From Order Forms to Pop-Up Shops: Rethinking Fundraising Through Retail

Why conferences and festivals are a great place to test retail.

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This Cameo comes from Lori Duncan, Michigan Thespian Festival Director. Here's how a tiny retail pop-up turned into a simple fundraising win.

When I think about fundraising—one of my least favorite things to think about—I do everything I can to avoid selling stuff.

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As a kid, fundraising meant walking door to door with an order form full of candles, cookies, wrapping paper, or cases of fruit. By the time items were delivered weeks later, most customers had forgotten what they ordered—and honestly, so had I. Thankfully, most organizations have moved on from the order-pay-wait model, but that raises an important question: what have we moved on to?

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Today, most programs rely on events, sponsors, and direct asks. Merchandise sales, on the other hand, are often avoided altogether. Upfront costs. Storage concerns. Unsold inventory. The headache of tracking sales. For many organizations, retail just feels like more trouble than it’s worth.

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But here's the thing: large events may actually be the best, lowest-risk place to test retail.

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Large gatherings such as conferences, festivals, performances, and shows provide a captive audience that’s already excited to be there. They’re energized, connected to the mission, and looking for ways to express that connection. If there were ever a low-risk place to test retail, it’s at events like these.

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I hadn’t fully considered this until I started looking at it through a different lens.

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In addition to working at Ludus, I serve as the Michigan Thespian Festival Director. At our festival, we sell ducks and bracelets at a small table in the vendor hall. Beyond that, we’ve never offered merchandise. Every student receives a festival t-shirt as part of registration, and for years I assumed that was enough. What else would students really want?

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Then I began attending other state thespian festivals around the country and it quickly became clear that students absolutely do want merch.

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The moment it clicked for me was at the Texas Thespian Festival in Corpus Christi. Their retail pop-up was buzzing before it even opened. Students lined up to buy Texas Thespian apparel in every imaginable form: t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, and of course… ducks. Duck slippers, plush ducks, headbands.  If it existed, it was flying off the shelves.

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I had to know how they made it work.

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That curiosity led me to Jim McCoy, Merchandise Chair for Texas Thespians. When I asked how they got started, his answer was refreshingly simple.

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That single monogrammed Texas Thespians sweatshirt has since become a staple. It often sells out, with colors rotating annually to keep the offering fresh and desirable. Their store has grown its offerings over time and wow!  By the end of that weekend, I was convinced.

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Shortly after returning home, Michigan Thespians decided to add 100 sweatshirts to our ducks and bracelets at our table. Not long after that, our chapter director and I began pulling past giveaways—mugs, older festival t-shirts, and other stored items—to offer for sale as well.  Just like that, our pop-up retail shop was up and running.

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The best part? Our sweatshirts sold out and we brought in over $5,000! Every dollar raised went directly back into supporting theatre education for students across Michigan. No long wait times. No forgotten orders. Just immediate engagement, meaningful merchandise, and funds that could be put to work right away.

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Retail doesn’t have to replace traditional fundraising—but when paired with large events, it can be a powerful, low-risk way to test the waters. Sometimes, all it takes is one sweatshirt to change how you think about what’s possible.

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