**** You must reside within the Kootenay Boundary Area to qualify ****

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All Communications come from kootenaychristmasfair@hotmail.com or aviva@kootenayartisanfair.com 

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Please make sure our email address has been added to your contact list or check your junk mail.

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Booth Sizes and Fee's

(Dates are November 22-24, 2024)

Booth Options for Nelson Prestige November Show only

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Hall tables 6 foot table only, Friday – Sunday $180 + Tax

(6x6) in main room on a corner, Friday – Sunday $210 + Tax

(8 x 8) Friday – Sunday $235 Corner booth add $25 +Tax

(10 x 6) Friday – Sunday $260 Corner booth add $25 + Tax

(8x6) in main room on a corner, Friday – Sunday $235

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Booth Options for Nelson Rod and Gun December Show only

(Dates are December 20-21, 2024) 

Friday and Saturday 8 Foot tables

This is an over flow event for the Prestige. There is a limit of 32 tables available for this event

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Kootenay Artisan Fair Application Portfolio and Submission Outline

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Criteria for Jury

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• No Alcohol vendors

• Hand Made, Quality, Crafted, One-of-a-kind

• No imports, pre-packaged, or "assembled" products

• No silk screening unless you do all the parts of the process including the making of the items being silk screened

• All clothing must be made by you

• Food safe and proper government labelling must be properly displayed and Food Safe Certificate must be present

• Must submit all items you wish to have juried

• Must reside in the Kootenay region

• No table sharing 

• Food Vendors must provide a sample for jury for the November Event only

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The jury is made up of independent, professional, individuals with one or more (ex) art council members in attendance.

 

We jury the fair to keep in line with the standard that the Nelson and District Arts Council and the Predecessors set for this show over 5 decades ago. Jury insures that the quality of the vendors is very high and that the product are local and made by hand from the individuals that are representing their products.

 

The jury criteria for successful applications are:

1. wares handcrafted

2. primarily original design

3. high quality of product

4. diversity of product and product category

5. affordability and sustainability

6. clarity and professionalism of application

7. personal location of vendor in relationship to the event location

Categories of items not juried will not be allowed to be sold (e.g. if you are a seamstress and you send us pictures of clothing and you also make bags but do not send us pictures of bags you will not be allowed to sell bags.)

 

 

Returning Vendors

If you are a returning vendor please only submit photos and product information for new items or the removal of past items.

 

 

Application & Acceptance Process

The Kootenay Artisan Fair is a juried show. Acceptance is based on the quality, originality and craftsmanship of the work to be sold. Other factors include booth layout, product packaging and the submission of a complete, accurate application. Categories are limited to avoid over saturation. Only those types of products or crafts submitted in your application may be sold or displayed at the Market. Please do not add a service or a product line that has not been adjudicated. If you do bring any items not juried, you will be asked to remove them from your booth.

 

 

Portfolios/images

Portfolios will be used to jury your products. You can direct us to a website or your online presence for review. You must submit all products you wish to sell at the fair. Please be detailed in what products you wish to carry especially if you have more than 1 product represented on your website. Remember that the judges are looking at hundreds of photo’s so please be specific, or you may get looked over. If you do not send in sufficient information you may not be accepted, so please provide as much information as possible.

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Food Vendors

Any vendors wishing to sell any food items must provide a sample of product for jury, on or before July 2. This is for the November event only. No single serving food items will be allowed to be sold at the Prestige event due to the contract with the Hotel.

 

 

Booth Sharing

Booth sharing is strictly prohibited. Anyone who shows up with product that was not juried or submitted with their application, will be asked to remove those items. This will also affect all future applications with the Kootenay Artisan Fair.

 

 

Photo submission

Photos can be summited via email or via social media. You must give clear direction to folders if you are submitting photos via social media. Please provide photographs showing full items as well as close ups of details. You must include prices

Please do not send sample items unless you do not require them to be returned. You must include prices points for all individual items. You must also include a detailed list of items if your line includes more than one type of product in your application.

