American Craft Council Show Comparison To Renegade Craft Faire in San Francisco- Part 1
August 07, 2013
Fort Mason is the location for the annual American Craft Council show. Ironically, on the previous weekend, the same exact building at Fort Mason hosted the San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair.
Fortunately, my friend and ACC show companion, Miss Charlotte Kruk, went to both shows so she had many observations and comparisons.
Comments in quotes are from Miss Charlotte Kruk.
ENTRANCE FEE:
Renegade ACC
No entrance fee. $14.00 entrance fee
or FREE for ACC members
What is the impact or purpose of an entry fee?
I'd love to discuss it at length & think about it.
Since it was free, "the Renegade show was
PACKED making it very hard to see the work if you were unwilling to
crowd in with the masses."
Is
their any reason to fill the place with lookers? Yes & no, but obvious answer is that the ACC entry fee becomes a self selected group of motivated shoppers.
SCHEDULE:
Renegade - 2 days ACC - 3 days
Saturday/Sunday Friday/Sat/Sunday
Who goes to a show on Friday?
CUSTOMERS:
Miss Charlotte said, "The audience for
the ACC show was definitely more mature, immaculately groomed and
packaged in a way that advertised their serious intentions; a refined
air of sophistication, but with a sense of personal style that cannot be
found on a display mannequin in Nordstrom."
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF MUSIC?
While "the Renegade boasted DJ music pumping throughout the venue," Charlotte noticed only one or two booth exhibitors at ACC who had low playing music in their personal space. I didn't notice anyone at ACC playing music.
Music is an interesting issue. Music is generally considered an "audience-sorting device" and can have either a positive or negative impact on the shopping experience.
LIGHTING:
Kruk reports that "Booth layout and display were much better at the ACC show. Compared to the Renegade show, the lighting was much better and brighter overall as almost every booth had additional lighting for display."
ACC Booth of Sarah Jane Hassler & Karen McCreary
More discussion about their booth layout and signs in a future post on ASK Harriete
DISPLAY:
"The items for sale were also more crowded at the Renegade show. There was definitely a restrained minimal aesthetic in many of the booths at ACC. The ACC artist (for the most part) seemed to understand the layout and flow of the space, understanding that movement through the booth is critical for an enjoyable shopping experience." (More about booth layout in a later post.)
A PRICE COMPARISON:
Renegade Fair: Miss Charlotte said that a dress (playful coverall smock-dress recycling men's suspender straps) for $85 was marked as "reduced price for the faire" and probably on the $100 end at her Oakland Boutique "Field Day and Friends."
ACC: Many jackets started at $500 and up. There were scarves at lower price points in every style and fabric you could imagine.
Part 2 tomorrow includes:
- CLOTHING REPORT.
- TYPE OF WORK
- WHAT'S "NEW"
- THE "SPIRIT OF I MADE THIS"
- FINAL THOUGHTS
Harriete Estel Berman AND Miss Charlotte Kruk
Miss Charlotte Kruk, emiko oye, and Harriete Estel Berman in front of emiko's booth 315 at the American Craft Council San Francisco, CA show at Fort Mason.