Etsy Made Local

The client

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade, vintage goods and craft supplies.

Each year it sponsors a national Christmas market - Etsy Made Local - which celebrates makers and artisans across the UK by bringing a selection of their online shops together in local communities for one weekend only!

It is a great opportunity for the people of Barnsley to discover the wealth of creativity and craftsmanship right on their doorstep and it encourages them to buy their Christmas gifts locally in order to support and nurture local businesses.

What we did

As Etsy Team Captain for Barnsley I organised the towns very first Etsy Made Local in 2016 at The Digital Media Centre and have done every one since. I manage the whole process from start to finish with a little help from a team of volunteer stallholders.

Our event has a great atmosphere and is a celebration of creativity for anyone to attend. Not only do we have great stalls, but there is also music throughout the day, refreshments and family activities.

The whole organisation process involves liaising with Etsy, the venue, stallholders and entertainment throughout.
I invite local Etsy shops to apply for a stall and send me their details including photos of their products. When applications close a small team go through the entries selecting only the best to take part.

I take care of all of the design and marketing, including creating posters, banners, flyers, social media graphics and PR which consists of writing press releases which are sent to relevant publications and local radio.
Printed posters and flyers are given out to display in strategic venues and are handed out at local schools and clubs etc. The social media campaign runs across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with the main event page being on Facebook.
Each business is introduced on each platform along with images of their product or service. Stallholders are sent a welcome pack which outlines how to help promotion of the event to ensure that there is consistency across the board for maximum impact. This includes graphics for them to post on their own social media, along with a list of hashtags. In order to create a buzz about the market we have also held competitions to gain interest and give away goody bags for the first 50 people through the door.
The main atrium is adorned with Etsy branded decorations, as well as the obligatory Christmas tree!

Throughout the day I walk around the venue checking in with stallholders ensuring that they have everything they need, and also doing a head count so I can get a rough total of attendees.

The 2019 Etsy Made Local proved to be our best yet, with a constant stream of around 900 people through the doors. According to the feedback questionnaire record sales were made on the day, with many stallholders reporting a spike in sales in the following week as visitors ordered after the event.

What stallholders said

"Having only done this once before in the first year I can see how it's become a well oiled machine! Everything about it was well organised, Steph is a superstar and was a calm influence throughout the day! Well done to you and your team!"

"Very well organised. Kept informed at every stage from application through to information for setting up on the day. Everything was well thought out and planned with updates provided, you could tell that a lot of hard work had gone into the organisation of the event."

"Excellent! Lots of social media, banners and leaflets visible prior to the event. Stallholders had information, leaflets and an event to link to too. Branding at the event was very visible and looked great, resulting in a queue of customers for the opening of the event."

"Kept very well informed, promotion of the event was amazing, the day was a great success and Steph made it look effortless!"

"Would just like to say a big thank you to all involved, Steph in particular who it was clear had worked hard to make this a success."