2024 Silver Spring Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show Vendor Registration Form

Vendor Spaces 

Each vendor is provided with a 10’ x 10’ space which can accommodate a 10×10 tent. If available, if you go outside the 10×10 space, you will have to pay for additional space! Vendors need to provide their own set up, including tent, tables and chairs for displaying the merchandize. Vendors understand that are responsible for all needed display props, including table/chairs/hanging materials/signs/etc. All tents MUST be anchored with weights on all legs. If a tent has no weights, you will be asked to take it down, due to liability issues. 

Electrical requirements are limited. Please contact the event organizer for any electrical needs. 

Booth Set Up 

Volunteers will be present to direct vendors to their assigned area for set-up beginning two hours prior to the event start time. Due to safety reasons, vendors who arrive after the start of the event, may forfeit pre-assigned booth location and be assigned an alternate location. All vendors must be completely set up 15 minutes prior to the event start and remain set-up and in place until the event end time. To prevent accident or injury, any vendor wishing to leave early MUST notify a festival official. With permission, booths can be packed-up and “walked-out” will be allowed to do so. No vehicles will be allowed on the event’s grounds AT ANY TIME. Vendors will be allowed to proudly display company banner and signage to identify their business. Vendors will be able to sell their merchandize and are responsible for reporting sales tax. 

Usually set up starts 2 hours before the event start time and break down occurs right after the event ends. More detailed information regarding each of our events, including the Vendor Layout is emailed one to two weeks prior to the event date. For any questions, you can always contact our office at 703.889.0202 between normal business hours. 

Booth Sharing

Vendors are NOT allowed to share booth spaces; all vendors are welcome, but they must register for their own booth space. If we see that you share a booth space with another vendor not registered in the event with their own booth space, the vendor who is not registered with our company will be asked to leave the event premises, NO EXCEPTIONS. Food items, including jams, teas, spices, etc cannot be displayed for sale in the same tent with jewelry, clothing items, bath and body items, etc. 

Vendor Application and Confirmation

In order to participate in one of our festivals and /or fairs, you must complete the Vendor Registration Form and submit the Vendor Booth Fee. Once we have these two forms completed, you will receive an email from us confirming your participation in the event. As we get closer to the day of the event, you will receive a second email from us including your booth number and location, as well as vendor set up, parking, break down, and any other pertinent information regarding the event you are part of. Please make sure to check your spam folder in case you do not see the email with the booth assignments and vendor information 1 to 2 weeks before the event date in your inbox. Please make sure you check the email you included in your registration form as that is the email we will use to send all the event’s logistics. Please keep in mind that it’s the vendor’s responsibility to contact us in case no emails are received the week before the event date; we will gladly make sure you have all the information needed for the day of. Also, please add our email address to your contact list so you make sure you receive important event communication from us. 

Vendor has the option to select the Prime Location and/ or Corner Booth in the Vendor Registration From. Selecting these options does not guarantee having them. If the Prime Location and or Corner Booth are available, you will receive a separate email with invoice to submit payment for them. Prime Location spaces are the first ones to sell out and Corner Spaces are the second ones to sell out, so if you are interested in these additional options, please plan accordingly and select them as soon as you register for your booth space. 

Vendor Category Exclusivity

We do not offer vendor category exclusivity for none of the categories listed in our vendor registration form except for the Direct Sales category (i.e.: Mary Kay, Scentsy, Avon, Paparazzi, etc), as all products are the same. As an artisan and crafter, we consider all items to be unique and we do not have a cap for handmade items, no matter the category. If you are interested in being the only vendor representing a category in one of our events, then you will be considered a Sponsor and booth fee will be displayed accordingly. 

Deadlines

We do not have deadlines for our events, so an event may be open when you contact us, but it can close at any time. If the event’s registration link is no longer available on the website, it means the event is no longer open for vendor registration. As a general rule of thumb, our festivals and fairs sell out at least one month prior to the event date. We recommend you registering for our vendor e-newsletter to avoid missing on any events, as we do announce on a regular basis how many vendor spots are available for an event. We strongly recommend applying when we announce a new event and registration becomes available. We have no way of knowing when a festival will close as we receive many registrations a day and could prompt an event’s closure without anticipation.

