I just got back from an indoor show, and I was quite annoyed with my neighbor across the aisle for most of the weekend. He was displaying a number of intricate ceramic tiles, and displayed them underneath a large, intense light raised high on a pole at the corner of his booth. Shortly after he turned it on, I asked him to tilt it downward or move it, as it was blinding me and my customers. The man did not speak English well, but I still thought he understood. However, he left it there for the whole three days! What should I have done? I would have felt like a tattletale bringing it up to the show staff. And I would have felt rude asking him to move it again. What is the proper etiquette here?
This is too simple, let’s think it through. You designed your booth to enable you to sell your work under the best circumstances. You have paid to be in a show you feel is a good fit for your work and you will sell well. Are you willing to compromise the success of your business for the sake of being polite? Here’s how I would have handled this. A second strong request would have been appropriate and this time done in a way the exhibitor without good English was sure to understand. If this didn’t work the next step is to go to the show promoter. It is their job to provide you with a booth space in which you can conduct your business without outside distractions; this is what you paid them for. Bright lights shining in your face and those of your customers are certainly a distraction and a deterrent to sales. I would also put music that can be heard outside the booth in this category. Anything that takes away from the ambience you create in your booth is a distraction and will affect your ability to sell your work. We should not be hesitant to speak up for our businesses and ourselves.