--- title: "Take food, drink and market trader applications for your event | Ticket Fairy Guides" description: "Open an application page for food, drink, merchandise and market traders, set your pitch fees and how they are taxed, let Fai rank the applications against the mix you want, then approve, waitlist or decline each trader for your event and invoice the ones you approve." canonical: "https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/take-trader-applications-for-your-event" --- 1. [Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/) 2. [Guides](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) 3. Take food, drink and market trader applications for your event Traders and exhibitors # Take food, drink and market trader applications for your event At a festival or market you pick your traders from dozens or hundreds of applications, balancing the food mix, pitch sizes and power. With one application page, one list ranked against your mix and an invoice raised as you approve, nobody has to retype a trader's details into a spreadsheet. Fai, your AI teammate, can check sales, update your event or change a ticket when you ask. Takes: 11 minutes [Watch the video: Take food, drink and market trader applications for your event](https://d3lcdr963b5ubl.cloudfront.net/uploads/guides/video/take-trader-applications-for-your-event/fa652a39e4ed6b33e7772df5009b2b69f6bf880b1a3a0a8ed59cea03314e514c/0907cd6409bf515a/guide.mp4) · [English](https://www.ticketfairy.com/resources/captions/guides/guide-take-trader-applications-for-your-event-0907cd6409bf.vtt) ***Watch how it's done** 4 min 32 s, with captions.* - [Open Traders](#step-1) - [Set up the application page](#step-2) - [Offer several market dates on one application](#step-3) - [Add your pitch fees and extras](#step-4) - [Choose how trader invoices are taxed](#step-5) - [Open applications and share the link](#step-6) - [Rank the applications with Fai](#step-7) - [Open an application](#step-8) - [Choose the pitch and extras before you approve](#step-9) - [Approve, waitlist or decline](#step-10) - [Check the trader is trading](#step-11) ## Before you start - You need an owner, admin or producer role on the event to set this up and make decisions. Other roles on the event can read the list through Fai or the Ticket Fairy CLI. - Card payments must be working on the event for traders to pay their invoices by card. 1. ## Open Traders [Play from here](#guide-video) Open the event, select **Operations**, then select **Traders** in the list of sections. **Note:** If Traders is not in the list, select **More sections** and open it there. Traders opens on **Applications**, with the applications waiting for you under To review. ![The Vendors section with applications to review, Fai's reading of each, the application link and totals for power and water](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--vendors.png) *Operations, Traders.* 2. ## Set up the application page [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Set up**. On **Application page**, enter your **Welcome text** and **The mix you want**, then list the **Certificates every trader must upload**. **Note:** The page already asks for the business, contact, what they sell, pitch, power, water and photos. Add anything else under **Your own questions**, and set **Close applications on (optional)** for a closing date. ![The Set up traders panel on the Application page part, with the welcome text, the mix you want, required certificates and your own questions](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--set-up-application-page.png) *Set up traders, Application page.* 3. ## Offer several market dates on one application [Play from here](#guide-video) Optional: for a market that runs on several dates, tick the other dates under **Market dates** on **Application page**, then select **Save dates**. **Note:** The application page then asks **Which dates do you want to trade?**, and each date the trader chooses becomes a separate application on that date's event, which you decide on its own. The dates are your brand's other upcoming events. ![Market dates setting, with the November, December and January dates of a monthly market to tick](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders-finished--market-dates.png) *Market dates on the application page.* 4. ## Add your pitch fees and extras [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Fees**, then **Add a pitch fee** for each pitch size and **Add an extra** for power, water, passes or parking. **Note:** A pitch fee can also include a share of sales with a minimum and maximum, a deposit we charge when you approve the trader, and **Staff passes included**. Traders see the fees, in the event's currency, on the application page and choose their pitch there. ![The Set up traders panel on the Fees part, with pitch fees, extras and the choice of how trader invoices are taxed](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--set-up-fees.png) *Set up traders, Fees.