THURSDAY, MARCH 19 - 12 noon
Connie Mettler talks with Marcy Boroff, from Renaissance Craftables, one of the east coast’s premier craft show promotion companies partnering with downtown areas and non-profits. Marcy Boroff had worked with her mother, Barbara, on shows for years and took over the business in 2010.
She operates 8-9 events each year primarily in the Philadelphia area and in New Jersey near Philadelphia.
As a craft show promoter, Marcy feels very strongly that it is a partnership between the artists, the downtown areas or non-profits she is partnering with, and the community of festival-goers.
How did this company get from mall shows to the streets of some of the best shopping areas in the East?
We talk about:
- the role of the show promoter and why they do it
- choosing a location to host a show and starting a new show
- building and implementing a marketing plan
- the good part of being a show promoter
- the bad part and the worst part
- building relationships with the shopping areas where they host their events
- building relationships with artists
- the future of craft shows and their economic impact
Learn more about the company: Renaissance Craftables General Guidelines for Artists
If you live in the east and are sometimes wondering what is all this talk about art fairs when what you do are craft shows -- this podcast is for you. There are regional differences in our business and the Boroffs were some of the first people to develop the market in the East.
Got questions for me to ask Marcy? Leave them in the comments below.
Hope you'll be listening on 3/19 -- if you can't make it then you can always access our podcasts at the Radio link up above at this iTunes link.
Comments
I'm a fine crafter and looking forward to catching this on iTunes. Thanks!!!!
Thanks for that info, Larry. It is info I did not have. Sounds like there is a wealth of information to be had from this second generation. I'm looking forward to this chat with Marcy.
I've heard the complaints -- this site is only for fine art fairs -- yet, some folks who don't consider themselves part of that group have hung in here anyway, so this one is for you! If you have questions I need to ask Marcy, please let me know. Post them here.
Some of you old timers may remember that Barbara Boroff used to run mall shows in the Philadelphia area. She started the Manayunk Art Festival and when it became successful, was taken over by a local organization.
Larry Berman