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WELCOME CRAFTCATION 2020 WE STAFF!

FIRST OF ALL, thank you from the bottom of my heart for wanting to help be a part of this badass roster of both alumni and first-time attendees. You are a crucial element to the success of Craftcation. We literally could not pull off this conference year after year without passionate, reliable and hardworking staff and volunteers. So, thank you!

No matter if this is your first year or your ninth year attending and/or volunteering at Craftcation, please take a moment to read through the entirety of this page. I wrote it specifically to be a base camp of information covering everything you need to know about attending and volunteering at our makers and small business conference.

Here are some of the high-level topics we’re going to cover on this page:

• Conference Registration
• Attendee Information
• Department Information
• Checking-In
• Accomodations

Love, Katie Mac, Nicole & The Dear Handmade Life Team

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CRAFTCATION ATTENDEE FACEBOOK GROUP:

We have a private Facebook group exclusively for Craftcation attendees and alumni. If you’re on Facebook we encourage you to join this group to keep up to date on conference announcements as well as to share resources. This is the perfect place to reach out to your fellow attendees about sharing rides, finding roommates, carpooling or meeting up during Craftcation. Please answer all of the membership questions when requesting to join the group – this helps us approve you faster! 

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKSHOPS /
PRE-REGISTRATION PLANNING

ALL INCLUDED MEALS AND MOST CRAFT WORKSHOPS WILL REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION. THIS REGISTRATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON 2.29.20 AT 10:00AM PT. MORE DETAILS BELOW.

THERE ARE TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF WORKSHOPS AT CRAFTCATION: 

Those that require pre-registration and those that don’t. Workshops, events and activities that require registration BEFORE the conference are notated on the schedule and workshop descriptions page with an asterisk (*) in their titles. This includes Opening Dinner on Thursday and Lunch at The Tavern on Friday which is included in your conference registration.

If a workshop, activity or event does NOT have an asterisk (*) in the title, it means that this is a walk-in event, does not require pre-registration and is open to any and all registered attendees.

What’s the difference between a Business Workshop, a Business Panel, Office Hours and a Think Tank:

BUSINESS WORKSHOP: These workshops offer a single instructor that discusses a specific, detailed topic. They are walk-in based and available to all registered attendees.

BUSINESS PANEL: Panels are also open to all registered attendees and do not require pre-registration. These sessions feature 3-5 presenters having story-based conversations about a specific topic. They tend to be more personal and feature real-life stories from the presenters and moderator.

OFFICE HOURS: These require pre-registration when you arrive at the Marriott for Craftcation. We use sign-up sheets for these one-on-one sessions with our presenters. In your 15-20 minute sessions you get to have a focused conversation about their expertise and any questions you have that focus primarily on you and your business.

THINK TANK: Think of a Think Tank as a small group Office Hours session. Think Tanks host 20 or less attendees and require pre-registration before Craftcation. In these sessions, you’ll get targeted, direct feedback from your presenter AND your peers.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

MEAL REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION FOR THURSDAY OPENING DINNER AND FRIDAY LUNCH ARE NOW OPEN. CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO REGISTER. 

Thursday Dinner:  http://bit.ly/cc20dinner_041620 password: cc20meals
Friday Lunch: http://bit.ly/cc20lunch_041720 password: cc20meals[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

THE WORKSHOP REGISTRATION PROCESS:

Registration for craft/limited space workshops (marked with an asterisk (*) on the schedule) opens on 2.29.20 at 10:00am PT. At that time we will distribute a passcode that will allow you to access and sign up for  these workshops.

WAYS TO GET THE CODE ON 2.29.20 AT 10:00AM PT:

• We will post it the passcode at the top of this Attendee News Page. This is a highly reliable and immediate way to get the code, hit refresh on the page if you don’t see it immediately at 10am PT.  Please note: you may need to clear your cache depending on your browser.
• We will post it the passcode in the private Attendee & Alumni Facebook Group. This is also a reliable and immediate way to get the code.
• We will email the passcode to all registered attendees. This email will go to the email address you used in Eventbrite when you registered for the conference. Double check your registration confirmation for that email address in case you used one that you don’t access often. Be sure to check your SPAM folder!

