DIY 2014 Wrap Up

I can't believe it's been more than a month since DIY and in that time I have done two more shows and helped costume an opera here in Detroit.  Things are finally starting to slow in pace and it's been a welcome break, especially since the holiday season is right around the corner.

Even though my set up this year wasn't exactly what I had hoped for (and looking back on last year, I think I liked that layout much better than what I came up with this time around) DIY was a total blast and my best one yet!  

The biggest addition this year was my DIY marque sign.  It was actually really easy to make (look for a tutorial soon!) and it gave me the pop I was looking for.  I would like to make a few tweaks to the design, but for the most part it was really sturdy -- even with the high winds on the second day.

And, I love how it looked at night!

One of my goals this year was to work on my displays; making them more visually cohesive and also effective in conveying important information, such as sharing my social media handles and advertising my acceptance of credit cards.  The mini chalkboard sandwich sign is nothing short of brilliant.  It's cute and because it's chalkboard, I can use it for many different purposes for many shows to come.  Not a bad $5 investment!  

I made a ton of improvements this year and it really paid off!  Here's what I did right this year:

• my lighted sign  -it really made my tent stand out at night
• renting a U-Haul cargo van  -this meant I only had to make one trip with one car, making set up/break down a lot less stressful.  Totally worth the money!!
• having a check out station of sorts
• displaying more pieces in vignettes and having better display props

With anything, the more you do it, the more you learn.  Here's what I need to keep in mind for next year:

• while the cafe lights were adorable, they weren't functional the way I used them. I need to either get plastic globes or just use something different
• every year I get more and more organized and this year was by far the best, but this is something I really want to strive to streamline   
• as I've mentioned before my layout wasn't perfect and next year I'd like to go back to a similar layout as I had in 2013.  Although I had a lot more space for people to move around, I don't feel I used it in the best way
• it's time to invest in some sturdy show racks!!

Looking back on my 2013 post, I am happy to report most of the things I wanted to improve on this year were accomplished and I feel they were a big reason why 2014 was my best show yet!  Now onto plotting for next year ;)