought one of Line's one-of-a-kind MOOVment top and infinity scarf for my mother. Personable Ridley with his marketing expertise and grow-at-home Happy Caps mushroom kits. Ridley shared his expertise and some product with us. We shared some cookie mixes so the kids at his house, big and small, were able to try out our products. The folks at Bruce County Nut and Fudge in Sauble Beach who will be selling my products at their store this summer. Thank you Tanya and good luck in the summer season. This is our first customer in Ontario! Whoo hoo.
Get your Java Jack’s Gourmet Fine Foods Preserves, Bakery Mixes and more at javajacks.ca/shop or at any of the local Dominions, Colemans and other gift stores in Newfoundland.
