Milk Mart is a quarterly local art and food festival hosted in Orlando. In 2018, I was brought on board to execute an overhaul of it's branding and management, becoming it's new director only a year and a half after its original inception. Originally called "The Milk District Market," I turned the 30 vendor, single parking lot event into a 250 vendor local food and art festival.
Before the overhaul, "The Milk District Market" was averaging 30 vendors, hosted in a single parking lot. It pulled in 100 guests on a good day; my goal was to increase the number of vendors and guests, while creating a stronger system behind-the-scenes to facilitate a more streamlined application process, as well as acquire sponsorships to help with the cost of the production. Our iconic cow-themed branding also became an integral part of standing out in the over-saturated market scene.
Previously, it had felt like markets leaned heavily one of two ways; you were either going to a cute farmers market with ceramics, candles, and food, or you were going to an anime convention with original art, plushies, and collectibles. Milk Mart aims to meld the two groups, introducing a space where your favorite convention artist from MegaCon is set up next to your local artisan soap maker, creating a kind of "melting pot" space for all kinds of creatives.
Orlando is chock-full of local markets, so catching people's attention can be tricky. Everyone strives to have an interesting assortment of vendors; we strive to create an interesting space for them. Our expansive outdoor location and close relationship to the brick-and-mortar businesses allows us to host many things other events cannot, like live glass-blowing, pop-up salons, live painting and 3D printing, build-a-bouquet stations, photobooth buildouts, and more.
Hosting more vendors, expanding to more parking lots, and growing the party as a whole requires a solid online system. Shortly after our first successful event, I launched milkmartorlando.com, a space to send guests and vendors alike for more information. We began using MailChimp and Google Workspace apps to streamline the application process, met with praise by our vendors, followed shortly after by other local events imitating our system.
Currently, Milk Mart sits right around ~250 vendors per event, pulling an astounding 2,500+ guests, and boasting over 20,000 followers across social media platforms. Our quarterly event happens in February, May, October, and December, produced by the infamous "Moo Crew," who have become so well-known for perfectly produced events, that they've been requested by name and contracted by others.
Our commitment to our vendors is proven by the over 700 applications we receive per event, and our passion for the community shines through the amazing turnout we experience each event. As we continue to grow, we remain dedicated to platforming local artists and makers, and creating space for the community to gather and grow.
When I began with Milk Mart, it averaged 30 vendors in one parking lot; we now have access to nearly an entire block in The Milk District, and average 250 vendors and food trucks each event. We don't intend to stop here, and have big plans for the future that will continue to show off the best Orlando has to offer!
For information on becoming a vendor or sponsoring the event, you can visit milkmartorlando.com.