No matter what type of fair or festival you attend, you’ll find that you have to deal with promoters, also known as event organizers. Knowing how to deal with these individuals will help ensure that you have a smooth, enjoyable experience and that you’ll be more likely to have a prime spot next year.

It’s All in Who You Know

Before you plan to attend any fair or festival, it’s important that you get to know the people in charge, the people behind the scenes. That means getting to know the event organizers and promoters. Why should you get to know these folks? First, if you are on a first-name basis with these people, getting your foot in the door is much simpler. In addition, you’ll find that your experience is much easier when the promoters actually know who you are.

Find out who is promoting and organizing the event, and then speak to them about retaining a spot for your booth. As a note, you should be prepared to pay a deposit in advance, as this is becoming a common practice throughout the industry. Next, speak to them about booth placement – the earlier you start this process, the better your results will be. Negotiating with promoters for better placement is much simpler when they have some leeway.

Last Minute Doesn’t Cut It

If you’re attempting to negotiate with promoters for a last-minute spot in the fair, you might have to be content with whatever you get. Remember, promoters are much more willing to negotiate early on in the process. Last minute spots might be more affordable than what you’ll find earlier, but you’ll have far fewer options in placement and booth size. If you come late, do not expect wonderful results.

The Best Negotiation Results

The best results of promoter negotiation will be attained with experience and knowledge. The more festivals you attend, the more people will come to know and respect you. In addition, it certainly helps if you are the type of vendor who doesn’t cause hassles for promoters and organizers. If you’re one of those who make life difficult for these people, you can forget about winning any type of negotiations.

Pay proper respect to event promoters and that respect will be returned to you through better booth placement, better prices and prime booth size. However, creating a fuss will give you the opposite results.