The Florida Tropical Weavers Guild (FTWG) invites you to apply to teach at our annual conference. We are looking to fill classes for both the 2027 and 2028 Conferences.
2028 FTWG Conference – April 6-9, 2028
We are looking for half day, full day and 2.5 day classes
- Thursday afternoon – half day classes.
- Sunday morning – half day classes.
- Friday, Saturday – half and full day classes.
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning – 2.5 day classes.
Click here to submit proposals for 2028.
2027 FTWG Conference – April 1-4, 2027
We are looking to fill a few half day and full day classes, especially:
- Thursday afternoon – half day classes.
- Sunday morning – half day classes.
- Friday, Saturday – half and full day classes.
Click here to see what classes are being offered for 2027.
Click here to submit proposals for half or full day classes for 2027.
Class proposals for both 2027 and 2028 must be submitted by midnight on Friday, August 28, 2026.
In 2027 and 2028, we will return to the same venue we have used since 2023, the beautiful Holiday Inn Kissimmee Resort at the Parks.
We are thrilled about the opportunities for attendees and day trippers that this location offers. Conveniently located off Hwy 192 in Kissimmee near Walt Disney World, the hotel offers Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin Robbins with hot breakfast sandwiches, and donuts, as well as ice cream treats. Pizzaland serves up pizzas, wings, salads, and more for lunch and dinner, and breakfast on weekends.
FTWG has exclusive use of the entire Conference Center which features its own entrance and ample parking.
As in years past, the conference runs Thursday after lunch through Sunday noon. Evening events include the fiber exhibit, fashion show, and awards. The participants with interests in fiber related arts – weaving, spinning, knitting, basketry, beading, polymer clay, etc. – represent 15 guilds from all over Florida and include a number of attendees from other states.
Please note that we cannot offer dyeing classes due to the hotel setting. Classes requiring small amounts of water, such as felting or basketry, are possible.
Proposal Process
Proposals must be submitted online with this link. Please note that as part of the application, you are required to submit a headshot and three to five images that represent the work which will be completed in your class.
FTWG has published Media Submission Guidelines, which may help you in preparing your images for submission. If you have questions about or problems with submitting images, please complete our Contact Us Form and someone will help you with that part of the process.
You are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Each proposal must be submitted separately. If you are submitting multiple proposals, you do not need to resubmit duplicate information, such as your contact info, headshot, and bio.
You will receive an email confirmation after you click to submit your application.
Class proposals must be submitted by midnight on Friday, August 28, 2026.
After the submission deadline, the VP Programs will present all the class proposals to the FTWG Board in September. The board will select a slate of classes for 2028 and fill ins for 2027. After the Board meeting, you will be notified whether your proposal was or was not accepted. If your proposal was accepted, VP Programs will send a Memorandum of Understanding.
Our experience shows that 75% of Conference registrations come in during the first month of registration. Consequently, at the December 2026 Board meeting, the Board will make go / no go decisions on all classes, based on individual and overall enrollment. After this December Board Meeting, the VP Programs notifies instructors whose class did not have sufficient enrollment and sends final contracts to all instructors whose classes are a go.
Timelines
August 2026 – Class proposals for additional 2027 classes and for all 2028 classes must be submitted online by midnight on Friday, August 28, 2026.
September 2026 – For 2028, FTWG Board selects the slate of classes from the submitted proposals; then issues Memorandums of Understanding.
September 2026 – For 2027, FTWG Board announces additional half and full day classes added to 2027 Conference schedule on our website and newsletter.
November 2026 – Member registration opens (exact date TBD).
November 2026 – General registration opens (exact date TBD).
December 2026 – FTWG Board makes final go / no go decisions for 2027 classes, based on enrollment; then issues teaching contracts.
Mid-February 2027 – Registration closes.
April 1-4, 2027 – FTWG Conference is held.
April 2027 – 2028 Classes will be introduced at Conference and be published on our website.
Class Expectations
Half day classes are three (3) hours. Half day classes are offered on Thursday afternoon. On Friday and Saturday morning and afternoon, both half and full day classes are offered. Half day classes are also offered on Sunday morning. The full 2.5 day classes run all day Friday, Saturday, and half day Sunday morning. The morning classes are from 9 am to noon and the afternoon classes are 2 pm to 5 pm.
Teaching schedules for three (3) and six (6) hour classes will be set in consultation with the instructor, and the application form does include a place to indicate preferred days and times for teaching, as well as a comment box to add any additional information that impacts the scheduling of the class.
FTWG will consider accepting multiple shorter classes from a single instructor, up to the maximum 18 hours of teaching time available during the Conference. The Application includes questions for an instructor to indicate the minimum and maximum number of hours they are willing to teach during the FTWG Conference.
On Saturday evening, FTWG holds a classroom Open House. Attendees visit the various classrooms to see the work happening there. Instructors teaching a total of twelve (12) instructional hours or more are expected to be present in their classrooms for at least one hour during the Open House.
Instructors are responsible for:
- Protecting the workshop area and furniture from damage
- Bringing all supplies and equipment required for teaching their classes
Compensation and Payment
Instructors are paid by check in USD during Conference after your class(es). A W-9 form must be submitted to FTWG at the time of contract, as we report all income/reimbursements to the IRS as required by law. FTWG will not pay an instructor until we have received a W-9 form.
