Facts and Procedures
- Contact Us
The office phone number for Craftproducers and Empire State Wine Events is 802.489.6650. Email addresses are info@craftproducers.com and info@empirestatewineevents.com.
The exhibitor websites are craftproducers.com and empirestatewineevents.com.
The mailing address for both is PO Box 300, Charlotte, VT 05445.
- Juried Show StandardsWe seek original work that is well-designed and fabricated. No sales representatives: we want you intimately involved in displaying and selling your work at our fairs. (A bona fide employee knowledgeable about your production is acceptable.) No kits or imports are allowed. No buy/sell items are allowed. If we discover any buy/sell work at an event, we will remove the exhibitor from the show.Fill out our application carefully to indicate the items you make and plan to sell at one of our juried shows. There are many items that we need to ensure are only represented by one or two exhibitors. For example, maple syrup and CBD products fall into this category. No one should sell CBD items or maple syrup unless those items are listed as their primary offering. If you apply as a 2d artist for example and want to sell a small line of your jewelry, you need to indicate it on the application so we can confirm if okay. Note that in general it is not the norm for a juried artist to make and sell multiple types of items (such as jewelry, personal care items, and sweaters). Occasionally, we have partners (meaning husband/wife, wife/wife, husband/husband) who share a booth with two different items, but this does not extend to a partnership of, say, friends who want to get a split price on a shared booth! When in doubt, just ask and we will discuss.One more note on buy/sell! We receive gorgeous photos every year of shops that represent beautiful items! The point of a handmade juried festival, however, is to represent individual artists who make or design what they sell. We have non-juried shows as well, and welcome buy/sell representatives to these.Starting in 2023, we plan to require working studio photos for juried events. They will not need to be professionally made photos. These will be great for social media and the website, inspire a lot of patron interest, and also guarantee the juried artists do in fact make their work. The type of exception here would be, say, a company that uses a factory for t-shirts that the exhibiting artist conceptualized and designed from the ground up. We don’t aim to penalize success! (Past examples of these were Sol Mate Socks, Eat More Kale t-shirts, and several Specialty Food exhibitors).Finally, your booth presentation should be professional. We do not require white tents and we do allow handwritten signs. However, any sign you display should be professionally written and have a classy purpose. If you are unsure what that means exactly, check with a neighbor or ask. We want to allow exhibitors to showcase their booth in flexible ways and hope these guidelines do not need to be hardened in the future. Please let us know, preferably while at the show and confidentially, if we need to address an individual exhibitor that you feel does not present in a professional manner and needs a redirect. There are many components to discuss so keep the conversation going with us. We do our best and appreciate our exhibitors and their professionalism and talent.
- Apply
- Fill out the online application(s) to request shows, booth sizes, and to indicate whether you want corners, interior or perimeter spaces, and/or extra electricity. We try to accommodate your requests, but, due to demand, this is not always possible. Limited corners are available at a premium cost. If you have been assigned a corner, it will be listed on your invoice.
- Note that we replace any information you provide in your this year’s application, such as email address or display name, with the information we had on file. We assume if the information is different, that you intended for it to change. So please type carefully. This also applies to the medium description, which will be used in programs and websites, so again, type it as you want the public to see it.
- Be sure to send photos of what you will be selling, a booth photo, and also, starting in 2022, a photo of you in your studio making or designing your work. See the FAQ on photos for more details. Also, read over the FAQ titled Juried Show Standards for applicant requirements and let us know if you have any questions regarding them.
- Photos/Images
When applying for a juried show, you need to send images or your work, one of your booth setup, and, starting in 2022, one of you in your studio making or designing your products. Please email images to info@craftproducers.com in JPG format, at a fairly high resolution (4×5 at 300dpi is suitable). Images may be used in advertising for the show and one will be listed on the associated exhibitor page of the website for each show. If you do not send photos, you will not be listed on the website. Printed photos or slides are not accepted. If you have exhibited with us in the past, it is likely we have your photos on file, but let us know if you want us to use a more recent photo. If you sign up very late for a show, your photo and URL(s) may not make it onto the site in time for the show. We do our best, so check the sites and communicate whenever you require a change of photo or listing.