Vendor E-newsletter

The best and easiest way to keep in touch with our announcements on upcoming events, special promotions, and/ or last calls for vendors is to sign up for our Vendor E-newsletter. Please keep in mind you may receive emails regarding events that may not be in your area of interest, but we recommend you to keep an eye on all emails received from us as otherwise you may miss important announcements regarding upcoming festivals you may be interested in.  

Food Vendor Permits

First and foremost, it is the Food Vendor’s responsibility to compete and submit the Temporary Food Permit Application from the City/ County the event is taking place – for Silver Spring events is Montgomery County Health Department; for Baltimore events is Baltimore City Health Department; for Leesburg events is Loudoun County Health Department; for Manassas events is Prince William County Health Department; for Fredericksburg events is Fredericksburg City Heath Department; for Richmond events is Richmond City Health Department. Permits will vary depending on where you are selling. Typically you will need to obtain the Temporary Food Permit Application. Keep in mind that you will need a vendor’s permit for each location you service. Requirements may also vary from state to state and county to county, so please make sure you check with the Health Department of each city/ county the event is being hosted; organizer has no saying over the Health Department requirements and it is not responsible for Vendor’s non approval of receiving the one day license to vend in the event. Certificate of Insurance adding Royal Events as an additional insure for the day of the event is a requirement for all Food and Beverage Vendors participating in any of the events. If the on-site Health Inspector finds you NOT compliant with the Health Department Rules and Regulations the day of the event and does not allow you to sell in the event, Organizer is NOT responsible and NO refunds will be issued, NO EXCEPTIONS. 

Insurance

Certificate of Insurance adding Royal Events Group as an additional insured for the day of the event is a requirement for all Food and Beverage Vendors participating in any of the events. While Event premises are being occupied under this agreement, the organizer will provide NO insurance for participating vendors in the event; any insurance must be placed and paid by the exhibitor. Vendors agree to hereby indemnify and hold harmless the event planning company and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders, agents and employees free, clear and harmless, from and against any and all losses, liabilities, costs, expenses (including amounts paid in settlements and reasonable attorney’s fees), claims, penalties, judgments and damages, resulting from or arising out of, by reason of any act, omission or negligence of the client or its representative agents, employees or Vendors in any way connected with or arising out of any accident, injury or damage-and these can include and be detailed-any breach of representation, injury to person or property, any activity conducted or action taken by the organizer, directly or indirectly, in conjunction with the agreement. If for any reason beyond its control, including but not limited to strike, labor dispute, accident, act of war, act of God, fire, flood or other emergency condition, the organizer is unable to perform its obligations under this agreement, such non-performance is excused and the organizer may terminate the agreement without further liability of any nature. In no event shall the organizer be liable for consequential damages of any nature for any reason whatsoever. 

Forms Of Payment

All participating vendors are required to accept both cash and credit card payments, NO EXCEPTIONS. Please be advised that wifi is NOT available on site, so please plan accordingly. 

Taxes

Each exhibitor is responsible for collecting the state sales tax and filing a report with the local Department of Revenue. For any questions or more information, please contact your accountant or the local Department of Revenue; our staff is not certified to provide or answer any tax related questions. 

Cancellations and Refunds

WE DO NOT ISSUE REFUNDS FOR CANCELLATIONS. Vendor fee is Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable. In case the event must be cancelled for reasons out of organizer’s control (i.e. inclement weather as tornadoes and hurricanes, government imposed regulations, Act of God, venue related issues, etc.), event will be rescheduled and the new date will be announced to all registered vendors in the event. Refunds will not be accepted due to already inquired expenses on organizer’s behalf as advertising and promotion, permits and licenses, venue rental fees, etc. In case the organizer must cancel the event with no rescheduled date set, vendor fees will be refunded. 

