foamcore board with a display easel attached to the back so it will stand up. Your local of-
fice supply will carry all these items and many will handle the mounting for a small, ad-
ditional fee.
Get a table skirt with your logo on it and, if you have some extra money you don’t
know what to do with, also a backwall and/or vertical banners that will make the table
much more visible. FedEx/Kinkos (or whatever they’re calling themselves these days) or
similar office supply store can help get your materials produced at a fairly reasonable
rate. But, shop around. Even “reasonable rate” can mean expensive.
If you can afford it, check out trade show suppliers, via an Internet search, for display
items. Skyline Displays (www.skyline.com) is a great one and I’ve used them often for
my clients’ tradeshow displays. Backwalls and banner can have band images; logos and
other elements that will help engage your fans. Action images are often better than static
band photos. Again, if you can afford it, have some professional images shot at live
shows, specifically for use on your merch table display materials. Professional level table
display materials will give your act a polished look. That can also go a long way toward
drawing fans to the table and digging deep into their pockets.
Fortunately, these display items are usually a one-time expense, especially if you take
good care of them. That means not eating or drinking stuff at the merch table. Have a
card table in the back for that kind of thing. Be sure to fold table skirts and such nicely
and store them with great care. If you do, they’ll last a long time and you’ll certainly get
your money’s worth from them.
Another good option is to create merchandise bundle packages. That might mean a
shirt and hat combination at a discounted rate or a CD and t-shirt or maybe a less expen-