Event Fresh
Attended: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
View from the balcony
Event blurb: “Join us for Event Fresh Seattle, an event showcase joyfully brought to you by a group of local small businesses. We’ve joined forces to bring you our favorite curated visions and fresh trends for the coming year. If there is an event of any sort on your horizon (a wedding, a launch or corporate party, a private party, or a nonprofit event), don’t miss this powerful showcase! You’ll get original ideas to help you leap into planning, as well as access to trusted, diverse, inclusive event pros who can make your event dreams come true.”
Event Summary
Spearheaded by Synchronicity events, this is the third year of this free event and it features all local women-owned, BIPOC-owned and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Washington Hall is an auditorium in the Central District, with a balcony and a small stage. As expected from events professionals, it looked amazing, every booth/table dressed to the nines, many with florals by Bivins florals. Magnolia Rhapsody was spinning and roller skate duo Tymira performed.
There were light bites as promised, a nice variety of food and drink (Madres Kitchen, Street Treats, Party on the Rocks) that you could make a meal of (or at least I did). Happily, there were also a lot of activities! It helps the networking when people have a little something to do, you know? Synchronicity’s table had a collaborative art project, I made an ornament at Craft Lab, you could take pics with Dress Up Box, plus there was seating if you just wanted to take a moment. You were given a game upon entry, a listing of all of the vendors and if you collected ten stamps you could enter a raffle. Truly, a delightful night out and worth the trek.
Ticketing: Free! Really worth checking out, just for the delicious bites and drinks.
Attendance: I’d guess about 100 (140 were registered when I asked at the front, but you expect attrition at a free event)
Personal Bias/Reason I went: Gathering of event professionals? Networking!
Transparency/Communication
Using Brown Paper Tickets for registration (though I saw that they let in people who were not registered), event was perfectly as described and a standard day before reminder email.
Event Goals
It seemed like a great success to me - great vibe, lots of mingling, every vendor I talked to was very friendly - in a great way, not a sales pitch way.
Reception
Everyone looked to be having a good time and taking advantage of the many things on offer! I saw a ton of people with cotton candy animals (Sweet Art Cotton Candy, see photo above) and bedazzled faces (Yossi Face Art).
Value
You just can’t beat fun AND free!!
Bottom line
Event Fresh is a must-do if you have any event or party related needs! Seriously, even if you’re throwing your mom’s 70th or your cousin’s bat mitzvah - you’ll meet great vendors and/or pick up fun ideas.
Me with the ornament I made