Returning Makers
Returning Makers are a very easy source of maker exhibits. Some years ~50% of the MFO exhibits are returning Makers. We use the following tactics to ensure that we get a good set of returning makers:
- Ensure that your makers are subscribed to your newsletter. Automatically add them to the newsletter list when they sign up for a given year AND do a batch enrollment at the end of the year (or start of the following year).
- Ensure that your makers interact with you on social media. Follow them and tag them through the event cycle and they are more likely to engage with our social media and return the following year.
- Once Call for Makers is open, personally invite the best of the best immediately. Directly ASKING them to participate is a great tactic.
- Email all prior Makers (with the exception of any problematic makers) to invite them to participate. Using direct emails (versus MailChimp, etc.) is the best way to get this engagement. Follow up with them.
Example email (from 2022)
We pulled the list of makers from the prior two years, filtered out any makers that we did not want to re-invite, and suppressed any makers who had already applied (you can skip this step if you do this process the same day as your CFM opening!)
Finding New Makers
Finding new Makers can be an art. We’ve tried many, many tactics, and below are some of the best.
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Etsy - you can search Etsy by geography. In the early days of Orlando Mini Maker Faire, many of the Makers came from Etsy. Ian would search for things he liked, and then send messages in the Etsy messaging system inviting them to exhibit, often offering to waive the selling fee.
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Exhibiting at Other Events - as Maker Faire Orlando and MakerFX have grown, we’ve done more and more outreach events which provides an opportunity to talk to local Makers and invite them to the event. We will often walk the event looking for great exhibits inviting them to exhibit at MFO. As one example, MEGACON has been a great source of local Makers and as our exhibit has grown at MEGACON it gets even easier to recruit from that event. Give some thought to WHO is doing these invites. The goal is NOT to SPAM every exhibit but to make a selective set of asks. We’ve had some challenges where a well-meaning volunteer invited exhibits that we would not accept at MFO.
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Attending Other Events - Even if we are exhibiting at an event, we will attend other events looking for great exhibits. This can include everything from local farmer’s markets to art events.
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“You Make Awesome Stuff” business cards - We used to give out our 4x6 postcards to Makers at other events and then we noticed that they often seemed reluctant to take them. We switched to using MFO business cards that say “You Make Awesome Stuff” on the back. Makers seem happy to take a card that says “You Make Awesome Stuff” and then the event info is on the back. It also fits in a pocket much easier for you to carry around with you AND for them to put in their pocket when you had it to them.
Waiving the Selling Fee
One way to help ensure someone exhibits is to offer to waive the fee for a selling Maker. Especially for first time exhibitors this can go a long way.