Currently, Mandy and I are busy building our Thais Tafelen stand for a three-day Winter Fair. Last year, we had to work multiple nights until well past midnight. This year, we were done before 19.00 every day.
A year ago, we couldn't imagine how we could ever keep on doing fairs that span multiple days. At a normal market, I guess we see around 500 to 2000 people. At fairs, we see around 30.000 people in three days. It's crazy. We have to prepare five times as many 'cooking kits'. At markets, our stand is around 13 m². At fairs, our stand is around double the size. So, we have a lot more to decorate.
The fair runs from Friday to Sunday. On Wednesday and Thursday, we can build our pop-up store. Sunday evening and Monday, we tear everything down and hope we had some good business. It's six days of craziness. Last year, we started the fair with a sleep deficit. This year, we are very much on schedule.
This past year, we have learned so much. We have improved our workflow. We have more help with production. We are better prepared, and we better know what to expect. It's a good reminder of how a small step every day means a giant leap in one year.