An in-house event, it's an opportunity for every conferee to show their work to their colleagues (and, as always, there is no fee for this). Just open your hotel room at the times noted below. Some artists create entire installations. Others approach the event more casually, placing work on their beds or on the furniture. If you don't have a room at the Inn, not to worry; you can set up in the lobby.
2024 Timetable
9:30 to 11:00: Rooms in the motel section--HarborSide, Cape Tip and Breakwater and the Lobby
11:00 to 12:30 Rooms in the two-story Inn section--Waterview Inn and Standard inn plus Waterview and Standard, Poolview too!
Notes on the Hotel Fair
Please note that the nature of this Hotel Fair, or any hotel fair, is that exhibitors do not get to see the other exhibitors in their time slot. The only way to see everything is to be a viewer rather than an exhibitor. Or share your room so that you and your roommate can take turns venturing out to see what's being shown during your time slot. Some conferees prefer not to share their personal accommodations but are open to the idea of sharing the room for exhibition during the Hotel Fair. (Use the Message Board to pair up.)
Some views of earlier Hotel Fairs The History of the Encaustic Conference blog has a lot of good pictures. Once you're on the blog, scroll about one quarter of the way down the page (it's a long page) to find the Hotel Fair section.
Can you sell out of your room?
Yes. Some conferees use electronic card readers to accept credit cards (though Wifi can be weak in the Cape Tip and Waterview Rooms). Others take checks, cash, or IOUs. And still others are open to trading. There are no rules, except that the business is between you and the person interested in your work. Neither The Encaustic Conference nor the Provincetown Inn assumes any responsibility for your transactions.
Is the Hotel Fair open to the general public?
Yes, The Hotel Fair is open to the public. Many gallery owners in town come and visit. We also invite a number of local and regional critics, curators, writers and publishers to attend the Conference specifically so that they may see what's going on in contemporary encaustic. We encourage them to attend the Hotel Fair, and many do.
Is there anything you can't do?
You cannot make holes in the wall with pins or nails. If you do and the Inn sees them, you will be charged a refinishing fee. However, there are temporary-tape picture hangers, and artists with light-in-weight work may use those. Others simply prop work on the furniture or the bed. Conferees have also used the bathroom to create displays and propped paintings on the outdoor areas of their rooms. Be inventive while being respectful of the limitations.
"What if I have registered only for Friday and Saturday night. I'm supposed to vacate my room by 11:00 am on Sunday. Can I participate?"
Yes! However, be prepared to vacate your room as soon as the Hotel Fair is over. You can leave your suitcases and/or wrapped art with the manager once you have checked out, but know that neither the Inn nor the Conference will assume responsibility for your belongings.
"What if I'm not staying at the Inn. Can I participate?"
Yes! The lobby is available for you to set up. Participants typically place work on the furniture in the lobby. Others have brought their own card table and chairs to set up. Again, be inventive without banging into the walls. And please be conscious of the amount of space you take, which you can gauge as others are setting up.
"What time can I start setting up in the lobby?"
Between 8:30 and 9:30. Please be set up by 9:30 when conferees will start to come through.
"Can I ship artwork to the Inn?"
If you are staying elsewhere, no. If you are a registered guest at the Inn, yes. Eric, the event manager, will accept packages addressed to you. Add this at the bottom of your label: ATT: ERIC, ENC. CONF. Please know, however, that neither the Provincetown Inn nor the Encaustic Conference will assume responsibility for them. Please bear in mind if you ship your work,
Provincetown is at the very tip of the Cape, so UPS and Fed Ex typically arrive late in the day.
"How do I ship it back?"
. If you send packages to yourself, be prepared to send them back. That means contacting your carrier ahead of time to ascertain what you'll need to provide in the way of labels
. You will be responsible for storing the shipping boxes
. Make sure your carrier will pick up the packages for return delivery. If not, you will need to drop the packages off. Make sure you know where the drop locations are and when they are open
.Here's the link for the FedEx drop-off location in town
How to let conferees know where to find you
So that conferees know what room you're in, a large sheet of paper in the Lobby will be posted with all the rooms numbers. If you're participating in the Hotel Fair, write your name next to your room number so that people can find you easily. Also, use the Comments section below to note your name if you'll be participating. Feel free to include a website URL, too.
