The 81^st Annual Plaza Art Fair is coming up again.  Thank you to everyone for your participation last year.  We are looking forward to this year to be as sucessful as last year's fair. Participation applications for the 2012 Plaza Art Fair will become available in the late Spring.

The Arts Council will be sending an email to our lists, encouraging people to check in on Facebook and tweeting about the event all week long. Be sure to let Sara Vogt know what you have planned for your booth! - we would love to promote some of the fun things happening in the Experience ArtsKC area.  Also, please consider using your own marketing tools to promote the fair.  This is a great opportunity for us to all share our resources and reach a broader audience!

General

• Be prepared for weather, especially wind, heat and rain

• Bring a variety of tools and hanging hardware (click HERE for a checklist)
• Keep your booth plans flexible
• If you share a booth, work closely with your booth partner to coordinate decorations and staffing
• Overlap your staff and volunteer shifts to ensure your booth is never unattended
• Plan plenty of time for parking - finding parking the weekend of the fair can take up to an hour
• Educate your staff and volunteers about the passport program
• Teach volunteers to be proactive, reaching out to fairgoers, rather than waiting for them to approach
• Plan interactive activities to attract people to your booth (art projects, face painting, balloon artists, etc.) 
• The sale of food and art is STRICTLY PROHIBITED
• ASK if you have questions: Sara Vogt at 816.994.9220 or Vogt@ArtsKC.org
  • If you have an emergency while at the fair, please visit the ArtsKC/Bank of America Booth where the ArtsKC Employee on duty that shift can assist you.  If you are unable to locate ArtsKC Staff, please contact Sara Vogt at 816.509.7101.  All voicemail messages will be responded to quickly by an ArtsKC Employee.
• Copies of the passport will be distributed to you on Friday.  Your stamps will also be handed out at this time.

 An ArtsKC staff member will be on site in the unload area in case there are any questions. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR UNLOAD PASS WITH YOU!   Please be sure to unload your items, park your car and then begin to set up your booth.  In each of your booth, there will be a sheet with contact information for the weekend.  If you have questions while at the fair, please find the person wearing and ArtsKC white t-shirt in the ArtsKC/Bank of America booth.  They will be able to help you with any questions that may come up.  If you have an issue and need to contact Sara Vogt directly, she can be reached on her cell phone at 816-509-7101.  Please note that she will be on site on and off throughout the weekend, but an Arts Council staff member will be on site at all times.

Passports

• The "Passport to the Arts" is a booklet distributed to fairgoers, designed to encourage people to visit the Experience ArtsKC area.

• Each participating organization and their booth location will be listed in the passport

• Fairgoers visit Experience ArtsKC booths and get their passports stamped at the booths

• After collecting at least 10 stamps, fairgoers complete the contact information section of their passport and turn it in to the Bank of America/ArtsKC booth located at the intersection of Nichols and Broadway. The contact information is removed from the passport and the fairgoer is entered in a drawing to win a variety of prizes provided by participating organizations.

• Previous prizes have included, but not limited to, ticket vouchers to events or performances, museum passes, restaurant coupons, educational classes in the arts (dance, painting, ceramics, music), DVDs, or your choice approved by Sara Vogt.

• Prizes must be submitted to the Arts Council before Friday of the event.

Questions?  Contact Sara Vogt, Vogt@ArtsKC.org or 816.994.9220.