Finishing set up by 4.30 in the afternoon turned out to be very wishful thinking. 4.30 came and went and there was still a huge amount to do. We finally called it quits just after 7.00pm. It had taken us a little over 7 hours. There was a short break mid afternoon when everyone had to evacuate the building but that was the only break we had! It wasn't until we sat down for a meal at 8.30 we realised we hadn't eaten since 10.30 that morning. Now I'm a girl who's happiest drinking coffee and snacking all day so that says something.
It was a lot of fun and fantastic meeting so many lovely people who were very enthusiastic about the stand and my designs. I had such a good time I've decided to do it all again next year.
It would have been incredibly difficult to set up/pull down and manage the stand alone so a huge thank you to Jan, her assistance was invaluable.