I want to try art fairs but I'm worried about wasting money on just one show that might fail. What should I do?

Never judge any marketing channel - whether art fairs or advertising - based on a single attempt. If you’re going to do shows and fairs, commit to booking three to five shows minimum. One show will inevitably be a dud, and if that’s your only show, you’ll incorrectly conclude it doesn’t work, feel depressed, and quit. But when you do multiple shows, the results average out. You might have one $30,000 weekend and one zero-dollar weekend - but you didn’t make $15,000 per show, you made the total across all shows. This same principle applies to any marketing effort: commit to it long enough to actually learn and iterate, or you’re destined to fail.

---

Asked by an artist nervous about art fair costs · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-11-14