Etsy Success Sydney

Etsy came to town yesterday and what a show it was.   It was one of those you-should-have-been-here-last-weekend sort of days, as the heavens opened up and the cold set in to chill the bones.

Still, with views like this from the roof deck of the Museum of Contemporary Art, no one was really complaining.

Chad Dickerson, the CEO of Etsy, came all the way from Brooklyn with his entourage for the occasion.

Etsy Success Sydney was part of the Vivid Sydney Festival, which itself is attracting huge crowds to  numerous events and displays.  Several weeks ago my lovely young friend Belinda Harris of BrisStyle advised that she was to be a key speaker at the event and asked me to hold her hand while she presented her workshop, Effective Etsy Team Management.  Bel and I were part of the original BrisStyle committee and we had seen it grow from 12 people meeting in a coffee shop in 2008 to its present membership of over 270.  It has been quite a journey.

We were fortunate to have a little calm time before the hoards arrived, so we grabbed a cup of coffee and took in the view from the museum's deck, along with a couple of early arrivals. 

The serenity was short-lived as the sell-out crowds started to arrive.

Before we could take time out for a quiet scream, they day had begun.  The first workshop was conducted by Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson.

Next up was Danielle Maveal, head of Etsy's Seller Education.  Bel and I had exchanged many emails with Danielle over the years, so it was good to finally put a face to the name.

Morning tea came with a rush - and a crush.  No matter where you turned, there was no avoiding that iconic bridge.

Our workshop was fast approaching.  The photographer took our pictures (mercifully my photo will not be shown in this blog).

We were fitted with microphones and launched onto the stage.

And there I sat, perched on a stool like a shag on a rock, while Bel worked her magic.  I did manage a few sentences as way of introduction, but it's all a blur.  By the time Bel had finished her wonderful presentation, it was time for questions and answers.  Of course, my mike died and I was left like a puffer fish gasping for air.  I secretly sent up a prayer of thanks that no one outside this venue would see me.  I did notice the cameramen at the back of the two function rooms, but their true purpose had not really occurred to me.

Imagine my horror when it was announced that all the sessions would be podcast.  To the World.  Noooooo!!  I have visions of someone posting me up on YouTube, where it will mercilessly go viral.  Mummy.  My only hope is that the kind cameraman concentrated solely on Bel.

The session following us was a lively panel discussion with top-selling Australians Lloyd (Tummy Mountain), Sam (Matou En Peluche) and BrisStyle member Jess (Epheriell).  

It was time for me to leave, as I had a very important event to attend - our youngest grandson's third birthday, with extra grandparents winging in from Melbourne.  What a day.