7 Ways to Make Vendors Feel Valued at Your Event (Part 1)

I've been doing pop-ups and selling goods for 11 years, and these days you'll find me at markets and corporate events across Toronto and the GTA. I can tell you within the first hour whether an event host sees vendors as partners or as a line item.

Whether you're planning a corporate event in Toronto, a conference, a gala or a community festival, adding vendors to your event is a really great opportunity. You get to highlight small businesses. You bring more eyes to your event, because every vendor is promoting it to their own community too. You also give your guests another way to interact, explore and take something meaningful home.

The problem is that a lot of event hosts see vendors as another revenue option, a way to fill swag bags, or a cool little add-on. When that's the mindset, vendors feel it, and they don't come back.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part 1 covers everything before the doors open. Part 2 covers the event itself and the follow-up that brings vendors back.

Here are the first 7 things that make all the difference.

1. Know Who's Walking Through the Door

Who's coming to your event? What's the age range? What are they into, why are they there, and what do they usually spend? This is make or break for vendors.

I know exactly who loves my stuff and where I go to find them. When I ask an organizer about their audience and they don't have an answer, it tells me they don't know who they're selling to. If you don't know who you're selling to, how am I supposed to know who I'm selling to?

Share a quick snapshot with every vendor before they sign on: expected headcount, demographics, the vibe of the event and what kinds of products have done well in the past. It helps the right vendors say yes, and it helps them bring the right stock, pricing and display for your crowd.

2. Lock In Your Vendors Early

Confirm vendors 6 to 8 weeks before your event. Small businesses often make their products by hand or order stock in batches, and they plan their own marketing weeks ahead.

That runway gives vendors time to make or order the right amount of stock, design a display that fits your space, and start telling their community where they'll be. Last-minute confirmations mean thinner tables and quieter promotion, and that hurts everyone's results, including yours.

3. Map Out a Smooth Arrival

The best events I've done sent load-in details that felt like a treasure map. Include:

• Cross streets and a map pin, so nobody is circling the block, plus the nearest TTC or GO stop for anyone coming by transit.
• The best parking lots, with rates and how far they are from the entrance.
• Photos of the entrance and loading door, so we know exactly where to go.
• What to expect inside, like stairs, a freight elevator, narrow hallways or a long walk to the room.

Those details help vendors pack the right way, choose the right cart, and get in smoothly instead of hauling bins up a flight of stairs we didn't know about.

It's also worth remembering that people have different levels of disability, some visible and some invisible. Choosing a venue that supports everyone, with step-free access, elevators, accessible bathrooms and space to move, makes your event better for vendors and guests alike.

4. Give Vendors Room to Breathe

When you plan your floor layout, leave enough room behind and between each table. Vendors store extra stock under and behind their tables, step around to the front to talk with guests, and touch up their displays throughout the day.

Tables jammed shoulder to shoulder with a wall right behind them make all of that hard. It also makes the space feel crowded for guests. A little breathing room creates a better experience on both sides of the table.

At Empowered in My Skin. Space behind the table keeps stock close and the display looking full all day.

5. Share the Refreshments and Freshening Up Plan

Let vendors know where the bathrooms are and what refreshments will be available. If you're supplying food, tell us ahead of time, since everybody has different food restrictions. Even simple things like fruit, juices and water go a long way toward keeping our energy up through a long day. If food is only available for purchase, say so, and share a few nearby spots for food and drinks.

One of my favourite events, The Toronto Stationery Show, marks off one of their three bathrooms specifically for vendors. They know how important it is for us to run in and run out, especially when we're working the table by ourselves. That one small decision tells every vendor in the room: we thought about you.

6. Lend a Hand (and a Dolly)

Load-in and load-out are where vendors spend the most physical energy, often before and after hours of standing and selling.

Having an extra set of hands available to help lift tables, add table risers or put up banner stands makes a huge difference. At the end of the night, pushing a wagon, dolly or suitcase back out to the car can feel like it's using every last bit of energy you have left. Having support then means the world.

If you have volunteers, assign a couple of them to vendor support during setup and teardown. If you have carts or dollies on site, let vendors know they can borrow them.

Load-in at the One of a Kind Show. Building a booth is a workout before the day even starts.

Humber College's Melanin Market had volunteers ready to help vendors carry everything in and out, and the Cabbagetown Festival does this beautifully too. Having people ready to help at load-in and load-out means the day starts and ends on a good note, and vendors remember that.

7. Start the Day With a Thank-You

A small thank-you at check-in sets the tone for the whole day. It can be as simple as a handwritten note, a snack, or a little gift waiting at each table.

A set of our Affirmation Pens makes a sweet vendor thank-you. It's useful all day long for receipts and notes, and it reminds every vendor that they belong there.

Related: Creative Ways to Express Gratitude

Bonus tips

• Trade swag bag items for a discounted vendor fee. Most vendors don't get a real return on putting products in swag bags. Knocking down their fee in exchange makes it a win-win.
• Use clear signage and a vendor map. Help guests find every table, not just the ones closest to the door.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get vendors for an event?

Start with a clear picture of your audience, then reach out to small businesses whose customers match it. Confirm them 6 to 8 weeks ahead, give them a promo kit, and show them how you'll promote them. Vendors talk, so treating your first group well is the best way to attract your next one.

How far in advance should you book vendors for an event?

Aim for 6 to 8 weeks. That gives small businesses time to make or order stock, plan a display that fits your space and promote your event to their own community.

The bottom line

When vendors feel welcomed before the first guest walks in, they show up ready to sell and excited to be there.

Keep reading: Part 2: 7 more ways to make vendors feel valued during and after your event.

Want PleaseNotes at your next event?

I'm still available as a vendor. These days, I'm more often booked to speak or lead a workshop, with a PleaseNotes table set up alongside so guests can take the experience home. If that sounds like a fit for your event, visit CherylSutherland.com and let's chat.

Do you have any tips or things you would like to share? Comment below!

About the author

Cheryl Sutherland is a confidence coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of PleaseNotes. She helps women own their worth through workshops, keynotes, and personal growth tools that make confidence something you can practise every day. Her work has been featured in Forbes, InStyle, HuffPost, Fast Company, and Thrive Global, and she's partnered with organizations like WestJet, Intuit, CBC, and Dress for Success. Want Cheryl to speak with your team? Visit CherylSutherland.com.