Arts and Crafts Fair and Consumer Experience

As a second year events management student it is part of our course to create a live event. It was important for all students to focus on the marketing side of the event planning and make sure the consumer experience was as experiential and unforgettable as possible.

I attended the arts and craft fair held in floor 5 of Huddersfield Student’s Union by fellow students on my course. I found that the event was good in making all attendees feel valued. The event was free of charge and had the concept of allowing consumers to buy goods from other students, whilst joining in with activities.

Consumers enjoying the origami experience

During the event, there was a main touch point that I was very impressed with. The first was the communication with the consumer from beginning to the end of the event. When walking up to one of the stalls one of the members of the team would come up to you, explain what the event was about, who they were raising money for and what activities were available. Consumers were able to fully engage in origami whilst drinking tea/coffee and snacking on biscuits. Touches like these really help a consumer feel comfortable and relaxed; which can be seen on their faces. This was especially useful as floor 5 had an open space where other students frequently visit; therefore meaning that if they saw others enjoying themselves, they might want to participate in the event experience.  

The pre-event experience included the use of social media. Those with stalls also helped promote the event; bringing in a larger audience. From pre-event to the closure, I feel that the consumer was always put first, as they were checked up on regularly and were also thanked when they left. Throughout the whole event process, it was clear that the group were continuously updating their Facebook page, in order to make sure that people were aware of their event, where it was, the time it was held and also where to sign up, if they wanted a stall.

Two of the stalls and the type of goods sold

I feel that for this particular event, the event managers were completely in control of the experience. The event managers chose which stalls were suitable for students and also chose their own activities, making sure that they knew exactly what they were doing and what exactly they were giving to their attendees. However, it is possible that the outcome could not as been as great as it was, due to the event not being ticketed; therefore meaning that it could not be guaranteed how many students would turn up. This could have caused difficulty and affected the event experience, as it may not have had the exact same ambience or atmosphere.

Overall, I think the event was very successful and gave every attendee the same friendly experience.