Etsy Made Local is an annual event that celebrates the talents of local creatives. With the support of Etsy Australia team in Melbourne, over 500 sellers participate in multiple markets throughout Australia. 2017 was the first year with Tasmania taking part in this event, hosting the inaugural Etsy Made Local Hobart at the Showgrounds in late November.

I was one of the principal organisers for the Hobart event, and my efforts included tackling the design side of it:

• creating a logo for our Hobart event + community
• working with Etsy press guidelines to design postcards + a catalogue
• working with Etsy press guidelines to design promotional material: posters, postcards, social media graphics
• creating a map of vendor placements + an info pack for smallholders
• designing a catalogue for shoppers
• designing roadside banners
• creating a memorable shopping experience through decorations
• bringing attention to sellers and showing highlights with clear signage

Not only were these efforts were integral for bringing stakeholders on the same page, they established Etsy Made Local Hobart as a powerful artisan showcase from day one.

I chose a gorgeous illustration from Bec Adamczewski of Becski Design for the feature artwork on our posters, postcards, and social media images. Bec is a friend of mine (and a brilliant designer in her own right) and her clean-lined Hobart landmarks felt like the perfect accompaniment for getting our first-ever Etsy Made Local Hobart off to a great start.

Internally, we created an extensive information pack for all of the stallholders. It had to be an easy-to-skim document, with every imaginable topic broken into manageable chunks. I also planned our layout within the Showgrounds venue, using an existing site map to plan our layout completely to scale.

16-page catalogue distributed at the market, with maps and a categorised list of vendors. Collateral included posters, postcards, swag bags, road signs, banners, social media images and more.

A couple of our delightful stallholders on market day!
Shana from Shananigans; Olivia from ORBmaker.

Managing the needs and opinions of 150+ switched-on creatives was no easy task. However, all of those elements came together to create an inviting atmosphere that was so much more than the sum of its parts. It was deeply gratifying to hear the punters and stallholders tell me how happy they were with the event, and I look forward to its bright future.