www.FiberArtFest.com

Just recently, I was talking with one of our exhibitors.  We had a great conversation about everything that went right and not-so-right this year and how things could be in the future.  One the things that stuck in my head for the last couple of days was the quip about how I talk with the exhibitors.  I guess I hadn’t thought about “how” I talk to people or how I approach working with the exhibitors.  Everyone this year received e-mail, phone calls or however they wanted to be contacted by me for all kinds of reasons.

From what I was told, some of the bigger shows send out mailings for one thing or another and then when the vendor arrives, they get the extra information they need to participate.  Except for an incidental e-mail or quick voice mail, little interaction with the vendors actually occur.  I don’t think they all operate like that.  But, the illustration I was given was pretty bleak.

As we grow, my hope is to continue to work with each exhibitor personally.  If at some point we do start getting away from working directly with folks, I think we will need to put forth extra effort to keep the festival focused on the people and not the paperwork.

It is barely three months until the October festival.  It looks like things are shaping up nicely.  I talked to the sheep-to-shawl folks and they are practicing.  They are giong to setup on the big porch to the barn.  As with most barns, the entrance is raised up a bit and people should be able to see them nicely.  They will be right at the entrance to the Art Quilt Exhibit and Workshop area.  Next to the barn, we will setup our Sheep Shearing demonstration.  I think we have the layout of the coral, the tent for our shearer and which sheep are going all figured out.  It will take some effort to get them over there.  It the end, though, it is going to be quite a site.

I have created a Facebook page for the festival.  If you are on Facebook, search for Fiber Arts & Animals Festival in the Marshall, Michigan area and you will find us.  In only the last few weeks since I added the page, we already have quite a few fans.  There are pictures from the June events posted.