At 10:00am PT on 2.29.20 the words “SIGN UP” will appear under the instructor name for each workshop. Click “SIGN UP” and you will be directed to an Eventbrite workshop registration page where you will enter the passcode sent to you before proceeding to register for workshops. Each workshop you wish to attend will need to be registered for individually so keep that code handy – you’ll be entering it for each workshop or meal.

We know it can be frustrating to not be able to sign up for a workshop that you really wanted to take. Each year we get emails from disappointed attendees who didn’t register for craft workshops right at 10:00am when we open registration and they are upset because the workshop(s) they wanted are sold out.

PLEASE BE READY TO REGISTER FOR HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS RIGHT WHEN REGISTRATION OPENS!

If you have any issues at all, Nicole and Katie Mac will be monitoring the registration process, emails and the private Facebook group all day. Keep in mind that on the day that craft workshop registration opens, they receive hundreds of emails, DMs and posts but they will get back to you as soon as they possibly can.

Your patience and kindness are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

DISCLAIMER: We work tirelessly and do EVERYTHING we can to accommodate each attendee but unfortunately, we are not magicians. Lame, I know. We work with the presenters to set a maximum capacity for each workshop to give you the maximum personalized attention you’ll need to learn. This number is based upon how many students each presenter can comfortably teach. But there are only so many available seats in each workshop. Once those seats are filled, they are filled. HOWEVER, most attendees are able to get into workshops either through the waiting list or by adding them manually at the conference. (More information on this below.)

*YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO REGISTER ONE PERSON AT A TIME FOR EACH WORKSHOP.

*DON’T REGISTER FOR MORE THAN ONE WORKSHOP DURING A SINGLE TIME SLOT (IE: DON’T REGISTER FOR SEWING 101 ON SATURDAY FROM 9:00-10:00 AND BASKET WEAVING ON SATURDAY FROM 9:00-10:00) IF YOU DO, WE WILL DELETE YOU FROM ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS AND WE REALLY DON’T WANT TO DO THAT.

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CREATING YOUR SCHEDULE:

We can’t stress how important it is for you to spend time looking at the schedule and creating a workshops wishlist BEFORE registration opens. Although we have more workshops this year than ever before, chances are you won’t be able to get into every single workshop you hoped for. Please be prepared with your back-up choices for each time block.

PRO-TIP: As you create your schedule, be sure to make space for downtime, meals, office hours, connecting with each other and enjoying the pool, beach, hotel bar, etc. Down time is just as important as the workshops themselves. Believe us, this ain’t our first crafty rodeo! 🙂

WORKSHOP PLANNING WORKSHEETS:

Download the Workshop Planning Worksheets we’ve created to help you get organized and prepare for registration.

NOTE: Meals, parties and other other special events are not on the worksheets, but you can see them on the schedule.

WORKSHOPS WITH MULTIPLE SESSIONS OR TWO PARTS:

Workshops that have ‘Session 1 or Session 2’ in the title are workshops that we’re offering at multiple times, you only need to sign up for/attend ONE session. If a workshop says (Continued) in the title it means that it’s one class split into two parts and if you take the class you will need to attend both parts to complete the project. *Please arrive for ALL workshops at least 10 minutes before they start.

WORKSHOP SUPPLIES / FABRIC FOR SEWING CLASSES:

Supplies are included with your conference registration unless otherwise noted in the workshop description. Read the workshop descriptions for any pre-requisites, things you need to bring with you, supplies that aren’t included.

We will have fabric for all sewing workshops but you are welcome to bring your own if you would like! We want you to create items you love and will wear often!

All yardage requirements for sewing classes are in the workshop description. Go here for all workshop descriptions OR click the workshop name on the schedule and the description will be at the very top of the page.

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WANDERINGS: SELF-GUIDED ARTWALK INFO & APPLICATION:

Wanderings is our self-guided artwalk on Friday night at the Marriott hosted by our Marketing and Community Manager, Katie Mac! This exciting self-guided art walk will take place Friday, April 17, 2020 from 7pm – 10pm PT.

