Welcome to The Superfair!

SOON YOUR CITY SPECIFIC GUIDE WILL BE AVAILABLE

UNTIL THEN PLEASE SEE THIS ADVANCE GUIDE TO GET YOUR PRE-FAIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Thank you!!! for participating in The Superfair Art Fairs!

This Exhibitor Guide answers general questions regarding:

  • What to expect leading up to the fair

  • Typical “add-ons” to expect (Our Exhibitor Optimization Kit)

  • Requirements, Rules, and Best Practices

  • Typical Week of the Fair

This Exhibitor Guide does not answer city / fair specific questions:

  • Schedules

  • Hotel and food recommendations

  • What “add-ons” will be available

  • The venue map

  • Your booth location

  • City specific programs

THESE ANSWERS WILL BE COMING WHEN YOUR CITY SPECIFIC GUIDE IS RELEASED.

⭐️ PRE-FAIR ⭐️

TYPICAL EVENTS IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE FAIR

  • City/Fair specific Exhibitor Guide is made available

  • A webinar touring the venue with question/answer opportunity

  • Your 1st batch of VIP tickets are available (10 total)

  • Blank curatorial template and artwork tags are made available

  • Opportunity to purchase “add-ons” to elevate your booth is made available

  • Your 2nd batch of tickets are made available

  • Your booth and zone assignment are announced

  • Mandatory completion of curatorial plan becomes due

  • Mandatory completion of the “Essential Information Quiz” becomes due

TYPICAL LOAD-IN (Week of the Fair) 🚛

Monday - Wednesday

  • Artists arrive in town.

  • Artists shipping artwork will have used Fedex/UPS package pickup (or similar)

Wednesday

  • Arrive during your load in zone time, check in, retrieve artist and assistant passes. You have until 9pm to setup.

Thursday

  • Doors open 1 hour before guests arrive. This is an opportunity for final touches.

TYPICAL GUEST ADMISSIONS 🎟️

VIP Admission (Art Insider Pass and Supercharged Pass)

Thursday 5pm - 10pm

General Admission (Art Explorer Pass + VIP Passes)

Friday 5pm - 10pm

Saturday 11am - 9pm

Sunday 11am - 6pm

BREAKDOWN BEGINS AT 6:01pm and NOT A MINUTE EARLIER

PLEASE REVIEW ALL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BEFORE WRITING TO THE SUPERFAIR TEAM

👇

🙋🏽‍♂️ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 🙋🏻‍♀️

PLANNING FOR THE FAIR

  • In addition to your complimentary passes, you'll receive 3 booth assistant passes for booths 6-16 feet and 5 booth assistant passes for booths larger than 16 feet. You'll receive these passes at check-in while loading in. They are transferable so if you change assistants, you can just give the pass to your next assistant.

  • Yes! We definitely encourage exhibitors to include limited edition prints in their booth as an easy impulse buy. These can be shown in a print rack like this one.

  • Print racks are allowed, and encouraged! Having affordable prints available is a great way to cultivate new millenial and Gen Z collectors, specifically. We suggest a simple wood rack like this and not one too large that it crowds your booth.

  • The menu of “add-ons” for your booth can changed based on city and availablity.

PLANNING for MY BOOTH

  • The walls are between 9ft and 12ft tall, but they are almost always 10ft high and painted matte white.

  • We'd love it if you could but unfortunately our venues won't allow it. Our contractors have to paint all booths since they're the ones licensed and insured to do so. To have your booth painted a different color, please indicate on your Add-On Survey Form how many linear feet and which color.

  • Furniture must be rented through our Booth Add-On Kit, and we do not allow any outside chairs or tables for curatorial and logistical consistency.

  • 8’ booths receive 1 light, 12’ booths receive 2 lights, 16' booths receive three lights, 20’ booths receive 4 lights and 24’ booths receive 5 lights. If you would like to add additional lighting to your booth, you may order more via the Booth Add-On Kit

  • We don't allow any other floor coverings for safety and curatorial reasons.

  • The chairs and tables you order will be distributed to your booth before the start of the fair on Thursday. Additional lighting, custom color wall paint, and power outlets will all be ready in your booth by the time you check in.

