I have been vending for awhile now. I started in California at farmers markets, both running another businesses booth and running my own. When it comes to festivals I started attending, then volunteered, moved to working in a variety of roles including but not limited to vendor coordination, guest services, setting up the bars and doing IT, security and vending myself. This has allowed me to see how a festival is put together, and what it takes to have a successful event. For me as a vendor coordinator, it has allowed me to hone in on how to best help vendors and bridge some of the gaps between them and the festival.
Vendors
A good place to start, to make sure that you are at a music festival that you would thrive at is being aware of your audience and the audience of the festival. This could be the difference between having a successful event or one that you lose money at. Take a look at the price of vending and see if it really matches what the event is offering. This is going to take some research abut their past events but it is important. Part of this research is also being aware of general inflation and the price increase to host an event. A festival can`t keep the same prices indefinitely. Vendors will always share information and what events they find successful but be conscious of what or how you say about an event or production company, even if it is one that you were not successful at. The community is small, and words move quickly and can be altered, like the game telephone from childhood!
If you have not done a certain event or worked with the production company before, some good questions to ask a vendor coordinator before signing on for an event.
- What is included in the vendor package? Tickets, power, car pass, camping ect.
- How much are extra tickets?
- Will there be assistance with any marketing?
- What is the festival capacity and how many tickets have you already sold?
- What time does the music start and end? (This is for those few day festivals)
- How many years has this festival been running?
- What was your previous years attendance?
- How many vendors will there be?
If you can think of any more questions to ask that would be beneficial to a vendor please leave them in the comments section below!!!
Producers
Thank you for giving people a place to offer their art and passion. For creating a space for community and for people to be authentically themselves. This means you also have a lot of responsibility too. It`s your responsibility to be honest with the vendors. Vendors talk to each other, this doesn't mean sh*t talking, but seeing how each other is doing, sharing pointers, discussing the event, discussing other events, and talking about what we were told by a coordinator. It doesn't look good when people are not told even close to the same thing about an event. It doesn't make vendors come back to your events. Vendors are also small businesses and if they are not successful then they can not afford to come back next year, because that income is part of their lively hood just like the income from the festival is apart of yours. Vendors help promote and bring in patrons if they think you dont care about them, again they will usually find another event to support where they feel supported. Having a good vendor coordinator helps with this.
Vendors are aware that their vendor fees go toward paying for the event but it is your responsibility not to take advantage of that. Both are small businesses, one shouldn't be putting the other out of business. Everyone is trying to build a safe community where we thrive. Lets do it together!
If there is any constructive input here please leave some feedback in the comments section below!!!!!!
The End
We are trying to build a community, where as many of us can grow together and as individuals as possible. I look forward to this growth and the community that is built. Hells yes to an amazing 2023 festival season together.