Craft Congress

It will be a busy busy week around here as I am tying things up to go to San Francisco for the weekend to attend Craft Con! Myself and Olivera Brattich, owner of the fabulous shop, Wholly Craft, will be representing Columbus Ohio! I am really looking forward to this, it should be eye opening and a great opportunity to meet some of the incredible folks at the forefront of the independent design and craft movement!

Here is a bit of the press release:

” . . . This unique business development conference will bring together over one hundred key individuals from the independent/DIY craft and design community. Crafters from across the globe will take part in this exciting opportunity for debate, discussion, and knowledge-sharing in an effort to explore and shape the DIY craft movement.

Craft Con was born in 2007 as Craft Congress in Pittsburgh, PA. This launch event brought together more than fifty indie craft show organizers from across the US, Canada, as well as the UK, to share knowledge, skills and experiences. Topics ranged all the way from guerilla marketing strategy to securing corporate sponsorship. Colleagues from across the world were able to meet face to face for the first time. Establishing a strong and supportive network for those who attended, the event also sparked crucial discussion about the future of the craft movement.

Craft Con 2008 heralds huge growth for the project. The event in San Francisco has been planned via the internet by crafters from all over the world. April’s conference will welcome participants from all areas of crafting, making a special effort to connect younger and upcoming crafters with the experience and savvy of their antecedents. Craft Con will facilitate much broader discussion and planning in key areas of concern for the movement, in particular the viability of sustainable business and enterprise and expanding the influence of crafting in society.

Topics for discussion will include:
Business: Profit Models, Legal Structures, Alternative Business Models, Getting Published; Philosophy: What Does Handmade Mean?, The Politics of Crafting, Crafting Green

Workshops will include:
Project Management, Product Development and Broadening Your Base, Seeking and Retaining Sponsorship, Computer Social Networking Toolbox, Real Life Social Networking Toolbox . . . ”

Visit www.craftcon.org for more info.