No refunds will be made unless the application is not accepted. No credits will be applied for upcoming events, in case of vendor/ exhibitor cancellation. If for any reason it becomes impossible to have the event, vendors understand this agreement is terminated and will waive any and all claims for damages. Refunds will not be made due to cancellation on the part of the vendor/ exhibitor. Failure to comply with the above stated rules will result in eviction from the event & loss of any money paid.We understand that problems arise and everyone cancels for reasons beyond their control; however, please understand there are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.

Transfers

In special cases and only if approved – if a vendor requires to transfer a registration fee from an event to another, there are several conditions that must be met:

1. event cannot take place within 6 months from the date of the transfer request (i.e. if you are registered for an event in January, you can only transfer to an event happening after June)
2. a $35 + taxes processing fee will be assessed for any transfers made
3. no more than 1 transfer per vendor per year is allowed.

Day Before/ Same Day Cancellations and No-Shows

We understand life happens, and while you need to cancel your registration for the event (no refunds and/ or credits will be issued), we appreciate you sending us an email informing us of your cancellation at least 2 days before the event day; we request a 48 hours cancellation notice as our office is closed before the event date in order to prepare for the event. In case of a no-show or day before/ same day cancellation, vendor understands that their no-show or day before/ same day cancellation in the event impacts the layout and overall aspect of the event, and for future events, vendor will be reassigned a booth which, in case of a no-show or day before/ same day cancellation, will not impact the visual appearance of the event’s layout. In case of a no-show or day before/ same day cancellation, if for future shows vendor requests a prime booth, vendor will be charged an additional fee of $25/ booth, due to their previous impact on the event’s layout. 

Promotion of Other Events

Promoting other events in our festivals and events is strictly prohibited. If we see you promote other event within ours, you will be asked to remove all information related to that particular event. Vendors can distribute flyers, business cards, coupons, menus, or other material to patrons within their vendor booth area, but please DO NOT SHARE flyers from other events. 

Day Of Booth Relocation

Vendor understands that, in special occasion, their booth will be relocated in a different area, most likely a better one, depending on the cancellations and/ or no-shows the day of the event, in order to maintain the overall flow and visual appearance of the event’s layout. This change will be communicated by the on site Event Manager, the day of the event. 

Alcohol is NOT allowed on event’s grounds – not for sale and not for personal consumption.

Weather / Rain or Shine Policy

All festivals are held outdoors and go on rain or shine. No credits or refunds will be issued if the show is affected by forces of nature beyond our control. Please check our website, social media pages or contact the office for updates on cancellations resulting from severe weather such as hurricanes, tornados, flooding, etc. Please note, we will not cancel a show unless informed by state, city or local officials that it will be in the best interest of safety for all. If it looks like it is going to rain, unfortunately, we will not call off the event and it will run as scheduled. 

COVID Policy (Addendum to Vendor Fees as of September 1, 2020 (revised March 1, 2021, revised February 2022))

If vendor has tested positive or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, vendor is required to report the incident immediately and provide documentation. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, please take a COVID test 1-2 days prior to the event date and if the test is positive, you will be allowed to switch your registration to another event date. You are required to send us proof of COVID-19 positive test in order to make the event registration change; all information will remain confidential. You are required to let us know and send us the required documentation BEFORE the event is taking place; if we are notified after the date of the event, this is no longer applicable and you will be considered a no show in the event, and the no-show rules will apply, meaning vendor fees are not refundable and not transferable, no exceptions. Accepted tests are PCR tests and in-home tests accompanied by MD’s note only, no exceptions. For more information on COVID guidelines, please visit CDC’s website – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html

In special cases as the COVID-19 pandemic, vendor understands that no refunds will be processed as to already inquired expenses on organizer’s behalf as venue rental fees, permits and licenses, advertising and promotion, etc. Organizer will work with vendors to offer credit options towards another festivals and events in the coming year, hence 2023; a tentative schedule of events will be released by mid/ late 2022. 

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ the rules & regulations before submitting the Vendor Registration Form. We make every attempt to review all information contained within the pages of this website and at the time of posting all information is believed to be accurate and complete. Organizer has final rights for interpretations and disclosure and reserves the right to change any information as it becomes necessary. Any changes will be disclosed to all parties involved as soon as they become available to us via e-mail or phone, as we feel best for confirmed parties.