It seems like every week another vendor market pops up on my Facebook feed. After years of attending events as a vendor—and more recently helping organize festivals with hundreds of vendors and food trucks—I've learned that not every market is the right fit.
Sometimes the most valuable decision you make isn't which event to apply for... it's which ones to politely pass on.
Experience has taught me that not every event is the right fit for every business. Over time, I've developed a few "hard no's" that help me decide whether an event deserves a closer look.
Before I Even Look at the Vendor Fee...
Before I even consider the booth fee or expected attendance, I look at the basics.
- Who is this event trying to attract?
- Is the venue easy for customers to access?
- Is it easy for vendors to load in and load out?
- Do I recognize the organizer or have I worked with them before?
- Have I attended this venue before as either a shopper or vendor?
Marketing an event is HUGE. Not only does it help get the event seen—which will hopefully increase foot traffic—but when done effectively, it's going to reach the right target market.
Marketing is a joint effort between the organizer and every vendor attending.
Your customers watch your social media, while their community watches theirs. One of the biggest lessons I've learned as an event organizer is that great marketing doesn't just bring a crowd—it brings the right crowd.
A handmade market, a flea market, a livestock show, and a brewery pop-up can all be successful events, but they'll attract very different shoppers. Knowing who you're selling to is just as important as knowing what you're selling.
It's symbiotic. Organizers want vendors talking about the event just as much as vendors want organizers advertising it. Some of my organizer friends even joke about who can get muted in the most Facebook groups because we've shared the event one too many times.
You tell your customers where to find you, and they'll tell their friends. The organizer tells their audience about the event, and some of those people discover your business for the very first time.
Then it's up to you to stand out once they arrive.
This is where my buffalo plaid tablecloths and tent banner become my version of neon lights—they help customers spot me from across the market.
While a target market can be broad, there will always be curious shoppers who fall outside your ideal customer. That's part of the fun! But there are still certain types of events I usually avoid.
Not Every Great Event Is the Right Event
One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is that a successful event isn't always a successful event for me.
I've had events where thousands of people attended, but very few were my ideal customer. I've also attended smaller events that turned into some of my best weekends because the audience was exactly who I was trying to reach.
One thing organizing festivals has taught me is that every event is designed with a different audience in mind. A brewery market, a livestock show, a handmade market, a community festival, or a boutique pop-up can all be incredibly successful—but they'll each attract different shoppers.
A good event isn't measured by attendance alone—it's measured by whether the right people attend.
Before I apply, I ask myself:
- Who is the event trying to attract?
- Does that audience naturally align with my products?
- Will shoppers be looking for what I sell?
- Can I picture my ideal customer walking through those gates?
Sometimes the answer is yes.
Sometimes it's no.
Neither answer makes the event "bad." It simply means it may—or may not—be the right fit for my business.
Here are a couple of examples of how I apply those questions when deciding whether an event is the right fit for my business.
🟡 Flea Markets: Why They Make Me Pause
Many flea market shoppers are looking for secondhand treasures or great deals. If your business is built around handmade products with carefully calculated pricing, that can create a mismatch in expectations.
That doesn't mean I never apply to flea markets. It simply means I go into the decision with different expectations and ask myself whether my products are the right fit for the audience that event is likely to attract.
Most of us attending craft and vendor markets are selling brand-new, handmade goods—not items that have already been loved, but pieces looking to find their first home. Flea markets aren't bad, and they absolutely can be successful. However, depending on what you're selling, they can also bring challenges.
Many shoppers arrive expecting to negotiate. They're looking for bargains, wheel-and-deal pricing, or hidden treasures. There's nothing wrong with that—it simply isn't the customer experience I'm trying to create.
My pricing is my pricing, and I'm not in everyone's budget. That's okay.
I love finding a good deal just as much as the next person, but I won't devalue my brand or my handmade items just to make a sale.
🟡 Garage Sales: Why They Make Me Pause
Much like flea markets, community yard sales often attract shoppers who are looking for incredible bargains or secondhand treasures. If your business is built around handmade products with carefully calculated pricing, it's worth asking whether that audience matches your ideal customer.
Just like flea markets, this doesn't mean these events can't be successful. They simply attract a different type of shopper, and it's important to ask whether that audience aligns with the products you sell.
Attend as a shopper first. Watch the interactions. Visit the other vendors. Ask yourself if you can picture your business there.
Even if you don't sell a single item the first time you attend an event, that doesn't automatically make it a failure. Getting your name out there, introducing yourself to fellow vendors, networking with organizers, and putting your business in front of new customers can be just as valuable as the sales you make that day. Sometimes the biggest return on an event isn't immediate—it's the relationships and recognition you build for the future.
I still try almost every event at least once. That's how you find the diamonds in the rough, and every new venue teaches you something about your business. Some become annual favorites, while others simply remind you who your ideal customer isn't.
Before you apply, pay close attention to how an event is advertised. Read the posts. Study the flyers. Think about who the organizer is trying to attract.
Sometimes, just seeing the wording is enough to tell you whether an event is the right fit for your business.
Every event teaches you something—even the ones that don't go the way you hoped.
-The Lad