Image courtesy of h+h americas.
You’ll learn actionable skills and strategies from the best instructors in the industry. Purchase classes a la carte, or get a class pass and attend as many as you want. Craft Industry Alliance members get a discount on both!
Tickets go on sale February 1. Mark your calendar!
Wednesday, May 6
Teach More, Sell More: Using Online Learning to Strengthen Your Brand
10:30-11:30
In this session, you’ll learn why expanding into online education is one of the most effective ways for brands to attract new customers, deepen trust, and increase retention.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the business benefits of in-house virtual education, along with practical ways to use tutorials, classes, and learning hubs to support your products, differentiate your brand, and create loyal, repeat customers.
Andréa Jones – OnlineDrea
The Content Order of Operations: An Efficient Workflow for Creating + Reusing Content
1:00-2:00
Stop reinventing the wheel every time you need to post. This class walks you through the exact order of operations for creating content efficiently, so you can produce more in less time and reuse what you make across platforms. You’ll learn how to start with one “hero” piece of content, repurpose it into multiple formats, and build a workflow that works even when you’re busy. You’ll come away with a repeatable content workflow, a repurposing map, and a realistic weekly plan you can stick to.
Nicole Stevenson – Hello Nicole Stevenson
Instagram for Creatives: Build Community, Not Just Followers
2:30-3:30
Big numbers don’t equal a big business. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll ditch the performative pressure and turn Instagram into a tool that actually supports your creative work. You’ll learn how to optimize your profile, tell a brand story people feel, plan content you’ll actually post, and create reels—no dancing required.
You’ll learn to:
- Optimize your profile (handle, photo, bio, link, highlights, pinned posts)
- Define your brand voice (3 brand words, ideal customer, story angles)
- Plan smart content (buckets, 80/20 give/sell, Know–Like–Trust path)
- Create posts that work (memes, carousels, reels, static posts)
- Make reels efficiently (b-roll, hooks, batching, captions, CTAs)
- Engage like a human (DMs, polls, replies, and authentic connection)
Come away with:
- An optimized bio + link and highlights plan
- 3 brand words + 4–6 content buckets
- A repeatable 1-week content calendar
- A draft reel built from b-roll footage
Integrating AI into the Fabric of Your Business
4:00-5:00
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how creative businesses operate, and it doesn’t have to be intimidating! In this workshop, you’ll see practical examples of manipulating text prompts to generate useful, unique material for marketing and e-commerce. Learn time-saving strategies to boost productivity and creativity using AI-generated imagery that can promote your business and spark new ideas. Discover ethical and creative ways to incorporate AI into your workflows and leave with actionable ideas to implement right away. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a team, this session will help you unlock AI’s potential as a powerful tool for growth.
Thursday, May 7
Craft Trends for 2026
10:30-11:30
Stay ahead of the curve by exploring the craft trends shaping the consumer market in the months ahead.
In this forward-looking webinar, craft trends forecaster Renee Froerer will unpack what’s emerging across the industry — from major macro shifts to the defining stories influencing customer tastes and buying behavior.
Whether you’re updating your product line, planning future releases, or looking to better understand what motivates today’s craft consumers, this session will give you the clarity and inspiration you need to identify fresh opportunities for growth.
Get energized, spark new ideas, and leave with a wealth of visual inspiration.
What you’ll learn:
- Motifs, colors, techniques, and product ideas are gaining traction in the craft market
- Macrotrends shaping the crafting landscape and consumer behavior
- New opportunities for product development, education, and marketing rooted in emerging trends
Creating an Open-to-Buy: How Much to Spend and When to Spend It
1:00-2:00
Own a retail shop? Open-to-Buy is your key to ensuring profitability. This workshop is for anyone who:
- Doesn’t really know what Open-to-Buy means
- Has inventory that consistently doesn’t move
- Sells most of their product at a discount
If this isn’t a practice in your business success toolbox, you’re working harder than you need to. Open-to-Buy puts more money in your pocket while making your product easier to sell.
Promotions & Clubs & Sales, Oh My: Sales Beyond the Shelf
2:30-3:30
The days of simply selling merchandise on your shelves are long gone. Today, retailers must explore many creative ways to generate income.
From rewards cards, frequent buyer clubs, monthly specials, clearance sales, store promotions, flash sales, in-store events, and crafting groups… with so many options, it can make your head swim. In this workshop, we will discuss how to choose what’s right for you and how to reach your goals. We’ll review the tools currently available on the market that you can use with your POS and website. We’ll also cover options for your promotional calendar and how to plan groups and events that can attract new customers and generate fresh income.
Start thinking beyond just the shelf!
Jill McKinney – Descript
How to Make Videos that Grow Your Business Using Descript
4:00-5:00
Learn how to create simple, effective videos that help your business grow without spending hours editing. In this class, you’ll learn how to use Descript to record, clean up, and repurpose your content into scroll-ready clips. You’ll walk away with a fast, easy workflow and the confidence to make videos that keep your customers engaged and coming back.
Friday, May 8
Heidi Kaisand – Hen and Chick Studio
The Creative Retail Profit Plan: Real Numbers, Real Results
10:00-11:00
Let’s talk honestly about money. In this transparent session, you’ll see how creative retail business really makes (and sometimes loses) money. Heidi shares her own profit and cash-flow lessons, showing how to price for profit, plan inventory wisely, and stay financially steady – without losing the joy in your business.
In this session, you’ll:
- Understand the true cost of running a creative business
- Learn how to use your numbers to make confident decisions
- Discover simple systems to maintain consistent cash flow year-round
Lisa Woolfork – Black Women Stitch
Stitching Stories: How Podcasting Weaves Community and Trust
11:15-12:15
Podcasting is a powerful way to stitch together stories, weave trust with your audience, and knit community around your work. In this engaging session, award-winning podcaster Lisa Woolfork introduces podcasting as a practical, accessible tool for business owners and creatives who want to build meaningful, lasting connections.
This beginner-friendly class covers what a podcast is, why audio works so well for relationship-building, and how format, length, and release cadence shape listener engagement. Participants will learn low-budget ways to get started—from basic equipment and simple editing tools to understanding how podcasts are woven into platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify through an RSS feed.
The session also explores how consistent audio storytelling helps knit trust over time, transforming listeners into a loyal, engaged audience. Attendees will leave with clarity, confidence, and a realistic path for stitching podcasting into their broader brand or business strategy.
Participants will also be eligible to win podcasting prizes, including equipment to help you get started.
Tori McElwain – The Quilt Patch by Tori
Cracking the Code to AI Search and Google Visibility
12:30-1:30
Struggling to get noticed online? With Google and AI transforming how customers search, visibility has never been more important. Discover straightforward steps to help your website and products show up in both traditional search results and AI-powered answers. Leave with a clear, confident strategy to get your beautiful work in front of the people already looking for it.
Kathy Cruz – Savvy Shopkeeper
Washi Tape Won’t Fix This: Behind-the-Scenes Systems That Make Your Creative Business Run Smoothly
1:45-2:45
Independent Retail Coach Kathy Cruz teaches systems and processes in a way that finally makes sense for creative business owners. No corporate jargon, no stiff frameworks, just clear, practical guidance you can actually use. In this session, Kathy breaks down the behind-the-scenes structure that keeps a business running smoothly, reduces daily chaos, and supports steady growth.
You’ll learn simple operational habits that strengthen decision-making and create real momentum in your shop, studio, or online store. And when your business becomes more efficient, the reward is significant: many small business owners see up to 30% more revenue simply by tightening how their business runs behind the scenes.
We’ll be announcing our State of the Industry panelists as well as the Main Stage speakers in the coming weeks!
