T.E.C.S.

L.I.K.E.M.A.D.E.

 

Local Innovators, Krafters, Entertainers & Media Arts Developers Exposition

 

      Imagine the South by Southwest exposition in Erie, but entirely local (the name North by Northeast is already taken).  There is a community of private, locally owned shops in many of the small towns throughout Europe. This community based model is the inspiration for L.I.K.E.M.A.D.E.; an Exposition involving local performers, vendors, artists and businesses in the Erie area. Most of these small European towns have a number of shops on each block that sell only one particular type of product (like fruits and vegetables, meat, chocolate, wine etc.). However, the interesting thing in these small towns is that you might find 2 or 3 fruit stands on the same block. Somehow, they must compete and cooperate at the same time to stay in business. Probably nobody gets rich, but all the healthy businesses survive. Each local business finds its niche through advertising its unique quality, product, or service to the locals, nearby residents from the surrounding area, and tourists. 

 

     In this Exposition, we would bring together locally owned businesses in the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, to showcase their wares to the public (mostly local music, art, digital media, restaurants, chocolatiers, wineries, breweries). The local businesses would have an opportunity to network. The public would be exposed to all of the local innovators and businesses, and a compilation listing all of the Exposition participants and their products would become a directory of local establishments to patronize. A hard copy directory would be handed out with admission to the event and a website would be created from all of the same information.

 

     The public would buy a ticket or pay a nominal admission fee and receive a brochure with a schematic listing (blueprint of the Convention Center) of all the participating local artists and businesses. The brochure would also contain the business's or artist's address, phone number, email, web site information, Facebook, Twitter as well as a self-description of their goods, services, accomplishments etc. 

 

     L.I.K.E.M.A.D.E. would be a festival similar to Celebrate Erie. However, all participating businesses, artists, and vendors at the Exposition would be locally owned and operated. The Directory of local artists and establishments could be utilized by realtors, business organizations, and visitor centers to promote the local economy.