Setting Up Your Booth or Table

Before choosing a theme for your table, consider the following:

• Audience. Will adults, children, the general public, or experienced gardeners be visiting your table?
• Event or location. Will your table or booth be located at a community event, garden center, fair, or youth event?
• Organizers request. Have you been asked to table on a particular topic, provide demonstrations, or give away something?
• Location. Will you be in indoors, outdoors, or in a tent? What is capable based on your location?
• Time and space. How long will you be there, how much room do you have, etc?
• Season. This may help determine what theme you choose.
  • Spring: selecting plants and trees, planting, dividing perennials
  • Summer: lawn care, vegetable care, insects and diseases
  • Autumn: fertilizing, preparing for winter, fall watering needs
  • Winter: tree pruning, garden planning, houseplants, winter sowing

Choose an activity to entice and engage

• Make sure your activity is relevant to the audience and theme
• Consider the resources required
• Consider how people will take the activity home, such as seed planting
• If activity is meant to be taken home, include care and next step instructions

Choose a give-away

• Double-check that you can provide free-giveaways
• Be selective about your give-away items - ask for engagement or participation
• Make sure give-away items are relevant to the booth or activity
• Suggestions include seed packets, stickers, and pencils.

Set Up Your Booth

• Check in with your host and find your location
• Set up your canopy or EZ-up
• If a table is not needed for activity, consider placing it at the back of the booth. Stand or sit in front of, not behind, the table to create a more welcoming environment.
• Chairs are necessary during an hours-long shift, but seated people are not as approachable. Consider these options:
  • A tall chair or stool, near the front of the booth, where you will be at eye-level with people passing by
  • Place chairs in the back of the booth, and take turns sitting or standing in front to engage people passing by
  • If you must sit, be upright and attentive to passers-by, make eye contact and greet them
  • In some venues, leave your booth to engage with people close by
• Cover table with a tablecloth if appropriate, then place signage. A banner across the front of the table or back of the booth is best for outdoors. Standing signs work best indoors, or with heavy weights on base.
• Put a few theme-appropriate items on the table. For example, pots of plants or flowers, bug samples or wasp nest, stem-girdling tree root, etc
• If placing reference books on the table, make sure they are clearly marked “For Display Only. Property of …”
• Place a few “Let’s Talk Plants” bookmarks, “How to Become a Master Gardener” cards and local business cards or contact information on the table for people to grab and go. Keep other materials in a tote or backpack where you can locate them in response to specific questions.
• Set up materials for any activity. Make sure everyone on the team understands the activity.
• Provide followup instructions if the activity is “make and take”, including how to carry the item(s).
• Have a plan for keeping things clean.