Tips for Hosting a Trunk Show

There are lots of different types of trunk shows out there.  I'm going to be discussing a trunk show for baby clothes, but a lot of these same concepts apply to any trunk show that you might host. 

I hosted my first trunk show this past weekend and I made sure to do a little research before I "set up shop."

Here are my best tips:

+ Get an idea of what you are displaying or how much you are displaying before the "trunk" arrives - I knew that there would be a lot of bonnets on display with my trunk show because the company is called The Beaufort Bonnet Company.  I wanted to brainstorm the best way to display all those bonnets before they actually arrived.

+ Organize your lists of guests about 3 weeks before your trunk show- You can do this with pen and paper or create a group with your e-mail account.  Send out postcards to your guests if you have them and be sure to send out an email invitation as well.  Be sure to encourage your invites to bring along a friend with them too!

+ Create a Facebook Event for your trunk show - Facebook makes it so nice and easy to create an event to send to your friends.  It's an easy way to to announce updates, display pictures, and give contact information with out flooding their inboxes.  

+ As soon as your trunk arrives, start setting up - Unpack your trunk and take a good look at what you are working with.  Review your space and start deciding where you want to display your items.  For my bonnets, I gathered a bunch of candlesticks from around the house and displayed several of the bonnets on those.  I also used yarn and small laundry clips from the $1 section of Target to hang the rest of them.  Use command hooks to hang the string.  I also used this easy laundry rope to hang clothes on the bottom row.  

+ Review all the details and instructions from the company- Make sure you review all the details from the company whether they are included in the trunk or if they were sent to you before you received the trunk via email.  You want to make sure you check out your guests properly and have a good understanding of the products you are selling. 

+ Refreshments - I think it's really nice to have some snacks and refreshments set out for your guests.  Since I knew there was a good chance that some children might be coming with their Mom's to my show, I wanted to make sure I had a few things for the kids too.  I decided to make a fun festive pink alcoholic drink to go along with the summer feel of my party.  Everyone has a lot more fun when they can "sip and shop." :)

+ Have fun - Use the trunk show as a fun excuse to socialize with friends and an opportunity to meet a few new people.  Try not to stress and just enjoy yourself! 

+ Thank You Note Follow-Up - It's always nice to send a quick note or e-mail to follow up with your guests and tell them that you appreciate them coming by the show.  I think those always go a long way!

+ Fresh flowers around the house are always a nice touch for any type of party!

+ An extra bonus for the show is if you have a really cute model to show off all your items :)

I hope these tips help you out! Have you ever hosted a trunk show of any kind before? There are all different types of at home shows these days...skin care, jewelry, tupperware, etc.  I'm always down for them just for an excuse to drink some wine with girlfriends :)

Cheers to the almost weekend!  Link up with Natalie and I below for Thoughts for Thursday. 

An InLinkz Link-up