This winter’s One of a Kind Show in Toronto which runs from Nov 27th to Dec 7th is a small business spectacle that offers casual observers some valuable insights into how to be succesful in such a competitive space, and Life in general.
The One of a Kind Show in Toronto offers visiting entreprenuers a masterclass in event merchandising.
Every inch of this print shop’s hoarding sends a retro / art deco message.
The One of a Kind Show is a live lab and a marvellous case study in how to make it as a pop-up retailer. The bi-annual tradeshow is one of life’s rare occasions when hundreds of independently-owned small businesses set-up shop in a single room. In this crucible, their booth’s layout, display, signage, sampling, and brand storytelling can make the difference between having a nice booth and being a big success with a lineup at the till. Watching and noting how the most successful makers organize their spaces, move product, and guide shoppers through purchase decisions offers keen observers an excellent case study in tradeshow booth design and experiential merchandising.
Over 200,000 visitors are expected at this year’s show, the 50th anniversary of this event, which occupies over half of the Enercare Centre in Toronto. The exhibition features hundreds of Canadian artisans and entrepreneurs all trying to make an impression on the public. Some of these vendors will succeed in making big profits, while others will struggle to break even. What are the rules? Who is winning and why?
What is the One of a Kind Show?
A live event, the One Of A Kind Show is a platform for sales, exposure, business development and community-building for of all types of creative small business owners known as ‘makers’. With their busy website, and other year-round digital platforms, and anchored by their two flagship events, this OOAK organization helps makers chart their own path to success. Their twice-annual One Of A Kind shows allow artists to represent themselves and showcase their work to a loyal audience who appreciates the importance of supporting local businesses and shopping small.
A wood-turner displays his work at the One of a Kind show. Photo by Rob Campbell
Inside the One of a Kind Trade Show
The One of a Kind Show is laid out like a mini city with long thoroughfares making a grid and the resulting blocks are five booths wide and organized into themed sections. There are seven or eight major themes; the show is loosely divided into Art & Sculpture, Cuisine, New and Vintage Fashion and Accessories, Fragrances & Skincare, Books & Stationary, Health & Wellness, and Homewares. These blocks of booths are handy for consumers who may have come looking of something specific and will find it easier to shop and compare prices if all such vendors are grouped together. It also helps build community among the presenters who often become good friends after sharing this experience.
The Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto is Canada’s largest trade show venue and one of the city’s most modern complexes with accordion-like inner walls which can be folded-away to expand its size and thus dynamically accommodate any event. The winter One of a Kind show uses fives of the eight available halls.
As is typically the case, the middle aisle is the widest corridor but at the One of a Kind Winter Show it’s broken-up by a central courtyard with a merry-go-round and an enormous Christmas tree. From this main thoroughfare the other numbered rows branch off, and are lined with booths, each about a hundred square feet in size.
Minimalist Designs can allow Expect the Founder to Shine
Below is Mark from Rippah Chilli who was offering tastings to the public in the Food section, and pleasing everyone who likes really hot, hot sauce. This company has a Founders’ story; the owner is an Australian backpacker who has brought her love of spice to Canada, and Mark delights in relating the tale of her life adventure.
Offering free samples is a sure-fire way to draw a crowd in an already crowded room.
Exhibitors’ Booths Are Made to Transmit a Brand Message
Some booths are veritable works of art and attract a lot of attention just because they’re different. One lady selling perfumed creams has finished her space in palm-sized white subway tiles which gives her booth a sterile, clinical appearance. Her little shop was uniquely appealing, and her lotions were top sellers.
Jesse Bateson from Solid Leather has a Bricked Backdrop
Solid Leather does a great job of making the temporary show backdrop into a solid-looking installation. Solid Leather presents their wares in a booth which appears comprised of red bricks and pipes, and which echoes the raw, industrial character of Jesse Bateson’s studio. Doing this allows him to stand out at the show, and it visually reinforces the solid, durable nature of his brand. This rugged sturdy structure allows his leather pieces to stand out, signaling craftsmanship, authenticity, and products built to last.
