Exhibitor Policies & Rules

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ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:

Welcome, and thank you for applying to our Spring 2023 Hartwell Makers Festival! 

Hartwell Makers Festival, LLC (HMF) is a showcase of creative talent throughout the our region, featuring a spring event and a fall event. The Festival will feature an eclectic array of art and handcrafted goods, with an emphasis on “the Makers” - the artists and craftspeople -  sharing their talents in a market-type atmosphere. 

WHO CAN BECOME A HMF VENDOR?

All artists and makers of handcrafted items are welcome to apply during each application window. Work/product must be of your own original design and must be hand made. Items not created by the exhibitor or artisan are not permitted. Resale of wholesale/manufactured items is not permitted and will result in exclusion from future markets. Copyrighted images and logos (unless it’s your copyright) are not allowed. HMF will uphold the highest standards supporting the arts and offer participating artists the environment to nurture an appreciation for their skills.

THIS IS A JURIED SHOW.

Our festivals are juried, meaning that every application is reviewed by our jury, with acceptance granted to vendors that best fit with our mission, based on quality and originality of work and demonstrated or anticipated presentation/booth design. Only items of the nature described in your application may be displayed or offered for sale. HMF reserves the right to remove any non-juried items. 

FESTIVAL HOURS:

Exhibitors must be set up 30 minutes prior to start of event and remain open during all exhibit hours – Saturday, April 29th, 10am – 3pm. Please note that this is an outdoor festival, and the ground may not always be level or flat. The HMF will be held rain or shine. Cancellation by the event organizers will occur only if it is deemed that there is a safety risk due to severe weather.

PAYMENT:

Payment of $50 for a 10X10 vendor footprint should be made within ONE WEEK of receiving your acceptance letter. Instructions for payment (Venmo, check, or PayPal) will be included in the letter.

WHAT’S PROVIDED:

Included in your festival fee is a 10X10 footprint for your booth space and at least one promotion on the Hartwell Makers Festival Facebook home page and within the Facebook event page. We encourage vendors to promote the event via their own social media or other promotional outlets they may have. It is each vendor’s responsibility to furnish your own tent, table, and chairs.

LOAD IN / LOAD OUT:

Vendors will receive information regarding booth location, load in and setup 1 week prior to the festival. Vendors that fail to abide by load in schedule and deadline may risk forfeiture of vendor space. In the event of late arrivals, HMF will not be obligated to refund event space fee. Booths will be pre-assigned by the Festival directors, with consideration given to the type of products you are exhibiting. The official closing time is 3:00 pm. All vendors will completely knock-down and pack up all display, merchandise and tents before bringing their vehicle to the loading area.

CANOPY WEIGHTS:

All participants must have their own weights, with a minimum of 40 pounds per tent leg. 

Most accidents at events involve canopies. There are two general rules regarding canopies which all participants need to remember: 

·  Your canopy shall be fully secured before setting up anything else. 

·  Be sure that your method of securing your canopy to the ground does not create an additional hazard by being inadequate or by protruding into pathways. 

Setup and breakdown periods are when canopies consistently prove to be most vulnerable to the wind. You must be sure to completely secure your canopy as soon as you set it up, and take down your canopy as soon as you remove your weights at the end of the day.  

Weight methods that are not acceptable are:

• Weights below the minimum requirement
• Grid panels only (no weights) 
• Stabilizer bars only (no weights) 
• Raw concrete blocks or bricks 
• Water containers 
• Loose weightlifting plates – cannot be secured to legs properly.
• Dumbells – cannot be secured properly to canopy legs.
• Merchandise Racks – do not weigh enough when product is removed. 
• Stakes in the ground.

VENDOR/ARTIST MARKET RULES AND REGULATIONS:

All vendors of Hartwell Makers Festival must adhere to the following rules and regulations necessary for the proper conduct of a safe, clean, well regulated, and attractive festival.

• Artist booth will remain within a 10X10 space. Vendors are expected to furnish their own tent, weights, tables, chairs and any in-tent lighting.
• Space is limited to vendors who sell ONLY self-produced artwork and products.
• The HMF Committee reserves the right to refuse exhibit space if the product or service or the booth area is not consistent with the character of the event.
• All exhibits must be designed, constructed and operated in good taste with the best interest of the event and public safety. The Festival reserves the right to prohibit or restrict exhibits that because of noise, method of operation, materials or any other reason become objectionable. Carnival tactics, the use of public address systems or other similar activities by the vendor shall not be allowed.
• Vendors may not sublease any part of their space or participate in any third-party advertising or third-party promotions or display third party signage at their booths.
• Decorations may not be nailed, taped, tacked or otherwise fastened to neighborhood infrastructure, trees, or fixtures.
• The use or distribution of any of the following items is prohibited: helium balloons, glitter, and confetti.
• Seller is responsible for collecting any applicable sales tax and the reporting/payment of any sales tax collected to the appropriate agencies.
• Motorized vehicles of any type (forklifts, gas or electric carts, bicycles, scooters or similar equipment) may not be used within the event venue.
• Vendors are responsible for maintaining acceptable standards of sanitation within their booths and for disposing of trash into designated trash receptacles. Vendors are responsible for cleaning their designated area of all debris at the event’s conclusion.

HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT:

Through submission of application materials and accepting this Agreement, Vendor agrees to hold HMF, its Directors, staff, volunteers and the City of Hartwell harmless for any and all losses, expenses, demands and claims against the Festival sustained or alleged to have been in any way related to the Hartwell Makers Festival. Vendor also agrees and acknowledges that the HMF, its Directors, staff, volunteers and the City of Hartwell are not responsible in any way for any personal injury, illness, property damage or loss of property that may occur during the Spring 2023 Hartwell Makers Festival event. No Agency, Partnership or Joint Venture Created – This Vendor is an independent operator and through this agreement no agency, partnership or joint venture relationship is created by the Hartwell Makers Festival. 

WEATHER:

The Hartwell Makers Festival is an outdoor rain or shine event. Hartwell Makers Festival makes no representation or guarantees regarding actual festival attendance, nor make any representation of potential financial success or failure. The Vendor agrees that in the event of acts of God, storms, floods, high winds, that neither the Festival nor any of its employees or agents shall not be responsible for loss, damage, third party damages, claims or loss to property, persons or vessels. It is the Event Management’s sole and absolute discretion to order a cancellation or evacuation of the Event, or to take necessary steps to protect public health and property in the event of an act of God, or the issuance of a severe weather warning for Hartwell or its environs by the National Weather Service.