LOAD IN - LOAD OUT (week of the fair)

  • Ship artwork to a holding facility (FedEx/UPS), not directly to the venue.

  • In-Fair Storage

    We offer first-come, first-served storage at the fair. Upon check-in, our team will guide you to the storage area for your items.

    Empty boxes/crates/packing materials

    We call this “dead storage” and it’ll be inaccessible to you during the fair. This is offered free of charge.

    Replacement Artworks (Switch-Out)

    We offer secure art storage for works you may want to swap out for sales or showcase to collectors. This service, available for a small fee, includes access to a dedicated storage room. Details on storage levels and access instructions will be provided.

    Storage is at your own risk as the room is shared with other exhibitors.

    Personal effects?

    We don’t offer storage for personal items. Limit to a simple bag or a stylish fanny/shoulder bag.

    To save on shipping costs, consider driving or flying with your art. If shipping is necessary, FedEx and UPS are reliable and allow package insurance. While there is some risk, it is generally low.

  • You will arrive during your “Zone Load-in Time” specifically choses so that we can be sure that your wall will have been built.

    After you park at the loading dock of the venue, you will check in with a friendly Superfine team member.

    This is when you will get your passes/wristbands for yourself and your assistants.

    • Please install your booth as per your approved curatorial plan.

    • Hang your beautiful art beautifully level with two leveled screws per work (or another method that ensures the work remains level) according to your curatorial plan, and apply your artwork tags. Remember, use drills,

    • NO HAMMERS AND NAILS: Hammers and nails are strictly prohibited - Hammers causes other art to fall down and damages the walls.

    • We do not recommend any adhesive-based hanging methods in any situation, as humidity levels, airflow, and many other factors contribute to a high risk of your art falling off the walls.

      When you are finished hanging your work      :

    • Return to the check-in desk to arrange your lighting adjustments + focus. We’ll add you to the queue and someone from our logistics team will come to your booth and adjust your lights.

    • Please do not attempt to adjust the lights yourself! You may electrocute yourself + place others in harm.

    • THEN…. Take a picture of your AMAZING booth and post a teaser on Instagram - Tag @superfineartfair and #superfinesf for a repost by our social team.

    🪜 Suggested Supplies List 🛠

    With so many things to remember and prepare for the fair, it’s easy to forget a thing or two! While we sometimes have extra supplies available, we can’t guarantee we’ll have what you need so it’s important to remember to bring your own supplies.

    To help you make sure you don’t forget anything, here’s a list of our suggested supplies:

    • Cordless or battery-powered drill (bonus tip: make sure the battery is fully charged!)

    • Screws (1 1/4” to 1 5/8” length drywall recommended)

    • Retractable measuring tape

    • Level Measure

    • Step ladder (or 6 foot high ladder if hanging high)

    • Pencils + Erasers

    • Specialty mounting hardware (if necessary)

    • A copy of your approved Curatorial Plan

    Additinally, for the fair days you’ll want to make sure you have the following:

    • POS or Payment System (square card reader, shopify POS, your phone for venmo/paypal/cashapp)

    • Portable Charger for small devices

    • Printed Email-Sign-Up Sheets

    • Pens/pencils

    • A notebook

    • Postcards or business cards

RULES and LOCAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Every art fair is unique, but only one is The Superfair and we’re glad to have you with us. Follow our simple rules and enjoy an efficient and successful fair with more art sales and less stress.

    • Every artwork must have a tag that includes the price. Not only does this enhance our guests’ experience by providing them with clear, price transparency but it also helps you engage better with potential collections and make more sales.

    • NO HAMMERS & NAILS, whatsoever! It just doesn’t work with our walls. Your neighbor’s art will fall down, and they won’t be happy (plus it’s an awful sound to hear). Here’s ourdrill recommendation!

    • Hang your art level. That means using two leveled screws *or* making effective use of plastic bumpers. Hanging art on a single screw means it will look terrible by the next day, so please adhere to this.

