AUGUSTA – Artists and craftsmen, and gift, home furnishing and specialty food wholesalers, can improve their prospects for success through four training opportunities offered in January. The training, sponsored by the Maine Small Business Development Centers in association with the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community and the New England Products Trade Show, includes nationally recognized speaker Bruce Baker, an expert in trade show success.

Baker will deliver two sessions on Jan. 17, in Jewett Hall at the University of Maine, Augusta, with “Creating Trade Show Booths that Sell,” from 9 a.m.-noon, and “Marketing and Selling Strategies for Trade Show Success,” from 1-4:15 p.m. A $50 fee covers the cost of both seminars, which include proven ideas for booth display design, components, materials, colors, lighting, environment, slides and photos to illustrate design points, and practical tips on how to improve trade show sales.

Two related workshops include “Developing Collateral Sales Materials for Trade Shows,” on Jan. 16, from 2-5 p.m. in Room 185 in Jewett Hall, University of Maine, Augusta, and “Pricing, Credit, and Shipping Policies for Wholesalers” on Jan. 22, 6-8 p.m. at Maine SBDC at University of Southern Maine, 68 High St., Portland. Cost for each of those workshops is $20.

Those interested may register by calling 1-800-679-SBDC or online at: http://www.mainesbdc.org.