* 5. ## Choose how trader invoices are taxed [Play from here](#guide-video) Under **Tax on trader fees**, choose how trader invoices are taxed. - **Same tax as your tickets**: Trader invoices add the same tax as the tickets for this event. - **No tax**: Trader invoices add no tax, for pitch fees that are not taxed where you trade. - **Choose a tax rate**: Trader invoices add the tax rate you choose from your tax rates. **Note:** Invoices already raised keep the tax they were made with. 6. ## Open applications and share the link [Play from here](#guide-video) Close the panel, select **Open applications**, then select **Copy application link** and share it on your website and social pages. **Note:** Traders apply from their phone with no account, and each gets an email with a link to their own trader page. **Close applications** stops new applications and keeps the ones you have. ![Public trader application page for Harbor Lights Festival, with the business, what they sell, pitch, power and photos](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--application-page.png) *The application page a trader fills in.* 7. ## Rank the applications with Fai [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Rank with Fai**. Fai reads each application against the mix you want and marks it **Strong fit**, **Possible fit** or **Weak fit** with her reasons. **Note:** Fai never decides; you do. **Best fit first** puts the strongest fits at the top of the list. 8. ## Open an application [Play from here](#guide-video) Select a trader to open their panel with what they sell, their pitch, power and water, their answers, photos and Fai's reasons. ![Trader panel for Smoke & Salt BBQ with Approve, Waiting list and Decline, Fai's reading, the pitch and fees, paperwork and history](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--trader.png) *One trader's application.* 9. ## Choose the pitch and extras before you approve [Play from here](#guide-video) Under **Pitch and fees**, enter the **Pitch**, choose the **Pitch fee** and set how many of each extra they need. **Note:** We make the invoice from these, so if you approve with no pitch fee, there's no invoice. 10. ## Approve, waitlist or decline [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Approve**, **Waiting list** or **Decline**, check the email and invoice the dialog lists, then confirm. **Note:** Turn off **Email the trader** to decide without emailing. When you approve, **Raise the invoice** makes it from the pitch fee and extras, or the deposit when the pitch has one, and **Send the invoice now** emails it with a link to pay by card. ![The Approve dialog for Smoke & Salt BBQ listing the email that goes to the trader with a link to their trader page and the invoice to pay by card](https://www.ticketfairy.com/embeds/posters/marketing-event-traders--approve.png) *Approve a trader.* 11. ## Check the trader is trading [Play from here](#guide-video) Select **Trading**. The trader is listed with their pitch, and their invoice shows **Unpaid** until they pay it, then **Paid**. ## Or have it done for you Fai lists your traders and applications with her reading of each, sets up the application page, fees and tax, adds a trader you already know, and approves, waitlists or declines an application. She shows you the email and invoice first and waits for your yes. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Show me the trader applications for that best fit our food mix, and approve Smoke & Salt BBQ on the 6m pitch with the invoice ``` ### From your own assistant, over MCP Connect your assistant to [our MCP server](https://www.ticketfairy.com/mcp-server) and ask it: The copied MCP configuration includes `--read-only`. Remove `--read-only` only when you want your assistant to make changes. Your assistant makes routine changes when you ask, and checks with you before a destructive action if your client supports that. If your client cannot ask, make the change in your dashboard. ``` Find my event , list the trader applications still to review with Fai's reading of each, and ask me before you decide any of them ``` ## From your terminal Install the CLI from [our CLI page](https://www.ticketfairy.com/cli), sign in with `ticketfairy auth login`, and choose the brand you are working on with `ticketfairy brand use `. `ticketfairy brand list` and `ticketfairy event list` show the IDs the other commands use. Use the CLI to list an event's traders, read one application and approve, waitlist, decline or cancel a trader. You set up the application page, fees and invoices in the dashboard or through Fai. You need an owner, admin or producer role on the event to decide. ### List the traders and applications on the event. ``` ticketfairy event-os traders list --view to_review --sort fai ``` ### Show one trader's application, fees, paperwork and history. ``` ticketfairy event-os traders show ``` ### Approve a trader, email them and raise and send their pitch invoice. This asks you first unless you add --force. ``` ticketfairy event-os traders decide --decision approve --raise-invoice --send-invoice ``` ## Add a trader you already know [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Add them without an application Select **Add trader**, enter the business and contact, then select **Add trader**. **Note:** Tick **Already agreed** to add them as approved. Nothing is emailed or invoiced until you choose. Fai adds a trader to