Vendor Guidelines

📋 Before the Event

Preparation is everything. Once your booth is confirmed and paid, here's what to handle before event day:

• Read your confirmation email carefully — it contains your booth number, setup window, parking instructions, and venue address.
• Secure your permits — food and beverage vendors must hold all required health permits, licenses, and insurance mandated by state and local authorities. Bring physical copies on event day.
• Prepare your payment systems — charge your card readers, bring backup batteries, and carry a cash box with change. Many shoppers still pay cash at markets.
• Promote your appearance — post on your social media that you'll be at the event. Tag VenueCraft and we'll reshare when possible. Vendors who promote consistently see noticeably higher booth traffic.
• Check the weather — events run rain or shine, so pack accordingly: tent sidewalls for rain, extra water and shade for heat.
• Confirm your electricity add-on — power is billed per day attended. Test your equipment and bring a 50ft minimum outdoor-rated extension cord and a power strip.

🎒 What to Bring

⏰ Event Day Timeline

Every VenueCraft event runs Friday through Sunday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily. You can book a single day or the full weekend. Exact times are in your confirmation email, but each day runs like this:

✨ Booth Presentation Standards

Your booth is your storefront. Great presentation directly translates to more sales — and it keeps the whole event looking professional. We ask every vendor to meet these standards:

• Table coverings to the ground — hides storage boxes and looks polished.
• Clear business signage — shoppers should know who you are at a glance.
• Visible pricing — unpriced products lose sales. Shoppers often won't ask.
• Height and depth in displays — use risers, crates, or shelves. Flat tables get walked past.
• Keep inventory stocked — restock throughout the day so your booth never looks picked over.
• Stay within your booth footprint — displays cannot extend into walkways or neighboring spaces.

🤝 Vendor Conduct

VenueCraft events are community spaces. We hold every vendor to a simple standard: be professional, be kind, be a good neighbor.

• Treat shoppers, fellow vendors, and event staff with courtesy and respect.
• No aggressive selling, calling out to shoppers at other booths, or disparaging other vendors.
• Music or sound at your booth must stay at a volume that doesn't affect your neighbors.
• Smoking and alcohol consumption are not permitted at vendor booths.
• Sell only the products described in your approved application — undisclosed product categories may conflict with other vendors' agreements.
• Report any issues, disputes, or safety concerns to event staff immediately rather than handling them yourself.

🍔 Additional Requirements for Food Vendors

• Permits displayed — health permits and licenses must be visible at your booth as required by local health authorities.
• Fire safety — vendors cooking on site must have a fire extinguisher rated for grease fires (Class K or ABC) within reach.
• Sampling — samples are encouraged! Use single-serve utensils and follow safe food handling practices.
• Grease and wastewater — must be contained and removed with you. Never poured on the ground or into drains.
• Ground protection — cooking setups require a ground covering to catch spills and drips.
• Food trucks — arrive during your assigned window only. Late-arriving trucks cannot be repositioned once the event opens.

🚗 Parking & Load-In

• Load-in instructions and vendor parking locations are included in your confirmation email — they vary by venue.
• Unload first, park second. Do not leave your vehicle at the booth area while setting up.
• Vehicles are not permitted in the event area during open hours for shopper safety.
• After close, wait for staff clearance before bringing vehicles back in for load-out.

🌦️ Weather Preparedness

VenueCraft events run rain or shine. Smart vendors prepare for everything:

• Rain: tent sidewalls, waterproof covers for merchandise, towels, and plastic bins instead of cardboard.
• Heat: extra water, a fan if you have power, and shade positioning for delicate products.
• Wind: this is why we require 25 lbs per tent leg. Secure lightweight products and signage. An unweighted tent in wind is dangerous to everyone around you.

📦 After the Event

• Leave no trace — your space must be clean and free of trash, zip ties, and debris. Take everything with you.
• Check out with staff — a quick confirmation that your space is clear before you leave.
• Share your photos — tag VenueCraft in your event day posts. We reshare vendor content and it helps promote your business to our audience.
• Tell us how it went — we send a short feedback request after each event. Your input directly shapes how we plan the next one.
• Multi-day vendors — if you're booked for the full weekend, you may leave displays up overnight at your own risk. There is no overnight security, so take cash, electronics and high-value stock with you each night.
• Rebook early — returning vendors get first access to booth spaces for upcoming events before public registration opens.