Market Equity at Festivals: Fair Fees, Quality Control, and Small-Maker Support

Running a successful cultural festival isn’t just about thrilling performances and big crowds. It’s also about creating a fair and vibrant marketplace for the vendors who bring flavour, craft, and character to the event. From food stalls serving local delicacies to artisans selling handmade goods, these small makers are the heart of a festival bazaar. Ensuring they thrive is not only ethical but smart business – happy vendors mean better offerings and satisfied attendees. As seasoned festival organisers around the world know, market equity is achieved through fair practices, supportive policies, and a commitment to quality. This guide compiles decades of festival production wisdom on setting fair fees, maintaining quality control (QC), and uplifting small vendors in any cultural festival setting.

Why Market Equity Matters: Festival vendors often range from established businesses to tiny startups or community artisans. If booth fees are too high or rules too rigid, you might unintentionally shut out the very local flavours and creative crafts that make a cultural festival special. Your vendors are as much your customers as the ticket buyers – in fact, many experts argue that vendors should be a festival organiser’s first and foremost consideration (noissue.co). By investing in vendor success, you cultivate an event where vendors, attendees, and organisers all win. Market equity is about leveling the playing field so that smaller vendors have a fair shot at success, ensuring a diverse marketplace that reflects the culture and community the festival celebrates.

Let’s explore actionable strategies – drawn from real festivals across India, Europe, the Americas, and beyond – to support small makers through fair fees, shared resources, active quality control, mentorship, and performance-based rebooking. These approaches will help create a thriving, equitable festival market that keeps everyone coming back for more.

Fair Vendor Fees with Sliding Scales

One of the biggest barriers for small vendors at festivals is the cost of participation. Booth fees (a.k.a. pitch fees or stall rents) can range wildly – from a modest $50 at a local craft fair to $15,000 at mega-festivals like Glastonbury in the UK (www.festivalpro.com). For a tiny artisan or a family-run food stall, a high flat fee can make attending a festival financially risky or outright impossible. To promote equity, many festival organisers are rethinking one-size-fits-all pricing and adopting sliding scale or flexible fee structures:

• Tiered Pricing Based on Vendor Size: Set fair rates that consider the vendor’s scale or type. For example, a large commercial food truck might pay a higher rate, while a first-time home-based baker or a non-profit cultural booth pays a lower fee. Local community vendors or youth entrepreneurs could get a discounted rate to encourage their participation. This tiered approach was evident at India’s Surajkund Crafts Mela, where rural artisans are given subsidised stalls by the government to showcase traditional crafts, ensuring even the smallest makers from villages can afford a spot.
• Percentage-of-Sales Models: Instead of a hefty upfront fee, some events charge a percentage of vendor sales (or a hybrid of a smaller flat fee plus a percentage). This acts as a sliding scale: if a vendor sells a lot, they contribute more; if sales are slow, their cost stays low. It aligns everyone’s incentives and lowers risk for newcomers. Many farmers’ markets and food festivals use this model – for instance, a festival might take 10% of sales as commission (www.festivalpro.com). If a vendor has a great weekend, the festival shares in the success; if not, the vendor isn’t out a giant fee. Large music festivals may even use a hybrid model (e.g. a modest base fee + a cut of sales) to strike a balance (www.festivalpro.com).
• Seasonal or Loyalty Discounts: If your festival runs regularly (say an annual cultural fair or a monthly market series), consider discounts for vendors who commit to the whole season or who are returning favorites. Farmers’ markets often do this – offering a season pass rate that’s lower per day than single-day slots (www.farmstandapp.com). Similarly, a cultural festival series might give a price break to vendors who come every year, which rewards loyalty and consistency.
• Transparency and Fairness: Whatever pricing scheme you choose, be transparent about it. Small vendors will accept higher fees if they understand they’re based on foot traffic, stall location, or stall size – and that everyone is being charged equitably. For example, the Glastonbury Festival (UK) charges food vendors different rates depending on pitch location and audience size, because a vendor in a prime spot with exposure to 200,000 attendees can potentially earn much more than one in a quieter area (www.festivalpro.com). Make sure such criteria are communicated clearly to avoid any sense of favoritism.
• Support Programs: To truly champion small-makers, some festivals implement support schemes. This might include a scholarship or grant for a few emerging vendors (covering their fee), or partnerships with cultural foundations to sponsor booths for indigenous artisans, etc. Mexico’s Cervantino Festival has been known to collaborate with government arts agencies to invite indigenous craft cooperatives with minimal fees, recognizing that waiving costs for these artisans enriches the festival’s cultural tapestry. At large conventions like Comic-Con, organisers set aside an “Artist Alley” section with heavily reduced booth rates for independent artists, while big brand exhibitors pay premium prices – a sliding scale that ensures emerging creators can afford to participate.

