2026 Schedule

January 31, 2026, 11:00 AM ET - 7:00 PM ET

Schedule is subject to change. All times are Eastern Standard.

11:00 AM - 11:15: Welcome

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM: Discussion Rooms: (1) Introduce Yourself, (2) Role-Based Meetups (Presidents, Treasurers, Program Chairs, etc.)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Planning for Tomorrow: Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline

Strong guilds don’t just rely on great leaders—they plan for the future. This panel explores why succession planning is essential for leadership continuity, organizational stability, and long-term success. Panelists will share practical approaches for identifying key roles, assessing leadership needs and expectations, and cultivating new leaders before transitions occur. Learn how to build a leadership pipeline that supports your guild’s mission and ensures it can thrive for years to come.

Panelists: Jayne Flanagan (New Hampshire Weavers Guild), Patricia McCowan (Xanthus Consulting), and Mariya Yurukova (Charity Search Group)

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM: Discussion Rooms: (1) Succession Planning in Guilds, (2) Managing a Guild Library, (3), Newsletters, Eblasts, and "Too Many Emails", (4) Producing Guild Exhibits

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM: After the Yes: Welcoming, Engaging, and Retaining Members

Recruitment is only the beginning. In this panel, guild leaders discuss what happens after a member joins—and why those early and ongoing touchpoints matter. Topics include effective onboarding practices, strategies to keep members engaged, and thoughtful approaches to renewals and lapsed memberships. Walk away with ideas you can implement right away to strengthen connections, increase retention, and build a more vibrant, committed guild community.

Panelists: Inga Marie Carmel (Weavers & Spinners Society of Austin), Doug Coe (Woodstock Weavers), and Marise Person (Olympia Weavers Guild)

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM: Discussion Rooms: (1) Turning New Members into Engaged Members, (2) Financial Transparency & Trust, (3) Programs That Energize Your Guild, (4) Study Groups That Thrive

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Nonprofit Status & Compliance: What Structure Is Right for Your Guild?

Fiber arts guilds come in many forms—from informal community groups to fully incorporated nonprofits. But how do you know whether your guild should formalize, and what type of nonprofit status is the best fit? This session explains the key differences between 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and 501(c)(7) social clubs, and how each designation affects your activities, fundraising, programming, and reporting requirements. Panelists will share practical guidance to help guild leaders determine the right structure for their group and outline the essential steps every guild should take to stay compliant and operate responsibly.

Panelists: Beth Dougherty (Cheshire Law Group), Jerri Shankler (Jockey Hollow Weavers), and Kate Smith, Esq. (Laura Solomon & Associates)

4:30 PM - 5:15 PM: Discussion Rooms: (1) Nonprofit Status - Where Is Your Guild Now? (2) Keeping Members in the Loop, (3) Program Planning & Teaching Artists, (4) Volunteers, Burnout, & Shared Responsibility

5:15 PM - 6:15 PM: Weaving Growth: Using Equipment Rentals & Sales to Expand Your Guild

Equipment rental and sales programs can be a powerful gateway for attracting new members and supporting emerging weavers. This panel takes a behind-the-scenes look at how successful guilds design, manage, and sustain equipment rental and sales programs. Panelists will cover policies for rentals and donations, storage and maintenance (“loom wrangling” included), and how these programs support education and membership growth while generating revenue. Gain insight into whether an equipment rental or sales program is right for your guild—and how to make it work.

Panelists: Ginny Jones (Gainesville Handweavers Guild), Carolyn McBride (Ventura County Handweavers & Spinners Guild), and Ruth Thoem (Burlington Handweavers & Spinners Guild)

6:15 PM - 7:00 PM: Discussion Rooms: (1) Looms, Accesss & Opportunity, (2) Engaging Meetings, (3) Public Outreach Through Demonstrations, (4) The Future of Fiber Art Guilds, (5) Bringing It Home: What Will You Try Next?

2026 Schedule

Schedule is subject to change.

