Head West
Head West is a bootstrapped Bay Area event-production company that, since 2017, has operated juried outdoor artisan marketplace events at seven venues, selling booth spaces to SMB makers and food vendors (and awarding no-cost Community Booths to underrepresented entrepreneurs) while driving attendance via social, email, and hyperlocal media partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCompton, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Head West does
Head West is a Bay Area outdoor marketplace event production company founded in 2017 that operates juried, curated artisan marketplace events at seven venues across San Francisco, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Los Altos, Sebastopol, and San Mateo. The company's core product is its marketplace events, where it sells booth spaces to artisans, makers, and small businesses and donates a portion of capacity (100+ booths annually) to BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and certified non-profits through its Community Booth Program; supporting offerings include a Live Music Program, a media-sponsorship Partnership Program, and patron and participant email newsletters. Operations are run by a small in-house team of venue leaders, venue assistants, and contracted photographers and musicians, with no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or API behind the offering.
Head West generates revenue primarily through upfront booth fees ranging from $175 at the State Street Los Altos 3rd Street location to $375 for premium Hayes Street booths in Hayes Valley, with most standard 10'x10' booths priced at $200 (Mar–Oct) or $225 (Nov–Dec). The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: vendors are recruited via a juried application process on the Squarespace-built headwestmarketplace.com site, while shoppers are driven to events through Instagram and Facebook organic social channels, email newsletters, partnerships with 12+ hyperlocal news outlets, and co-marketing with 8+ downtown business improvement districts and merchant associations (SF Ferry Building, Downtown Walnut Creek, Hayes Valley Merchant Council, The Barlow, Downtown San Mateo, Los Altos Village Association, Fourth Street Shops). Annual advertising spend is calibrated at 10–15% of booth fee revenue.
The business model is fundamentally event-economics-driven and bootstrapped: there are no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no patents or trademarks, and no disclosed financial figures. Foot traffic per event ranges from 1,000 visitors at South B Street San Mateo to up to 5,000 at Hayes Valley, and per-event booth counts vary from 25–100 depending on the venue layout. The company has been Clean + Green certified since 2020 and operates as LGBTQ+ founded, owned, and allied, with diversity and inclusion as a stated differentiator woven into both vendor selection and the no-cost Community Booth allocation.
Head West firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Head West
- Legal name
- Head West
- Website
- https://headwestmarketplace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Head West is a bootstrapped Bay Area event-production company that, since 2017, has operated juried outdoor artisan marketplace events at seven venues, selling booth spaces to SMB makers and food vendors (and awarding no-cost Community Booths to underrepresented entrepreneurs) while driving attendance via social, email, and hyperlocal media partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Head West industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Artisan Marketplace Events
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)
Keywords
Where Head West is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Compton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Head West business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Booth Fee Revenue: Vendors pay upfront booth fees to participate in Head West marketplace events. Fees vary by venue and booth size, ranging from $175 to $375 per event. Payment is collected at time of application submission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Booth - 10'x10' at most venues |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 3rd Street Location - State Street Los Altos |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Community Booth - No-Cost |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Head West product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Head West produces, juries, and curates outdoor marketplace events at seven Bay Area venues where artisans, makers, crafters, designers, and small-batch food producers rent booth space to sell directly to local shoppers. The company sells paid Standard Booth spaces (typically $175-$375 per event) and provides no-cost Community Booth spaces to qualifying BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, and non-profit applicants.
Product overview
Head West is a marketplace destination platform that operates as a curated network of outdoor marketplace events across seven Bay Area venues. The core offering consists of Standard Marketplace Booths (paid booth spaces for artisans and makers) and Community Booth Program (no-cost spaces for BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs). Supporting offerings include Live Music Program, Partnership Program, and email newsletters for both patrons and participants. The platform connects local small businesses with customers through juried, curated events at venues including Ferry Building (SF), Hayes Valley (SF), N. Main Street (Walnut Creek), South B Street (San Mateo), The Barlow (Sebastopol), State Street (Los Altos), and Fourth Street (Berkeley). Since 2017, Head West has been operated as a 'creatives supporting creatives' endeavor, producing and curating marketplaces in-house.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standard Marketplace Booth Paid booth rental at Head West outdoor marketplace events across seven Bay Area venues (Ferry Building SF, Hayes Valley SF, N. Main Street Walnut Creek, South B Street San Mateo, The Barlow Sebastopol, State Street Los Altos, Fourth Street Berkeley). For artisans, makers, crafters, designers, and small-batch food producers.
