The Jaipur Crafts Festival Business Launchpad

Do you want to create your own original craft designs and brand?

Considered launching a business that supports a digital nomad lifestyle?
A retailer who wants to move toward sustainable products or away from your Chinese supply chain?
A fashion lover or influencer who wants to create your spring 2022 wardrobe?

The Jaipur Crafts Festival Launchpad aims to jumpstart new ventures and emerging brands by delivering everything you need to begin; from textile design to e-commerce to import/export logistics.  You'll learn how to source, design and sell original textiles, clothing, jewelry, rugs and home goods from anywhere in the world.

The Business Launchpad is a sequence of preparation tasks (starting up to 4 months ahead of your time on location in Jaipur). It took the Greige designers 3 years to identify vetted craftspeople who will make original, high quality products. We hope you'll take the opportunity to begin creating early with the goal of making final creative choices when we're together.  It is desirable to approve production of your collection while we’re together. 

Craft Business Launchpad 2022 Confirmed/Confirming Events

“Craft Business Launchpad” supports designers, retailers, influencers and new ventures to create a crafts-forward fashion, jewelry or home goods business in a week. 

How It Works

Our goal is to support you through product creation steps before you arrive and while you're with us. What you learn and/or create is up to you.

Key advantages: Successfully participating in the Jaipur Crafts Festival Business Launchpad requires that if you want original products, you must begin creating before you come.  Beginning at home overcomes several barriers, like identifying quality makers and long lead times for original craft products.  We have seen plenty of designers come to Jaipur who end up burning through their allotted time and money.  Typically, new ventures end up working with low-skilled makers or middle-men.  These waste time, raise your costs, lower your quality and force-down wages for the hands that make your goods. The Business Launchpad saves you time and hassle, while supporting your creative and quality vision.  

You'll work with top makers and pay them directly.  We're available to verify pricing to confirm that you're getting value-for-money. Ideally, you'll make enough progress before you come that you can make final comments/changes/approvals when we're together on-site in February.

Process Schedule

Around October 2021, you'll tell us what you want to make/create/learn.  We'll provide a tailored list of vetted, top quality makers together with a realistic timeline and clear work path. This part of the creative process is largely self-driven (but with insight, information and support from our team). If you want to make a category of goods not listed in our resources, we'll try to identify those makers and create a custom track just for you.

Jaipur Crafts Festival Launchpad Categories

Textiles & Clothing (Textile Design, Block Printing, Screen Printing, Embroideries, Heritage Dying, Pattern Making & Packaging)
Those who need original textile designs should begin by October 15th, 2021.
Jewelry (Design, Gemstones, Metals, Casting, Hammering, Finishes)
Original jewelry designs should begin by November 1, 2021
Rugs & Home Goods (Weaving Techniques, Design, Materials, Palettes)
Original rug designs should begin by October 15th, 2021.  Large rugs (over 4' x 6') should begin even earlier.

(Contact us if you are interested in product categories not currently listed and we'll try to accommodate).

Launchpad Events 2022

• Welcome and group creative review of where you are in your product design/production.  Goal: identify the work path for what you want accomplish during the launchpad. (Free. Self-transportation).
• Merchant Workshop on product margins, retail pricing, market verticals and your come-to-market plans. ($5-10. Self-transportation).
• Introduction to your Maker Mentor/expert coach in the chosen category.  (Free. Mentors donate their time.  Additional coaching support is available to you for $10-15 per hour).
• Sustainability Workshop: Circularity, Doughnut Economy and what these trends mean to your go-to-market strategy. ($5-10. Self-transportation).
• Creatis Workshop: Beading.  Weaving. ($10-15. Self-Transportation. If you need more time at Creatis, it is available at about $13.50 per hour).
• Anokhi Museum (Museum entrance and transportation approximately $15).
• Tour of Brigitte Singh's Studio or other successful craft business. ($5-10. Self-transportation).
• Textile design workshop. Demonstrations and info from Joshua. ($5-10.  Self-transportation).
• Talk by luxury leather goods brand. (Free. Self transportation).
• Talk with a top men's wear designer. (Free. Self transportation).
• How to build a brand around sustainability and craft with Jeremy Fritzhand of Studio Bagru. (Pricing TBA).
• Workshop on digital marketing tools and how to set up a successful e-commerce website. (Free. Self-transportation).
• Workshop on Public Relations and how to get noticed by magazine and blog editors.  ($10-15.  Self-transportation).
• Quality control, production tracking and tips on how to manage production from a distance.
• Capstone Workshop/Creative Review of your products to troubleshoot problems before production. (Free. Self-transportation).
• Import/Export, Payments, Logistics.  (Free. Self-transportation).

