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I need suggestions and experiences with hiring and paying help with fair booths. Does anyone have input on the do's and do nots?

Heh. I asked a simliar question last year on the old board in September or October. I suspect the responses are still in the archives.

I didn't hire any help, but rather asked my husband to assist me at that show (I'd broken my foot and simply wasn't able to do it alone). I may be helping a friend out at a RenFaire this year, simply because I'm not doing all that many shows this year and he's having a hard time finding help he trusts. Friends who also do shows can be a great resource. They know the ropes.

I know several artists who often help other artsits (for a fee, of course) at other shows. It seems to work out well for both of them.

Geri

For the first time I have to hire help as well. My husband can't go because the show is the first week of school and my little one will be in 2nd grade. We're getting a larger booth this year and if I have help I can actually walk the floor and shop for our gallery too. I've asked my assistant to go and she is willing but I'm wondering how to compensate her. We'll be gone for about 5 days. Do I just pay for the hours actually working? I assume it would be the same rate I pay normally and I will be paying for hotel and meals. I want to be fair but I don't want to pay for 24 hours x 5 days.... any thoughts, experiences?

~Nan

Nancy,

Our policy if we are taking an assistant is to pay their transportation and hotel, pay their food and then pay for a full 8. Way too much overhead for us. If it's really important for you to be able to walk the floor I'd suggest finding someone in the area who could come in to help with set-up and then 4 hours a day. Much easier on the soul and pocketbook, gotta keep our show expenses down

Plus <b>no one</b> can sell your work like you can, simply energy transference so even when I've got a helper I mostly use this help to run errands for me. Once I'm ensconced, I'm ensconced.

Sara

GlassOrchid wrote:For the first time I have to hire help as well. My husband can't go because the show is the first week of school and my little one will be in 2nd grade. We're getting a larger booth this year and if I have help I can actually walk the floor and shop for our gallery too. I've asked my assistant to go and she is willing but I'm wondering how to compensate her. We'll be gone for about 5 days. Do I just pay for the hours actually working? I assume it would be the same rate I pay normally and I will be paying for hotel and meals. I want to be fair but I don't want to pay for 24 hours x 5 days.... any thoughts, experiences?

~Nan

If you can't find someone locally, why not bring in your assistant just for overnight and shop just part of 2 days, not all 5? Fly her in one morning, she works that afternoon/you shop. Next am you shop/she works then flies home. That way you save 3 days wages and 4 nights accomodation cost.

I don't do shows anymore (well, one trade show per year), but if I bring an assistant for an installation, I pay travel expenses, lodging, and meals plus hours worked. I typically set a limit for what I pay for meals, usually about $35-$40 per day depending on the locale. I exclude alcohol, though if we're eating together and I'm picking up the tab, I may overlook a beer or glass of wine or two.

I will also pay for a separate room for my assistant, though this is probably not typical. But, I do it mostly for my own benefit. In addition to paying for hours worked, I also pay for travel days. A travel day, however, can start very early - a 6am flight, for example, and we usually begin working that same day.

Yes, it costs me a bundle, but installations can be grueling and I want my assistant happy.

I have in some instances hired help on site, but this is not always an option for the kind of work I do. A certain level of skill and familiarity with my methods is required and sometimes there are insurance and union issues which preclude hiring local labor.

In any case, you don't need to pay for 24 hours, but you need to consider that even if your assistant were only working for you, say, half a day, it represents a full day that he or she could not be doing something else.

I live in NH and would be interested in helping out at any shows nearby in excahnge for picking your brain for information I`m new to lampworking and just love to meet other lampworkers( such interesting people). I do alot of fusing and have several jewelry pieces in an art gallery in NH. I can travel to the surrounding states, MA, ME, VT, possibly RI and or CT.

please contact me if you are interested.
Rhonda Y