We are new to this. My husband and I love snakes and are starting to breed them. We want to take them to expos and other sales. What kind of setup does everyone have and where do we get the best ones at? Display cases and anything else we need for the expo. Thank you for your advice in advance!
You can find good quality acrylic display cases on ARS Caging here:
Most of everything else you need can be gotten on Amazon, like table lighting, table covers (most expos wont provide this), business card holders, some suggest table netting to put your animals behind to discourage theft… unfortunately it is a risk that can occur, security cameras are also sometimes useful. Its worth putting in a bit of $ to your display if you want it to stand out.
There are a few options you can go to if you want to make a banner, if you want to make a banner stand you can use pvc piping and spray paint it black to put your banner on… or otherwise you can attach the banner to the table if you want.
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Now heres where I caution you about the risks, while expos are great for selling locally and expanding exposure for your business, it comes with many risks especially with animals.
I’ve already mentioned theft, and it happens frequently especially at higher traffic shows with literally dozens of people at a time passing tables all the time. It can be very easy to get distracted and suddenly you are missing one or more animals.
Disease/parasites are another great concern, think about this- you are bringing your stock to a venue with hundreds of other animals that you do not know the backstory of. They could be WC and untreated, carrying mites, bacteria, viruses, and other parasites. My reccomendation is to have a big bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready and do not let anyone touch or handle your animals unless they have already purchased an animal and they have used the sanitizer. Do not let other vendors touch your animals or table without your express permission.
Be cautios and ready for any escapes that occur, and report the escape immediately to a expo runner or supervisor if it occurs. This is another reason why its a good idea not to take animals out to let others touch or handle them…
Keep your expectations reasonable… you will be going to a place where you will have a lot of competition, and for many expos its already hard enough as it is to get a table spot without booking in advance possibly years. When I was a vendor it was common place for quite a few people to barely sell enough to cover the table cost… and that alone on top of everything else can be a bit costly depending on how many tables you run. Not trying to discourage you, just trying to prepare you for what may be the outcome- though it may depend on what you’re selling and if it grabs attention. A lot of people see these expos as more of an attraction to take their kids to or just something fun to experience, they don’t come to buy much.
So with that said, it is really a fun experience. You do get to see a lot of cool stuff and interact with people to share and gain knowledge. If you want to vend, just be careful about it. 
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Yeah, both my dad and I noticed this at the big Reptile Supershow we attended in Pomona a couple years ago. There were throngs and throngs of people, but in the several hours we were there, I saw very few carrying animal purchases. We rode a full shuttle back to the parking area, and aside from me, I only saw one other person there who was taking an animal home.
One thing to consider would be if you or someone you know makes any little animal-themed handicrafts, those actually seem to sell better than live animals. Things like plushies, sculptures, carvings, 3D printed critters, paintings, etc. I think people are more likely to impulse-buy that kind of stuff, or get it as a souvenir for them or their kids. A plushie is a lot less commitment than a new pet.
Enclosure accessories and enrichment also seemed to sell well. Things like driftwood, hides, plants, cork bark, etc.
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