Made in Alaska workshops a missed opportunity

The workshop was being put on by MIA reps and was scheduled for the afternoon of Jan. 25 at the Nolan Center. However, due to what MIA reps said was a lack of advertising of the event, few attended.

The workshop was posted on Wrangell’s website, http://www.Wrangell.com, and advertised shortly before the 1:30 p.m. start time on Wrangell’s radio station, 101.7 KSTK.

Wrangell Economic Development Planner Carol Rushmore said, unfortunately, her office knew nothing about the MIA group coming to Wrangell until she saw a post on Facebook about the event. Rushmore then posted the workshop information on the Wrangell website.

“They have a very good program, and I wish more people knew about it to take advantage of it,” Rushmore said.

MIA reps had given presentations in Sitka and Ketchikan earlier in January. Wrangell was set to be the last MIA workshop of the year in Southeast Alaska. The next workshops are scheduled for February in Fairbanks and in Anchorage in March.

The MIA workshop in Wrangell last week was set to cover a variety of topics including an MIA overview, marketing basics, social media, expanding markets and digital photography.

For those who missed the workshop, Dana Reese, MIA Program Administrator, said numerous webinars will be held in the coming months. The next MIA webinar is scheduled for Feb. 15 and will focus on resources for small businesses.

The MIA logo — an image of a mother bear and her cub — certifies a product’s authenticity of being made in the state. This helps the local economy by promoting local-made products, said Reese.

It also helps tourists identify the Alaskan-made products when visiting the state, said MIA Inspector and Administrative Coordinator Christina Hoglin.

“They don’t want to get something that was made in China, they want something that was made in Alaska,” Hoglin said.

Businesses interested in being part of the MIA program and receiving the MIA logo stamp of approval on their merchandise can apply to be an MIA permit holder. The business must hold a state of Alaska business license and fill out a two-page application, Reese said.

Wrangell currently has four MIA permit holders: A Bliss Design, Bjorge Enterprises, The Strawberry Patch and Viissis, according to MIA’s website.