By setting fair rates, you prevent your festival marketplace from being dominated only by those with the deepest pockets. A sliding scale fee structure creates openings for diverse vendors – from a grandmother selling homemade pastries at a local fair to a young designer showcasing handmade jewelry at an international expo. The result is a richer experience for attendees and a reputation that your festival cares about the community of makers.

Shared Resources: Cold Storage, Power & More

Small vendors often operate on a shoestring budget and might lack access to the expensive infrastructure that bigger vendors take for granted. A truly equitable festival market finds ways to share critical resources – lowering costs for everyone and maintaining quality. Two of the most vital resources for food and craft vendors are electric power and cold storage:

• Providing Electrical Power: Rather than expecting each vendor to bring their own generator (which can be noisy, polluting, and costly to run), festivals can supply a central power source with distributed access. At many music and cultural festivals – from Glastonbury in England to Coachella in California – organisers bring in professional event power systems so vendors can just plug in their freezers, grills, or lights. Even smaller community festivals are following suit. For example, at the Singapore Night Festival, officials set up safe electrical points for all the street food stalls, eliminating the need for each hawker to rig up their own supply. This not only helps small vendors save money on generator hire, it also creates a safer environment (one well-managed generator is better than 50 jury-rigged ones) (www.tynetechnicalservicesltd.co.uk).
• Shared Cold Storage: Perishable goods require refrigeration – a major challenge if the venue is an open field or a street fair in summer. To support food vendors and farmers, some markets rent refrigerated trailers or reefers as communal cold storage units. For instance, the Portland Farmers Market in Oregon once trialed a shared cooling truck so small farms could store their greens and cheeses during the day instead of hauling coolers. Portable cold storage units are increasingly used at farmers’ markets and food festivals, keeping produce fresh and safe to eat (www.portabull.com). This levels the field between a vendor with a high-end refrigerated van and one who only has picnic coolers. According to Portabull (a cold storage provider), having on-site climate-controlled storage not only preserves food quality but also builds customer trust in the market’s offerings (www.portabull.com) – a spoiled batch of food from one vendor can tarnish the event’s reputation, so it’s in everyone’s interest to keep things fresh.
• Water, Sanitization & Other Facilities: Don’t overlook basic needs. Provide shared water access points (for cooking, cleaning, hand-washing), waste disposal bins behind stalls, and even communal prep areas if feasible. For example, WOMADelaide (the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival in Australia) sets up a “vendor services” tent with a prep sink and potable water strictly for food sellers. These kinds of supports especially help vendors who might not have custom-built food trucks with sinks. Hygiene and convenience improve for all.
• Bulk Fuel or Supply Runs: If generators or gas are still needed for some equipment, festivals can arrange a fuel supplier on-site so that small vendors don’t have to bring their own fuel (which can be a safety hazard in transport). Similarly, multi-day festivals sometimes organise overnight storage or security so vendors can leave their stock or equipment safely – a relief for the one-person craft stall who can’t haul 10 boxes of ceramics back and forth each day.
• Cost-Sharing: While providing these resources has a cost, organisers can spread it out in small surcharges or include it in the vendor fee. Many farmers’ markets charge a token extra fee (e.g. $5) for electricity if used (www.farmstandapp.com), which is far less than a vendor renting a generator. The key is to charge just enough to cover costs, not to profit off basic utilities. Think of it as investing in the quality and consistency of your festival’s vendor offerings.

By pooling resources, festival organisers help small vendors overcome logistical hurdles. A tiny gelato vendor at Italy’s Gelato Festival, for instance, can succeed if the event provides a freezer truck to keep their ice cream cold. At a cultural handicraft fair in Ghana, a generator powering all the artisan stalls means a woodcarver can use his electric tools without buying a generator just for one weekend. These measures may require effort and some budget, but they pay off in better product quality, fewer failures, and happier vendors. And a plus: a well-supported vendor is more likely to return next year, saving you recruitment effort in the long run.

Active Quality Control and Hygiene Inspections

A fair marketplace isn’t a free-for-all; it thrives on quality and trust. Festival-goers expect that the food won’t make them sick, and that crafts are genuine and well-made. Small makers, especially those new to big events, might not be fully aware of all health codes or quality expectations. That’s why proactive quality control (QC) and hygiene inspection by organisers is critical. It ensures every vendor – big or small – meets the standards, creating fairness and a great guest experience.