- Initial Application Deadline
All applications postmarked by January 15 will be considered for the first round of acceptances, both for juried and non-juried shows. If there are any spaces open after that, acceptance will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If you put a checkmark next to a show on our application form, we consider that mark your intent to exhibit. Your signed application form reflects your commitment to do all the to which you are applying and, as such, is your contract with us. After we accept you to any show, cancellation fees will apply.
- Deposit and Application Fee
Included with your application, you must enclose a single deposit of $150, regardless of the number of shows you are applying for. This deposit is required to secure your spot in one or more shows for the year. Your deposit will be applied to your last show of the year.
- Discounts and Specialty Food Pricing
Specialty Food Exhibitors receive an ongoing discounted price for the Stowe Arts Festival. Please note that this discount does not apply to the outdoor festivals and marketplaces, namely, Lake George Art and Craft and Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festivals, since those booth fees are already significantly discounted.
- Finder's Bonus
Spread the word! If we accept a new exhibitor you have referred to any show, we will reward your support with a finder’s credit of $50 which will be applied as a credit to the last show on your invoice. This referral must be indicated on the new exhibitor’s application or the new exhibitor must let us know either by phone, email, or letter. “New exhibitor” means someone who has never exhibited with Craftproducers.
- Demonstrations
We appreciate and seek good demonstrations in both indoor and outdoor booths. If you want to demo, please provide details with your application or call our office so that we can determine what to give you in return. Possible examples include additional space, electricity to an outdoor booth or a discounted booth rate.
- Payments and Fees
You may pay by cash, check, post dated checks, or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express). Late payment will result in a $25 late fee. Your $150 deposit will be credited toward your last show of the year. Our payment plan is very flexible. If you are having trouble meeting a deadline, just call us to explain and arrange an alternate payment plan. This is all we ask. If you do not communicate or follow through with any new agreed plan, that’s when we’ll charge the late fee. Full details will be furnished upon acceptance with an explanation of our postdated check system.
- Notification and Cancellation, Insurance & Contracts, Sales Tax
NOTIFICATION
We will send out acceptance information along with your invoice by February 16. If you cancel a show after this date, there will be a cancellation fee of $150. This amount is not refundable. Partial refunds of your full booth fee may be given based on when your cancellation is received and if we can fill your spot. No refunds are available within 30 days of a show.
If you apply after February 16, we should reply to you within a few days. If more than a week has passed, contact us at info@craftproducers.com. Sometimes we send invoices that get lost in your spam folder. Or, sometimes we have an incorrect email address in our records.
INSURANCE & CONTRACTS
Beginning the first year after COVID, insurance requirements became more strict for us as the organizer and for you as an exhibitor. Once we accept you to a show, we send a generic contract for you to sign which is required by our insurance company. In addition, you will need to provide us with EITHER a Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI) OR a signed Hold Harmless agreement. We will send a recommendation for an insurance company if you do not already have an agent, and you will be responsible for your policy.
Getting a COI will come as a cost to you, and signing the Hold Harmless (HH) will not. However, you will be more protected if you have the insurance so it is the recommended option. For example, let’s say a storm comes up at a show and blows over your display, or your tent blows over and causes damage to someone else’s display, these are examples where having insurance may protect you. The standard coverage is for $1,000,000, but it is your responsibility, in cooperation with your insurance company, to decide on the policy that is best for you.
SALES TAX
Every state where we do a show has individual requirements for vendors to pay sales tax. It is your responsibility to obtain the appropriate sales tax ID, for example in Vermont or New York, and to provide us with your TAX ID (the number only, not a full scan of any certificate) for our records. For example, in Vermont we are required to provide a listing of the TAX IDs to the state. If you have any questions about whether the products you sell are taxable in any state and at what rate, you need to check with the state agencies yourself to get those answers.
