#GoodTrade Comes to Burlington

The Good Trade Makers Market brought more than ninety makers and a thousand shoppers together for a weekend popup at Hula.

The senses were indulged at the Good Trade Makers Market last weekend, as vendors from throughout the Northeast set up temporary shop to hustle the holidays.

Hula, Burlington's signature coworking space, was packed by 11:30AM at last Saturday's opening as the arts-curious poured in for the Market. Ticket-holders for the sold-out opening session came dressed for snow and formed a festive queue that wrapped the parking lot as organizers rallied to get folks in as quickly as possible. And you read correctly: this was a ticketed shopping event. Fret not, for the price of a ticket included a glass of punch – presumably a little assist to loosen the holiday cheer and evoke the giving spirit!

Among the vendors were potters and rug makers, body care and scent specialists, chocolatiers and jewelers.

The Good Trade Makers Market is part of a broader effort led by the Providence, RI duo Robin Dionne & BJ Mansuetti aka Ampersand Creative Co. to bring visibility, momentum, and tangible economic benefits to artists, craft makers, and small businesses in New England. An informal survey of vendors found representation from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. Which either means some folks were up at 3AM to get here or they hustled in the night before! All to be set up and ready to go by 10AM, which is when the organizers held an informal vendor meeting to walk everyone through the set up, flow, and support behind the show.

Billed as "the country's greatest makers and manufacturers under one roof," it felt like an intentionally and exceptionally well-curated market. The quality of the products made - from jewelry to leather goods, ceramics to cutlery, marshmallows to cotton candy - was a delight to peruse. Its just plain exciting to be in such close and densely packed proximity to this kind of talent. And it's clear the organizers foreground a deep respect for the vendors they select: the diligent and detailed planning and communication, the thoughtful intermingling and adjacency of goods and talent, all of the marketing and publicity, the relative affordability of a spot in the market, and the emphasis on data collection - its clear that Ampersand is into this business for the long haul. And are likely to soon find themselves in the unenviable position of disappointing the many vendors who don't get in.

All the senses were indulged at the Good Trade Market - bright colors, rich flavors, tactile variety, and the sounds of joy.

For those vendors who made the cut, the consensus seemed to be that the market went well. Really well. For some, the weekend was better than their best day out of their Main Street retail location. For others it was on par with the best of their festival experiences. Plenty of customers, positive interest, and strong sales seem to drive the day. As did the buzzy atmosphere and super friendly vibe. Not to mention the fantastic lakeside venue Hula, a visibly multimillion dollar renovation to an oven factory. And while the organizers made a pretty big deal about the importance of vendor-reported sales data for building their economic impact case, its not yet clear where this data is shared. Let's hope it is, and soon - there's great momentum and energy here, and no doubt Main Street organizations should be seeking out Ampersand Creative Co.'s advisory services.

And for those that didn't make the Good Trade cut, fear not: Ampersand Creative Co. host numerous events throughout the year. The next one in Burlington, The Bloom Flower and Home Sale April 27 & 28, is already fully subscribed. However others are in the works. Recommendation: visit the Ampersand Creative Co. website and subscribe to their emails! You can also follow their good work on Instagram.

Shout out to everyone who made this event a thrilling experience of human ingenuity, creativity, and goodness. The vendors, organizers, and patrons who gave generously of their time, talent - and cash!