Behind The Brand: 3 Things To Consider When Sharing A Vendor Booth

If you've been following the Brooklyn Kaiju brand, it's no secret that we've been hard at work attending various in-person events such as conventions, pop-ups, and markets with our partner Meldoodles. While we often share a booth space at these shows, and to some extent, our brands are integrated, we are still two distinct brands with different visual identities. Sharing a space with a fellow creator presents both unique opportunities and challenges. Today, we will cover three things to consider when sharing a vendor booth.

Brooklyn Kaiju and Meldoodles Garden State Comic Fest 2024 booth.

Mock It Up!

Mocking up your space is essential, whether you are a solo vendor or sharing a booth. There is nothing worse than having a grand idea of how your setup will look, only to realize it's not possible to achieve that vision. Even worse, you don't want to show up to an event with no plan and waste time trying to figure things out. Mocking it up can be done in many ways, from simply sketching it out to using design software, or even building it in a physical space when possible. Additionally, your setup can vary from show to show, so consider multiple kinds of mockups for various situations. Remember, having some idea is better than no idea at all.

Example of a mock-up done in adobe illustrator.

Do you compliment one another?

This consideration can be somewhat subjective, and we understand that many people share booths as a cost-saving measure. However, we believe it's important to ask yourself if the person you're sharing a booth with complements what you're selling, and vice versa.

Let's explain what we mean by this. Think about when you go into a store such as Hot Topic. Although there is a variety of brands with unique visual styles, much of the product can share the same shelf space and maintain cohesiveness. There is customer overlap between the products, and this is important. It would be very jarring if you walked in and saw high-end luxury trench coats next to blind box figures. That's not to say that customer does not exist at all, but it's not the majority.

When sharing a booth space, consider these questions: Is what we are selling indistinguishable from one another? Is what we are selling too different from one another? Are we at completely different levels of quality from one another?

Remember, this is subjective and not law.

Brooklyn Kaiju And Meldoodles first shared booth space at Twitch Con 2023.

Do You Work Well With One Another?

This can be a tough pill to swallow for some, but sometimes personalities just conflict when it comes to business. A person could be a good friend, a family member, or even a partner, but that does not guarantee a good working relationship. We've heard stories of failed partnered ventures that resulted in lost friendships and future collaborations, and that's always unfortunate. Even if you're separate brands or artists, you're still sharing a space together, and being on the same or similar pages about how the booth will run is important. Being at odds with one another during a show isn't just bad for business; it also adds unnecessary stress to something that should be exciting and fun for both parties.

 Meldoodles (left) and Brooklyn Kaiju (right)
Having a great friend and partner helps a lot!

There's a lot more to consider!

We could dive into so much more, but we'll save that for a future post. If you found any of today's information useful, please drop us a comment letting us know, or even suggest what we should cover next. Consider subscribing to our newsletter to stay up to date with all things Brooklyn Kaiju, and be sure to check out our partner’s website at www.Meldoodles.com. Sign up for their newsletter as well and get ready for their official launch on August 14th, 2024.

Thanks for reading, and catch you in the next Brooklyn Kaiju blog.