the event from the details you give her, after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Add to the traders on as already agreed, contact at ``` ## Raise or send an invoice later [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Raise the invoice from the trader's panel Open the trader and, under **Pitch and fees**, select **Raise and send invoice**, or **Raise invoice without sending** to send it later with **Send invoice**. **Note:** Each trader has one live invoice of each kind, and it also shows in Bulk Invoices. Cancel an invoice in Bulk Invoices before you raise another. Fai raises a trader's invoice and sends it after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Raise and send the pitch invoice for on ``` ## Cancel an approved trader [Play from here](#guide-video) 1. ### Cancel them Open the trader, select **Cancel this trader**, then select **Cancel trader**. **Note:** They lose their place and their load-in time, and we don't email them, so tell them yourself. Their invoices stay as they are in Bulk Invoices. Fai cancels an approved trader after you confirm. ### In your dashboard, with Fai ``` Cancel as a trader at ``` ### From your own assistant, over MCP The copied MCP configuration includes `--read-only`. Remove `--read-only` only when you want your assistant to make changes. Your assistant makes routine changes when you ask, and checks with you before a destructive action if your client supports that. If your client cannot ask, make the change in your dashboard. ``` Find my event and the trader , show me their status and ask me before you cancel them ``` ## Questions you might have **Can I change my mind after declining a trader?** Yes. You can approve a declined trader or put them on the waiting list, and you can approve a canceled or withdrawn trader again. You can only cancel an approved trader. **What does a trader see after they apply?** A thank-you page, and an email with a link to their trader page, where they add certificates, their menu and staff. Once you approve them, the same page shows their pitch, their invoice, your trading terms and the load-in times. **Why did an approval raise no invoice?** The trader had no pitch fee chosen. Choose one under **Pitch and fees**, then raise the invoice from their panel. **How do I decide a trader who applied for several market dates?** Open the trader. **Other dates** lists each date with **Approve** and **Decline**, and the trader gets an email for each date you decide. On their trader page they can say they cannot trade on a date, which releases their pitch for it. **Can a trader apply twice?** No. We refuse a second application from the same email address on the same event, and tell the trader you'll be in touch. **Can I send applicants through my own event form instead?** Yes. A form on the event can add each person who sends it to your traders as a new application. ## Still have a question? Book a demo and we will answer it on a call, on your kind of event. Or create your account and see it for yourself. [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) No setup fees. No monthly fee. No credit card required. ## Related guides - [More ways to use Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/features) - [Get your traders ready for show day](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/get-your-traders-ready-for-show-day) - [Show your traders in a directory on your website](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/show-your-traders-in-a-directory-on-your-website) - [Add everyone who sends your event form to your volunteers, traders or crew](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/add-form-applicants-to-your-event-teams) - [Run ticketing for a county, state or renaissance fair](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/run-a-fair) - [Place your traders on pitches on your event site map](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/place-your-traders-on-pitches-on-your-site-map) - [Check your traders' takings after your event and invoice their share of sales](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides/check-trader-takings-and-invoice-a-share-of-sales) - [Every Ticket Fairy guide](https://www.ticketfairy.com/guides) ## Do this on your own event Create your account, build your event and follow the steps in your own dashboard. You do not need to book a sales call. [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) ## Sell tickets with Ticket Fairy Start free with unlimited events and no monthly fee, and choose a paid plan when you need more. - Set up your event in minutes - Free events are free - Fai, your AI teammate, is built in [Create a free account](https://manage.ticketfairy.com/welcome) No setup fees. No monthly fee. No credit card required. ## See it on a call Book a demo and we will show you how Ticket Fairy handles your kind of event. [Book a demo](https://www.ticketfairy.com/event-ticketing/book-a-demo) [More ways to use Ticket Fairy](https://www.ticketfairy.com/features) ### Tips for selling more tickets Practical advice from working event organizers, and every new guide as it is published. We respect your privacy. 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