Are you interested in learning new skills to help you run your craft business? Join us this summer in Chicago for h+h americas, the premier trade show for the crafts industry, where you’ll find an incredible lineup of business-focused classes.

Craft Industry Alliance and the h+h americas Conference Committee have an incredible lineup of masterclasses, business classes, panels, and keynotes topics. You’ll learn 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!

Masterclasses allow participants to get hands-on with individualized help from top notch instructors. Join a small class (topped at 15 students) and spend 2.5 hours working together to develop new skills. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert!

Art 2 The Extreme

Crafting Your Etsy Empire: Strategies for Building and Sustaining a Profitable Etsy Shop |
12:00 pm – 2:30 pm & 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Have questions you have been dying to ask an Etsy specialist? Don’t know where to start with your Etsy shop? This is your opportunity! Take a deep dive into Etsy best practices and learn how to dominate the Etsy algorithm to get as many eyes on your work as possible.

As an Etsy U instructor, Etsy Design Award Finalist, and top 1% seller who frequents Etsy marketing opportunities, Nicole specializes in Etsy branding, SEO, and marketing to get your products in front of your ideal customer and navigate the vast sea of products on Etsy. She will speak to specific questions including listing and shop audits and how to create listings that catch the eye of Etsy staff and members of the media. This masterclass is for all experience levels with Etsy. For those not on the platform, the benefits why you should be using Etsy will be shared which might just change your mind.

Website Content That Sells and Drives Traffic: Beginner Shopify Strategies for Yarn, Fabric, and Craft Stores |
12:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Your website content can be used to interest, tempt, and inform your customers. If created strategically, it can also bring traffic to your site from Google. Learn what kind of content is important on your website, and how to optimize your site for both sales and traffic. We will talk about leveraging your informational text, blog posts, product reviews and testimonials, as well as your FAQ and how-to pages. We will also talk about calls to action and how to use your email marketing to support your website.

Additional Speakers:

Aeolidia

Gale Zucker Photography

Picture Perfect: Crafting Captivating Product Photos for Creative Entrepreneurs | 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm

In this hands-on workshop, photographer Gale Zucker will lead students in creating eye-catching, social media marketing-friendly product images. The emphasis will be on live demonstration and hands-on practice making images during the class. You’ll learn how to plan and style a shoot, set up product shots in ways that streamline the process, and yield a variety of images you can use over time. We’ll discover simple lighting techniques and composition tips to help you create beautiful images every time. Gale will demo smartphone photo editing to quickly create the best, most color-accurate versions of your images. The class will be taught assuming students are using smartphones for photography, although the topics are also applicable to those who photograph with a traditional camera.

Bite-Sized Content, Big Impact: Using Short Videos to Boost Your Business | 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Learn how to use short, engaging videos to promote your business on social media. In this workshop designed specifically for shop owners, you’ll discover the power of behind-the-scenes footage and how it can attract and engage your target audience. You’ll learn quick and easy ways to create and share video content that will boost your brand and increase your online presence. No need for expensive video editing software – Vanessa will teach you how to use free, user-friendly editing software that will have you creating fun and engaging videos in no time.

Crafty Gemini

Aeolidia

Advanced Shopify Strategies for Yarn, Fabric, and Craft Stores | 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Craft supplies aren’t always easy to sell with Shopify’s standard software, apps, and themes. You may have many product options (colors, weights, quarter-yard increments). With many SKUs and their variants, it can be a challenge to create a shopping experience that allows customers to easily find what they’re looking for.

When you add in things such as selling patterns, kits, and bundles, it can get overwhelming. Many craft stores also offer in-person workshops and events. Managing class calendars and communication with students require you to go beyond Shopify’s native functionality. Another challenge is how to effectively communicate to both your local and internet customers. Once you’ve moved past the basics of getting set up with ecommerce, learn some advanced techniques to create a customer-friendly and compelling craft shop with Shopify.

Additional Speakers:

Visual Merchandising Hands-On Workshop | 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Learn to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making purchases in your shop through visual merchandising. Spend 2.5 hours with LA-based visual merchandising expert Michelle Sherrier. You’ll start with a pile of craft products and Michelle will show you how to create truly stunning visual displays. Learn how to create high-impact, cohesive displays with simple elements anyone can replicate! This hands-on workshop with an industry pro will give you the tools to transform your shop into a gorgeous visual showcase that sells.

MC Design Collaboration
The Retail Whore Podcast

Crafty Gemini

Bite-Sized Content, Big Impact: Using Short Videos to Boost Your Business | 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Learn how to use short, engaging videos to promote your business on social media. In this workshop designed specifically for shop owners, you’ll discover the power of behind-the-scenes footage and how it can attract and engage your target audience. You’ll learn quick and easy ways to create and share video content that will boost your brand and increase your online presence. No need for expensive video editing software – Vanessa will teach you how to use free, user-friendly editing software that will have you creating fun and engaging videos in no time.