• Establish Clear Standards: From the start, set clear vendor guidelines for product quality and hygiene. For a food festival, this means compliance with health department regulations (proper food storage temperatures, hand-washing facilities, no cross-contamination, etc.). For a craft fair, this might mean rules like “no mass-produced imports – only original handcrafted items” if you’re highlighting true artisans. Make these rules known during the application and onboarding process. For example, the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe (USA) has a jury process to ensure all items are authentic folk crafts; vendors are coached on pricing and display to meet the market’s high standards. Transparency in criteria helps vendors prepare and maintains a level playing field (farmersmarketlegaltoolkit.org).
• Inspect Early and Regularly: Don’t wait for a problem or a customer complaint to check on vendors. Perform walk-through inspections each festival day. Ideally, have a market manager or a QC team that visits each stall early on (before opening or during setup) to catch any issues. Are food vendors storing raw meats on enough ice? Is the kebab stand using gloves and separate tongs for raw vs. cooked food? If it’s a hot day at an outdoor fair in New Delhi, is that dairy vendor keeping products adequately chilled? These check-ins show vendors that quality matters to the organisers. Many markets pair with local health inspectors for food safety – for instance, at Taste of Chicago (USA), city health officials roam the stands to enforce codes, but festival staff also assist vendors in compliance throughout the event.
• Hands-On Quality Assurance: Some festivals implement secret shopper-style evaluations or judging for vendor products. The earlier example of Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales is instructive – they award a “Best Stall in Show” prize each year not just for a pretty booth, but assessing product quality, passion, and overall flair (www.monmouthshirebeacon.co.uk). Judges visit stalls and give feedback. This kind of engagement not only motivates vendors to keep high standards, it publicly recognises those who excel (boosting their business) and encourages a bit of friendly competition in quality.
• Fair and Consistent Enforcement: Key to equity is treating all vendors equally when it comes to rules. A small homemade jam seller should be held to the same food safety rules as a big BBQ vendor – no exceptions for favorites. Inconsistency breeds resentment and can even lead to legal issues (claims of discrimination) (farmersmarketlegaltoolkit.org). Develop a written checklist and enforce it uniformly. If one craft vendor isn’t actually the maker of their goods (violating your “no resale” rule), address it, even if they’re popular. A reputation for integrity in curation will elevate your festival’s brand. As one farmers’ market toolkit notes, having clear rules and following them for everyone demonstrates that decisions are made on a level playing field (farmersmarketlegaltoolkit.org).
• Safety and Risk Management: Active QC also prevents disasters. A food poisoning incident or a safety hazard can ruin an event’s trust. By inspecting propane connections, food temperatures, tent stability, and product safety, you protect attendees and vendors alike. For example, Germany’s Christmas markets are strict on product safety (no sharp edges on children’s toys sold, electrical decorations must be certified, etc.), and officials check stalls before opening night. It’s all about ensuring that every vendor’s offering is safe, legal, and as advertised. This protects the market’s overall quality, which benefits all honest vendors.

Active QC may sound strict, but it can be done in a collaborative spirit (as we’ll discuss next). The goal is not to police punitively, but to uphold standards so that customers buy with confidence and small vendors can shine by meeting those standards. When festival attendees know that each food stall has passed hygiene checks and each craft is the real deal, they are more likely to spend freely – boosting vendor income and the festival’s reputation for excellence.

Coaching and Support Before Penalizing

Even with clear rules and inspections, mistakes and issues will happen. Especially when many small-makers are new to the festival environment, they might slip up on a regulation or struggle with the logistics. How organisers respond can make a huge difference. The seasoned festival producer’s mantra: “Coach before penalizing.” In other words, approach vendor issues as opportunities to educate and improve, not immediately as infractions deserving punishment.

