Preparing for Your Biggest Convention of the Year

Every artist has one con on the calendar that's bigger than the rest. Maybe it's the show that sells out in eight minutes, maybe it's the one three hours from home that you only get to do once a year. Whatever makes it the big one for you, it deserves a different level of prep than your usual weekend market.

Here's how we'd approach it if we were the ones packing the car.

Start with the booth itself, not the inventory

Most artists plan stock first and booth second. Flip that for your biggest show. If you're moving from a half table to a full 6ft table, or adding a second table for the first time, your display needs to change shape, not just get bigger. More table space means more wall space you can build vertically, and vertical is where the actual selling happens. Flat prints on a tablecloth get scrolled past. Prints at eye level, framed by panels, stop people mid-walk.

If this show is the reason you're upgrading gear at all, think about what the booth needs to do differently than usual. A corner booth or a double table setup benefits from something that can wrap or extend, which is part of why we built the Duo kit at 92 panels, big enough for a 12ft double table or an actual corner configuration instead of just a taller version of your usual setup.

Inventory: plan for your best day, not your average one

This is the mistake that stings the most. You do the math based on your usual show, then the big one has triple the foot traffic and you're sold out of your best print by 1pm on day one with two days left to go. A few ways to hedge:

• Print your top 3-5 sellers in higher quantities than feels comfortable. If they don't sell out, they'll sell at the next show anyway.
• Have a plan for restocking mid-con if you're local enough to run home, or bring a local print shop's number just in case.
• Bring extra of your cheapest impulse-buy items (stickers, charms, bookmarks). These move fastest when foot traffic spikes and they're the easiest to run out of without noticing until the bin's empty.

The float, the cash box, and the boring logistics

Bring more small bills than you think you need, at least $200 in a mix of $5s and $10s if it's a cash-heavy show. Card readers die at the worst moments, usually right when a line forms, so having a backup reader or a second phone logged into your payment app isn't overkill for a big show, it's basic insurance. Charge every battery pack the night before. Bring a paper backup of your inventory list in case your phone dies along with everything else.

Pack like you'll be tired

You will be. By day two of a big con your feet hurt, you're running on con food, and you still have to break down and reset the booth every morning if it's a multi-day show without overnight access. Pack in the order you'll need things, not just what fits. Panels and frame pieces in first means they come out last, which is exactly backwards from what you want. Load your booth so setup morning-you, who is tired and rushing, can find the connectors without digging.

A short pre-show checklist

Give yourself grace

Big shows go sideways sometimes even with perfect prep. A panel might not lock in right on the first try, your neighbor might not show up and leave you a weird gap, the AC might die in your hall. None of that means you didn't prepare well. It means conventions are chaotic and you showed up anyway. That's most of the job.

Curious what a Shapeshift kit actually looks like in person? Head to the Artist Booths homepage to see the full lineup and find the one that fits your table.