Common Rules and Terms for Music Festival Vendors.

Whether it’s food and beverages or non-food most music festivals have limited vendor pitch space and are often oversubscribed. For vendors that successfully secure a pitch space at their selected event most organisers will impose fairly strict rules and terms. What do vendors need to be aware of when preparing for their attendance at a music festival?

Music festival organisers usually open up applications for vendor pitch spaces on their event websites which will involve completing an online form. This may be a straightforward submission of contact details or could be a multi-page questionnaire, alternatively there may just be a contact phone number and email. At the initial application stage little information will be required from each vendor, however, potential applicants should be aware of the decision-making process most organisers conduct. Any specific rules and terms will probably not be communicated until an application is successful so vendors need to be prepared in advance for the organiser's requirements. 

Contract Agreement Terms and Conditions. 
On acceptance of a vendor’s application the festival organisers will send a formal contract or agreement which will specify the general terms and conditions applicable for each party. The terms on these agreements can be quite generic to those found in most contracts but will include specifics like pitch fees and payment terms agreed, requirements for insurance and health and safety compliance. In addition, there may be specific event terms relating to noise, operating hours, waste management and security measures. The agreement will also specify procedures in the event of cancellation by either party and what happens in the case of a Force Majeure. Additional requirements can be lengthy and will usually form part of an appendices attached to the agreement. 

Additional Rules for Food and Beverage Vendors. 
Most counties have strict rules and requirements for any business that is preparing, storing and selling food and beverages. Vendors will need to demonstrate that they have the appropriate food safety certifications which will cover onsite storage temperature control, sanitation and hygiene standards and correct ingredient labelling. Festival organisers will require copies of any certifications and coordinate any on-site inspections of food and beverage vendors. For vendors selling alcohol they will be required to provide details on how they manage age verification and prevention of sales to under age festival-goers. 

Specific Non-food Vendor Rules. 
Whilst the rules for non-food vendors are less complex, they will still be subject to rules that relate to what they are selling. Vendors must ensure that no fake or counterfeit branded products are offered for sale and that all goods are authentic. This extends further to respecting any applicable copyright and trademark laws too. Vendors will also be required to ensure that no prohibited products are offered for sale, deposable vapes are being outlawed in many countries so vape vendors will need to be wary of what is offered for sale to ensure compliance with any prevailing laws. Organisers may also ask that vendors offer goods and products that are of a high standard and quality along with fair and competitive pricing. 

Logistics Rules. 
Any vendor agreement will usually specify the location and size of an agreed pitch space which cannot be changed or altered. Organisers will have strict timelines for all vendors that will include dates for document submission and orders for electricity and water supply needed on site. Organisers will also notify vendors about information they need for site passes including names and vehicle registration numbers. Once organisers have all the necessary information, they will issue a pitch set up and breakdown schedule which will detail the dates and times that vendors should arrive on-site. These timings are critical because organisers will have fine-tuned the on-site traffic to minimise delays and disruption so it is essential that vendors stick to the allocated timings. Organisers will also specify the hours that vendors will be permitted to operate and a multi-day event may require the vendor to cease operations before midnight for example. Waste management is a priority for many organisers and they will specify to every vendor what their responsibilities are. Vendor’s waste should be processed as directed by organisers either on-site or taken away by them for off site disposal.

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics including a dedicated vendor management module. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering. 

Image by Quang Nguyen Vinh via Pexels

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