Craft Show Producer Spotlight: Funky Finds

I decided it would be interesting - as we head into this holiday craft show season - to interview some craft show organizers and get a peek at the behind the scenes. Today we're talking with Jessica Dougherty about the craft shows she produces with her husband Joseph: Funky Finds. Enjoy!

When was your inaugural show?
The 1st Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling was held in April 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas. We have since expanded our events to run for two days giving shoppers more time to snag lots of funky finds!

Who is steering this ship? 
My husband Joseph Dougherty & I (Jessica Dougherty) are the forces behind Funky Finds.
 

I began Funky Finds as a blog in 2006 as a way to promote handmade & over the years it has continued to grow. After marrying in 2008, we decided to host an indie art & craft show in Fort Worth, something the large area had been lacking. It was such a success & the demand was so high for a fall event that we decided to host semi-annual events.

I graduated from Texas Tech University in 2001 after studying mass communications, advertising & marketing. An Army Veteran, Joseph went on to become a technical writer in the aviation field. Combining my creative side & Joe's technical know-how, we have played off of each others strengths to live our dream of promoting handmade.

How do you guys make decisions?
We work closely to discuss all aspects of Funky Finds. We also look to our close-knit event staff that is composed of dedicated family members & friends. We could not produce Funky Finds events without our strong supporters!

Is there a separate jury for applicants? Or do you review all the applications yourself?
Joe and I spend a lot of time thoroughly reviewing all event applications. Our goal is to get the best mix of unique vendors ensuring that all shoppers will find items they must have.

What keeps you coming back for more?
Hosting events is the most fun we've ever had. It's great meeting so many creative types & seeing how they transform a 10'x10' space into something that really stands out. When we look around & see so many shoppers that have come out to support handmade, we get such satisfaction.

Events also provide a venue for everyone to give back to the community through our charitable raffles. Plus, the Humane Society of North Texas is always present facilitating pet adoptions which is a big passion of ours.

If any part of your show could be magically done for you by little magic fairies - what part would you offload onto the mystical creatures?

Marking off booth spaces is my least favorite part! Joe would probably love for little fairies to hang all the banners so he didn't have to spend hours in the rafters!

What vendors are you most excited about? 
This is a tough one because all the vendors are so funky & unique so we look forward to seeing all of them! There's several talented artisans who participate in just about all our events, but it's always exciting to see so many new applicants.

We always enjoy seeing Robbie Jenkins' unique jewelry & artwork  and Sandra Feazel is another talented artist that is also so kind. Gary Anderson makes the most beautiful wooden jewelry boxes & penny banks & Nikki Halgren of Gleeful Peacock, Lindsay Wisecup of House of Introspection & Elliott Williams of ezduzit by elliott create terrific accessories. And you have never seen a booth setup quite like red.neck Chic's!!!

New vendors that I'm really excited to meet include Jennifer Babcock of Covered In Glitter, Diana Cary & Charla White of Sawdust and Bullets  and Keri Houchin of Houchin's House of Wizarding Wares amongst others.

Show dates:
Saturday, November 12, 9am-4pm 
Sunday, November 13, 11am-4pm

Location:
Will Rogers Memorial Center (Small Exhibits Building)
3409 Burnett-Tandy Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76107

Number of vendors: 115+

Website | Facebook Event Page | Funky Finds' Facebook page | Twitter | 

Have you attended a Funky Finds show? Did you love it? Are you attending the Holiday Shopping Experience? What are you most looking forward to about the show?