Sacramento, CA – The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), today announced the lineup for CalOSBA’s “Get Digital CA!” digital pop-up festivals. These interactive festivals will showcase local and diverse small businesses through social media channels, creating online neighborhood shopping experiences across the state.

“We are working to start a small business movement. Our hope is that these festivals will be replicated across California as local leaders use this model and our ‘Get Digital CA!’ tools to create communities online, attract new online tourism, and increase small business revenues,” said Isabel Guzman, CalOSBA Director. “Californians will once again experience that neighborly feeling that only small businesses can create through a safe, online space.”

Recent studies show that U.S. e-commerce sales are set to double to $1 trillion by 2023 – growing at six times the rate of all retail transactions. Surveys by the Small Business Roundtable and Facebook show that 76 percent of small businesses are relying more on digital tools than they were pre-COVID-19, and 1/3 say they would have closed all or part of their businesses without digital tools.

Facebook will offer trainings that show business owners how to use digital platforms to build their businesses and engage with customers. The social media company will also provide its “Boost with Facebook” educational content for CalOSBA to share with businesses that were unable to join the festival. Instagram will offer a training that includes tips, tricks, and best practices for small businesses participating so owners are fully prepared to “go live” and reach their target audience in creative ways.

“Small businesses are at the heart of our local communities and have been some of the hardest hit during the pandemic,” said Justin Osofsky, Instagram COO. “That’s why we have been so focused on supporting them as they turn to platforms like Facebook and Instagram to keep the doors open, through programs like the small business grants and in-app products like food delivery. We are delighted to be partnering with the California Governor’s Office to bring our Experience Festivals to various communities across California through Instagram Live. Shining a spotlight on the small businesses that have uplifted their communities and brought people together over the last several months has never been more important.”

Through organizing efforts by regional partners – Time Out Los Angeles, Oakland Indie Alliance, NextGen Policy, the Eva Longoria Foundation, Stockton Strong, and Goodstock Productions – a variety of California’s diverse small businesses will be represented as the festivals pop up around California.

Festival #1: Los Angeles (Southern California Region) Date: Thursday, November 19 Going Live on Instagram via @timeoutla Partner: Time Out Los Angeles

Festival #2: Oakland (Northern California Region) Date: Wednesday, December 9 Going Live on Instagram via @keepitoakland18 Partner: Oakland Indie Alliance and NextGen Policy

Festival #3: Fresno and Stockton (Central California Region) Date: PART 1, Thursday, December 10 Going Live on Instagram via @evalongoriafoundation Partner: Eva Longoria Foundation

Date: PART 2, Friday, December 11 Going Live on Instagram via @stockmarketca Partner: Stockton Strong and Goodstock Productions

Launched by CalOSBA in September, “Get Digital CA!” is an e-commerce initiative to promote accelerators and intensive trainings so that small businesses build the skills necessary to compete in an online marketplace. The initiative also builds off CalOSBA’s work supporting the “Calling ALL Californians: #ShopSafeShopLocal” campaign, which launched in July, and the 40+ free or discounted partner resources offered to support small businesses to get digital. For more information, and to connect to these important resources, visit the Get Digital CA! webpage.