Craft Focus - Dec/Jan (Issue 76)

59 INTERVIEW “A trade show at the very beginning of autumn gives retailers a chance to brush up on what the market is doing, place orders and come away with information that wil l make this important season better than it has ever been before.” a stand, you know the market is ready to change. The craft industry is still evolving, bringing many new opportunities and potential growth. It still needs a new approach to realise it and a different trade show brings a fresh perspective. You’ve promised that buyers will be strictly vetted – in your experience, has this been a major concern for businesses? Exhibitors invest a lot of time, resources and money into each trade show. The number one priority of the organiser must be making sure that visitors to the event are genuine buyers. However, this comes with a sting – you have to be honest about the numbers you can attract. Simply shouting ‘thousands upon thousands’ is not a convincing argument anymore. For Crafters’ World, quality over quantity is the priority. Exhibitors will always have major concerns when meeting people who should simply not be at a trade show. You recently held a launch event – what was the response from attendees like? The launch went very well with everyone attending provisionally booking their preferred location. Seeing the venue, its facilities and size was very informative. We’ve seen huge changes in the retail landscape lately – how has this affected the craft industry? I think retail has more changes to come – not just for high street traders, but for digital retailers too. Overall, the industry has continued to grow but the balance of bricks and mortar shops to internet stores has changed, with many online entrepreneurs entering the sector. In my opinion, this shift in purchasing habits is driving a need for workshops, craft classes and more activities that continue to grow the market. The effects are still happening and the wider changes to society’s attitude to hobbies needs to be looked upon as an opportunity. What’s your view on the state of the craft market – do you think the sector needs to adapt to stay relevant? The core motivations of creation and creativity are still very strong. It is a growing area and the industry has some distinct advantages. Crafters are creative, often tactile, skilled, social people with a great desire to learn new techniques and tackle different projects. Their ability to take on more than one medium is growing, so on the whole I would say the market is strong. However, like everything it needs fine-tuning to meet circumstances. Crafters’ World will help retailers to find where their business can be improved and expanded. You’re also launching the Creative Costume Designer Show in 2020 – tell me more. This consumer exhibition has been a long time in the pipeline and the show is for visitors in search of products, materials, techniques and workshops that will build on their passion for costume creation. The event will appeal to far-reaching genres ranging from, but not exclusively to theatre, film, cosplay, zombies, post- apocalypse, steampunk and re-enactment. The common thread between all of these is the skill and passion required to bring imagination to life. The show is designed to combine a tutored workshop ethos with retailers, costume competitions and presentations. It is also a fabulous opportunity to meet many enthusiastic makers – both experienced and beginner level. Is there a crossover between the two shows? Yes, and it is a big one. The show will bridge a gap between the sci-fi, fantasy and creative craft markets where there is an opportunity to bring all these worlds together and service a hither-to poorly resourced knowledge gap for fans, designers and enthusiasts wishing to get involved in costume and prop making. Having already reached out to the various organisers of steampunk and cosplay there has been great support. At We Do Your Do we believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for creative craft retailers to tap into that all-important youth market. Crafters’ World will give presentations on how to sell to this massive market as their motivations and language are very different from traditional crafters, but the skills, materials and tools are identical.