One of the things I’m thankful for after all these years of vending is the networking and the people I’ve met along the way.

For this part, I reached out to two event organizers who have actually seen my applications come across their desks. I’ve been a vendor at events organized by both of them, and I’ve also had the opportunity to work under one of them helping plan an event.

I asked them some of the same questions about what happens on their side of a vendor application — what they look for, what matters, and what vendors may not realize is happening behind the scenes.

And because both of them have reviewed applications from me, I couldn't resist asking one more question: What did you actually think when one of my applications landed in front of you? You'll have to keep reading for those answers.

Their answers below are their words. I haven’t edited, cleaned up, summarized or changed their responses. As you'll see, they don't necessarily approach every situation the same way — and that's part of why I wanted you to hear directly from them.

There is one thing I hope vendors take away from both conversations: the questions on an application are generally there for a reason.

A request for photos, a detailed product description, your social media links or a question that might seem overly specific isn't necessarily there just to take up space on an application. Your answers may be helping an organizer determine whether you fit the event, balance similar vendors, decide where to place you, meet venue requirements or simply understand what you're actually bringing.

So when an application asks you a question, give the organizer something useful to work with.

You might be surprised by what they're actually looking at after you hit Submit.

1. When you first open a vendor application, what are you looking at?

LEAH	ERIN
I am looking at to see if it fits the qualifications that the venue has set, then to make sure they have all the information I need	I skim through to see if it’s a completed application, and then go straight to photos, if provided. If they don't complete it, I kick it back.

2. What makes an application stand out to you — either positively or negatively?

LEAH	ERIN
Positive - they have filled out all the info, Negative - it's halfway filled out or the venue says no xyz and they checked the box that they understand and they are still one of those vendors.	The interactions when applying. If the vibes are off, the application might get put to the bottom and permitted after seeing if they are worth the effort to meet the overall goals.

3. How much detail do you want a vendor to give you about what they sell?

LEAH	ERIN
for us I need any items they want because I don't want to have so many of the same kind because we are a horseshoe I don't want people seeing 15 of the same kind in a row, so sometimes I tell them you can sell this but not this	I want photos to see the product and how they are set up. I also want to know if they have controversial products to place them appropriately or decline if it’s something that doesn’t fit the brand of the event.

4. How do you approach duplicate or similar vendors? At what point does duplication become oversaturation?

LEAH

ERIN

I try to limit to 2 of the same kind or if it's a super popular category like 3D I do 3-4 depending on the type. There are some people that do giant 3D and they are not the same as little 3D and there are some people that only have 10 pieces of 3D and they do something else as the majority of their booth so it's super important to make sure that you know what people are selling. And then sometimes people just bring stuff they are not approved for and we have 7 or 8 people and then I have to have hard conversations with them like that is not cool etc.

The space and crowd size defines how many vendors and how many vendor types. You have to balance things to fill spots, but provide a healthy space for healthy competition of similar items.

5. Have you ever turned down a vendor whose products you genuinely liked because you didn't think they were the right fit for that particular event? What goes into that decision?

LEAH	ERIN
Yes the venue sets the tone and I have to follow their lead. also in the beginning we didn't have a good return for farmers markets like we do now so i turned down a lot of them in the beginning but I worked hard to get the people to accept the farmers market and now they do so I don't have to turn away that kind of people.	Nope. I try to make space for everyone unless there are too many of that type of item.

6. How much does the anticipated audience, demographic, location, size or style of an event influence which vendors you accept?

LEAH	ERIN
it affects the amount of vendors I accept. so I know our end of year markets are usually bigger so I can accept more vendors so that way there will be more money for the vendors. I'm always trying to make sure to balance that out for them.	Big time! You wouldn’t have a Bible vendor at a Satanic festival.

7. How important is booth presentation when reviewing an applicant? What are you looking for in booth photos?

LEAH	ERIN
I am looking only for the stuff the venue doesn't allow. Example one person said they made baskets but their picture showed a sign that said tarot readings. Had I not seen the picture I would have never known	I want to see that they have put some thought into their setup. Some organization to their display and maybe decor to draw people in.

8. Do you look at an applicant's website or social media? If so, what are you looking for beyond their products?

LEAH	ERIN
Yes I look at the social media or website all the time because a lot of people say they do crochet or baked goods for example but there are thousands of different versions so a lot of times the pictures on their social media truly help influence who I let in the venue	100%. I’m looking to see how active they are.

