Just in time for yearly planning sessions, we’re pleased to offer a few suggestions to make your upcoming quilt shows and other public events the most memorable:

• Promote your show to the local museums, galleries, local college art departments, home furnishing retailers, boutiques, etc. Get creative! Remember to think outside the box of the already-converted quilting community!
• Also, reach out to guild members’ children’s schools, focusing on the math & art departments.
• Support your vendors with refreshments and have guild members available for short relief periods for vendors to take restroom breaks, etc.
• Support vendors with periodic public address announcements, each spotlighting a particular vendor and his or her show offerings.
• Provide white gloves and/or gloved guides to protect the quilts from damage.
• Arrange informal guided tours of the show, pointing out special techniques and features of the quilts to beginners and non-quilters.
• For a sizeable number of quilts to be displayed, consider listing them in the order of show hall appearance, row by row, as well as in numerical order.
• Set up a small area where visitors can create a block to contribute to your ongoing community project. Supply the fabrics so that all blocks will blend together well in the finished quilts. Be sure to also contact local newspapers. They are always looking for a human interest story about community projects etc... Free publicity is always good!
• Assign your website manager or other internet-savvy member to list the show on the many available online listings.
• If available, try offering various services to the visitors, splitting the proceeds between the service providers and the guild (i.e., quilt appraisals, scissor sharpening, etc.) These would of course be promoted ahead of time, so visitors would come prepared.