Creating Australia’s iconic art and craft experience.

Our focus is to celebrate and nurture high quality artists and makers across a broad range of crafts both traditional and contemporary, who are encouraged to show their works being created at the fair. With over 200 exhibitors, a majority are from Tasmania with a quality selection from interstate Australia.

Our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan focuses on 4 areas:

1. A thriving creative community - create opportunities for artists and makers to network, grow their markets and share their stories.

2. A clear community difference - continue to fund and support diverse community programs across the year to encourage connectedness and assist each other in the Rotary spirit of service.

3. Valued economic impact - understanding and leveraging our economic impact for individual exhibitors, the local community and the Tasmanian visitor economy.

4. Future-oriented - focused on sustainability in all forms, from environmental impact to investment in strong foundations for the ongoing delivery of the Fair.
   

We also welcome International visiting artists, and each year, exhibitors compete for the coveted $10,000 Premiers Arts Award sponsored by the Tasmanian Government. Each year, visitors deliver a $3 million impact for the Tasmanian community, in addition to the growing costs of hosting the event and the sales made by exhibitors.

Our target for growth is to grow to 30,000 attendances by the 2030 event.

Challenge. Change. Opportunity

Change is inevitable. The way we did things to grow this event before COVID will not work in the changed world we live in now. That means, we need to offset challenges, embrace change and build opportunities. Many of the things that happen in one year may have started with planning several years before. We use both personal feedback from survey results and a raft of other data and evidence to inform new initiatives.

• People are spending more online across every sector - this is a global trend. We need to offset this by creating a compelling and differentiated reason to see, touch, value and admire quality handmade products. All the things an online experience cannot offer.

• A lot more ‘markets’ for people to attend - we must deliver on all the aspects of a ‘Working Craft Fair’, including demonstrations, celebration, and nurturing of expertise, with varied entertainment for all ages, in a multi-day program that leaves attendees looking forward to returning.

• Attendees were coming every 2-3 years - In the 2019 survey, respondents said “it doesn’t change that much to warrant an annual visit”. So to increase frequency, the experience evolves each year, including new feature artists, amended locations, and, of course, new exhibitors, in addition to the favourites, who also create new and exciting products to launch at the Fair.

• Attendees were ageing and 84% female - In 2019, more than 60% of our attendees were over 56, and 9% were over 71. Just 3% were under 17 and 1% 18-25. While we still await our next survey, we know we have successfully lowered the average age of visitors. This is important for the longevity of the fair and to inspire new generations of the importance of handmade and inspire the next generation of makers.

• Marketing is more complicated and fragmented - consumers are bombarded with options of things to do, places to spend and the sheer number of advertisers fighting for attention. It’s no longer enough to raise awareness; marketing needs to compel people to attend. Our digital assets are built to be accessible across all devices, including for those with varied disabilities, and optimised year-round to reach our target audiences as the platforms themselves change. We deliver strategies across 4 social media platforms, electronic billboards, search, traditional news media, magazines, partner socials, email, and streaming services—not just in Tasmania but also in key areas across the country. In 2018, we had 7,000 people visit the Tasmanian Craft Fair website. In 2025, that number had grown to 54,000 in a single year.

• Fewer volunteers - while the Craft Fair is still run by the Rotary Club of Deloraine, we have been able to attract some funding and pro-bono time to support critical, skilled roles. However, the craft fair relies on volunteers. Across Australia, there are 19% fewer volunteers in 2022 than there were in 2016. In most cases, the Craft Fair is staffed by volunteers from other service clubs or schools to which we donate in support of their cause. We value the fantastic work our volunteers do, but we need more. We will be working to attract and support this critical aspect of the Fair.

• Growing the number of Premier’s Award entries - In 2025, we had over 30 entries of excellence. This number is steadily increasing year on year, supported by the $10,000 cash prize, and now the profile created from videos created about the winner and their craft, attracting hundreds of thousands of views each year. Maintaining a high standard of varied crafts is critical as well as enforcing our ‘hand-made’ requirements of exhibitors.

• Part of a global environment - Sustainability isn’t just financial. The Fair is also working to reduce our waste through the Rotary End Plastic Soup campaign as well as changes to our waste plans for recycling rewards.

While there may be challenges, we know there are so many opportunities, and we’re well on our way to continuing the growth of the event so that it’s not only iconic but that it stands on strong foundations for many years to come.

Community Impact

A portion of Craft Fair profits is provided to the Rotary Club of Deloraine to invest in their many local, national and international humanitarian projects. With the implementation of the 2024-28 Strategic Plan, extra funds are being directed to the ongoing investment and transition of the Fair, securing longevity for decades to come.

Some of these community projects, of nearly 200 in total, include:

Within Tasmania:

• Provision of scholarships to outstanding secondary students towards Tertiary education.

• Running the Tasmanian part of the national Model United Nations Assembly for secondary students.

• Financial support to the Deloraine Hospital in setting up a hospice care facility and provision of beds.

• Learn to Swim Program in Deloraine for younger children

• Construction of walking bridges across the Meander River, Deloraine

Nationally:

• Financial donations to drought, fire, flood relief programs and rural mental health programs.

Internationally:

• Financial support of Polio eradication, anti-Malaria programs run by Rotary International.

• Support to eye clinics in Nepal

• Provision of water wells in Fiji

• Volunteer Rotary groups to work on various projects in Tanzania, Nepal and Fiji.

Some of the funds go to service groups such as Apex and other Rotary Clubs in the region that have provided volunteers to assist with the TCF. These clubs in turn use the money to funding their own local charities or civic projects.

The Tasmanian Craft Fair is supported by the Tasmanian Government and many other generous sponsors.