Craft Con 2008

Deadline: March 25, 2008

Craft Con 2008
San Francisco, CA
April 4 - 6, 2008

Craft Con 2008 heralds huge growth for the project. The event in San Francisco has been planned via the internet by crafters from all over the world. April’s conference will welcome participants from all areas of crafting, making a special effort to connect younger and upcoming crafters with the experience and savvy of their antecedents. Craft Con will facilitate much broader discussion and planning in key areas of concern for the movement, in particular the viability of sustainable business and enterprise and establishing the permanence of crafting in society.

Craft Con was born in 2007 as Craft Congress in Pittsburgh, PA. This launch event brought together more than fifty indie craft show organizers from across the US, Canada, as well as the UK, to share knowledge, skills and experiences. Topics ranged all the way from guerrilla marketing strategy to securing corporate sponsorship. Colleagues from across the world were able to meet face to face for the first time. Establishing a strong and supportive network for those who attended, the event also sparked crucial discussion about the future of the craft movement.

There are 250 seats available for Craft Con 2008.

Topics for discussion will include:
Business: Profit Models, Legal Structures, Alternative Business Models, Getting Published; Philosophy: What Does Handmade Mean?; The Politics of Crafting, Crafting Green

Workshops will include:
Project Management, Product Development and Broadening Your Base, Seeking and Retaining Sponsorship, Computer Social Networking Toolbox, Real Life Social Networking Toolbox

Movers and Shakers to knit up a red carpet for:
Tina Barseghian, Editor in Chief of Craft Magazine and author of “Get a Hobby”; Faythe Levine, creator of the film/print project Handmade Nation; The Girly Show; Jeanee Ledoux of Honeydoux and “Abode a la Mode: 44 Projects for Hip Home Decor”; Extreme Craft

In addition to panels, presentations, and small group discussions, Craft Con 2008 participants will enjoy extra-curricular activities including a tour of San Francisco April 4 followed by a cocktail party hosted by Readymade Magazine, and a gala in their honor Saturday, April 5th. This gala will provide visitors a unique opportunity to interact with San Francisco’s local arts scene.

Applications (http://craftcon.org/application/) are being accepted on an ongoing basis until the event is full, with a new cutoff date of March 25. The cost of attending the event is $150/person, which includes a tour of San Francisco April 4th, meals and sessions April 5th and 6th, and a gala event the evening of April 5th where conference attendees will get to experience the unique culture of the San Francisco arts scene.

For more information http://craftcon.org/