The Players:
Natalie and Matthew Schurman own one of the biggest trade show companies in Atlantic Canada, Darwin Event Group, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Maritime Tents. The Schurmans are also equal partners with the husband-and-wife team of Ashley Hasler Keenan and Mitch Keenan in East Coast Crafts Marketplace, an online retailer.
The Problem:
Darwin’s revenues were wiped out early in the pandemic as all events the company was to host were cancelled or delayed.
The Pivot:
Darwin launched East Coast Crafts for vendors to sell homemade crafts to a regional market.
Big event production company Darwin Event Group is evolving by launching East Coast Crafts Marketplace, an online marketplace for small, homemade craft vendors in Atlantic Canada.
“In the early days of the…