There are two ways to experience Wanderings:

1. Host a Wanderings room in your Marriott hotel room. Click HERE to apply to host a Wanderings room. Applications will close on 2.20.20.
2. Visit the Wanderings rooms. To visit the rooms, check this page when you arrive at Craftcation for a list of participating rooms and then you can start Wandering to the rooms from 7-10pm on April 17, 2020. . 

Wanderings Room Hosts turn their hotel rooms into fun and exciting experiences. We’ve seen everything from communal craft projects, dance parties, costume photo booths, podcast recording sessions, small scale pop-up shops, fundraisers and so much more. Wanderings room hosts and anyone who visits all the rooms will be entered to win a ticket to Craftcation 2021!

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LODGING:

Staying at the Ventura Beach Marriott:

We negotiated a block rate with as many rooms as the hotel would allow us. These rooms sell out very quickly once registration opens. However, we recommend trying to get a room here first if you want to stay on site. You can try booking online but we suggest calling the Marriott at 805-643-6000 to book over the phone. Tell them that you’re a Craftcation Conference Attendee and they will assist you in booking as many nights as possible under our discounted rate and the remainder of the nights at the regular rate.

If the Marriott is sold out of our discounted room block for your selected nights:

Find a roommate who has a room reserved already: Try to find a roommate that already has a room by posting in our Private Craftcation Attendee & Alumni Online Community. Note: you must be a registered attendee to join this group.

Stay at a nearby hotel*: Many attendees stay at other nearby hotels. Chance are you’ll be in good company with other Craftcation attendees at one of these spots! Here are some alternative places to stay:

• Waypoint Ventura: Vintage trailers near the beach. We’ve never stayed there but it’s looks awesome!
• The Pierpont Inn: a two-minute drive from the Marriott. We’ve stayed there before and we liked it’s quaint atmosphere, cottages and manicured grounds. It recently changed ownership and we haven’t been there since but they have great ocean views and a historic vibe.
• The Crowne Plaza: It’s a three-minute drive to the Marriott. This was the former home of Craftcation. It’s right on the beach and they have lots of patio seating overlooking the ocean. Walkable to downtown Ventura.
• The Best Western: It’s a three-minute drive to the Marriott. This is a great old-school style motor inn that was renovated a few years ago to bring back the retro charm. Walkable to downtown Ventura.
• Booking a vacation rental: Often times, attendees will put together a group (either friends they’re bringing or new friends they meet in our private online community to rent an Airbnb or a VRBO.

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TRAVEL TO VENTURA:

For info on travel to and within Ventura, check out at our FAQ page. You can also reach out in our private Facebook group about car pooling.

TRAVEL WITHIN VENTURA:

Some of our events including lunches, parties and dinners are NOT at the hotel. You can find location information for all of our events on the workshops page of our website as well as on the schedule. For some events, we will have shuttles but we suggest ride-sharing and Lyft as well.

LYFT AND RIDE-SHARING: 

Lyft is available in downtown Ventura for a minimal fee. To keep your costs down, and make new friends, we suggest ride sharing with fellow attendees. You can use the online community or our conference app (coming soon!) to coordinate rides together!

SHUTTLE AND TROLLEYS: 

We will have buses and a trolley available for transportation for the Opening Dinner on Thursday night as well as Lunch at The Tavern on Friday. Please note that the shuttle makes a loop between the Marriott and our off-site location. These loops don’t take very long but if you’re unable to wait because of your schedule, feel free to drive, carpool or ride share!

Thursday Dinner

• 5:00pm – trolley and bus arrive at the Marriott for the first trip to dinner.
• 9:30pm – last trip picked up from Fairgrounds

Friday Lunch

• 12:00pm – trolley and bus arrive at the Marriott for the first trip to lunch
• 3:00pm – last trip picked up from The Tavern

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CONNECT WITH FELLOW ATTENDEES BEFORE YOU ARRIVE + WIN AWESOME STUFF:

One of the best parts of being a Craftcation attendee is building your personal community! Get started before you get to Craftcation by sharing about your business/creativity, how you’re preparing, what you’re excited for etc. on social media.

