STEPPING UP TO A LARGE SCALE EVENT AND WHAT IT TAUGHT ME

As we step into Autumn, I am already reflecting on the summer market season. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that markets have been a big part of my journey over the past couple of years. But this year, I decided to take a leap and apply for my first large scale, two day event: Art in the Park in Leamington Spa.

When I first applied, I didn’t actually think I’d be accepted… but a girl’s gotta try! There are so many wonderful creative people out there, and as such a well known event, I didn't really think I stood a chance. However, when I got the email a couple of months later in March saying I was accepted, I was so very excited… but also terrified! The event has an amazing reputation, seeing footfall in the tens of thousands, so the potential for me was huge. It was also a bigger financial risk at £265 for the weekend, so I needed to do everything I could to make sure I did well.

Looking back, taking that step this year is something I am genuinely proud of. It was probably the best decision I’ve made for my business this year it allowed me to look at my little business in a different light and gave me a huge boost in confidence. So here is a full look at how it went, along with some reflections if you’re a maker/artist thinking of applying for your own large scale event.

THE PREP

The prep really started back in March once I’d received that acceptance email. Getting enough stock ready was my first hurdle. I wasn’t sure exactly how much to bring, especially while keeping up with demand for spring and summer events alongside shop restocks, so I spent as much time as I could in the studio focusing on ceramics, which sell best for me. It was more of a soft plan, making what felt right as I went along, pretending I knew what I was doing.

In the week leading up to the event, panic set in about my setup. I worried the whole space looked too plain and boring, so I purchased some new gridwork to help display hanging items. Not only did it free up table space for other products, but it really allowed better visibility of my wall hangings and magnets keeping them at eye level and showing them in a more realistic setting to the final placement and I absolutely loved how the end result looked!

Weekend prep actually started early on Friday morning, packing my small Polo to the absolute brim—there was zero room left once everything was in. I had a specific time slot to set up on Friday afternoon, so off I went. It was smooth sailing with no waiting around; I drove straight in to unload and had a couple of hours to get everything set before leaving it for the evening. I was fortunate to stay with family an hour away, which saved on accommodation costs. Leaving my gazebo and entire stock setup in a park overnight felt odd, but with onsite security and staff, everything was well looked after.

I want to say a massive thank you and well done to the Art in the Park team. Organising an event with so many makers is no easy task, but the setup, management, and pack-down were completely seamless. We were also blessed with glorious, sunny weather on one of the few summer weekends without a heatwave!

THE WEEKEND

Returning back on Saturday and opening up my stall I was really pleased how it all looked together and the weather was just perfect. Things started strong on Saturday morning, with visitors browsing even before the official opening, and the momentum didn't let up all day. As a solo trader, non-stop footfall can be a challenge, so I had to lean on my wonderful stall neighbours for support when I needed to nip to the loo or grab food!

As predicted, ceramics took the limelight. My best sellers were my big-handled mugs (no real surprise there!), followed by my handleless mugs—both of which completely sold out. The bud vase range (magnets, vases, and wall hangings) also did brilliantly, running dangerously low on day one. I was also thrilled with how well the reed diffuser sets from my collaboration with Vesna performed.

My favourite part of the weekend was the customer energy. There were so many great conversations and lovely compliments. A few stand-out moments included a lady who bought a hanging planter in the morning and came back a few hours later to buy its matching partner, and another customer who came over excited because she saw her friend had bought one of my bud vase magnets and wanted one too. Another visitor mentioned they loved my overall aesthetic, telling me my glasses, hair, and dress combo matched my brand completely!

By Sunday evening, I was pretty exhausted and the 2 hour drive home was hard work especially as the buzz of the weekend wore off the but the effort paid off I took almost £3,000 over the weekend and have already had a few online orders from locals since!

I think one reason I did so well was that, being an art-focused festival, there were fewer functional makers. There was plenty of traditional art—prints, originals, and sculptures, all of which were beautiful and varied—meaning that compared to standard makers' markets, it felt like there was less direct competition for my work.

One sad point for me was because my stall was busy all weekend, I didn't get to wander around or visit other stalls as much as I would have liked. However, I was lucky enough to be pitched next to two incredible, welcoming makers who have done the event for years:

• Ravens Edge Forge: Incredible blacksmith work! I picked up some of his hand-forged copper mushrooms for my garden.

• Mallory Journals: Beautifully crafted bookbinding and journals. Another maker that did very well and was also running very low on stock by the end of the weekend!

Having supportive, experienced neighbours makes a world of difference when you're running a stall on your own.

POST MARKET RESTOCKING

When I finally packed down on Sunday evening and drove home, the excitement was mixed with a sudden wave of panic. Looking at my empty crates, I realised the weekend had almost completely wiped out my stock. I also knew I had a full calendar of September markets coming up—and as we know, ceramics take time!

This triggered a frantic rest of August in the studio to rebuild inventory, but luckily I managed it, and my studio shelves are looking much healthier now. I was even able to do a couple of shop restocks.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

For fellow traders considering the jump to a multi day, high footfall market: my main advice is just do it you won’t know whether it works for your business until you try and I'll defintely be looking to do one or two large scale events again next year. I also know you can't base your experience on just one event but i'm very optimistic for the future.

Here are my biggest takeaways from the experience:

• The Financial Return: High pitch fees can feel daunting, but larger-scale events attract massive crowds of people who are actively looking to buy rather than just browse. Many visitors mentioned they save up specifically for this event to purchase art. (Just keep in mind that I saved a lot by staying with family, so factor your full accommodation costs into your math!)

• Plan for High Volume: I completely ran out of my top best sellers way too quickly. If you have signature items, bring more than you think you’ll ever need.

• Focus on Low-to-Mid-Tier Price Points: I find high demand for items in the £20–£35 range, so most of my stock sits there. At a festival where visitors want to purchase from multiple vendors, having accessible options makes it easy for them to buy from your stall.

• Make Pricing Crystal Clear: Unlike quieter markets where you have time to talk through every piece, high-volume crowds mean you can't answer every pricing question. Having clear, bold signage helps people browsing from a distance make quick buying decisions.

• Prep for Solo Survival: Don't assume there will be quiet lulls to take a break. Pack quick, non-perishable snacks, plenty of water, and make friends with your stall neighbours early so you can support each other.

• Account for the Aftermath: High sales meant a massive production crunch for me in August and September. If possible, leave yourself a few clear weeks post-event without markets so you can dedicate that time solely to restocking.

Stepping out of my comfort zone this summer was terrifying, inspiring, and utterly exhausting and I defintely wouldn't change a thing.

Now things are a little calmer, I’m getting ready for the autumn season ahead! So if you want to get first dibs on new products and stock drops, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter and keep an eye on the website for upcoming market dates and new autumn restocks

Thank you so much for reading along and supporting this little creative journey of mine it really means a lot!