Compensation rates
If you are teaching a 2.5 day class – fifteen (15) hours, FTWG will:
- Pay an instructional fee of $1400.
- Reimburse travel costs up to $650 overall. If flying, airfare should be economy. Mileage reimbursement will be at the current IRS rate.*
- Cover the cost of a 3-night single occupancy room and board package.
- Pay $25 for breakfast on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as breakfast is not included in our room and board packages.
If you are teaching less than a 2.5 class, compensation is based on a half day class, which is three (3) hours long.
For each half day class, FTWG will:
- Pay an instructional fee up to $280.
- Reimburse travel costs up to $130. If flying, airfare should be economy. Mileage reimbursement will be at the current IRS rate.*
- Cover 20% of the cost of a 3-night single occupancy room and board package, the value of which can be applied to any of the room and board packages offered at the 2026 FTWG Conference.
- Pay $15 for breakfast, as breakfast is not included in our room and board packages.
For each full day class, FTWG will:
- Pay an instructional fee up to $560.
- Reimburse travel costs up to $260. If flying, airfare should be economy. Mileage reimbursement will be at the current IRS rate.*
- Cover 40% of the cost of a 3-night single occupancy room and board package, the value of which can be applied to any of the room and board packages offered at the 2026 FTWG Conference.
- Pay $25 for breakfast, as breakfast is not included in our room and board packages.
*Other means of transportation must be approved by the FTWG VP Programs in advance.
FTWG will also reimburse Uber or Lyft transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) . We may ask two instructors to share a ride if they arrive at approximately the same time
FTWG will consider accepting multiple shorter classes from a single instructor, up to the maximum 18 hours of teaching time available during the Conference. The Proposal includes questions for an instructor to indicate the minimum and maximum number of hours they are willing to teach during the FTWG Conference.
FTWG only covers instructor’s room and board at the Holiday Inn Kissimmee Resort at the Parks. FTWG provides a coupon code, not a check or cash, and does not pay out any amounts in excess of actual room and board package rates.
Materials Fee
In addition to compensation from FTWG, instructors generally charge a materials fee to cover the costs of materials they bring for students to use. On the application to teach, there is a place to enter the materials fee. This fee is paid by the students directly to the instructor at the beginning of the class.
Onsite Accommodations and Meals
Holiday Inn Kissimmee Resort at the Parks is a modern, multi-story hotel with an elevator. Rooms either have two Queen beds or one King bed. We will ask your preference as part of registration. A King bed is a request to the hotel, and cannot be guaranteed.
The check out time is 11 am on Sunday, which means you will need to check out of your hotel room prior to teaching on Sunday morning. You may request a late checkout at the time you check into the hotel, but granting this is at the sole discretion of the hotel.
Attendees at FTWG purchase Room and Board packages that include a specific number of nights and certain meals. For 2027, the Room and Board rates will be:
| One Night | Two Nights | Three Nights | Four Nights | |
| Single | $253 | $506 | $699 | $877 |
| Double | $198 | $396 | $534 | $657 |
| Included Nights | Either Thurs, Fri, or Sat | Either Thurs/Fri or Fri/Sat | Thurs, Fri, Sat | Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat |
| Included Meals | One lunch and one dinner | Two lunches and two dinners | Lunches on Fri/Sat; dinners on Thurs, Fri, Sat | Lunches on Fri/Sat; dinners on Thurs, Fri, Sat |
Room Occupancy: As a default, FTWG covers a single occupancy room for all instructors. If you are traveling with a spouse, family member, or an assistant, FTWG will cover the full room, as described above. However, FTWG does not cover meals for your spouse, family member, or assistant.
If you choose to room with someone who is neither a spouse nor a family member, and who is a registered attendee of FTWG, your roommate must pay for their half of the room rate.
Roommates, whether or not FTWG is covering their portion of the room, must register for the FTWG Conference.
Room Reservations and FTWG Registration: FTWG attendees book their room and board through FTWG rather than through the hotel. Instructors are expected to register for the Conference, using the same online registration system used by all FTWG attendees. Before registering for their room and board, instructors will receive a coupon code based on their teaching compensation.
Vending Information
In the Vendor Hall
The FTWG Conference offers a limited number of booth spaces in our vendor hall. Instructors may choose to apply for a booth and, if accepted, pay the vendor fee. Doing so is a separate arrangement, not covered under the terms of the teaching contract. More information is available on our Vending Information page. Please note that this page contains 2027 Conference information and some details may change for 2028. Someone must attend the booth during vending hours.
Vendor application closes on midnight July 31, 2026.
In the classroom
Instructors have the express right to make available for sale to their students any materials, tools, books, or supplies, either as part of the materials fee or in addition to the materials fee, with the following caveats:
- Instructors will not spend instruction time promoting or advertising these items, beyond a simple statement that the items are available for sale
- Instructors will not spend instruction time making sales to people who are not students in the class
- During the Saturday evening Open House, Instructors may set up in their classroom a display of materials, tools, books, or supplies to sell to those attending the Open House
- All items available for sale must be related to the subject matter of the class or other fiber arts classes the Instructor teaches. Instructors will not sell items unrelated to the fiber arts. (FTWG includes basketry in its definition of fiber arts).
FTWG does not charge a fee or commission on sales made in the classroom.
