As I've been attending craft fairs, I've discovered the kind of event that I want to participate in. Very basically, I want the event to be dedicated to handmade. To me, that encompasses a lot of things because for those of us who create handmade art, this all includes our family and our friends. It's a huge dedication requirement for us, and ideally, should be for event organizers who bill themselves as a "Craft Fair."
Those of us who produce 100% of our work by hand have a really had time finding an event where our work is the sole focus (that isn't insanely out of our financial reach). I also believe that customers who are looking for handmade expect to SEE handmade when they stop at a craft fair but are leaving more events disappointed, thus leaving us less and less traffic at our events.
More and more events flood the market that are loaded with direct sales but still say "Craft Fair" on their billing. I'm all for direct sales people - I buy something from them at every event I go to. But when I set up at a craft fair, I'm looking for the atmosphere I belong in. I'm looking to meet other vendors who have the same passion and interests that I do. And I'm looking to support the whole handmade movement! I believe in it!
So in short, I decided to start a Facebook group to gather together creators, artisans, crafters, organizers and promoters, and even customers - who are dedicated to the handmade family. It may be difficult to go 100% on all of our events we attend right away, but if we all work together to pull together every handmade person in our local area, we will have the numbers and commitment we need to create the best events at the best prices with the very best items. And we'll have a great time!
Join us at Handmade Nashville in our group - http://www.facebook.com/groups/handmadenashville. We have a sister business page, a Twitter account, and now a blog - and I promise to work hard to promote all your beautiful handmade work. Let's make a difference in the Nashville area and be the strongest handmade community ever!
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