First Bridal Show - Looking for Advice

In a couple weeks I'm going to be doing my very first bridal show and am looking for some advice.

Having walked the floors of previous bridal shows, my feeling is to keep my booth true to my brand, which is clean and refined.

I'm thinking several large prints in the back printed on foam core against the black curtains. It's supposedly a black backdrop hung over piping. How do others hang items in this manner? Attach hooks to the curtain?

My table will have a simple black table cloth with 1 or 2 sample albums, 3 or 4 5x7s and cards for brides to take with them. Nice glass bowl with candy.

Appreciate any suggestions,

Thanks!

wdwpsu wrote in post #13639917
Nice glass bowl with candy.

I doubt that candy is a good thing to attract soon to be brides with.

Do a search. Jon White and others have posted some helpful pics of their booths.

I don't do bridal shows for a variety of reasons, but having gone as a guest, the one thing I can tell you is to bring lighting. You really want to be able to draw attention to works that you have hanging and lights are a part of doing that.

My opinion is that a big LCD TV works better than framed portraits, you can have many portraits in a slide show plus it gives you the rich - modern look. Maybe you can add 2 framed portraits one on each side of the TV. Albums are great (get the clients attention) thinks. If you go with portraits only I can suggest you to use tripods or backdrop stands with the rod behind the actual black backdrop for hanging the portraits, just attach the heavier string or fishing line and woala. Have a great time, shows are really fun (beside the money spend).

Peacefield wrote in post #13640618
Do a search. Jon White and others have posted some helpful pics of their booths.

I don't do bridal shows for a variety of reasons, but having gone as a guest, the one thing I can tell you is to bring lighting. You really want to be able to draw attention to works that you have hanging and lights are a part of doing that.

It will definitely give you a professional look....

wdwpsu wrote in post #13639917
In a couple weeks I'm going to be doing my very first bridal show and am looking for some advice.

Having walked the floors of previous bridal shows, my feeling is to keep my booth true to my brand, which is clean and refined.

I'm thinking several large prints in the back printed on foam core against the black curtains. It's supposedly a black backdrop hung over piping. How do others hang items in this manner? Attach hooks to the curtain?

My table will have a simple black table cloth with 1 or 2 sample albums, 3 or 4 5x7s and cards for brides to take with them. Nice glass bowl with candy.

Appreciate any suggestions,

Thanks!

I do not think one or two sample albums will be enough.The shows I have gone too photographers have a LOT of sample books.

Kirill wrote in post #13640306
I doubt that candy is a good thing to attract soon to be brides with.

Its a great idea.

We use Hershey Kisses candy. We also have pens and chap sticks. Its a great way to break the uneasiness of starting a new conversation. Fantastic Ice breaker.

Armans Photography wrote in post #13640920
=Arman's Photography;13640920]I​f you go with portraits only I can suggest you to use tripods or backdrop stands with the rod behind the actual black backdrop for hanging the portraits, just attach the heavier string or fishing line and woala. Have a great time, shows are really fun (beside the money spend).

I'm trying to picture this.. You put the tripod behind the curtain as a weight.. You tie a fishing line to it and throw it over the curtain. And then you attach photos to the fishing line?

Armans Photography wrote in post #13640929
=Arman's Photography;13640929]I​t will definitely give you a professional look....

Agree on the lights, but I'm investigating alternatives as the convention center is charging near booth rates just for electricity.

wdwpsu wrote in post #13641080
I'm trying to picture this.. You put the tripod behind the curtain as a weight.. You tie a fishing line to it and throw it over the curtain. And then you attach photos to the fishing line?

Maybe not over the curtains, most likely you will have the joint between the curtains you can use this to your advantage to hide the fishing line, if not just puncture a small hole in the curtain with a safety pin to fish your line (fishing line-because it is stronger). Regarding your power consumption, you can have the lights as dummy's or just ask your neighbour if he has power, maybe you two can share the cost of power. I have paid $100 extra for power and it is worth it. Good luck!

Candy was a huge hit at my booth! And there was a minister who's booth was next to mine who had never done a show before and didn't bring anything to "dress up" her booth. So I lent her my spare bowl and some candy and she remembered me for that! Got a wedding out of the deal. Candy is ALWAYS a good idea!! Plus some people bring their kids.

As for the booth, your setup sounds similar to the one I did in October. I used wooden tripods I purchased from Michaels ($20 each) that I painted black. I put two large canvases on those and they flanked my table. Then I had a 42" LCD TV that I ran a slideshow on. I put some chairs in front of the sideshow and would get a few people sitting or standing around watching it for pretty much the whole loop (I used 50 images). Then I had a 15x30 over the TV and some 24"+ matted photos "floating" around that. For that I used black string that I looped around the piping and then into the corners of the images. Not the greatest way for the longevity of these images, but I switch my images out and trash the old ones every season so longevity isn't an issue for me.

The thing I personally can't stand is when people create a whole TV set out of their booth... with vintage trunks and chain link fences, but then show only a few 8x10 images and an album. I feel like, as a bride, I'd want to see BIG pictures, not a scene of some sort. They want to get works of art when they hire their photog. Not some tiny 8x10s where you can't even really see the detail! At any given time I'll have 2 large canvases and 5+ enlarged matted images plus the 50 or so on the TV. I want to show clients that I can consistently produce images that can be blown up and displayed.

wdwpsu wrote in post #13641114
Agree on the lights, but I'm investigating alternatives as the convention center is charging near booth rates just for electricity.

One of the many reasons I don't do shows.

Wow, none of the shows I've done before have charged for electricity! That's crazy!

In Canada they do

I just talked to the show. They are anticipating 500-800 brides in attendance. I'm assuming not every one of them is looking for a photographer. And even less would be directly interested in me.

Would you have enough price sheets/rack cards for 800 brides? Or is that overkill?