I have done about a dozen shows and I do mine SO different...maybe that is why I book so many weddings at the show!!

I do NOT suggest the Isle way a lot of people do it. No offense, but people will push themselves into it to look at everything and it becomes so crowded that those who want to see just walk on by and skip your booth all together. We do ours like a counter...we put long tables behind us with 10-12 dummies at different levels, and a slide showing going on a large screen TV and a DVD player. We have a couple of banners made of cardboard, not vinyl. We also have spot lights on the banners and the cakes, which add a little gitter to it with some interesting shadows. We then put a table at one end for us to cut cake (we do NOT do the little cups as we cannot talk to brides..they just grab a cup and move on) We cut the cake as they come up to talk to us and serve pieces on small little plates. Brides love it. They will take several pieces and taste it right there and ask questions. they love to share, they love to taste. If there isn't any cake out, we will talk to them while more cake is being cut. If they are there just tor cake, then they aren't interested in talking. So we dont care about them. We stand behind tables, with pretty table clothes, and teh cake samples on one table,, books on another and a couple of more dummies, as well as cookie samples in baggies. We have cards with our information, as well as what cake flavors they tired that day. We have sign up sheets for consultations and other information. We give out free pens with the sign up sheets. The crowds stay on the other side of the tables, our dummies are safe from hands and people love being able to talk with us face to face. We have a trash can near by, and give forks and napkins with our cake samples. I also suggest bringing an anti fatigue matt to stand on, and yes, bring a cooler with water, quickie bits you can eat, and turn off your cell phone!!! Brin also lots of towels to wipe knives clean up areas and trash bags. Good luck! We love doing shows!!

I'll just add that even though we do lidded cups, we talk to the brides, hand them the cake plus a fork and napkin. I think I'm doing to do more of a counter with sign up sheets for consultations this time.

This is just my opinion based on what I've been told by brides and others passing by my booth.

I don't hand out whole pieces of cake, of even half size. I had out 1" squares placed in mini cupcake wrappers. I can't tell you how many people tell me like that so much better. A bite or two is all they need. they are passing by many booths with people handing out sweets and the slices of cakes are just too much. Many come back for a second bit (which is totally cool) but I hear over and over again about how the others were just too big.

I don't make petit-fours. I bake the cake in a jelly roll pan (1" high). I ice it with a thin layer of icing. You can't see the cake through it, but almost. I have a 16" ruler that is 1" wide. I use that as a guide for cutting it. It sounds like a lot, but it doesn't really take that long. I bake and ice the day before. i cut that morning before leaving for the show. Everything else was packed up the day before. So it's all I have to do the day of. It takes me about 1.5-2 hours. I get, I, think 150? 160? from each pan. I don't remember the exact count right now.

I don't know, I get a LOT of compliments for this and just thought I'd pass it on.

GREAT POST!!!

I have a booth on the end of the aisle. The nearest other cake vendor is 2 aisles over, I think. I am freaking out, looking at the other vendors websites and comparing us. I know....I'm a freak.

Stupid question: do the booths have walls (curtain type walls)? I mean is there a physical divider on 3 sides of the booth as the drawing of the aisles would seem to indicate? I'm wondering how to set up my tables. They don't provide any and I only have two 6 ft tables although Mom says she has 4 I can use. (I know I won't need 6 tables) I'm not sure I want brides to be able to walk in and grab samples by themselves, but I am afraid of putting a table across the entrance....don't want to seem stand offish, either.

I'm currently planning on trying to complete 5 dummies (I have one complete that I'm going to bring, if it still looks good). Do you think that's enough? 2 will be royal icing to look "buttercream" and the rest fondant. I'm really, really concerned that I won't have enough time to finish everything! I wanted to have gumpaste flowers, but at this rate, I don't know that I'll have time for many of those.

I hope you'll forgive my minor freakout on this forum....I just needed to vent before I explode. I have less than 2 months to get it all done, and there is so much to do! I feel completely out of my depth.

It depends on the show..I have been to shows in hotel ball rooms where we just have tables with spaces between each "booth" I have done shows where there are curtains between each booth. and shows where are half curtains. One show I did just had us set up wherever in a tent!! The best thing to do is contact the person doing the show..they usually are helpful!

As far as dummies, if you just do one or two, that is fine, as long as they look good. no dummy is better then a sloppy dummy (um, whatever!) Just put a good slide show and books..(I order mine from snapfish!)

dont freak, just relax....shows are a lot of fun!!!

May I revive this thread? It had tons of info it and gorgeous pictures that have disappeared! I would love to see more pics of people's booths as I have a show coming this spring!!!

Thanks for all the hlep in the column

I just did my first bridal show in November and it was super fun. I took notes on all of the great advice from this thread and it went pretty well. I was actually voted the most popular vendor by the brides at the show! One thing that the event organizer did is to have the brides get their drawing entry form initialed by all of the vendors so they had to come and talk to each vendor to be eligible for the drawing. I thought that was nice. It is a pretty small show with around 30 vendors though. I don't think that would be possible at a larger show.

Here's a link to some of the photos from my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150362051391179.349432.23544606178&type=3

Thanks! I did make all of the flowers. I think I ended up with over 60. Maybe you could work out a deal with a florist that will be at the show instead of buying flowers

The purple hasn't faded. It's AmeriColor Violet. I've kept it out of the light though so I'm sure that helps.

The only thing I would have changed would be to have an assistant with me to help restock the sample cups and answer easy questions so I could have more time with people who wanted more information. Unfortunately I just don't have anyone to help so I'm just going to make a couple of signs

One thing I noticed is that a few of the other vendors were visibly ready to pack it in at the end of the show. They just looked like they didn't want to be there. I was very conscious about making sure I appeared friendly and energetic until the very end. I didn't even start packing up until after almost all of the brides were gone so I was available to chat with a few who had questions.

