Art fairs are dynamic and bustling events that can be essential for your business. But be mindful not to underestimate the importance of adequately planning your art fair participation. Spanning from the preparation to the aftermath of the event, we herewith share our insider checklist for a successful art fair.
BEFORE
Know the art fair you are participating in! Do your research and check out the art fair clients. Bigger is not always better, so make sure to also look at side fairs. They may be more appropriate and beneficial for your organization.
Make sure to gather all relevant information about the artworks displayed at your booth. From complete captions and artwork images to pricing.
Communicate this information with your shipping company accurately and precisely. Give measurements, weights, packing materials …
Create a price list and documents containing artwork information.
Share this information with your collectors, art advisors, and the press. They like sneak previews!
Thinks about customs if you are crossing borders.
DURING
Make sure you are able to show relevant artworks not displayed at your booth. It will significantly increase your potential! Buyers may be interested in other works by the same artist… Similarly, if you already sold an artwork, you can offer similar things.
Don’t hesitate to propose artworks when someone shows interest. Do it as quickly and professionally as possible. If you wait several days to send an offer to an interested buyer, chances are they will go to another gallery and buy an artwork. Bear in mind that at an art fair most collectors’ time and budgets are limited. Hence, timing is essential!
Keep track of what you have proposed and to whom. This information will prove crucial in building sustainable and long-term relationships. Proposing the same artwork to a collector two times will make you look unprofessional.
Register your sales carefully and in detail. Knowing your clients and their collections makes you a reliable and trustworthy partner. Knowing the interests of your clients is the way to build relationships.
AFTER
Get an overview of all the artworks that need to be transported to collectors and all artworks that need to be returned to your storage.
Register accurately and carefully the new locations of artworks in your storage. Then they are ready for your next event.
Register all the people you were in contact with so you can contact them in the future and expand your network.
Send your collectors all the relevant information about their newly acquired artworks. In this way, you will build professional and sturdy relationships with them. Collectors like the whole story of an artwork!
Keeping all this in mind, we created a tool that streamlines your workflow and optimizes your art fair preparations. By joining amy, you do not only get a tool to manage your gallery but also the expertise and knowledge of the art world that come with it. Let’s kick-start your art fair preparations together!