Jessie (Jesse) Bateson is a self-taught leather artist and founder of Solid Leather in Peterborough, Ontario, best known for designing and handcrafting long-lasting, high-end leather belts that blend function with style. His mantra centers on being solid in both craft and character: making products that truly last, and being a solid person.
Bateson specializes in men’s leather belts, offering casual and formal lines made from premium, vegetable-tanned steer hide, finished by hand with burnished edges and high-quality hardware. He positions a good belt as a timeless investment and designs them to be worn for decades, backing this up with a lifetime guarantee.
The Solid Leather booth, and Jesse’s bald head shines under the bright lights clamped to the tops of his brick-walled backdrops and some might say it’s a little too intense, and consequently, flat.
Attractive Lighting is an Essential Ingredient for Exhibiting Success
Swing arm adjustable table lamps heighten the spectacle at a craft table display.
Lighting at the One of a Kind Show is critical because exhibitors must bring their own fixtures, and good lighting becomes the main way to make your booth pop in a crowded hall. Good lighting can guide visitors’ eyes to key pieces and create an inviting mood that compliments the brand. Too much light, which is too harsh, or color-changing light can cause glare, eye strain, and sensory overload. Softer, warmer, and more directional lighting often works better to create subtle cues which attract eyeballs without overwhelming them.
A stylish custom kitchen maker has good ambiance and illuminated display panels.
Simon Trudeau from Anémone Bags
If you have an incredible product, show it off! Anémone Bags has a corner booth at the intersection of the Art and Fashion sections. Each bag or backpack on display is unique and is an iconic creation by Simon Trudeau, the designer behind the Anémone brand. Everything is handcrafted in Montreal and Simon sells much of work at this and other clothing and fashion shows.
This backpack Simon holds in the photo above is $155 CAN, online. Each of his lightweight, googly-eyed or spiky shelled waterproof container is a wearable sculpture, and it’s quite versatile thanks to its adjustable and completely removable straps.
Simon Trudeau with a googly-eyed Anémone bag at the One of a Kind Show
Sensory Overload at the One of a Kind Show
In addition to making audio and visual attractions, other succesful vendors offer free experiences like drink tastings, food samplings, and fragrance sniffings. The smell of fresh baked bread draws people to the baked goods and pizzas in the Food section, and scented candles absolutely pollute the air in Homewares.
A booth selling wooden board games uses some aisle-frontage to explain their wares.
Spinning wheels-of-chance, Pinko-style games and other attractions are not popular at the One of a Kind Show which is a juried collection of handmade arts and crafts’ exhibitors. Both the rules and the audience lean away from carnival-style attractions which are so popular at other shows. At this decidedly upscale event, exhibitors have to keep all activity within their booths, and must avoid soliciting in the aisles. They need special permission for anything noisy or annoying, which makes the usual games-of-chance awkward to run. In Ontario, any tradeshow contest which look like chance-based prize games can fall under the province’s Gaming& Contest legislation, so organizers and vendors generally avoid any setups which require the participant to do anything.
Click the photo to see a larger version of this Toronto collage of iconic 80’s era signs.
Successful Vendors Design Booths to Attract Ideal Customers
The public attends the One-of-a-Kind show seeking rare gifts and other unique items which they wouldn’t otherwise encounter in their everyday lives, and so the top selling exhibitors market their wares as seasonal gifts. The average attendee is a trendsetters and an early-adopters who seeks out such events to buy unique items for themselves but also to share their shopping experiences with their Facebook audiences.
Truly effective moments happen when giveaways are unexpectedly generous, drawing long lines that, in turn, spark curiosity and inspire more shoppers to become buyers. Meanwhile, behind the scenes there’s a real synergy happening as neighbouring vendors trade products and cross-promote each other’s wares on social media, and share contacts that turn into real collaborations to help strengthen each maker’s brand and story.
Rob Campbell is a digital marketing professional and trivia quiz master who worked in the Toronto film business for many years as a grip with a script. You can connect with Rob Campbell on LinkedIn, and hold him accountable or offer compliments with respect to this article or any of the material published in this magazine.