After the Yes: Welcoming, Engaging, and Retaining Members

Recruitment is only the beginning. In this panel, guild leaders discuss what happens after a member joins—and why those early and ongoing touchpoints matter. Topics include effective onboarding practices, strategies to keep members engaged, and thoughtful approaches to renewals and lapsed memberships. Walk away with ideas you can implement right away to strengthen connections, increase retention, and build a more vibrant, committed guild community.



Nonprofit Status & Compliance: What Structure Is Right for Your Guild?

Fiber arts guilds come in many forms—from informal community groups to fully incorporated nonprofits. But how do you know whether your guild should formalize, and what type of nonprofit status is the best fit? This session explains the key differences between 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and 501(c)(7) social clubs, and how each designation affects your activities, fundraising, programming, and reporting requirements. Panelists will share practical guidance to help guild leaders determine the right structure for their group and outline the essential steps every guild should take to stay compliant and operate responsibly.

Planning for Tomorrow: Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline

Strong guilds don’t just rely on great leaders—they plan for the future. This panel explores why succession planning is essential for leadership continuity, organizational stability, and long-term success. Panelists will share practical approaches for identifying key roles, assessing leadership needs and expectations, and cultivating new leaders before transitions occur. Learn how to build a leadership pipeline that supports your guild’s mission and ensures it can thrive for years to come.

Weaving Growth: Using Equipment Rentals & Sales to Expand Your Guild

Equipment rental and sales programs can be a powerful gateway for attracting new members and supporting emerging weavers. This panel takes a behind-the-scenes look at how successful guilds design, manage, and sustain equipment rental and sales programs. Panelists will cover policies for rentals and donations, storage and maintenance (“loom wrangling” included), and how these programs support education and membership growth while generating revenue. Gain insight into whether an equipment rental or sales program is right for your guild—and how to make it work.

Click here to suggest a discussion topic for a future Guild Development Retreat.

2026 Discussion Schedule

January 31, 2026, 11:00 AM ET - 7:00 PM ET

Schedule is subject to change. All times are Eastern Standard.

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Introduce Yourself

Please enter a room and introduce yourself to the other attendees. Let's start the conversation. What are you hoping to learn today? What’s one challenge your guild is facing right now?

Role-Based Meetups (Presidents, Treasurers, Program Chairs, etc.)

Meet others who serve in the same role you do. Share challenges, successes, and questions unique to your position.

Succession Planning in Guilds

Discuss what planning ahead realistically looks like for your guild. Name one leadership role in your guild that would be hard to replace tomorrow. How does your guild prepare—or not prepare—people to step into leadership? How do you document roles and transfer knowledge?

Managing a Guild Library

Where is your library housed, and how is it managed between meetings? Do you use a catalog, spreadsheet, software, or sign-out sheet? What works—and what causes confusion?

Newsletters, Eblasts, and "Too Many Emails"

How often does your guild send emails or newsletters? What content gets opened or skipped? Share one communication change you’ve made that helped—and one that backfired.

Producing Guild Exhibits

Where does your guild exhibit work? How do you find venues and partners? Share what has increased visibility—or what hasn’t worked. What systems do you use to manage calls for entry, intake, labeling, and pick-up? What part of the process is the most challenging?

No Topic, Just Chat

Need a mental break or casual connection? Join this room to chat with fellow attendees about weaving, guild life, or whatever’s on your mind.

Turning New Members into Engaged Members

What happens after someone joins your guild? Share what you do in the first few months—and what you wish you did better. Which small actions have made new members feel welcomed, included, and eager to stay? What touchpoints are missing?

Financial Transparency & Trust

How do you share financial information with your board and members? What level of detail do you provide—and how do you balance transparency with simplicity?

Programs That Energize Your Guild

What program or event in your guild gets the best turnout—and why? Share one program idea you would repeat and one you would not. Share ideas that have boosted attendance, engagement, or member satisfaction. What makes a program feel worth showing up for?

