There’s a pop-up happening this weekend at Public Garden, and I thought it’d be a good chance to share a little about the preparation that goes into an event like this in Singapore.
Pop-ups usually run for just a few days, but the preparation can take up to a month or two. It really depends on the scale of the event and how much stock I plan to bring. Besides the time I spend making the jewelry, there’s also stock planning and organizing, packaging each piece, designing the booth front, packing everything I need to bring, planning any promotions, sharing about the event on social media and via newsletter, and figuring out transport.
As a small business owner, I handle most of this on my own, though I do get occasional help from my family—like punching jewelry cards, stamping packaging, and (thankfully!) helping out at the event itself. I’m always grateful for their support.
Furniture
Whether I can bring my own furniture depends on the organizer. For Public Garden, I bring one table. In the past, the event was held in just one hall, but now it spans two—so each vendor has more space. That’s great because I can bring a wider collection and still have room to add a bit of Daintynine’s theme to the booth.
Booth Front Design
My display theme for Daintynine is darker wood and metal. I love the rustic look—it’s my personal favorite, and I feel it helps the jewelry stand out beautifully. I enjoy the designing process every time. If the wood pieces I’m using don’t match the look I want, I’ll stain and wax them myself.
I always do a booth mock-up before the event. Since pop-ups are usually set up on the day itself and vendors only have a limited window to get everything ready before doors open, having a mock-up really helps the actual setup go smoothly.
Jewelry Packaging & Transactions
At my very first pop-up, I wrote down the SKU and price of each item manually on paper. It worked—but it definitely wasn’t efficient. Thanks to my sister’s idea, I now tag each item with a QR code, which makes checking out much easier and faster.
Stock Organizing
I used to keep my stock in cardboard boxes with drawer separators, organizing the earring cards by columns. But recently, I switched to compartment containers that are smaller, easier to use, and more flexible—the layers can be swapped around depending on what I need to bring. They also protect the stock better, which gives me extra peace of mind when transporting everything to the venue.
Transport
I pack everything into boxes and transport them with a trolley—my stock, the display table, and all the essentials. Odd-shaped items that don’t fit neatly in boxes go into a separate bag. It’s a bit of a game of Tetris, but it all fits!
I’m excited for tomorrow’s pop-up at Public Garden! If you’re dropping by, come say hi—I’d love to see you!
Stay tuned! I’ll be writing another post soon that covers all the behind-the-scenes action of the pop-up event itself, so you can see what happens on market day.
From behind my craft bench,
Ruth