9. How do you handle a vendor who arrives with products they didn't disclose on their application?

LEAH

ERIN

A lot of times I don't find out about it until afterwards and I have to have a conversation, if it's someone who has been with us for a while I ask them why they brought something different if it's a new person that broke the rules purposely I usually cut them from the market. I always give people a chance to explain because sometimes it's genuinely a mistake and if that is all it is I just explain its super important and that is their one and only strike then they are let go if it happens again.

Read the room. Is it worth the argument? Does it significantly conflict with the balance you created? If not, move on and speak kindly and privately after the event.

10. What responsibility do you think an event organizer has for giving accepted vendors the best opportunity to be successful?

LEAH	ERIN
promoting the markets, advertising it, sharing it on social media, not putting people who sell the same thing right next to each other, try to make sure everyone who is indoors has the same right as the people outdoors so making sure there are signs etc. We cannot control weather or people but we can pray for both.	Marketing is the biggest. Getting foot traffic the vendor was promised to give them the best chances to make sales.

11. What does fairness mean to you when you're curating vendors for an event?

LEAH	ERIN
I believe in not just letting the same people come to the market because people like variety so I do first come first pay so it helps even out the field and I have noticed that we have a great crew of returners but doing it that way helps us have a good crew of new people as well.	Sticking to the set rates, including scaled rates for various types of vendors. There’s exceptions to every guideline or rule for things like in-kind or sponsorship setups. Generally, you don’t charge vendors placed side by side at different rates just to fill a spot.

12. What's something vendors don't realize is happening behind the scenes while applications are being reviewed?

LEAH	ERIN
Tons of admin work. When I have to work even harder to find out information that you didn't provide I don't have time to do that so I usually just cut them because they didnt' care to follow the rules during the application so I assume they are not going to follow the rules during the market.	Spacing out similar vendors, placing around appropriate items (kid stuff by face painter type thing)

13. How much does a vendor's reputation matter? Do organizers and vendors talk about their experiences with one another more than people might realize?

LEAH	ERIN
Sometimes we do but I believe in making my own opinions about people instead of letting other people influence me. I'm sure there are people that talk badly about me and I would hope that people would give me the same chance so they can see who I truly am.	100%. It matters. I don’t want someone showing up at the event shaking you down for money owed.

14. What is one application mistake you wish vendors would stop making?

LEAH	ERIN
it's so stupid but their phone numbers I wish they would put a - in between the numbers lol	Not filling it out.

15. If you could tell every vendor one thing before they hit Submit, what would it be?

LEAH	ERIN
Please make sure I have everything I need to give you the best possible light to make the market and realize that I will do everything in my power to help you have a successful day and that we are all on the same team.	Prepare for rain.

16. Okay, but I had to ask...

Do you remember what you thought when one of my applications came across your desk?

LEAH	ERIN
I liked the pictures of your dragons and there was one in a tree that I thought was so cool looking and I thought my kids would love that and it was such a different picture	“oh cool!” - Me, probably or maybe it was “What’s with all the plaid?” - Could have been me, allegedly.

17. What's something I didn't ask that you wish vendors understood about applications or event curation?

LEAH

ERIN

How much work we actually put into each market, I work for months on each one to try to help make it successful for everyone. I spend over 10 hours a day on the computer to make all the events so I wish people understood that . We actually have a great crew of people but there is always that one that just wants to be ugly for no reason. But we are incredibly fortunate that those are far and few between.

Promote yourself coming to the event as hard as you want the event to be promoted. Fees cover SO MANY THINGS. You should be marketing and engaging with the event’s socials too.

 

So, What Happens After You Hit Submit?

If there’s anything I hope these conversations show, it’s that there isn't a universal checklist sitting on every organizer's desk.

Different organizers may approach the same situation differently, just as different events have different audiences, venues, restrictions and goals. What makes sense for one event may not make sense for another.

But look at how often the information on the application came up.

Photos mattered. Product descriptions mattered. What you disclosed mattered. Social media could matter. The type of event mattered. Even how you interacted during the application process could matter.

Those boxes aren't always there just because somebody needed something else to put on the form.

There’s a lot happening after you hit Submit that you may never see. Someone may be looking at where you'll fit, who else sells something similar, what the venue allows, what the expected crowd will respond to, or whether putting you in one spot instead of another gives everyone a better opportunity to succeed.

You won't always know what is happening on the other side of your application.

The best thing you can do is give the person sitting on that side enough information to make an informed decision.

And apparently, it doesn't hurt to have a really good picture of a dragon in a tree.

Or a concerning amount of buffalo plaid.