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The 2021 Chicago Children's Business Fair is back in person this November. Register now to be a vendor, before the November 7th deadline.
Chicago Children's Business Fair
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
5:00PM - 7:00PM
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About the fair
The 2021 Chicago Children's Business Fair is back and is in person again!
As always, kids aged 5-17 are invited to develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then sell their goods to customers. The children are responsible for their own setup, sales, and interacting with customers, and keep all of the profits they earn, after paying back their parents for any loans on materials or labor provided. At the end of the Fair there will be cash awards handed out in each age group - best presentation, greatest potential, and most original - with local business owners serving as judges and mentors for the contest.
As always, kids aged 5-17 are invited to develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then sell their goods to customers. The children are responsible for their own setup, sales, and interacting with customers, and keep all of the profits they earn, after paying back their parents for any loans on materials or labor provided. At the end of the Fair there will be cash awards handed out in each age group - best presentation, greatest potential, and most original - with local business owners serving as judges and mentors for the contest.
The benefits of practicing entrepreneurship are many: children build confidence, develop their communication skills, and use creativity. They also see that it’s possible to take what they love and leverage it into a business that can support themselves and serve others. The Chicago Children’s Business Fair is part of a national movement to introduce children to entrepreneurship, with hundreds of fairs held around the world over the past 13 years.
Check out chicagochildrensbusinessfair.com to learn all about it and to purchase a VIP Superhero ticket to support these young entrepreneurs.
The Chicago event is organized by Greenfields Academy and is sponsored by: Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and the generous support of our local sponsors and volunteers. To learn more about our 2021 sponsorship opportunities, please contact fundraising@greenfieldsacademy.com.
Hosted by
Maggie Baker
🗓️ Started hosting in 2018
🚀 Has hosted 4 fairs
The host organization for the Chicago Children's Business Fair is Greenfields Academy, a K-12 independent private school on Chicago's north side focused on student-driven learning. Our team of passionate entrepreneurs, teachers, mentors, and parents want all children to have the chance to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Greenfields Academy Children’s Business Fair?
The Chicago Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. Based on the Acton Children's Business Fair, which is the largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.
How will the fair operate this year?
In 2021, the Chicago Children's Business Fair will operate as a 2 hour in person event held at Artifacts Events, 4325 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, on Tuesday, November 16th from 5-7 pm. Vendors are responsible for setting up their own booths beginning 1 hour before the event is open to the public.
How will the fair operate this year?
In 2021, the Chicago Children's Business Fair will operate as a 2 hour in person event held at Artifacts Events, 4325 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, on Tuesday, November 16th from 5-7 pm. Vendors are responsible for setting up their own booths beginning 1 hour before the event is open to the public.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 75 businesses.
What ages can apply for the fair?
We'll accept business from children between the ages of 5 and 17. This is based on how old they would be on the day of the Fair.
Is there any cost?
We ask Vendors to pay a $20 fee to help offset the costs of running the event. This must be paid before the fair. You will be redirected to a PayPal payment page at completion of your online registration.
What ages can apply for the fair?
We'll accept business from children between the ages of 5 and 17. This is based on how old they would be on the day of the Fair.
Is there any cost?
We ask Vendors to pay a $20 fee to help offset the costs of running the event. This must be paid before the fair. You will be redirected to a PayPal payment page at completion of your online registration.
How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?
Application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.
What is on the application?
The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their business:
- What product or service do you plan to sell?
- What price will you charge for each product/service? How much will each product/service cost you?
- How will you pay for your startup costs? If someone is helping you with your startup costs, how will you pay that person back?
- How will you advertise/market your business before the fair?
- At the end of the fair, how will you determine if your business was a success?
What if someone else has the same business idea?
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.
I've applied. Now what?
Excellent! We're glad to have you on board! We'll send out a confirmation email within one week of receiving your application. As the fair approaches, we will keep in touch with instructions and advice for young entrepreneurs. In the meantime, start getting your goods ready!
Excellent! We're glad to have you on board! We'll send out a confirmation email within one week of receiving your application. As the fair approaches, we will keep in touch with instructions and advice for young entrepreneurs. In the meantime, start getting your goods ready!
What are the rules?
This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
Parents of younger children may assist when needed, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.
Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.
How did the Acton Children’s Business Fair get started?
Jeff and Laura Sandefer and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.
