[Jewelry making - Article 00809] - Re: [Orchid] Securing Booth Overnight

[Karen Seymour-Ells]

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    It will be interesting to hear what is sure to be a wide range of
    solutions to this problem. 

    The first thing I would say is that you really can't secure a booth
    at an outdoor show. It's really more about how tempting things look
    after you are gone and what kind of security the promoter provides. 

    I have shows where almost everything but the art and my money stay
    in the booth overnight. Those would be shows with very limited access
    after hours and a reputation for no theft and tight security. I do a
    show in Chicago where everything but the walls go home with me. Once
    I left a bag full of empty shopping bags and a hammer behind... it
    was stolen, in addition the thieves didn't think to unzip my tent,
    they slit the walls with a knife to gain entry. The following years
    the cops caught a couple in their mid-50's having sex in the tent
    next door to me. 

    Look at the venue. What are the concerns? Are there going to be
    groups of people walking through the area all night because of
    restaurants and theaters? These folks might unzip a zipper and be
    tempted if things aren't laying about so putting those little plastic
    zip ties on your zippers to close them off might work. On the other
    hand if someone really wants to get in, it only takes a pocket knife
    to do so and then you have to replace expensive tent walls. If you
    need to leave things behind because it's a hard show to get a vehicle
    near consider making yourself the most tedious target. Put everything
    into bins, cover everything with a big, crinkly tarp and then clamp
    and bungee it together. If security is around you will take too long
    to deal with clamps and bungee's and it will make a ton of noise,
    thieves don't like to call attention to themselves. 

    If you are going to leave anything of value behind lower your tent
    walls before you pack it into bins, nobody needs to see what you are
    leaving in your booth. In addition I always take my CC machine with
    me and all the slips, people might grab it...even if they can't use
    it to make a profit it will keep you from making sales the next day!
    I also make a point at shows with security of trying to chat briefly
    with the security people. Ask their opinion about security, make sure
    they know which tent it yours, I'm pretty sure the reason my hammer
    thief was caught was because I had befriended the cops earlier and
    sold them a piece at a discount. They just might have kept an extra
    eye on my booth. 

    Just a quick thoughts, I'm looking forward to what others say. 

Karen near Chicago
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