Last week I told you about what we were doing this summer but a single post is not enough to talk in-depth about the Etsy Open Call experience.
We already visited the Etsy HQ in Brooklyn a couple of years ago but this time was more special because we were selected to display our work there.
In fact it was a surprise being selected because we tought we’d have less chance being a foreign brand. Plus we were overwhelmed with the level of the Etsy crafters selected (they received about 1400 requests). We met there with people from Canada, the United States, Israel, South Africa and with another shop from Madrid, which I’ve have always admired, the lovely Olula.
The whole event lasted two days. The first day was basically for preparation and the second day was the event with the big retailers and other american stores.
The Etsy Wholesale team made us feel like home from the moment we walked through the door, they took care of every detail.
In the morning we had several training sessions on topics directly related to selling wholesale: manufacturing, media, how to pitch your product… we learned a lot from each of the workshops and helped us to refine our pitch for the next day.
In the afternoon it was time to set up our little booth and take a tour to the new Etsy HQ. We already knew the old offices, but this year Etsy moved to a new larger building in the same area of Brooklyn, with more facilities and spectacular views. Etsy employees were super friendly and charming, all the time you can feel a refreshing work environment, lots of good vibes and admirable enthusiasm.
The important Etsy Open Call day of was a tough day and I was not feeling my best because of the cold I caught those days that left me KO. But hey, we had to give the best of ourselves and go for it.
We pitched our brand to six large retailers explaining where we come from, what we do, why we do it and what makes our brand special. And also answering their questions about what we could offer to their customers and try find out what they were really looking for.
After all the pitches each retailer had to reward two brands to sell their products in their stores next Christmas season, not an easy choice for sure.
We didn’t receive any of these prizes and I really felt a great relief because the nerves finally disappeared. The whole experience was very rewarding and we really feel that the event has opened more doors if possible for our brand to someday work with any of these companies.
We also earned confidence in ourselves and in our brand. If we were there was because some of these retailers were really interested and wanted to see us at the event. The physical experience to see and touch the products in person is irreplaceable and we are convinced that we left a good impression from the feedback we received.
After the event Etsy had organized a wonderful party and invited small boutiques so they could meet the finalists. We received more feedback on our products and we made new contacts. In fact we already have new stockists that you can check out here.
We went back to Madrid inspired, with renewed energy and happy to have made new friends and contacts. We will continue doing what we love and trying to improve every day. The best is yet to come! Thanks to the Etsy Wholesale team for all their support and dedication.
Thanks for the lovely photos to Erik Valand, Michelle Delgado and Pablo Gómez.
