A letter to the handcrafted industry-

The cancellation of the American Handcrafted show in Philly has been tough for many to swallow. It is bittersweet for us at IndieMe as well. We put our hearts and souls into the ACRE shows; seeing it vanish is simply heartbreaking. The show came to symbolize friendship, connections, networking, camaraderie, and a source of support and inspiration. We all have memories from each show attended and will now hold those memories closer than ever. When one door closes, you can be sure another is there to open. It might not be visible right away but life has a way of working itself out, getting the kinks out of the way so to speak. We have to be open to the change and embrace the journey.

Our industry is resilient and a pandemic certainly could have wiped us out, but here we are vibrant and growing every single day. I can promise you this, IndieMe will continue to be the beacon for all handcrafted artists and buyers alike. We promise to always innovate, whether only on the IndieMe platform or creating a new in-person trade show experience for handcrafted.

We cannot bring a show to Philly in 2024 but we can provide the expertise, the knowledge, and the platform for all Philly artists to continue connecting with handcrafted buyers. Please give us time as we navigate through this change, and determine what the industry needs, and what the artists and buyers need to move forward. We are open to your ideas and your solutions, simply reach out to us at service@indieme.com and we will take your ideas to heart.

We are a marketing tool to help you navigate through good times and uncomfortable times like this. Artist or Buyer if you need any assistance - need help locating the perfect product, marketing ideas, display ideas, or anything - please reach out. We are here for you.

Remember the ACRE way? That simply transitioned to the IndieMe way.

Love, Jackie, and the entire IndieMe team.