• Foster a Supportive Atmosphere: Set the tone that festival staff are partners in the vendors’ success. If vendors feel comfortable asking questions or admitting a problem early, you can solve it together before it worsens. Some events hold a vendor orientation session (in-person or virtual) before the festival, to walk through rules and best practices. For example, the Adelaide Fringe Festival Marketplace team in Australia hosts a pre-festival webinar for stallholders covering everything from permit requirements to social media tips. Encouraging questions in advance can prevent mistakes on site.
• Mentorship and Buddy Systems: Pair new vendors with more experienced ones when possible. At several craft fairs in the UK, organisers will introduce a first-time seller to a veteran vendor in a similar category. A friendly chat beforehand or even a neighborly pairing of booths can create an informal mentorship. The new vendor has someone to turn to besides just the officials. For instance, at Toronto’s One of a Kind Show (a large artisan fair), there’s a program that places emerging artisans in a special section together with support resources, rather than scattering them alone among big pro vendors. This gives them confidence and a collective voice.
• Guidance and Warnings: When an issue is observed during the festival, approach the vendor respectfully and informatively. Perhaps a food vendor’s cooler isn’t cold enough – instead of a citation and shutting them down immediately, point it out and suggest solutions: “We notice your cooler’s struggling in this heat. Let’s get you more ice from the festival supply, and remember, regulations require 5°C for dairy. We’ll check back in a bit.” Often, vendors are grateful for the help. If someone’s display is encroaching into the fire lane, help them rearrange it correctly. Only if a vendor refuses to comply or repeats the violation should penalties escalate. Adopting a “three strikes” gentle warning system can work: first a friendly notice, second a firm reminder, third a possible fine or cutoff if it’s serious.
• Education on Regulations: Small vendors may simply not know all the rules. Studies have shown many market vendors lack understanding of food safety practices (www.infectioncontroltoday.com). For example, a study in Pennsylvania found improper glove use was common, largely out of ignorance of when to change gloves (www.infectioncontroltoday.com). The fix is training: provide easy-to-read guidelines and checklists (with visuals if possible) as part of the vendor packet. Some festivals even invite health department officials to give a short training before the event starts. Coaching vendors on the “why” behind rules (like “temp control prevents food poisoning” or “covered booths protect products from dust”) turns rules from annoyances into shared values.
• Positive Reinforcement: Don’t just point out problems – call out what’s going well. If a vendor keeps a spotless, hygienic stall or has creatively met all guidelines, compliment them. Publicly praising good actors (in announcements or on social media) can reinforce the behavior across the board. For example, the Nevada City Craft Fair in California posts a “vendor spotlight” on their Facebook page each day of the event, highlighting a stall that not only has great products but also an appealing, well-organised setup. This motivates others to step up their game.

Taking a coaching approach builds goodwill. Small makers supported by festival staff are more likely to succeed and come back. It also humanises the organiser-vendor relationship – you’re not seen as a rigid enforcer, but as an experienced friend who wants them to improve. Of course, egregious or dangerous violations (like selling alcohol without a license or ignoring allergy protocols) may require immediate action for safety. But in most cases, an empathetic correction can turn a potential failure into a success story. The goal is an environment where vendors feel mentored, not monitored – which ultimately leads to higher quality for customers as well.

Rebooking Based on Performance and Satisfaction

For truly equitable and high-performing festival markets, the job isn’t over when the booths close. Exceptional festival producers continuously evaluate vendors’ performance and attendee satisfaction, and use those insights to shape the next event’s vendor lineup. In essence, the best vendors – those who delighted guests and did well financially – get invited back (and perhaps even prime spots), whereas underperforming vendors may not be guaranteed a return. This merit-based rebooking strategy keeps the marketplace dynamic, rewards quality, and ensures the festival improves year over year.

