Each week follow along as we document the trials and tribulations of a festival organizer. In this behind the scenes look we share what it takes to organize and produce one of the largest and best craft fairs on the east coast. To read entries in the series click here.

As a newbie director of Hello Craft I’m taking my first look of all the behind-the-scenes organizing that goes into Crafty Bastards. I often find myself in awe of Kelly, Sara and Kim on a daily basis. So many details to nail down and just not enough hours in the day. For the most part I manage the the Crafty related blog content (like this Diary of a Festival Organizer series) and how Hello Craft brands itself in all aspects of the fair. I also chime in on how to figure out ways to better the vendor experience at Crafty Bastards. My contributions to this series will focus on all this and more in the eyes of the newest addition to Hello Craft.

Sunday, July 11, 8:55pm
I email Sara to see if she still wants help with the data entry of all the scores from the Crafty jury. This year there were more than 450 applications. Considering there are seven judges on this year’s jury that is a whole lot of data entry. Fortunately after a string of less than glamorous internships and jobs I am a whiz at entering tons of numbers quickly with no error. Plus as Sara points out it is “at least meaningful data entry” so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time on something I don’t care about. Also I have a terrible toothache so a few hours of mindless work will keep my mind off the pain.

Monday, July 12, 9:15am
Sara comes over to my desk (yes we work together) and hands off an ominous stack of papers. Some have notes scribbled furiously in the margins. Little snippets like “good for boothshare?” or stars next to them. One juror in particular had wonderful illustrations throughout with perfect handwriting. I want to keep this set of scores and frame it but had to focus on the task at hand. I have to enter all these scores into a spreadsheet built by Sara as quickly and accurately as possible. I tell Sara I’ll be done by Wednesday because I know there are hundreds of independent business owners and crafters out there waiting to hear if they have made the cut for Crafty Bastards or not.

Tuesday, July 13, 10:57pm
I am dunzo with the data entry! I don’t want to make it seem getting the scores tabulated was easy because it definitely is not a piece of cake. I am going to share a few secrets of successful data entry. First of all, shut all social networking off as well as your phone. (Kelly tried to trick me with a bunch of cute handmade items she kept tweeting about but I knew better.) Also, only attempt a few pages at a time then take a break. After entering hundreds of scores into tiny boxes it will be best for your sanity to take a few minutes.  (This is when I would sign back into Twitter to see what Kelly was coveting and I would want as well.) Finally make sure to have a good soundtrack to keep you company and your spirits up. (My playlist consisted of Billy Bragg, Mates of State, Pedro the Lion, St. Vincent and The Wrens. Also yes I am interested in trading data entry mix tapes for all the kind souls out there that handle data entry for other festivals).

Thursday, July 29, 4:00pm
Kim and I get together to hash out what materials we need to create to promote the festival. It’s a good idea to write down exactly what assets are needed, who will create them and what timeframe we are looking for. (Note: one of the best tips I’ve learned from working with Hello Craft is recognizing the drop-dead deadline and then making a false one a few days prior to that final date. The fake deadline is the one we give out to designers, writers, sponsors, etc. It gives a few days of padding just in case there are any last minute fixes that need to be done and lessens the chances of Kim, Sara, Kelly or myself from any added stress.

The rough list we put together is as follows.

Print & Online Ad Campaigns:
- View The Crafty Bastards Gallery
- Volunteer At Crafty Bastards
- Vote For The Craftiest Bastard Contest
- General “Come To Crafty Bastards” Save the Date Ads
- Crafty Bastards This Saturday Sds

Graphics For Onsite Materials:
- Crafty T-Shirt Logo
- Crafty Tote Bags
- Crafty Postcards
- Craftiest Bastard Ballot

Signage at Event:
- Posters With All Sponsors Included
- Posters For Individual Sponsors
- Posters To Direct Folks To Different Parts Of The Fair

- Post-Craft Bastards Materials
- Thank You to Our Sponsors Crafty Bastards Ad Campaign
- 3 Web widgets Made for Craftiest Bastard Winners
- Wrap Up/Media Kit to send out to sponsors after the event

I am pretty sure we are missing a few assets. But it calms my nerves to know we have a pretty good list of things to tackle at the moment.

Saturday, August 7, 12:00pm
Kim and I get together on Saturday afternoon to catch up on Hello Craft matters over brunch and thrifting. We talked about a few things that are high on my Hello Craft “to figure out list.” One of the branding tasks I am contemplating is how to handle the press releases for Crafty Bastards. In the past Kim has sent press releases only from the Crafty Bastards email account to members of the press. We decide it could confuse members of the media if they receive press releases from both Crafty Bastards and Hello Craft.  Nonetheless I want to see press coverage in DC local media outlets previewing and reviewing the event. It’s on my list to remind Kim we need to get back together to work on a timeline for press related matters. We also need to get an approved press release and list of media contacts.

We also stop by the craft section of one of my favorite thrift stores in the suburbs of Maryland. I snatch up tons of knitting needles and Kim and I decide it might be a good idea to put together little knit kits to sell at the Make Something Awesome Area at this year’s Crafty Bastards. We also take mental notes of all the fabric and supplies they have available just in case we need to restock for any special projects.