event Prepping for my 1st fest! What do I need?

So, I have a 6 foot horizontal banner to hang on the front of my table.
 
Mind you, I have a college degree.
OK, forget that as this may make this more embarrassing.
 
I can't really put together in my mind how to hang it from my table, above the table cloth that is....
 
While not heavy by any means, I don't think plastic adhesives will do the trick. There are gromlettes throughout the banner, but how would I tie them to the table?
 
This may prove to be my biggest challenge of the weekend!     KHAAAAAANNNNN!NNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!
 
Do you have another banner to hang up high at the back of your booth?   That is the only banner people will see when the venue is full.
 
 
Think of the physics of a crowd of people around your booth, all bellied-up for samples.... no one's going to see the banner hanging in front of your table with 5 people (or more) standing in front of it.  Yea, the banner in front of the booth looks good for promo pics....but for crowd visibility, no one will ever see it.  Make sure the Back Banner is up and running and PRIME.   
 
That aside... other vendors have banners that hang in front of their booths.  Hopefully they'll help as to how to hang a banner from a table.  c-clamps, small wires tied to the back legs.....????
 
Your PRIMARY banner at the back, high and clear to all customers!!!   Secondary banner hanging in front of the table .....
 
Stupid me was relying on either the hotel to have singles I could get or time to run to a bank to get 50 singles or so, but I went into Saturday morning with two singles in my pocket.
 
First couple of people came by with only 20's.  Few of em were cool to pay with credit card, while three others said they'd be back later when either they or I had singles to make change....Don't remember if they actually did or not..... :/
 
all in all, still a wonderfully succesful weekend!
 
GeminiCrow said:
Stupid me was relying on either the hotel to have singles I could get or time to run to a bank to get 50 singles or so, but I went into Saturday morning with two singles in my pocket.
 
First couple of people came by with only 20's.  Few of em were cool to pay with credit card, while three others said they'd be back later when either they or I had singles to make change....Don't remember if they actually did or not..... :/
 
all in all, still a wonderfully succesful weekend!
 
This is a lesson learned from 20 months of farmer's markets. I brought $120 in mixed change to NY, complete with $65 in singles. 
 
Of course like "how much sauce do I bring" the change issue is an impossible algorithm to know - if you bring $100, the 1st 20 customers will all pay in $20s.  But $100 is a solid number - it's what I bring to every market and what I send my employee out with when she does markets.  While it sucks to have $200 always floating, as they say it takes $ to make $, and having enough change is part of the equation. It's money that's always in my market kit, and I have stopped looking at it as money. It's a tool, like my banners, handwashing station, tent, etc. It might as well be a hammer. It's just there for a purpose. It usually averages out between the customers with small and large bills over the course of a festival, but the AM is the witching hour for change. As they say it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it so always come with enough change. 
 
Heck, I still had $80 in small bills and when Tina from Culinary Pyros said she was going to the bank I didn't hesitate to hitch along for an extra $40 in mixed bills. I didn't need it as it turned out, but it's not like it hurt me to have the extra. :cheers: 
 
Crow wasn't built in a day!
 
that's the saying right? :)
 
also, never got around to getting bags either....not too many people asked, but it would have been nice to offer......next time!
 
got the horror convention at the end of the month, a bunch of farmers markets this summer, and Bowers in September....
 
just wanna get better with each passing event!
 
GeminiCrow said:
Crow wasn't built in a day!
 
that's the saying right? :)
 
also, never got around to getting bags either....not too many people asked, but it would have been nice to offer......next time!
 
got the horror convention at the end of the month, a bunch of farmers markets this summer, and Bowers in September....
 
just wanna get better with each passing event!
I paid for many folks not having bags - I'd have people buying 1 bottle asking for a bag & then pulling 3-4 bottles out of their pockets. lol it's ok - they're not that expensive. Buy 1000 of them and they're like $.12 ea if I recall correctly...Bags are optional but IMO they could also mean the difference between a 1 bottle sale or a 5 bottle sale

Make sure you get the bags with the heavy braided handles so they can support the weight if the sauce bottle. If anyone buys over 4-5 bottles you can also hand them a box instead & save yourself some recycling.

And yeah - the goal early on is to make inexpensive mistakes, so you're batting .1000, though change is a big no no as that will cost you sales. If someone walks away without buying, the odds go way way down that they're gonna come back. Strike while the iron is hot and all. ;)
 
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