members – Midwest Craft Con

Midwest Craft Con hosts an online panel discussing the state of retail in the craft community.

Tuesday, August 16, 6:30pm EST, we are speaking Retail within the Midwest.

State of Craft is joined by panelists

Elle Jae Essentials La’Asia Johnson, Flint, Michigan
Wildcat Gift and Party’s Olivera Bratich, Columbus, Ohio
For Ewe’s Lisa Whitfield, Oberlin, Ohio

This hour long conversation will cover topics of

Maintaining their brick and mortar stores
Building a community within the community of your retail space
Retails inclusivity in an increasingly divisive world.

State of Craft panels are a space to discuss current events in the craft world and hosted 4 times a year. Free for members who also receive access to the recorded program. $15 for non-members.

Our first, virtual State of Craft of the year hosted an engaging discussion with our guest speakers leading the conversation.

Panelists, Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Crafts and Tricia Brancolini-Foley of Handmade Arcade shared their thoughts during the hour long program.

We covered the Etsy Strike and shared the opinion that while the online platform can still be a great place to launch your business, business owners placing their products in the care of an organization which provides competition and resellers. Tricia mentioned feedback from craft show customers who still view the e-commerce space as a secure space to buy online, compared to an individuals own website that might be unsecured.

We talked a great deal about makers who were forced to pivot events and experiences due to the early part of the pandemic, from craft fairs to releasing a new book.

As conversations continued we briefly covered the topic of sustainability, something the fiber community is having a wrecking with at the moment.

Lastly, we announced our return in 2023 with keynote Toni Lipsey!

Members can watch the entire recorded conversation and receive additional perks and promotions.

Program support made possible by:

Category: members

State of Craft: Retail

Event Recap – State of Craft