 

 

Payment's, fees, and cancellation policy

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(November Show)

Payment is due in full by Aug 1st. If payment is not received by the cut-off date your space will be filled by the next vendor in your category who is on the waiting list.

 

 

How to Pay

Monday to Saturday you can come in to Positive Apparel Thrift Store at 721 A Front St Nelson to pay via cash, or Interact. Please note we no longer accept cheques or credit cards due to the fee's.

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E-transfers are the preferred method of payment. Please use email positiveapparel@outlook.com only after your receive an invoice. They are set up for direct deposit so please insure you have your invoice number in your e-transfer.

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Your invoice is your receipt and includes your GST number from our sponsors Positive Apparel.

 

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(November show only)

Deadline for cancellations is September 1.  Cancellation prior to September 1st will receive a refund minus a $25.00 processing fee. Cancellations after September 1st forfeit entire registration fee.

 

 

Market Hours:

(November shows only)

Friday           7:00 am - 9:30 am – Set up

                     10:00 am - TBA pm - Market Open

Saturday      10:00 am - 6:00 pm - Market Open

Sunday        10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Market Open

                     4:00 pm – Take Down

 

 

Booth Set up and Power

(November Show)

Booths will be given out at the Organizers discretion. After acceptance it is your responsibility to look over the floor plan, find your booth placement, and be prepared. Corners are limited. Returning vendors who pass jury for the year can request the same booth as the previous year. If you skip a year for any reason, (your own or jury decision), you will not have this same courtesy.

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Walk ways are limited and walk-in booths are preferred for all spaces except the Hall. If you are not able to create a walk-in booth you must provide a booth layout in your application and you will be placed where it is convenient for your lay out design not your requested booth size or number. 

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Hall tables are all to be against the wall as per the fire regulations. You will receive 6 feet length for your table and 2 feet for a chair along the wall only. There are no exceptions to this rule to insure we are up to fire regulations.

 

The booth space that has been allocated to you is un-partitioned. You must take into consideration your own access in and out of your booth. Please allow yourself adequate space to come and go without relying on your neighbors. In other words, please do not block yourself in.  You may create partitions or walls if you choose but it is not necessary. If your neighbor does you may want to have a backdrop so be prepared.

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Tables are not included with your booth fee. There are a limited number of free tables available from the hotel. Please contact Aviva if you require a table.

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Power is included in all booth options. House lights will be turned down to create a warm environment so you must provide adequate lighting for your product. If you do not light your booth appropriately the lighting will not be turned up just to accommodate you. If you are in the Hall you must have lighting. We will not allow the opening of windows in the main ballroom. 

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If you are in the Hall you will need drapery to cover your booth overnight.

Vendors are encouraged to decorate their booths in a "Festive Theme" this does encourage shopping.

 

Do not show up to the show unprepared for your space.  

 

Fire Retardant

If you have not purchased your table cloths or cloth banners (not vinyl) items new in the last 5 years, you may need tp fire treat them. This also includes any cloth coverings you wish to use to cover your booth at night. Fire treating is easy and can be done at home with both a natural or with a purchased synthetic compound. Any cloth over the hotel table cloth will need to be fire treated. If your product is made from cloth, you do not have to fire treat your stock. Fire retardant can be purchased at Home Depot or on line on Amazon. Or you can use one of the methods on this website 

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Cloth-Fireproof

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Taxes

All artisans are responsible for collecting and remitting their own GST/PST.

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Promotional Give-A ways, and Fundraising

The Kootenay Artisan Fair does not allow these to be part of this event. Anyone participating in these activities will be asked to leave.

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U.S. Exchange Rate

We do get some customers from the U.S. as we are doing a small advertisement in Spokane. We encourage you to offer a “better than fair exchange” rate and to decide what your exchange rate is before you get your first customer.

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Parking, Unloading and Set Up Times

You are no allowed to park at the event. When you are finished unloading please move your vehicle to the mall parking lot or street parking to avoid from taking parking from your shoppers. Please avoid parking in the areas set aside for hotel guests or you will be towed at the hotels discretion and at your expense.