- Community Booth Program No-cost booth spaces at Head West marketplace events granted to selected applicants from BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as certified non-profit organizations, providing equitable access for marginalized and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
- Live Music Programming at Marketplaces Live music performances at Head West marketplace events across all seven Bay Area venues, curated by an Entertainment Director and featuring local musicians who apply to participate.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ no-cost Community Booth spaces dedicated annually to underrepresented entrepreneurs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Head West
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Head West technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Head West partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SF Ferry BuildingcoreHistoric 1898 landmark and transit hub at the Embarcadero, famous for its clock tower and gourmet marketplace. Primary venue partner hosting 1st Sundays marketplace events. Committed to artisan food and maker community values.
- Downtown Walnut Creek AssociationcoreBusiness Improvement District (BID) promoting downtown business community through advocacy, beautification, events and marketing. Partnership with Los Altos Village Association for N. Main Street venue.
- Hayes Valley Merchant CouncilcoreOrganizes strong network of local businesses dedicated to customer service and building neighborhood value. Co-hosts Hayes Valley marketplace events with Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association.
- Hayes Valley Neighborhood AssociationcorePromotes community involvement, preserves cultural and economic diversity, historic character and beauty of Hayes Valley neighborhood. Co-hosts marketplace events.
- The Barlowcore12-acre open-air market district and event venue in Sebastopol showcasing local makers, artisans, chefs, and vintners. Formerly an industrial apple processing plant with industrial-chic design.
- Downtown San Mateo AssociationcorePromotes downtown business community in the heart of the Peninsula. Features 100+ dining destinations, shopping experiences and local art in five square blocks.
- Los Altos Village AssociationcoreFounded in early 1960s to promote downtown businesses via advertising, promotions and special events. Hosts State Street marketplace promoting downtown awareness and foot traffic.
- Fourth Street ShopscorePremier outdoor shopping district in Berkeley featuring high-end fashion boutiques, home goods, and upscale dining in a walkable, tree-lined environment. Hosts 5th Sunday marketplace events.
- Do The BayminorLocal media partner for digital advertising and event promotion targeting Bay Area audiences interested in shopping small.
- SF Fun CheapminorEvent series partner promoting Head West monthly Ferry Building marketplace to San Francisco audiences.
- BerkeleysideminorLocal news outlet providing coverage and promotion for Berkeley Fourth Street marketplace events.
- The OaklandsideminorHyperlocal news outlet for Oakland and East Bay event promotion.
- East Bay ExpressminorEast Bay alternative weekly newspaper providing event listings and coverage for Head West markets.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Head West competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Urban Craft Uprising: Seattle-based curated indie craft show featuring juried artisan vendors. Operates in a similar format but primarily in the Pacific Northwest rather than the Bay Area.
- The Big Crafty: Asheville, NC-based curated indie art and craft fair. Similar juried artisan marketplace model but operates in a different geography.
Direct peers
- Renegade Craft Fair: Long-running curated craft and artisan marketplace that operates juried events in major US cities. Most direct comparable to Head West's juried outdoor marketplace model with artisan and maker focus.
- West Coast Craft: San Francisco-based curated craft fair focused on independent designers and makers. Directly competes in the same Bay Area craft marketplace category as Head West.
- Unique Markets: Los Angeles-based curated marketplace that hosts juried artisan events for independent makers and designers. Closely comparable business model of curated, paid-booth artisan events.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy: Largest online marketplace for handmade and artisan goods. Overlaps with Head West's customer base (artisans, makers, shoppers seeking handmade goods) but operates as a digital incumbent rather than physical events.
- Eventbrite: Major event ticketing and management platform. While not a direct marketplace operator, it supports the same event industry and represents a broader incumbent in event promotion and ticketing infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Faire: Wholesale marketplace connecting independent brands and makers with retailers. Emerging platform that competes for the same maker/SMB vendor base that Head West serves through its markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Head West social profiles
Digital presenceHead West financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Head West leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Head West funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Head West M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Head West
What does Head West do?
Head West produces, juries, and curates outdoor marketplace events at seven Bay Area venues where artisans, makers, crafters, designers, and small-batch food producers rent booth space to sell directly to local shoppers. The company sells paid Standard Booth spaces (typically $175-$375 per event) and provides no-cost Community Booth spaces to qualifying BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, and non-profit applicants.
Is Head West a public or private company?
Head West is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Head West founded?
Head West was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Head West based?
Head West is headquartered in Compton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Head West make money?
One revenue line is on record: booth Fee Revenue.
Who are Head West's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Urban Craft Uprising and The Big Crafty. Direct peers are Renegade Craft Fair, West Coast Craft and Unique Markets. Broad incumbents are Etsy and Eventbrite. Faire is listed as an emerging player.
Does Head West have an API?
No public API is recorded for Head West.
What industry is Head West in?
Head West's product category is Outdoor Artisan Marketplace Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHABAC, Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 7900.