The National Mead Day Art Market aka Norse Nectar & Artisan Market, was hosted by Creating Harmony Events and Viking Alchemist Meadery. It was my first event with both hosts and I broke my record for sales at a drinking establishment.
Historically, my sales haven’t been good at bar-hosted art markets, but I think the Viking Alchemist’s core audience made the difference. There are clear DnD influences in the branding and atmosphere of the venue, which means a nerdy base who’d vibe with my style. I even got to see a few returning customers!
I noticed quite a few attendees who were wearing Renaissance Faire inspired outfits, like corsets and leather accessories. It made me wonder if this is usual fare for the meadery or if it was special for National Mead Day. To celebrate, there were food trucks, the art market, and a staff flight competition. For five dollars you could get five shots of different meads the staff had brewed, and vote on the winner which would get added to the main menu. Having heard recommendations from a friend on Viking Alchemist’s brews already, I treated myself to both a contest flight and an earl grey mead, delicious!
To help promote the artisans, Creating Harmony Events arranged a raffle in collaboration with Viking Alchemist Meadery. Customers who spent 30 dollars or more at a single booth would be rewarded with a ticket. Then every hour, Viking Alchemist would raffle away one competition flight, until the final hour which would be a whole bottle. I was able to give away quite a few tickets, but I don’t know if any of my customers won, haha. I really appreciated the raffle in building excitement to shop the market!
It was a hot August afternoon, but nothing my previous summer shows hadn’t prepared me for. My outdoor vendor friends had recommended a Ryobi portable fan to me, and fortunately Home Depot had a sale in July. I was careful to arrive early for set-up and slow down if I felt a hint of heat exhaustion. Plus, I was mindful to keep my booth layout simplified to shorten the time needed to setup and teardown. Creating Harmony Events also had water bottles and cold towels to hand out, but I was able to get by on my refillable bottle.
Billie’s Vendor Rating
Mead | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Foot Traffic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Attendee Vibes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Restrooms | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Pokémon GO | ⭐⭐ |
Heat | ⭐⭐ |
I had a very good experience with both hosts for the Norse Nectar & Artisan Market, and I certainly hope to add both to my regular rotation. Creating Harmony Events may be a newer event planner, but I believe they show a lot of promise and care for the vendors.
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