For Dallas creative nonprofits and community orgsBringyour org
Host a free table at the Dallas Creatives Hangout and meet hundreds of creatives who came looking for a community like yours.
- Hangouts to date
- 3
- orgs and nonprofits
- 30+
- RSVPs and counting
- 1,686
- reasons to connect
- 1M
The Hangout, from your side of the table
A room full of creatives looking for their people.
The Dallas Creatives Hangout is a free, quarterly mixer for Dallas–Fort Worth creatives of every discipline. Hundreds come each time, and a lot of them are looking for a way in: a group to join, a program to apply to, a community that gets what they do.
That’s where you come in. Creative nonprofits and community groups host tables around the room, and attendees make the rounds. No program, no pitch contest. The people you want to reach are already in the room, and plenty of them came ready to sign up.
You’d be in good company
See all 33 orgs
What’s in it for you
Six reasons to bring a table
One night, one room, a few hundred creatives who came to meet groups like yours. Here’s what orgs get out of it.
Hundreds of creatives in one night
Every Hangout fills a room with filmmakers, musicians, designers, dancers, game devs and writers, many of them looking for exactly what you run.
Sign up members on the spot
Bring a sign-up sheet or a QR code. People come to the tables to find a way in, so make it easy to say yes.
Promote what’s coming up
Programs, workshops, calls for entry, festivals, open mics, screenings. Bring flyers and tell people face to face.
Sell memberships and your own merch
Tables can sell memberships, your own merch and tickets to your own events, as long as it’s tied to your org.
Your logo on the site
Orgs that host a table join the logo wall on this site, linked to your website, so creatives can find you year-round.
Meet the other orgs
The orgs at the tables tend to become friends. Share audiences, plan collaborations, and compare notes with people doing the same work.
Who it’s for
Orgs that help creatives find their people
The fit test: when a creative walks up to your table, is there something they can join, take part in, or apply to?
- Membership orgs, guilds and associations
- Collectives and creative communities
- Festivals and recurring events creatives can join
- Programs creatives can apply to: residencies, exhibition space, showcases, grants
Like these
Society of Playa community for game makers and players
Dallas Producers Associationa membership org for film producers
ArtBoosta nonprofit that hosts a regular conference for artists
The Cedars Uniona space for creatives to work and collaborate
What to bring
Bring your own everything
It’s free to exhibit. Here’s the kit most orgs bring.
- Your own 6-ft tableFolding tables are perfect. The venue doesn’t provide one.
- ChairsOne or two for whoever’s staffing the table.
- A tableclothHelps your table look finished.
- SignageA banner or a tabletop sign with your name, readable from across the room.
- A sign-up QR codeFor your mailing list, membership page or next event.
- Everything elseFlyers, merch, a card reader, tape, extension cords. Bring all your own materials.
Good to know
- Power isn’t guaranteedCharge things up and bring a battery pack.
- Setup is first come, first servedWe have a loose idea of where tables can go at each venue, but spots go to whoever sets up first.
- Confirm earlyWhen exhibitor registration opens, the first orgs to confirm get the tables.
- Details come by emailSetup times and arrival info go out in the exhibitor email.
How it works
From form to table
Fill out the interest form
Takes about five minutes. Tell us about your org and how creatives get involved.
You’re on the exhibitor list
We review every form and let you know either way. If it’s a fit, you stay on the list for every Hangout.
The list hears first
When tables open for the next Hangout, we email the exhibitor list before anyone else. The first orgs to confirm get the spots.
Show up, set up, meet your people
Bring your table and your best pitch. We’ll bring the creatives.
Exhibitor interest form
Get on the exhibitor list
About five minutes. Being on the list means you hear first when tables open for each Hangout.
Questions first? Email dallascreativeshangout@gmail.com.
Does it cost anything to exhibit?
No. Tables are free for now, just like tickets.
Can we sell things at our table?
Yes. You can sell memberships, your own merch, and tickets to your events. Please be respectful and keep it to things related to your org: no reselling random items or 3D-printed things that have nothing to do with what you do. This isn’t a craft fair or a retail store. The organizers can limit sales of any item, or any table, that doesn’t fit the event, but we want every table to succeed.
I filled out the form. Will I get a table?
We review every submission to decide whether it’s a good fit for the Hangout. Whether it is or it isn’t, you’ll hear from us with a decision. Being on the exhibitor list doesn’t guarantee a table: tables at every venue are first come, first served, and each Hangout brings in a different mix of exhibitors.
Can we have more than one table?
Every org gets one table. If you’d like a second, ask us when you confirm and we’ll add it if the venue has room.
Can I exhibit as an individual artist?
Tables are for organizations that creatives can join or take part in. If you’re a solo creative, come as an attendee! It’s free, and it’s the best way to meet the orgs.
We can’t make the next one. Should we still fill out the form?
Yes. Once you’re on the list, you hear about tables before every Hangout, so you can jump in whenever the timing works.
Do we need to attend every Hangout?
No. Every Hangout brings a different mix of orgs, depending on who’s free that night.