I just posted and should have come here.

Thanks to schmulie14 -- that looks about the size of booth I am allowed at my bridal show and helps me a lot - I really like how you did you table cloths - that look adds to your booth!
Thanks!

Thanks for the great info in this thread!

I am setting up a booth at a bridal show soon and wanted to concentrate on cupcakes and cake pops, apart from traditional wedding cakes.

The show will have about 200-250 brides I think.. we are yet to have a definite number from the organizers.

How many samples of mini cupcakes should be sufficient?

Also, cake pops are kind of different and unique and not many people are aware of them so I was thinking of doing some cake pop samples as well... would it be too much to sample cake and cake pops?

I have a 4 feet table... couldn't afford to pay for the 8 ft since I'm just starting out... so I was thinking of having a cupcake tower, some cupcake bouquets, a cake pop display and samples. Does this sound good?

I might do a 2-tier or 3-tier dummy wedding cake.. any suggestions on what would be a good design to showcase?

Thanks!!

Reviving this! First bridal show in three weeks. Yee!

AWhat I can't comprehend is how you find time to make dummies!!?? So overwhelmed!!

Yep! Bridal show season is back!! I have one coming up in 2 weeks! Trying to find time to make a couple of dummy cakes for my new designs

Hello, Cakedout

This is really awesome, Thanks for sharing your January Shows.

If you have a shop best to hold your own Open House once a month.That's what I found works best when I owned a cake shop.we would book 10-20 wedding cakes in 4 hours.

make yourself stand out.  This was my last show.  I did a secret garden theme and I nailed it.  Signed up several onsite and I'm now booked out for next summer :)

AWow robinscakery, love it!! Where did you get the tree bark cupcake stand? And what kind of deposit etc do you suggest if you want to book brides on site? Thanks!

I charge $100 to save the date it is non refundable.  Balance in full 2 weeks before the wedding and they can make payments along the way if the choose to do so.  It is a small deposit I get that but in my 5 years I've only had 2 cancellations.  The stand was made by one of my crafty grooms for his wedding I then purchased it from them after the event....

Just completed my first bridal show on Sunday after reading this entire thread!  I loved it!  Oh, did I mention I didn't know I was doing the show until Tuesday?! HAHA!  We had a death in the family over the holidays and it just wasn't on my mind :/.  ANYWAY.  I had an 8x10 booth, I used 2 tables, had 6 cakes, served 450 cake samples in the little soufflé cups in 4 different flavors (vanilla cake with raspberry filling and french vanilla buttercream, strawberry champagne, chocolate with peanut butter buttercream, and pumpkin spice).  I had business cards out and these coupon cards out that got the brides 10% off (which, at most, would equal a free cake tasting - $50 value).  There are DEFINITELY things I would do different next year.  I loved the cups idea because every other vendor there served sheet cakes and gave out pieces of cake that were way too big, so each bride that came by was already sick of cake, so they loved that they could take it home.  When i mentioned that the sticker on top was to remind them where they got it from, they thought it was genius.  However, they wanted more than one flavor for their fiancé, yadda yadda.  That's what cake tastings are for.  So next year, I want a closed booth where I or someone else helping me regulates that each person/couple gets ONE cake cup.  And honestly, I think only brides should get cake.  All the other non-cake vendors giving out stuff only gave to brides (like the florist giving out free rainbow roses).  All 450 servings were gone within 2 hours. I also would like a way to elevate the cakes behind me so the brides can see them but not touch them because for some reason, a cake in front of people makes them want to touch them.  it was driving me nuts.  I had the serving sizes typed out in front of the cakes, but I didn't list the price because there's just too many factors that go into pricing a cake.  If you order all vanilla vs if you order italian creme, its going to cost less because pecans are soooo expensive.  If I provide the fake flowers and diamond ribbon and sew the burlap roses by hand, its going to cost more than if you bring me all the stuff because you have that stuff anyway.  But it still doesn't stop people from asking "what a cake like that costs", anyway ;)  Regardless, it was an awesome experience.  I've been doing this for almost 4 years and we just relocated to this town in October and it was really hard leaving all my customers behind.  Every single person that came back by our booth said that our cake was by far the best looking/decorated and tasting at the event, hands down, so if anything, bridal shows give you a boost of confidence that you are needing after the holiday rush!! HAHA!  I'm already thinking about ideas to go bigger and better for next year…am I crazy?!  I hope all of you have a great experience!  Here are pictures from my event! 

A

Thank you! :)

Your table was beautiful.  Just a thought every person that visits your table is a potential client.  Do you do other types of cake?  I would not limit samples to brides.  During my last show (last Sunday).  I booked 2 baby showers, a huge 50th anniversary cake, & a birthday party in my shop....Just something to think about.

AYou are absolutely right, Robins! I actually just completed a fairly large 1st birthday order from a girl that was at the event!! So scratch that advice LOL. But I will definitely keep a closer tab to the people coming by taking so many. I had this one lady who took a couple samples and then had her grandson come take maybe 4 more? That's a little excessive. There are potential clients, and then there are people looking for freebies. I ended up halving my 2" tall cake so my 1" squares were only 1" high, so I guess cost wise, I shouldn't be complaining. Next year I'll have more than 4 days notice and I'll show up with probably 1,000 cups of cake :). I've already booked 3 weddings and made back 3x the price it cost me for the booth rental. Bridal shows are so worth it!! :). I'll probably showcase a cute bachelorette cake next year, too