Meanwhile, if you are doing a show in Vermont, as of summer 2022, you can contact the Vermont Department of Taxes at PO Box 547, Montpelier, VT 05609 or call 802.828.2551. As of this time, sales tax is 6% and clothing and specialty foods are not taxed. However, the question of whether you need to have an ID and report 0$ for these items or not is a question between you and the Department of Taxes.
If you are doing a show in New York, as of summer 2022, the URL for the New York State Department of Taxation is https://www.tax.ny.gov/. Go there for all information and contact them with any questions. In New York, you must display your NYS Tax ID in your booth throughout the show.
- Booth Setup and Electricity
Your display must be as professional as your work! We require a backdrop and sides for indoor booths. Your 10×10 tent or pipe and drape are acceptable. 400 watts of electricity is provided for every ten feet of indoor booth space. If you wish to purchase extra power at $50 for an additional 400 watts, you must indicate this on your application form and it will appear on your invoice. If you want power for an outdoor booth, the price is $50 per 400 watts and you must indicate your needs on your application so we can plan our electrical layout. Extra electricity requests made at a festival may not be possible to accommodate and will incur a $100 surcharge.
Electricity is provided with the booths inside the Big Tents in Stowe. You get 400w and need to use LED lights.
For all outdoor booths at all shows, which includes all regular booths in Lake George and Southern Vermont, electricity is not available.
Note that Food Vendors (ie., on site concessions, not specialty food exhibitors) will get electricity at all shows. We will communicate with you in advance to find out how much you need and to work out the logistics.
Important Note: Although we provide electricity for indoor events, you are responsible for your own lighting! Check with fellow exhibitors for recommendations, such as using LED lights for maximum efficiency. Plan ahead to highlight your beautiful work in the best lighting possible.
NOTE: ELECTRICAL CORDS MUST BE 3-PRONG, 14-GAGE, 50’ LONG AND SUITABLE FOR A WET LOCATION.
- Check-In and Check-Out
- We strive to make check-in and check-out as efficient as possible. We will send out detailed instructions for each show well in advance, so read them carefully and let us know in advance if you have questions. For each show, we will have a check-in window which is usually the day before and day of the show. For example, for a three-day Friday-Sunday show, check-in usually begins on Thursday, often around 10am, and ends at 6pm. For those who can set up quickly, there is usually a Friday window for, say, 7am-9am, for a show beginning at 10am.
- When you arrive, you will check in at the Check-In Station and receive a packet, which usually consists of a parking pass, two exhibitor badges (you can get more if needed), and directions to your booth. We try our best to allow you to drive as close as possible to your spot, but depending on conditions at the site, this is not always possible. Be prepared to work together. For example, we may need to let people with a physical handicap drive on the field but not others.
- We expect everyone to stay setup until the very end of the show. For safety reasons especially, no one may drive off the site until the patrons have exited. If we work together, we can get in and out safely and efficiently.
- Publicity and Advertising
- Whatever it takes, we do. We spend the money. We advertise. Our ads are classy and visually pop out on the printed and online page. We make creative radio ads that spread the message. Our television ads showcase actual exhibitors. We develop and use a mailing list. We have individual websites for each show with an Exhibitor Listing page that includes a photo of your work and link to your website or social media page. Visitors to our sites will be able to find you on our sites throughout the year and until the following January when our new season begins.
- We are developing Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram pages for each show as we continue to employ social media to target your customers. Note that, as of 2022, we will no longer display any email addresses on our sites for security reasons in order to protect you. We will display one URL for you, prioritizing them by website, Facebook, Etsy, Instagram, Twitter. If you prefer we display a different URL for you, just let us know.
- How can we work together? The information you provide in your application regarding process and awards will help us highlight you on our platforms. ALSO, we would like to make a big push toward including more video of exhibitors working in their studios. To this end, all you need do is take some video on your phone (does not need to be professional) and get it to us (by google drive or other way that works for you) so we can add it to Youtube and Link it to our Websites. Reach out and work with us on these efforts!