Jaipur Crafts Festival Events

Most events are private and unique to our group unless otherwise noted. Daily events have limited capacity and are optional.  Typically, we'll have one event per morning and afternoon.  There will be some evening events and a gathering place for dinner if you want to stay with the group.  Unscheduled, free time for exploring or shopping will be noted on the final schedule  We'll save your place on a first come, first served basis. Please register to be notified when tickets go on sale, late summer/fall 2021 

Note: The Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 is at the end of January, just before Experiences Week. We’re not affiliated, but it is a wonderful event for book and culture lovers. The new Jaipur Film Festival follows and will be worth staying in Jaipur. Check out other nearby events on the Rajasthani Tourism Authority website.

Jaipur Crafts Festival

Presented by Greige

CRAFT | CULTURE | CREATIVITY

Draft Language July 2021-Please register for updates

Join us for the inaugural Jaipur Crafts Festival, which takes place from January 31st to February 13th, 2022. Come for the first week of experiences that celebrate context for the highest expression of Rajasthani crafts.  Or, come for the second week, a launchpad for new craft business ventures. Mix and match events to optimize your experiences of Jaipur, the pink city, and Incredible India. Guests are invited for one or both weeks. Events are free or low cost and priced by the day.  

Purpose of the Jaipur Crafts Festival

We provide these time-and-money-saving benefits because we want to support heritage craft make, which may vanish without market support.  The pandemic likely pushed more than 100 million new Indians into poverty and deleted middle class gains over the last ten years.  These effects are especially hard on women, in part because handwoven textiles are the second largest employer of women in Rajasthan.   Learning about India's design and cultural heritage or sourcing products is a net win for everyone involved.

McKinsey Reports: Sustainability

Hotels

You're welcome to book into any hotel you like, although we suggest staying close to Jaipur's C-Scheme where most of the week's activities will take place.  We recommend the Arya Niwas Hotel, (Vegetarian only restaurant. No alcohol in the public areas).  The Chirmi Palacehas vegetarian and non-veg food with a lively bar scene.  Both places have great hospitality, and are also value-for-money.

Note: The popular Jaipur Literature Festival ends as the Jaipur Crafts Festival begins.  The Lit Festival creates very high hotel occupancy and February is the busiest tourist/wedding season in India.  You'll want to make hotel reservations a month or more in advance.

Code of Conduct

• Be inspired by others in the time-tested model of creativity.  However, directly copying other brands or makers is not cool. Please don't do it.
• Be a good partner and clarify details about design services, samples and production costs. You'll be expected to make deposits of 30% to 50% on the goods and services you order. Anyone who disrespects or cheats a festival partner will be asked to leave the event.
• Please respect designers, makers, vendors and event colleagues. We are guests in India and want to be invited back.  Please don't do anything that endangers the Jaipur Crafts Festival or its participants.
• India is an observant Hindu country and may have unfamiliar or restrictive customs.  For example, hotels that welcome unmarried couples will designate that they are "couples friendly". We want you to be yourselves, but also sensitive to the larger culture. The hotels we list are couples friendly.
• India craft business models are likely very different than what you're used to in western value chains.  You will want to practice diligent project management.  Craft makers have explainable, if inconvenient restrictions, with which you may not be familiar.  For example, Natural Dye block printing stops when the humidity gets too high. The dyes don't stick in high humidity. You're likely dealing with living materials that have real production quirks.  You're also likely dealing with multiple families of makers, each of which have their own rhythms. You have to allow enough time in your product introduction schedule to work with these makers as they are; not how you wish them to be.

Mission

Vision

Event Disclaimer

The Jaipur Crafts Festival and Greige.co expressly do not assume any responsibility to correct product mistakes or resolve pricing disputes between you and the people who make your goods. Please be very clear about your product requirements and expectations, as well as payment schedules for goods or services. 

We have spent years meeting and working with well regarded makers. We deliver practical advice and introductions to create successful new craft ventures. That said, your business relationships are created directly with the people who make your goods and the organizers are not involved in any way except to advocate for quality and fairness in all transactions.

The itinerary is subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors outside of our control. We strive for the best possible experience and will substitute anything that must be changed with something equally or even more awesome!

To keep these events affordable, we focus on event programming rather than traditional travel and tourism pricing. Recommendations for higher levels of tourism service providers are available.  Please ask.

EXCLUSIONS
Arrival & Departure Airport Transfers
Accommodations
Meals/Refreshments (except where noted)
Ground Transportation (except where noted)
Local Guides (except where noted)
Entry Fees & Tickets to Activities (except where noted)
Transportation to/from India/Jaipur
Travel & Medical Insurance (Recommended)
Alcohol
Additional Snacks & Meals (except where noted)
Souvenirs
Tips for Drivers and Guides (At your discretion)

For inquiries or partnership information, contact us at info@greige.co.