PA Wilds Makers Market: An opportunity to show off your WILD things
Members of the Wilds Cooperative of PA are invited to participate in the first-ever PA Wilds Makers Market, an online shopping experience.
The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, with live demonstrations and features between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday and between 12 noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Businesses and organizations in the Wilds Cooperative of PA will have a chance to connect with customers; share information about products, services and processes; and ultimately make sales.
“Our outreach to members of the WCO over the past few months made it clear that many businesses in the WCO, which are within the hard-hit service sector and related industries, have been impacted due to COVID-19. That is partly what spurred this new marketplace opportunity,” said Abbi Peters, EVP of Creative Commerce at the PA WildsCenter for Entrepreneurship, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the WCO. “We’ve wanted to do something like this for a while. Then one of the WCO members, Mickayla Poland, reached out to ask if we would partner with her to make a virtual market a reality because of the crisis. Easy answer — Yes!”
Poland helped organize a group of members who have been planning the event for about a month and a half.
“During these unprecedented times, I knew I wanted to do my part to help,” said Poland. “A group of Wilds Cooperative markers and myself partnered with The PA Wilds and to create a unique virtual shopping experience for customers. The Cooperative is made up of so many talented and creative minds that I believed we can and we will persevere.”
To participate, businesses must be members of the WCO. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26.
There are a few options for how businesses can get involved. Businesses may choose to:
- Go live for 15-25 minutes (provide a demonstration or a tour)
- Submit a 3-5 minute, pre-recorded video (commercial that we can share live!)
- Post videos and pictures live during the event!
- All of the above!
“We are eager to be able to partner with the entrepreneurs in the WCO to offer this type of program,” Peters added. “COVID-19 has severely impacted our rural businesses already, and we know that the cancellation of events that typically serve as economic boons will intensify the hardship. Creative solutions designed to build connections and support during this time will be integral to ensuring our small businesses get through this. We want to be a part of that!”
The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania is one of rural Pennsylvania’s largest networks of creative entrepreneurs, featuring over 300 businesses located in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Small, place-based businesses that add to the visitor experience and within the creative industries are typically eligible to apply. There are no annual membership dues, and members are promoted as part of the Pennsylvania Wilds experience.The WCO is managed by the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., a regional nonprofit organization that seeks to marry conservation and economic development in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
LEARN MORE & APPLY
Learn more about the event and requirements to participate at www.WildsCoPA.org/PA-Wilds-Makers-Market.
ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA WILDS
The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. For more information on the region, visit www.PAWilds.com.
The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The PA Wilds Center works with partners to promote the region as a premier outdoor recreation destination and manages the Wilds Cooperative of PA, a business network of over 300 place-based businesses, in an effort to help businesses find new markets. For more information on the PA Wilds Center, visit www.PAWildsCenter.org. Details about the Wilds Cooperative business network can be found at www.WildsCoPA.org.
