"Art Fairs Come Blazing Back, Precarious but Defiant" - The New York Times

"The art fair has awoken after a year-long slumber, refreshed and full of nervous energy—while at the same time undeniably transformed" (The Wall Street Journal). As the art fairs come roaring back (and back to back this fall), art dealers and artists are re-evaluating the importance of art fairs. Here at Primer, we believe that art fairs can be highly beneficial... when done right.

1) Choose select art fairs and only participate if you are prepare to put your entire investment down as a marketing or advertising expense. It can be a way to connect with a large group of collectors and curators in a short period of time, potentailly leading to opportunities such your artists being later chosen for a museum show. However, you should always prepared for the worst case scenario of zero immediate sales. Sometimes the full financial benefit of a fair isn't quantifiable for a year or more.

2) Use the art fair as an incentive to get great work from top selling artists and a launching pad for new or lesser known ones. Offers such as a solo booth in Miami can be an incentive for securing a desirable artist. On the flip side, don't stress your artists and bore art fair regulars by asking the same artists for work year after year.

3) Increase sales during the fairs. Primer users can easily show potential clients available works that are not in the booth. In addition, our users can instantly impress new leads. For example, when a collector sit down for a coffee in the fair cafe, they see a message with a custom viewing room on their phone. Their visit to your booth will stand out and increase the likelihood of a return visit to seal the deal.

4) Sales don't stop when the fairs ends. Primer makes it easy to keep track of the interests and relevant details of potential clients and prompt tailored follow-ups in the months after.

5) As with any large business expenditure, analyze the full cost of the art fair in advance as compared to how else you might spend the same amount of money. If you are simply interested in getting to know a market, you might be better off spending the money to attend as a visitor and maximize your time socializing at events. Perhaps buying an expensive ticket to a high end gala is more beneficial than particpating in an art fair occuring at the same time. (Either way, Primer is there to save the relevant details and give helpful analytics later.)

The Primer Archives team will be in Miami this December to support our many galleries participating in fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach, Untitled, and NADA. Contact us if you would like an in-person meeting. Otherwise, we are always available for personal presentations over Zoom.