    • Please, please, please don’t lean your art against the walls. If we see this, our team will ask you to remove them. It takes away from the professionalism of the fair experience and doesn’t encourage more sales. 

    • No outside furniture, please. We provide affordable rental options and other furniture makes the fair feel more like a yard sale than an art show (even if it’s perfectly lovely on its own!)

    • Don’t overhang. Stick to your approved plan and make more sales.

    • Be nice! All of us - the fair organizers, your fellow exhibitors, our truly lovely staff - are heavily invested in each fair. There are good times, down times, and in-betweens, but we’re all here to help you sell art and have a great time doing it. When we all work together, everyone benefits! :)

  • San Francisco Sales Tax Requirements

    It is the sole responsibility of each Exhibitor to fully comply with the sales tax requirements for San Francisco. While Superfine will attempt to provide information for the Exhibitor’s benefit, it is the responsibility of each Exhibitor to make the appropriate tax payments and filings. Superfine Industries, LLC is not liable for any failure to comply with SF’s regulations. Currently, the sales tax rate for San Francisco, CA is 8.625% - General rate for tangible personal property and selected services. Any sales made to SF residents and non-residents are subject to this tax. This rule applies if you are local, national, or foreign. Everyone selling goods (tangible personal property) or services to consumers (retail sales) in San Francisco must charge, collect and pay the SF sales tax. As a seller, you are responsible for the collection of these taxes and their payment. You may find more information about collecting and paying this sales tax at:

    https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/rates.aspx

    Insurance

    Superfine provides general liability insurance, but we don’t insure your art. This is standard for art fairs since it’s so hard to assign a clear value to contemporary art. If you *do* want to insure your work, you can obtain insurance through any provider. Here are our recommendations:

    If you are obtaining additional insurance, please e-mail your Certificate of Insurance to rick@superfine.world.

  • Our recommendations in this guide regarding the import of artworks to the United States should be only one source of information for you.

    Anything we say in this regard is a recommendation and not a fact to be relied on as we are not and cannot be US customs experts.

    Recommended research:

    Homeland Security: CBP Form 7523 items under $2500

    Items over $2500: Customs Brokers

    • Your feet > stools > chairs...in that order. Being at your buyers’ level and ready to engage is best.

    • Gather your potential clients’ info! When someone loves your art, let’s not leave it at that. Get their name and most importantly their email address for your newsletters + direct reachouts. You can expand your base quickly, and easily make 30-70% more sales per fair this way.

    • Changing out (unsold) art is almost always a bad idea. If you don’t sell your piece de resistance on day 1 or 2, don’t panic! It’s best to stick with your approved plan throughout. Clients come early in the weekend, see art they love, and want to see it again – and quite possibly buy it – when they return later.

  • All artists must have an approved curatorial plan as well as complete artwork tags.

    The curatorial plan is a visual representation of your booth with images of your artwork superimposed.

    The artworks tags for each artwork will be printed by Superfine. You will submit a spreadsheet that contains the title, size, year, and price.

    You will not be allowed to hang your work unless your Curatorial Plan has been submitted + approved and your Artwork Tags have been submitted.

  • Don’t rush your art! You will be able to submit a plan that has placeholders instead of finished work.

WORKING YOUR BOOTH

  • Congrats! If the buyer wants to take the piece immediately, you can have the piece wrapped at our complimentary packing station (can be located in the fair brochure). Please also be sure to add the artwork information to the log included at the station, and give the buyer an exit sticker so security knows to let the person out with the piece.

  • The fair’s hours and programming are designed to bring buyers to the fair and to your booth, so the short answer is a resounding yes! However, if you want to take a quick break + bite, just ask your neighbor to watch your booth (be sure to give them your phone number so buyers can contact you!)

  • The collector should come directly to your booth! We recommend telling the buyer to return to the fair towards the end of the day on Sunday so that new visitors get to see the full breadth of your work, and also see what did sell (this creates a psychological imperative to purchase). If the collector has a multi-day pass, they'll be able to return; if they're on a day pass, please reach out to an on-site Superfine team member and we'll add their name to an "aller-retour" list so they can return to pick up the work.