- Hotels, Camping, and Parking
HOTELS
Craftproducers does not reserve hotel blocks for Exhibitors. We have found that online travel sites can offer you much better deals than we are able to arrange.
For the Stowe Show, you should contact the local Chamber of Commerce for assistance: Stowe Area Association – www.gostowe.com – 1-877-467-8693. You should note that the weekend of the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival is the busiest weekend of the year and hotel prices are high. You should reserve far in advance!
For Southern Vermont, you should contact theshiresofvermont.com or manchestervermont.commanchestervermont.com.
For Lake George, you should contact either visitlakegeorge.com or lakegeorge.com. Lake George in general will have the most varied and affordable options for booking reservations and for eating out after show hours.
CAMPING
This year, there will be FREE camping at the show sites for the Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival and the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival. There are no hookups at these shows and you do not need to let us know in advance that you are planning to camp there because there is plenty of space.
However, there is NO camping at the Lake George site. Check visitlakegeorge.com or lakegeorge.com for information about all the camping in the area of Lake George.
PARKING
There is plenty of space for exhibitors to park at the Vermont shows. We will give parking passes during check-in and you can request additional passes for additional vehicles. Note that there will also be free parking for patrons at the two Vermont shows.
At Lake George, parking is much more limited, so we can only give one parking pass per exhibitor. Also, we do not have any option to provide free parking for the patrons in Lake George, but we advertise this fact as well as we can. The good news at Lake George though is that there are tons of camping and parking options close by. Check visitlakegeorge.com or lakegeorge.com for information.
- Etiquette and Amenities
Our procedures have been carefully established for your maximum safety, profitability, and enjoyment and must be followed. Although our management style is relaxed, we expect you to fill out forms correctly, to make timely payments, to be on time for setup and the shows, and to remain set up until the very end. We expect every Craftproducers representative to treat you courteously, professionally, and with respect. We require all exhibitors to treat the public politely.
PLAYING MUSIC IS NOT ALLOWED IN YOUR BOOTH UNLESS YOU ARE A MUSIC EXHIBITOR.
HANDWRITTEN SIGNS in your booth are allowed, as long as they are professionally done and have a classy purpose. Please don’t be the reason we eventually have to change this rule.
Smoking is not allowed in the tents or on-site in Lake George (per park rule).
DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED DURING THE SHOW ON THE SITE. We go to constant and exhausting efforts to advertise to patrons that dogs, except certified service animals, are not allowed at our shows. When exhibitors have a dog in their booth or walk a dog around the show, it makes it ten times harder to enforce the rule and is just not fair. If you are camping with your dog, they may reside at your campsite during the show hours.
A little backstory here is that (a) our Lake George contract requires that dogs not be allowed into the Charles R Wood Park, and (b) we used to welcome dogs in Stowe and Manchester until, over the years, we experienced multiple dog fights, a child bitten by a dog, and many complaints from exhibitors that dogs caused damages in their booth. We even had a period of time where we said dogs could be at the show but just not inside the big tents. People said okay and immediately took their dogs into the tent. So, sadly that’s the bottom line.
AMENITIES. Our traditions of bagels and coffee on Saturday or Sunday, the exhibitor gathering with snacks and variety of beverages, and other entertainment will continue wherever possible.
- Restroom Facilities
For the Vermont shows, we provide wedding style restroom trailers when possible, as well as regular portable units. At the Lake George site, there is a permanent building with extremely nice facilities, so we just add portable units onto the field for extra convenience.
- Acts of God, etc.
If Craftproducers is forced to cancel a show due to Acts of God, Mother Nature, Governmental Order, War, Civil Unrest, Terrorism, etc., there will be no refund of booth fees. We will not issue refunds for any other liabilities whatsoever concerning the failure to fulfill this contract due to reasons of the venue being destroyed by fire, weather, or other calamity, or by any act of God, public enemy, strikes, statutes, ordinances, or any legal authority, or any cause beyond our control. If we cancel a show by our own choice, we will completely refund your payment to that show.