This piece is part of our INDYtoday Q+A series. Do you know someone we should interview? Nominate them here.
You’ve probably already heard of (and shopped at) Six Ways Markets’ This Must Be It or more recently, Wonderland. These are brand-new vendor markets organized by Beck Holladay, who has quickly become a leader in this growing outlet for local businesses.
We asked Beck 10 questions about the future of vendor markets in Indianapolis + beyond. Keep reading to find out where their favorite local spots are and what they think Indy will be known for in 10 years.
What’s something that every Hoosier should know about?
Zodiac Vintage. They have some of the best vintage curation that I’ve ever seen.
Name 3-5 other local leaders, influencers, or movers + shakers you’re watching.
Jess Pittman-Bidwell from Flipside Estate Sales. She has a crazy good eye and curates these great sales. She’s thoughtful with how she does everything. She’s incredible.
Then I’d definitely have to say Christian Resiak, the owner of Howl and Hide. He’s got nine irons in the fire at all times. I thought I was a busy person — he’s just insane. He’s got a good business mind.
And there’s a maker called Cream and Concrete. I think they’ve done every one of my shows. Kaitlan Vosler does really beautiful handmade concrete home goods. It’s just beautiful, clean, unique stuff and I can see them going really far.
You’ve said that you don’t think vendor markets will ever go away. Why do you think Indy is a good spot to keep that tradition alive?
There’s something about the people in Indy that — if you give them something to do, they’ll do it. I think that’s such a unique and endearing quality to people here. The people are so interested in what each other are doing and supporting each other. They’re just so interested in getting out, in a way I’ve never seen in another city.
Want to know more of Beck’s Circle City faves or where she takes Indy newbies? Click the button below.
How did you get started + how many cities have you expanded to since your first market in Indy?
Especially with COVID, a lot of small businesses were losing that face-to-face factor that really is a kind of a big part of being a small business and connecting with people so you can have those repeat customers.
Pop-up markets exist but on such a small scale — with eight to 10 vendors and there’s not much advertising done for them generally. I thought, why not make them big and really advertise to drive people to them. I’ve had vendors make almost $10,000 over a weekend.
The point of it is to invigorate small businesses. I did the initial market at Sun King here in Indy and thought it’d be pointless not to have this travel. So far, we’ve done markets in Columbus + Cincinnati, OH, Kansas City, MO, Milwaukee, WI, and Louisville, KY.
This year, the hope is to expand a bit beyond the Midwest and get into cities like Pittsburgh, maybe Boston.
Why do you think your markets are so successful?
There are two different aspects to it. You have the vendor aspect — what kind of relationship you have with your vendors.
From an attendee’s perspective, I market heavily. I spend the money. I’ve seen that if you spend that marketing money, you’ll get the results. There’s no real magic to it. You just have to be willing to put it out there.
How do you think your markets will change as you expand to other cities?
I definitely want to adjust in 2022. I felt like the last market was a little too big, so adjusting for size and scaling things to make sure that vendors are seeing as many people come to their tents as possible. In terms of other cities, the focus in 2022 is going to be choosing the right venues.
If you were taking someone on a tour of Indy, what are three places you would take them?
Petite Chou. I’m kind of a sucker for the canals because I’m new and I just think it’s kind of cool. And Broad Ripple dog park. Coming from Portland, Indy is comparably very dog friendly.
Describe your perfect day in Indy in the length of a tweet.
It would definitely involve my dog. But to be completely honest (and this is such a bummer), the pandemic has been happening for the vast majority of the time that I have lived here. I’d just love to explore a little bit more.
You can only choose one local restaurant menu to bring with you to a deserted island — which one is it and why?
It is this tiny Indian restaurant in Broad Ripple called Shalamar. Probably my favorite meal on the planet comes from there. They’re great, they’re reliable, they’re the same every time. It’s perfect.
What do you think Indy will be known for in 10 years?
Obviously, the 500 dominates everything, but there’s a huge arts culture here that I think is really starting to boom quite a bit. I can see Indy hosting a big arts and media festival like South by Southwest.
I can see Indy start to be known for something that is art-centric and drives people into the city for something other than a sports event. And I would personally love to see that because that economic growth for people in those industries would be phenomenal.