• Gather Feedback from Attendees: After the festival, collect input on the vendor experience. This can be through online surveys, feedback cards, or social media polls. Ask questions like “Which food stall or craft booth was your favorite?”, “Were there any vendors you felt didn’t meet your expectations?”, or “What products would you like to see more of next time?”. Attendees often remember the amazing taco stand or the friendly artist they bought from. For example, Japan’s Tokyo Ramen Festival tracks fan feedback on each ramen shop’s offering; the most praised vendors are invited for the next edition, ensuring the festival retains its top draws. Look for patterns – if many guests rave about the artisan cheese stall and mention how unique it was, that vendor is a gem. Conversely, if a particular booth got complaints (long wait, high prices for low quality, etc.), note that too.
• Track Vendor Success: It’s also important to know how vendors fared financially, especially small makers. Some organisers directly ask vendors to report their approximate sales or yield (optionally) – this can be sensitive, but many vendors are willing to share ballpark figures or at least give a sense (“Did you turn a profit? Exceed your expectations?”). Alternatively, if you use a ticketing or payment system (like a cashless payment app) across the festival, you might obtain data on transactions per vendor (with consent). If a vendor barely broke even or lost money, they may not want to return unless changes are made. On the other hand, if a vendor sells out by 5 PM each day, that’s a sign of huge demand and you might want them back with a bigger stock (or more similar vendors to meet demand). At New Zealand’s Pasifika Festival – a large cultural fair – organisers reportedly monitor which craft sellers ran out of inventory early, as an indicator of whom to re-invite and how to help them scale up next year.
• Guest Satisfaction + Income = Rebooking Priority: Using a mix of these metrics, create a rebooking priority list. Vendors who scored high on guest satisfaction and did solid business are your golden cohort – they contributed to a great attendee experience and found the festival beneficial for their business. These folks you definitely want to keep in the family. Many festivals give these top performers first rights to sign up for the next event (or even an automatic invite). For instance, the Calgary Stampede in Canada has an Artisan Market selection committee that favors returning vendors who received positive feedback and strong sales, while rotating out some low-performing booths to introduce fresh blood.
• Improving or Replacing Underperformers: What about those that didn’t do well? Rather than simply axing them, consider why they struggled. Was it their product mix, pricing, location, or an external factor (like bad weather in their section)? If you suspect a vendor has potential but was hindered, you might give them another chance but perhaps with adjustments: maybe a better spot or some coaching on product display or pricing strategy. However, if feedback indicates a vendor consistently provided poor quality or just didn’t click with the crowd, it may be time to kindly let them go and open that slot for a new vendor with fresh appeal. This isn’t personal – it’s ensuring the overall market stays vibrant and high-quality. Communicate with transparency: thank them for trying the festival, share any feedback diplomatically, and perhaps suggest different events that might suit them better. Maintaining goodwill even in letting someone go is important; their business might grow and succeed elsewhere, or they could improve and reapply in the future.
• Keep the Mix Fresh and Relevant: Using performance-based rebooking doesn’t mean only ever sticking to the same favorites. It’s about curating the best while adding diversity. Aim for a balance: perhaps 70-80% proven popular vendors, and 20-30% new entrants each year to keep things interesting (numbers can vary depending on event size and capacity). By rotating in some new talent, you give other small makers a chance – which is part of being equitable. Just ensure newcomers also align with quality expectations (jury them if needed). Your returning stars set a benchmark that new vendors will strive to meet.

In essence, treat your festival market like a continually improving ecosystem. Just as you’d book musical acts based on who drew crowds or got rave reviews, curate your vendor roster with an eye on performance and satisfaction. When attendees find their favorite dumpling stall or jewelry maker year after year, it builds tradition and loyalty – the festival becomes known for its amazing market. At the same time, by weeding out experiences that didn’t work, you show a commitment to quality and respect for attendee feedback. This responsive rebooking strategy drives home that the festival is a meritocracy for makers – rewarding those who deliver great food, products, and service, regardless of their size or pedigree.

Building an Equitable Festival Marketplace: A Global Perspective

Equity in festival marketplaces is a concept gaining traction worldwide, crossing cultural and national boundaries. It’s instructive to see how different festivals tailor these principles to their context:

• Community Cultural Festivals: Many culturally focused festivals, such as the Guelaguetza festival in Oaxaca, Mexico, revolve around local indigenous communities. Here, supporting small makers isn’t just economic – it’s preserving heritage. The organisers, together with local authorities, often provide minimal-fee booths to indigenous artisans, knowing that their participation is key to an authentic festival. The result? Visitors get to purchase one-of-a-kind crafts (like handwoven textiles or carved alebrijes) directly from the creators, and rural artisans earn crucial income. The community feels pride seeing their culture showcased. This kind of engagement builds goodwill and keeps traditional arts alive. Lesson: Where cultural preservation is at stake, subsidising and actively supporting community vendors pays back in cultural richness.
• Urban Food and Night Markets: In Asian cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, night market festivals and food bazaars thrive on small street-food vendors. City-sponsored events (for example, Singapore’s Hawker Heritage celebrations) often include infrastructure like shared cleaning stations and centralized dishwashing areas for the vendors. By taking care of these backend needs, the organisers enable mom-and-pop hawkers to compete alongside larger restaurant brands. It’s no coincidence that the quality of food remains high and these festivals gain international fame – the small vendors can fully focus on cooking their best dishes while the event takes care of power, water, and cleanliness. Lesson: Even in a bustling urban festival, investing in small vendor support infrastructure leads to better food and happier crowds.
• Music and Arts Festivals: Large music festivals (think Coachella (USA), Splendour in the Grass (Australia), Glastonbury (UK)) are not just about music – they have extensive vendor villages. These often mix big companies (sponsoring experiential booths or gourmet food concepts) with indie vendors (local designers, record shops, artisanal food, etc.). To ensure variety, organisers sometimes cap the number of booths any one company can have and prioritize independent vendors in the application process. Coachella, for instance, is known to curate its food lineup carefully, bringing in local LA/California pop-up eateries and food trucks rather than just national chains. They know festival-goers crave authentic, Instagram-worthy bites from smaller chefs. Some music festivals also implement green initiatives through vendors – e.g., offering discounted fees if vendors use eco-friendly packaging or meet sustainability criteria. This appeals to the audience demographic and gives an extra nod to small eco-conscious businesses. Lesson: Even at scale, curating and giving breaks to distinctive small vendors (and aligning with festival values like sustainability or localism) enhances the festival’s brand.
• Craft and Maker Fairs: Events like Maker Faire (which has editions globally) or local craft festivals in places like Bali, Indonesia or Santa Fe, USA, revolve entirely around artisans. These often have robust mentorship – seasoned makers like to share tips with newbies, and organisers may host workshops on booth display or pricing artistry. They also frequently feature sliding scale fees or cooperative arrangements (some craft markets take a small commission on sales and provide the venue for free, acting almost like a gallery). This community-driven approach means makers of all sizes can join. A case in point: Bali’s Ubud Writers & Readers Festival includes an art market where local village cooperatives can sell handicrafts with nominal fees, underwritten by festival sponsors who want to support community development. Attendees not only get unique souvenirs but also the warm feeling of contributing to local artisans’ livelihoods. Lesson: In maker-centric festivals, fostering a community vibe and knowledge-sharing environment often matters as much as sales – happy, empowered artisans create a magical atmosphere for attendees.

No matter the region or theme, the thread common to all these is empathy and fairness in dealing with vendors. Festival organisers who succeed in the long run tend to be those who see their vendors not as replaceable cogs or ATMs, but as partners and cultural contributors. Whether it’s a massive global expo or a small-town cultural fair, when you treat small vendors equitably – with fair costs, support, and respect – the festival itself gains a reputation for authenticity and heart. That reputation attracts more attendees, more vendors, and often more support from sponsors or authorities who appreciate the community impact.

Key Takeaways for Supporting Small Makers at Festivals

• Fair & Flexible Fees: Avoid pricing out small vendors. Use tiered or sliding-scale booth fees (e.g. lower rates for local artisans or first-timers, or a percentage-of-sales model (www.festivalpro.com)) so that startups and community sellers can afford to participate.
• Shared Infrastructure: Provide communal resources like power and cold storage to level the field. A shared fridge or generator can ensure every food vendor maintains quality and compliance (www.portabull.com), even if they couldn’t afford their own equipment.
• Maintain Quality Control: Implement clear standards and active inspections for hygiene and product quality. Treat all vendors equally with these rules (farmersmarketlegaltoolkit.org). Regular QC checks and even friendly competitions (like “Best Stall” awards) keep quality high and customers confident (www.monmouthshirebeacon.co.uk).
• Educate and Empower: Approach vendor issues with a coaching mindset. Offer training, mentorship, and gentle correction rather than jumping straight to penalties. Most small makers will improve rapidly when given support and knowledge (www.infectioncontroltoday.com).
• Merit-Based Rebooking: Re-invite vendors based on their performance and guest feedback. Vendors who wowed attendees and did good business should be prioritised for next time, ensuring a consistently strong marketplace. Be willing to rotate out those who underperformed (with courteous feedback), making space for new talent.
• Community Engagement: Use your vendor policies to engage and uplift the local community. Supporting local small businesses and artisans (through fair fees and resources) not only enhances the festival’s cultural authenticity but also earns goodwill and media praise for community impact.
• Global Perspective: No matter the country or culture, the principles of fairness, support, and active management of vendors lead to better festivals. Learn from other events’ successes – from night markets in Asia to craft fairs in Europe – and apply ideas that fit your festival’s scale and mission.

By championing market equity at your festival, you create a ripple effect of positivity: small vendors prosper and grow, attendees enjoy diverse quality offerings, and the festival itself becomes known as a must-visit event where everyone – from the biggest sponsor to the humblest craft stall – gets a fair chance to shine. In the end, a festival’s success is shared success. And the vibrant tapestry of a cultural festival is woven not just by its headline acts or shows, but also by the many small makers and traders who bring their passion to your marketplace. Support them well, and your festival will thrive as a true celebration of community and culture.