Things I look for in a Craft Show: OVCC Show Review

I recently attended a new craft show hosted by the OVCC guild. I am still very much new to the Ottawa craft scene and am still looking for shows for selling toys and rattles of The Silver Hook. Baby is now due in 6 weeks and this was likely my last show until the Fall. I will continue to sell online through Etsy and through stores. Continue reading below for my review of the show.

 

 

Set-Up

This show was amazingly well organized (Kudos to The Big Cheese, Rene!). Rene was easy to find wearing an OVCC shirt the day of the show. The gorgeous dome windowed ceiling of the venue had rows of assigned tables set up for the vendors. The aisles were wide but the spaces behind  and between the tables were a little crowded – although that could just be the opinion of my expanded belly.

Advertising

Compared to other, large shows I have attended in the past this show was well advertised, and took place during Winterlude. Pictures were posted regularly to their Facebook Page. I had seen the show advertised on Kijiji, along with other websites and community newspapers. On the day of the show, I saw their signs near the venue.

Vendor Quality

I’m not exactly sure how the vendors were chosen, but the quality was very high and there was a great mix of crafting genres. No one category dominated the show. The works were original; each vendor had their own style. All the vendors I met were very friendly and upbeat. The quality of vendors greatly reminded me what you would find at Halifax Crafters – with the exception that there were no spinners or weavers.

Customers

Sadly this was the one area that was lacking, but I doubt it had anything to do with the organization.  Many factors could have lowered the attendance. This is a new group area and it takes time to build a reputation. The weather was beautiful for the long weekend and I am sure many people were out enjoying the final events of Winterlude and skating on the Rideau Canal. This guild doesn’t have a fixed location yet to set up the expectation of customers. And finally, the Ottawa arts & crafts scene is not as developed compared to Nova Scotia. People here are not as used to the price of handmade items.

Summary

All these factors will go away with time, I am sure, as long as the OVCC guild retains its high standards of vendors and organization. I will definitely attend future shows put on by this group.  I did not manage to take many pictures of the crafts (isn’t that always the case!), but I highly encourage you to check out the website or Facebook page for more pictures of the beautiful creations.

Thank you

A big “Thank You” to all who organized, participated, and attended. I was especially happy to meet some fellow crocheters :)