Study Groups That Thrive

What types of study groups are most successful in your guild? What makes them work—structure, leadership, size, or topic? How do new study groups get started and who leads them?

No Topic, Just Chat

Need a mental break or casual connection? Join this room to chat with fellow attendees about weaving, guild life, or whatever’s on your mind.

4:30 PM - 5:15 PM

Nonprofit Status - Where Is Your Guild Now?

How is your guild structured today, and how confident do you feel about it? Talk through the questions this panel raised for you. What feels clear now—and what still feels confusing or unresolved? What would you want another guild leader to know before making structural decisions?

Keeping Members in the Loop

Who handles communication in your guild? Is it one person or a team? Share how tasks are divided, what tools you use, and what would make communication easier or more sustainable.

Program Planning & Teaching Artists

How does your guild choose workshops or speakers? Share what you ask teaching artists before booking and what you wish you had asked sooner.

Volunteers, Burnout, and Shared Responsibility

Every guild depends on volunteers. Talk honestly about what’s working and what isn’t. How do you recruit help, avoid burnout, and make participation feel rewarding rather than overwhelming? What role in your guild is hardest to fill?

No Topic, Just Chat

Need a mental break or casual connection? Join this room to chat with fellow attendees about weaving, guild life, or whatever’s on your mind.

6:15 PM - 7:00 PM

Looms, Access, and Opportunity

Does your guild rent, sell, or loan equipment? If yes, what’s the biggest challenge? If no, what’s the biggest barrier? Share one thing you’ve learned (or want to learn) about using equipment to grow your guild. What opportunities excite you? What challenges give you pause?

Engaging Meetings

How does your guild gather—and why? Discuss what formats have strengthened your community and what tradeoffs you’ve experienced. What would the “ideal” meeting look like for your guild right now? How do you plan for meetings that your members want to attend?

Public Outreach Through Demonstrations

Where do you demonstrate fiber arts—festivals, libraries, schools, galleries? Discuss how you choose opportunities, prepare members, and turn public interest into lasting connections. How do you follow up with people who want to learn more?

The Future of Fiber Art Guilds

What do you think fiber art guilds will look like in five or ten years? Share what changes you’re already seeing, what excites you, and what concerns you as guilds adapt to new generations, technologies, and ways of gathering.

Bringing It Home: What Will You Try Next?

As the day wraps up, gather to reflect. What is one idea from today you want to take back to your guild? What feels doable in the next six months?

Useful Links:

Logging in to the event (Video)

Setting up a profile (Video)

Troubleshooting

Resources:

HGA Guide: "How to Organize and Run a Guild Study Group"

Sponsorships

With more than 175 affiliate memberships, we anticipate more than 680 fiber enthusiasts will attend HGA’s Guild Development Retreat either in real time or by viewing recordings. 

All Guild Development Retreat Sponsors will receive the following recognition in addition to the items listed in the packages:

• Name recognition on HGA’s webpage as Sponsor and logo and link to your website
• Logo and name recognition in approximately *4,000 copies of Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot magazine
• E-Blast sent to HGA’s mailing list of approximately 10,000 promoting your sponsorship
• Post recognizing your sponsorship on HGA’s Facebook page (11,000+ followers)
• Post recognizing your sponsorship on HGA’s Instagram account (6,000+ followers)
• Continued publicity for 90 days after the week is over through recorded viewings of each event

*Listing in Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot and its estimated reach to readers will be based on the date of the signed agreement.

Late sponsorships may have less impact in reaching audiences.

Advertise Your Business

Showcase your business's products and services to attendees of the Guild Development Retreat. Advertising Rates are $25 for HGA Professional Members and $50 for Non-Members.

Click here to advertise your organization or business.

Advertisers to be announced.

Please Note: This listing is paid for by the advertiser and is not an endorsement of any individual or organization listed. The information was provided by the organization or its representative. HGA does not warrant the accuracy or validity of the information, and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions.