What is the problem with relying exclusively on in-person art shows and fairs for income?

In-person shows can generate short-term revenue, but they have a hard ceiling and poor return on investment over time. You’re spending enormous amounts of time, energy, and money on booth fees, travel, hotels, setup, and teardown. Meanwhile, you’re so exhausted from the circuit that you neglect building your online presence—the channel with the highest long-term ROI. Research shows you only capture about 60-64% of potential sales at the show itself; the remaining 40% comes from follow-up over the next year or two, which requires digital marketing anyway. If you invest that same time and money into digital marketing—running ads, building your email list, selling direct online—you keep 100% of the profit, reach a global audience, and build a sustainable, scalable business. The in-person route is like the hare: fast start, but the digital tortoise wins the race in years two and three.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-06-13