Whether you’re a market organiser trying to attract more visitors or a stallholder growing your small business, AI is already affecting how customers discover events, shop and make decisions.
The good news? AI isn’t replacing markets. It’s changing how people find them.
Here’s what every organiser and stallholder should know.
1. 57% of people are searching for things with AI instead of Google
More people are beginning to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude instead of typing searches into Google.
Rather than searching:
“Markets near me this weekend”
they might ask:
“What’s the best artisan market near me this Saturday?”
The AI then scans trusted websites to build an answer.
That means your market can still appear, even if the customer never clicks on a page on our website.
What this means for organisers
If your event information is listed accurately across trusted websites, AI is much more likely to recommend your market.
This includes:
- your own website
- Pedddle
- local event listings
- tourism websites
- council event pages
- social media
The more consistent your information is, the more confidence AI has in recommending it.
2. Keeping your listings updated has never been more important
AI isn’t perfect, It gathers information from multiple sources and doesn’t always know which version is correct. If one website still says your market is running on the second Saturday while another says it’s moved to the third Sunday, AI may share the wrong information from a strong authority website.
That’s why keeping every listing updated is essential.
Check regularly that the following are identical everywhere your event appears:
- dates
- venue
- opening times
- parking information
- admission costs
- website links
3. AI rewards organisers who are visible
Many organisers worry that listing their events on multiple websites will reduce traffic to their own site.
Ironically, the opposite is becoming true. AI looks for information that appears consistently across several trusted sources. If your event is only listed in one place, AI has less confidence. If it’s listed accurately on your own website, Pedddle and other reputable directories, AI is far more likely to recommend it.
Visibility is becoming more important than exclusivity.
4. AI is changing how customers find markets
Here’s something we’ve already noticed.
When searching for markets online, AI often pulls information directly from event directories such as Pedddle. Sometimes customers get the answer they need without even clicking through to the website. As a publisher, that’s definitely changing how websites receive traffic.
But for organisers, it’s still a positive.
If AI is recommending your market with the correct details, you’re still reaching potential visitors. The goal isn’t simply website clicks anymore, it’s making sure your event is included in the answer.
5. AI can save organisers hours every week
Used well, AI can become a helpful assistant rather than replacing your creativity.
Some of the best uses include:
- writing first drafts of blogs
- creating monthly social media calendars
- suggesting Facebook captions
- generating newsletter ideas
- writing press release drafts
- creating FAQs for your website
- summarising visitor feedback
- producing volunteer handbooks
- generating stallholder welcome packs
- writing sponsorship proposals
- creating risk assessment templates
- brainstorming themed market ideas
Think of AI as the first draft, not the finished product.
6. Don’t Let AI Remove Your Personality
One growing criticism within the creative community is obvious AI-generated content.
The generic market poster. The slightly tacky graphics. The social media captions full of emojis and phrases like:
“Discover an unforgettable experience…”
Creative businesses value authenticity.
When every organiser uses the same AI-generated graphics and wording, markets start looking identical.
For artisan events especially, your personality is your biggest selling point.
Use AI to help, not to replace your own voice.
7. Stallholders Face New Challenges with AI
AI brings opportunities, but also genuine concerns for independent makers.
Many artists and designers are worried that AI image generators have been trained using artwork scraped from the internet without permission. Some makers have even discovered AI-generated products that closely imitate their own designs. For creative businesses built on originality, this is understandably frustrating.
While copyright laws are still evolving, protecting your brand has never been more important.
Consider:
- watermarking photographs where appropriate
- showing work-in-progress images
- sharing the story behind your products
- building a recognisable brand
- encouraging customers to buy directly from genuine makers
- Turning off the ai toggle in apps like Instagram
People don’t just buy handmade products. They buy the person behind them and AI cannot replicate that!
8. AI Can Help Stallholders Grow Their Business
For small businesses with limited time, AI can be incredibly useful.
It can help:
- write product descriptions
- generate Etsy listing ideas
- improve website copy with enhanced SEO (and now GEO)
- create Instagram captions
- write email newsletters
- suggest blog topics
- answer customer FAQs
- create packing checklists
- produce craft fair inventories
- plan seasonal launches
- generate pricing ideas
- translate product descriptions for overseas customers
Used sensibly, AI gives small businesses more time to make and sell.
9. Trust Is Becoming More Valuable Than Ever
As AI-generated content becomes more common, people increasingly value real experiences.
Visitors want:
- genuine reviews
- authentic photography
- real stallholders
- real organisers
- honest recommendations
Markets are perfectly positioned for this. They’re real communities, supporting real people. That’s something AI can never replace.
10. The Future Isn’t AI vs Markets. It’s AI Helping Markets Grow
AI isn’t the end of artisan markets, it’s simply changing how people discover them.
The organisers who will thrive are those who:
- keep their listings accurate
- appear across multiple trusted websites
- embrace AI to save time
- continue creating authentic experiences
- remember that people come for community, creativity and connection, not algorithms.
Technology will continue to evolve, but the joy of meeting a maker, discovering something handmade and supporting local businesses remains something no AI can recreate.
There is so much to take in with all this and as AI moves so quickly, our ability to adapt is going to be pushed to the limit. Where your interactions with AI feel agreeable to you and when it doesn’t is all about your ethos and values and what your business means to you.
We are embracing it here at Pedddle but only in areas that it works for us and they maybe times when we change our opinion on this but we’re being openminded right now.