Indoor vs. Outdoor shows

So we've been doing shows for over a year now, and wanted to share some insights into the different types of shows.  We do a variety of shows, anime conventions, indie craft shows, and folk festivals, and seem to do equally well at all three.  But what we wanted to touch on was the pros and cons of indoor vs. outdoor shows.  This isn't to say that one is better than the other, but some people prefer to do only one type. 

We'll start with Indoor shows.  Most anime cons and indie craft shows are indoors.

Pros
-There is A/C or heat, so you don't have to die in the sun or freeze to death.  This is especially helpful for Kelly because she gets a horrible rash from being out in the sun and that looks bad for the customers.

-In addition to that, weather protection.  We've done outdoor shows in wind, where our tent was about to blow over at any second.  We've also done a show in the rain, which is awful, especially since our tent eventually started leaking and we had to pack up and leave.  None of those worries with an indoor show.

-Easier setup.  The majority of indoor shows provide a table and chairs.  For outdoor shows, we take 3 or 4 tables, chairs, and the tent.

-Better security.  If it's a 2 or 3 day show, usually we can leave most of our stuff locked in the facility.  This is not always the case, though.  We've had a few anime conventions where we had to lug everything back and forth for a few days.  Awful.  At outdoor shows, usually they'll have security patrolling the grounds, so we can at least leave our tables and tent, but not everything.  Although we've had two indoor shows where we've left up our tablecloths and people have eaten and spilled drinks on it.  So you never know.

All right, now for the good things about outdoor shows.  Most folk festivals and art festivals are outdoor, usually either in a park or on a blocked off street.

Pros
-a bigger space.  This is probably the thing we like most about outdoor shows.  Unless you're doing a huge expensive exhibition show, indoor spaces are going to be 6 or 8 ft of table space.  Anime cons(if you're in the artist's alley) are usually the most cramped.  Outdoor shows usually give you a 10x10 space. 

-A bigger space means we can bring more stuff with us.  We change our setup depending on the show we're doing, so anime shows usually have the least amount on the table.  At outdoor shows, we put out as much stuff as we can fit in our tent.  Usually this means at least 3 tables, plus an art display.  Now we're looking at how to use the wall space to hang more stuff. 

-It also means more storage space.  We can fit our big tub and all our other bags underneath the table and still have room to work back there.  When we do indoor shows, we're very squished in.  It's almost claustrophobic.

-The hours are more flexible.  There's no one saying "ok, it's 6 o clock, the show is over!" and locking the doors.  If people want to stroll around and buy until 8, we'll stick around.  With that being said, the converse of this is the lowered security.  If we did decide to pack up and leave, if people are still walking around, they could mess with our stuff. 

-Outdoor shows are usually festivals, so they include music or other entertainment.  Usually this is a good thing, as it draws bigger crowds and a more diverse bunch.  It's only bad if we're right next to the music and can't hear the customers. (that happened at an indoor show)

-Bigger walkways.  Yes, there's usually more crowds, but the space is larger, so you don't get the pulsing mass of people we've seen at some indoor shows. 

So that's the good things about both types of shows.  As you can see, the rules aren't fast and hard, we've had just as many good indoor as outdoor shows, and we can't say we prefer one over the other.  We'd love to hear feedback on this!  Comment if you have anything to add!