 

(November show)

Unloading of your wares and setting up of your booth can be done anytime Friday from 7 am to 9:30 am from any of the doors located at the far end of the hotel, (signs will be posted on the doors). You can also unload your wares directly into the hall through several shipping/receiving doors at the side and front of the hotel depending on your booths location. Aviva will be on site and able to direct you when you get there. 

 

All vendors need to be set up and ready to go by 9:30 am in order to undergo Fire inspection.  Doors open to the public at 10 am.

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Fire Regulations

These are some of the things you must pay attention to:

• Indoor spotlights only.

• No open flames.

• Booths in the Hall must not extend past 4 ft into the corridor to maintain fire access. These tables must be against the wall. (November only)

• Booth must be restricted to non combustible crafts and goods (November only)

• No flammable materials at booths unless treated with fire retardant. 

• All draperies, table coverings, dividers, etc must be sprayed with fire retardant before you arrive at the market.

• No straw or live cedar boughs or the like.

• CSA approved electrical equipment only.

• No hot plates or heat source permitted.

• This is not a comprehensive fire safety checklist.  It is your responsibility to find out if any of your display will not be allowed or requires anything to meet fire regulations.

• The fire inspector will tell you to take down anything they feel is unsafe.

• Due to the large nature of this event all vendors are responsible for finding fire escapes and fire extinguishers. For this reason vendors are to direct patrons of the event, who may try and return to the only exit they now which is the front entrance. In case of fire patrons of the event are to be directed towards the nearest exit.

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WIFI

Free WIFI is available from the Prestige. Please keep in mind that this is a shared WIFI we cannot guarantee signal or how many people will be accessing the same signal. WIFI password will be available before doors open.

 

 

Vendor Tags

(November show only)

Vendor tags will be handed out during set up to each vendor to ensure free access into the market throughout the weekend. You will be supplied with two tags for the weekend. It is your responsibility to insure you and your staff are wearing your Vendor tags at all times. Please return your tags to the coordinator at the end of the event.

 

 

Door Prizes

All vendors will be asked to donate an item for the door prize. Door prizes should be a minimum $20 price range. We use the door prize to help build our customer e-mail list.

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Accommodations

(November show only)

The hotel will be offering a special rate to vendors from the fair. The rate is a significant reduction from their normal rates so if you require a room please call Aviva or the hotel for this year’s rate. You will need to identify yourself as a vendor of the Kootenay Artisan Fair and ask for the special preferred rate. Contact details below.

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The Prestige Lakeside Resort & Convention Center 701 Lakeside Drive Nelson, BC V1L 6G3
Email Nelson@PrestigeHotels.ca Phone 250-352-7222 Toll Free 1-877-737-8443

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Housekeeping

• No smoking is allowed in the hotel or 10 feet from any door. If you need to smoke please go into the parking lot.

• The Kootenay Artisan Fair and the Prestige Lakeside Resort are not responsible for the security of your products, however the ballroom is locked after the event each day so unauthorized personnel cannot access the area. We ask that you cover your wares at the end of each day to help keep them secure. You must be responsible for your own wares during open times. If you are in the hall and want to move any of your booth in to the Moseley room overnight please make arrangements with Aviva.

• The City of Nelson, Positive Apparel, the Kootenay Artisan Fair, the Prestige Lakeside Resort, staff and volunteers cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to yourself or property resulting from participation in this market. Your wares are uninsured by the above and participation is at your own risk.

• If you have any other safety questions let us know.

• Bullying of other vendors is not permitted. Anyone with a continued bad attitude will be asked to leave and will not be permitted to return to the Kootenay Artisan Fair.

• Food will be available for purchase from the hotel, and Lakeside park

• Child care is not provided

 

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Any other questions?  Please call Aviva at 250-505-5444 or email aviva@kootenayartisanfair.com we hope you have a successful market and remember, this is your market, we only pull it together. Let’s make it work!

 

Aviva Keely

Co-ordinator