What's the long-term value of customers I meet at art shows?

The lifetime value of show customers extends far beyond the initial sale. Many customers will come back to purchase two or three years after first meeting you at a show. Track this ‘after show traffic’ as a key metric because it indicates the long-term value of that event and those relationships. Some shows that seem mediocre in immediate sales might actually be excellent when you factor in the quality of collectors you meet who become long-term customers. This is another reason why maintaining detailed records and evaluating shows over a five-year average is so important - you can identify which shows generate the most valuable long-term collector relationships, not just immediate revenue.

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Asked by artists evaluating show ROI · Answered by Mays Mayhew (artist interviewee) and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-03-12