Polaris Convention 2024 with TheBunBunShop

Arrival and first impressions

The journey to Hamburg was once again a bit bumpy - it always feels like a slalom around various roadworks and our nerves were being tested. But after a 2-hour drive, we arrived at "Hamburg Messe" and were ready to start unloading the truck. Our booth was 12 square meters big this time and it was time to feel a bit nostalgic while we compared the size with our booth from two years ago. Polaris was TheBunBunShop's first big Convention and Lina was very nervous at the time about whether there would be any interest in her products. However, it went better than expected and since then Polaris has been an integral part of our convention presence. (Especially because we don't have any big conventions up north.)

Thursday was set-up day and we were met by an obstacle: the Pillar of Doom (as we affectionately called it). We had been made aware that there would be a pillar, but the organizers had assured us that it would not obstruct the view of the booth. But then we were greeted by this monstrosity!

Well, flexibility was required as we had to reorganize our booth in no time and make the best of it. (Nevertheless, we would like to do without the pillar next time - many people were confused as to whether the tables on the right and left belonged together). 

First day of the fair

We had a very leisurely start on Friday, which was helpful because it gave us all a chance to familiarize ourselves with the booth and the inventory. Equipped with blankets, socks, posters, pins and bags... (the bigger part of the online-shop inventory, in fact), we were looking forward to meeting all the visitors. We were right next to the Artist Alley and for the first time we were there as vendors and not as artists. Exciting!

We were a little intimidated by the large stage that was set up across from us, but the sound was actually less disruptive than we had feared. You only had to shout at your customers from time to time (sorry to everyone who wanted to shop with us and had to scream their orders...)

The number of visitors increased towards afternoon as more and more people visited the Polaris after work. Our team consisted of Lina, Nina, Minou and Sami - and each one of us was very much needed - even with the four of us it was a real challenge to operate the booth!

Friday passed very quickly, but our first product was surprisingly sold out: The Bumble Bun Throw Blanket. We really had a lot of products with us, so we didn't expect anything to be sold out straight away on Friday, but we were caught cold from behind. And that marked the omen for the entire stock of throw blankets for this weekend at the fair: They were gone in the blink of an eye! 

Second day of the fair

When visiting a Convention or fair, it's always clear that Saturday is the busiest day and it's going to be PACKED. Polaris was really well visited from morning till evening and we had our hands busy. Unfortunately, the pillar came into full effect at this point as people had trouble seeing our entire booth and had to be directed around it to the cash register. We tried our best to provide a smooth shopping experience for visitors, but our hands were tied and Lina was a little frustrated about it.

The second day was also the day we sold out of our Forest Bagel Throw Blanket. Many visitors were disappointed that two of the popular blankets sold out early, but we really had taken the entire stock with us and couldn't have anticipated that people would practically jump on them. (Big sorry to everyone who was excited about getting one but was too late!)

Another bestseller turned out to be our new and funny bun prints and postcards. We had brought these items to the fair as a test to see if people would like them and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive!

Relatable, who doesn't feel “Another Day, Another Crisis”? And the “The Throne Room” motif will probably end up on many people's toilets... Perfect!

Right now, these new postcards, posters and stickers are not yet available in the shop, but they will be soon - promise!

Another test was our little Gachapon machine, where you could win the Macaron Animal Friends Keychains. This also turned out to be a fun experience for many visitors and was a complete success for us too! 

By the end of the second day, we were over the moon by the great attendance and sales but also beyond tired.

Third day of the fair and departure

The third day at Polaris was fortunately less exhausting than Saturday, but still very well attended. Apart from the sales, it's always special to see so many people in person and get to know part of the BunBun community. That's why we were particularly pleased when visitors identified themselves as part of our Discord-Community or simply as fans of the shop. After all, that's what makes conventions special! (And especially touching for Lina!)

Our sales also went well on Sunday and other highlights for our customers were the BunBun Sleepy Socks and BunBun Strawberry Socks - just what you need for the colder months.

We sold our two remaining throw blanket display pieces around lunchtime. In between there was time for currywurst and chips but then it was back to work. Another popular item that was in great demand was our Fluffy Premium Tote Bag, much to our delight. We ended up going home with only 5 bags left!

And that marked the end of the last day. It was time to take down the booth and leave Hamburg. "Tschüss" like the nothern germans like to say!

Bottom Line

Polaris has grown enormously compared to last year and it was noticeable. There was some confusion and disappointment about changes here and there, but we had a really great weekend and are especially grateful that so many of you visited us! We hope you had a great Convention too, or at least fun with our Polaris-Sale in the Online-Shop :)

And to all of you who were disappointed that our throw blankets sold out or don't want to miss the release of the new prints: Subscribe to our newsletter so you won't miss the next shop-update which is coming very soon!