Use our hashtag #Craftcation and #cc2020 and tag us @dearhandmadelife when you post. We’ll search the #Craftcation hashtags and choose one lucky winner to get: FREE access to all four of our online workshops AND a ticket to Craftcation 2021!

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CHECKING-IN WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT CRAFTCATION:

There is no need to print your ticket.  All we need to see is your photo ID. It is here at the registration/check-in table that you’ll receive your badge, program and gift bag.

NOTE: You must be wearing your badge at all times to attend any Craftcation event/workshop – no exceptions!

CHECK-IN SCHEDULE:
Wednesday , April 15 – 12:00-3:00pm
Thursday, April 16 – 9:00-2:00pm

IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER these registration times, head over to the Pop-Up Shop during its operating hours and get your badge there. The Pop-Up shop is located on the second floor of the lobby in the Zuma room.

PROGRAM/THINGS TO DO/EXPLORING:

When you check-in you’ll get a program with suggested things to do, maps, schedule etc… Keep your program handy as it will be your guide for your time at Craftcation.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

SPECIAL INFO FOR NEW CRAFTCATION ATTENDEES:

*IF YOU’RE A NEW ATTENDEE: PLEASE CONTINUE READING THE INFO BELOW.

*IF YOU’RE A PAST ATTENDEE: YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW SOME OF THE INFO BELOW BUT PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW IT.

If you’ve read this far, wow. Thanks!! You’re in it to win it! We know you’re busy but keep reading just a bit further, especially if you are a first time attendee.

Craftcation is a friendly, open and welcoming environment. As a team, we are extremely active at the conference and are excited to meet you and answer any questions you have. PLEASE don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to Nicole or any staff member or ask us questions. We love meeting you!!

Several staff members and a roster of volunteers will be working every day at the conference. Many of them have been working at Craftcation since our very first conference! We also have many return attendees and ambassadors attending. Don’t be shy about asking for help. 🙂 Our pop-up shop (located upstairs in the Zuma room at the Marriott) is chock full of knowledgeable staff members that will likely be able to assist as well. If you have an emergency situation while at Craftcation, please find a staff member or ask for help in the pop-up shop.

TIPS ON PREPARING FOR A CONFERENCE:

We’ve got you covered!  Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and take some time to read these blog posts as they will help you prepare.

If you’re coming alone or you’re an introvert, remember every single person that’s next you chose to some to Craftcation too, so you already have something in common!

You won’t forge a life-long connection with every single person you meet at Craftcation BUT we if you’re not open to connecting with anyone and everyone, then chances are you won’t connect with anyone. Right? So.. If you’re sitting next to someone, say hi! See where it goes from there. You already know you have something in common… you both chose Craftcation! Ask them where they’re from, what they do, what workshops they’re excited about, which presenters they can’t wait to meet. Chances are you’ll end up in an awesome conversation.

Here are some posts with tips on connecting with people:

• How to network at a creative conference
• Networking for Introverts: 6 ways to work a room

Be prepared + Figure out what your goals are + Plan accordingly:

Craftcation is an investment of your time, money and energy… to make sure you achieve your goals, set aside time to plan. This post has awesome tips on how to prepare, do your research, what to pack and more: How to prepare for a creative conference. Also check out How to attend a conference on a budget. This post has good tips for how to set your goals for a conference: 7 reasons why attending a conference will revolutionize your business and creativity. Another helpful read: How to survive and thrive at conferences.

Make time for yourself:

Many first-time attendees cram their schedule with workshops only to arrive and find that they’re overwhelmed by the schedule they made for themselves and they wish they would have created more downtime or moments to connect with attendees and presenters spontaneously. Keep this in mind when you create your schedule and if you decide you don’t want to attend a craft workshop you signed up for, email Nicole: hello@dearhandmadelife.com or let one of the craft room staff members know.

That’s it for now! Can’t wait to see you all at Craftcation!

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