Type up a checklist of things to bring to your shows, and save it as a file on your computer. As your displays evolve, keep adding to this list to keep it current.

Before each show, print out your checklist and use it as you prepare and pack, to be sure you don’t forget anything. Check things off as you go.

Highlight anything that has to wait till the last minute to go in your car (such as the cool-chest that contains your lunch).

2) Make Your Booth Setup and Takedown Faster

Pre-loading your displays with your jewelry at home, a day or two before the show, can easily shave an hour off of your booth setup and takedown time!

You can simply wrap a sheet of bubble-wrap around each of your loaded displays to protect everything and keep the jewelry in place. Then place your displays in the boxes or bins you transport them in.

When you get to the show, just pull your loaded displays out of their boxes, remove the bubble wrap, and set them on your display tables – all ready to go!

3) Reduce Your Load

Pack smaller by making things do double duty.

That makes it easier to pack for your shows, easier to transport things to and from your booth space, and easier to set up and take down. Also, the less clutter you have at your booth the more efficiently you can operate during the show.

One way you can make things do double duty: Create risers for your display out of the trays or boxes you empty as you set up your booth.

Once you cover your empty trays or boxes with a pretty cloth, who would guess what’s underneath?

4) Take the Time to Get Organized

Rather than making more jewelry right up till the last minute before you leave for the show, take the last couple of days to organize yourself for the show.

Clean your jewelry till it sparkles, make sure everything has earring cards or jewelry tags, put prices on your tags or make attractive price signs, do a practice setup, pack everything well, and go over your checklist.

5) Rest Up!

Most important of all – get a good night’s rest before the show!

That’s a thousand times more important than staying up till 2:00 a.m. making a dozen extra earrings.

Setting up at a jewelry show and selling all day can be exhausting. You need to be well-rested at the outset in order to do your best and sell a lot of jewelry!

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Rena Klingenberg’s Jewelry Display Ideas website has free tips and projects for everything from a better craft show booth to making your own displays.