Checklist
Recruiting exhibitors for the 2027 season
Ten steps from opening applications to settling up after the market, for organisers of markets, fairs, flea markets and street food events.
Open applications early
Open applications 8 to 10 weeks before the first market day and say when you will reply. Exhibitors plan their season in winter.
In Standbook: you add market days as a whole series (e.g. every Saturday from May to September), and applications for permanent stalls are accepted until the deadline you set and appear on your market page.
Prepare a numbered plan and your prices
Before you announce anything, number the pitches and note the frontage, depth and access to power for each one. Put the price in the announcement straight away, per stall or per metre of frontage, because “how much is it?” questions take up the most time.
In Standbook: you build the plan from a photo of a sketch, a PDF or a spreadsheet, enter dimensions and power for each stall, set the daily price per stall or per metre of frontage and can show it to exhibitors before they apply.
Only ask for what you will actually check
This is enough: company name, contact person, phone, e-mail, products and power needed. Add two or three questions that matter to you (e.g. whether the exhibitor has their own gazebo or food trailer), and sort out the rest after acceptance.
In Standbook: the application form does not require creating an account, and you can mark your own questions (yes or no, choice from a list, short text) as required.
List the required documents and your terms
Say plainly which documents you expect (e.g. food hygiene registration or certificate for food, insurance, a gas safety check for food trailers) and by when they must be provided. Short terms covering arrival times, cancellations and cleaning will save you disputes during the season.
In Standbook: exhibitors see the list of documents in the form and accept your terms, and on the exhibitor’s card you record each document with its expiry date and see what is missing on the day plan.
Spread the word where exhibitors already are
Write to last year’s exhibitors before you announce applications publicly: regulars are the most reliable. Then post one and the same link on your website, on social media and in exhibitor groups, so applications do not arrive through several channels.
In Standbook: you add a button with the link to your website, or embed the whole plan with the form in a frame, and applications from both places land in one panel.
Reply by the date you promised
Go through applications once or twice a week and keep an eye on the product mix, because five stalls selling the same thing hurt both the exhibitors and the market. A rejection with a short reason is better than silence, and the exhibitor can find another date sooner.
In Standbook: you accept or reject an application with one click, can give a reason when rejecting, and before deciding can send the exhibitor a question they answer on their application page.
Keep a waiting list
Some exhibitors always drop out in the last few days, so do not turn surplus applications away empty-handed. Set a clear rule for who gets a freed-up stall (e.g. order of sign-up) and stick to it.
In Standbook: when all stalls on a given day are taken, exhibitors join the waiting list, and when a stall frees up, the first person on the list gets an e-mail inviting them to apply.
Set a payment deadline and enforce it
In the confirmation, state the amount, the payment deadline (e.g. 14 days from acceptance) and what happens to the stall if payment does not arrive. For permanent stalls for the whole season, split the fee into instalments with specific dates.
In Standbook: exhibitors can pay for their stall online by card and the status updates itself, you mark bank transfers or cash payments in the panel, and you issue recurring fees in instalments and see what is overdue.
Send practical information a week before the market
One message to all exhibitors of the day: arrival and unloading times, where to park, where power and water are, and a phone number for the person on site. The day before, a short reminder with the stall number is enough.
In Standbook: you send one e-mail to all of the day’s exhibitors in BCC, and the reminder the day before the market goes out automatically at the time you set.
Check attendance at the market, then settle the day
The person on site should have a printed plan with contact details and a list to tick off arrivals; note no-shows without notice, they will be useful at the next round of applications. In the same week, close the payments for the day and note which exhibitors you want to invite for next season.
In Standbook: you print the day plan with the stall list and contact details, check people in on your phone, and in the Settlements tab you see who has paid and download a monthly summary for your accountant.
Want to run your 2027 applications on your own market plan?
Create an account and upload your plan, or send us a sketch and we will prepare it for you.
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