artisan/artist/merchant vendors

[*Teach*]

Our contract will be in your hands by the end of the week.
Just had to get the gang of three together to make sure we all were good with it.

*please ignore any rum stains*

[rengypsy]

lots of email from potential vendors of late

feel free to use this forum to ask any questions, and then, other folk may benefit from the correspondence.

some of the questions of late (and answers):

do you own or lease the land?

yes, kidman, llc owns the land.  kidma is 1/2 me and 1/2 great friends of mine ( a family )
sherwood forest faire, llc leases from kidma, llc for ten years w/option for more years

booth fees?

see the website (www.swf-faire.com)
if one builds, the fees will be waived for the first year, less electrical and insurance

where stands development at this date?

we received the building permit in late february and have been on the site building 5 days a week since.  join us for the april 25th gathering and see the progress.  also, i would refer you to the website's most recent blog.

why allow imports?

this is my rationale: first, imports will be strictly limited to:
a) 20-25% of vendor spaces at most
b) period appropriate items--not plastic crap

next, the late middle ages and renaissance was a time of travel and items were being brought (even back to the greeks) from other corners of the world...thus, as long as it is appropriate to the theme of the faire, i am ok with it

finally, preference is given to artists and artisans (ie. lower fees, higher % of spots available to them)

i am especially hoping for demonstration booths.

any jobs for volunteers?

yes, yes, and yes.  do you cut wood?  do you wield a hammer?  can you help move logs around the stages for seating?  anyone make benches?  more needs in the future...especially for plumbing and electrical type.

how about advertising?

we will advertise in various municipalities and mediums; in the following cities, especially, in order of funds to be expended...
1) austin
2) san antonio
3) houston
4) bryan-college station
5) corpus christi
6) small villages in between

ask anything you wish.  we are quite open.

rengypsy

[rengypsy]

another potter, a face painter and a flute maker have joined the ranks with their submitted applications.

too exciting!!!

our numbers are growing.  and soon, many folk will begin construction of booths within sherwood forest faire.

cheers all,

rengypsy

[Pyroguy]

Do you still need a blacksmith? I may know of where you can get your hands on one who has over 20+ yrs ren fair exp...

[rengypsy]

yes!

want one who will both be a vendor of his/her wares, as well as act as a demonstration...

also seeking a great glass blower, broom maker, & soap maker

may have weaver

thanks

rengypsy

[Breandan]

We are tentatively looking at submitting a vendor app (mixed artisan/retailer, possible demos). I do have some questions and concerns, though-

* What are the projected numbers of first-year crowd?
* How many arms and armour vendors are you willing to carry (we sell higher-end and custom items, so we won't compete directly with the Taiwan/Marto/CAS-Hanwei dealers, and we make all of our own armour), and will they be clustered or spread out?
* For tent vendors, how large are the allotted spaces?
* For crafted items, retail items, and demos, are there separate juries, and what is SWFF's jury process?

Thanks in advance

Breandán

[rengypsy]

all good questions

low end projections for first year attendance--20,000
high end--50,000

we would love to have a parking issue the first year

we have allotted numbers of vendors per category--four for armoury/armour, another 3-4 for swords

we expect to have between 70-100 vendors the first year.

the faire grounds proper will take place on 25 acres (approx) w/total grounds being 106 acres

jury system consists of three of us. nothing more formal or complex.

very conserted effort to emphasize artists and artisans, especially demonstration folk, over import/retailers.  likely limit import/retailers to 20% at most.

what else???

[Breandan]

My wife will be out at the site tomorrow to look it over, so she'll probably ask all of the site-related questions then, so I'll leave that to her. I will admit that we are behind the game a bit, with both of us just having returned from active duty and just NOW finding out about SWFF, so bear with questions that may have already been asked a dozen times.

[rengypsy]

not a problem.
i love open communication.
no question is off limits or offensive.

thanks for considering sherwood forest faire!

we are quite passionate about what is being created within these woods, by us and all of you who are choosing to be a part of its happening

and, thanks for your service to our country!!!

[Breandan]

Quick question: My wife was out this weekend and said most of the booth sites are 10'x15'. For us to establish an effective sales area AND demo area, we'd probably need a larger space than that. If we were to build a booth there, what would we be looking at for different fees if the footprint was (and this is a rough estimate) 20' wide x 25' deep? I know a lot of other vendors may be wondering about different sized spaces as well, so I was curious if there was a sliding scale for the fees for abnormal sized booths.

[rengypsy]

extremely flexible.  the 15 x 20 were booths we may build and rent.  booth construction can be up to 30x30.

[rengypsy]

booth fees are based upon whether you make the items you sell or are retailers only.  reduction in fees for artists and artisans as spelled out on vendor app and webpage tab talking about vendors.

no problem with as many questions as you have.

cheers,

rengypsy

[rengypsy]

three new vendor apps received today.  a potter, a bronze sculptor, and an alchemist, of sorts.  very cool.  thanks all!

[Breandan]

To clarify, we want to do SWFF, the only things holding us back are prior commitments at TRF, where we're doing renovation on our shop there and aren't sure whether we're going to have enough left over budget-wise to do SWFF, and the fact that my partners and I are still hammering out details on precisely WHAT we're going to do. So, let me run some questions past you that will help focus our planning-
* If we built a 20'x30' booth, what fees would that total up to first year and subsequent years for a mixed retailer/artisan?
* For smithing, what are the restrictions and requirements for demo format, demo space construction, and so forth (beyond the usual fire precautions)?
* What are the standards for building living quarters in the shops, and are we allowed to build our own if the design is approved? (this is a cost-saving measure, as we have materials and experienced carpenters/homebuilders who can do the labor, but do not have the funding to buy equipment AND hire a contractor)
* What kind of access will we have off-season for renovations, expansions, and, obviously, the initial construction?
* When can construction begin?

I'll probably get more questions this weekend once my partners are de-blarghed from work and the Friday Night Viking Raid that they call pub-crawling, and I will try and be out for the next tour myself.

Breandán

[rengypsy]

response:

1st--if one builds a permanent structure, the faire waives the vendor fee for the first year.  the second year will be as it states on the vendor website and application: $500 for artists and artisans who make 100% of their wares; $750 for those who make a majority, but also sell purchased (faire appropriate and faire approved) items for resale; and, finally, $1000 season for importers and resalers.

the electrical fee will apply to everyone needing electrical (somewhere between $175-250/season, depending on your load requirements--more for food vendors who will rely heavily on electrical for food prep)

vendors must either obtain their own insurance as stated as in the app/instructions and in their contract or pay the faire $250 to be added as a rider to the faire's policy.

regarding smithing and demonstrations: send me a proposal.  that simple.  i am sure we can work something out.  for those artisans who have a medieval/renaissance skill and are willing to be part of the show as scheduled demonstration sites, i am planning on reducing vendor fees accordingly.

on living quarters: same--give me a diagram/drawing. we will talk.

yes, vendors can build their own booths--but must pass the structural integrity examination of my grounds director.

access, once a contract is signed, is fairly carte blanche until i get screwed.  but i start most of my life projects and relationships with a significant degree of trust.  having said that, i think, as the philosophers of the enlightenment declared, we work together as part of a social contract...and i will expect you to uphold you end of the contract as i surely will.

thanks for the questions.

rengypsy