Behind the Scenes: Pop-Up Edition
In-person pop-up events are a staple of many small businesses - including mine! While I love getting to meet y’all face-to-face, meet other vendors, and getting to be outside on a beautiful day, pop-ups definitely involve a certain love of labor and a positive attitude. Personally, I think I’ve developed a really great rhythm over the few years I’ve been doing them (currently going in to year 4 of markets!), so here’s how I (typically) break up timing to set myself up for a day of success.
6:30am (sometimes a little later) - wake up & get ready
Depending on the pop up start time depends on how early I actually get up to get ready, but I like to give myself at least an hour to do my makeup, maybe attempt something with my hair, and pick out a cute vending outfit (sometimes I’ll do this the day before). Because the last thing I want to feel before I head out into the world is: rushed. Getting up early enough allows time to get ready, do any last-minute tasks, and more mindfully consume something for breakfast instead of trying to shove it down my throat like a snake while driving to the venue.
I also use this time to prep my “go bag” for the day: this has pretty much everything in it that I need for the day like my vending bag (cash, charger, sharpie, tags), water, snacks, sunscreen, extra water, my purse, etc.
Hot tip: I STRONGLY recommend loading your car up the night before. I can now knock this out in about 15 minutes as I have my loading Tetris down to a science, but if I can save that time/stress in the morning I will.
7:30am - 8:00am - head to venue
Self explanatory, but I like to use this time to decompress a little bit before the day so I’ll put on some chill music, enjoy my coffee, and start drinking my water during the drive to wherever I’m going!
8:00am - 8:30am - arrive & unload
I (heart) when there are assigned vendor spaces, but this isn’t always the case and some places are first come first-served. This strongly determines how early I get to a venue, but I like to have at least an hour and a half for setup, if not more. After I get everything out, I’ll go park my car (unless the parking is RIGHT there, then I’ll park first and unload) and then head back to my space to finish setting up!
8:30am - 10:00am (time varies) - booth set up
I just like to take my time with this part, so if I can have two hours to setup, I will take two hours. At minimum, I personally like to have an hour and a half, but not everyone needs that much time! I’m just particular as hell with how things look and sometimes I haven’t finished pricing, or realize I need to lint roll, or I just wanna yap with my booth neighbor a bit! (Also, ya girl has anxiety and if I have to rush through this part it’s going to throw me off for part of the day and I want to make sure I’m as present as possible.)
10:00am (time typically varies between 10 - 11:00am) - event starts
Time to meet all the lovely people who wanted to come out and shop! I LOVE seeing pieces go home and getting to connect and chat! I always try not to be too “overbearing” when people come up to browse, but I like to give a little acknowledgment and/or compliment because y’all really do be wearing the CUTEST things omg.
somewhere around 1:00pm/mid-event - a break for the sweet girl (me)
If it’s a long event day, I have the best support people ever and my bestie or my sweet man will swing by and let me get a little break in! I’ll get some food and/or a bevvy (especially if there is coffee), take a little walk to peruse some of the other vendors (I love being able to meet and shop with them when I can), use the bathroom, etc. I usually don’t take a super long break because I get “booth anxiety” and just don’t like being away from it, but taking a break to rest helps get me through the rest of the event!
5:00pm (typically) - event ends, tear down begins
I try to start with slow with this part because there’s usually some lingering shoppers after the event ends. But this is when I’ll grab my pack bags from the car and start to put jewelry/scarves/belts in their designated storage baggies and bins. If I’m by myself, this can take about an hour. If I have help, it takes like 20 minutes.
5:30pm - head home & unload
Whenever possible, I like to get everything unloaded from the car right away. If I’m really tired or if the event got over late (I’ve left some at like 10pm), I’ll just wait until the next day to take everything out.
(occasionally) 6:30pm - celebratory dinner
I love going out after an event to celebrate a great day! Typically not a huge or elaborate dinner, but it’s really nice to go out for a bite to eat (and maybe a lil beverage) after being out in the field.
As stated, time-frames on events will vary a bit. I’ve done events that start at 8am and 4pm and I’ve done a couple that are 8-9 hours (not including setup and teardown). Everyone has their own methods to set themselves up for a great day, and I hope you enjoyed a peek behind the scenes at mine! I can’t wait to see you at an upcoming event - check my Instagram for updates! (And if you can’t wait, the online shop is always open ;) )
