Sending a tough-love letter to pop-up vendors
Several years ago, I offered my two cents on how to be the best pop-up market vendor you can be.
Now, as fits this season, I have some tough love to convey to fellow makers relative to the way they interact with pop-up market organizers.
It’s inspired by Stay having participated in hundreds of markets throughout south-central Pennsylvania and having curated more than 25 of our own, including our ongoing Makers at the Museum series.
With apologies to Joni Mitchell, we’ve looked at shows from both sides now.
To be fair, most vendors are great to work with, and we’re grateful for their support. A small minority, however, are ignorant of or apathetic toward best practices.
It is to them — and new or less-experienced vendors — that I extend these candy hearts of wisdom. It is my hope that we can improve the pop-up/makers market experience for vendors and organizers alike.
COMMUNICATE
In 2025, we held 10 Makers at the Museum shows, one a month from February through November.
We had multiple instances in which a small number of vendors, upon their acceptance to a show, never responded. I then followed up with them multiple times (in some instances, via email, text and phone) to no avail.
If you are accepted to a show but can’t make it, please let the organizer know in a timely fashion, especially if the space could be offered to another vendor sitting on a waiting list.
PAY ON TIME
If you are accepted to a market and plan to attend, confirm as much with a prompt payment.
Organizers depend on vendor fees to cover a range of expenses, including space rental and event promotion. A show occurs at a specific day and time (ours are Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), but the organizer’s work starts months earlier and continues past closing time. Show fees recognize that time commitment, too.
We had a few instances in which vendors paid on the day of a show, which was perfectly fine because they had arranged that with me ahead of time.
PROMOTE
To promote Makers at the Museum, we send news releases, post on social media, place yard signs in strategic locations, talk it up endlessly to customers. But vendors have an obligation to do their part, too, to encourage their fans and followers to come out.
If the organizer tags you in an Instagram post or sends you a graphic for the event, please share it. And if the organizer asks for photos of your products for use on social media, oblige the request. But also be sure to post your own content and tag the organizer.
STAY TRUE
Any pop-up market is likely to have winners and losers in terms of sales. Volatility is the nature of the pop-up world and retail in general.
Take, for instance, a show we attended last spring. It was solid for us, but another vendor, the next day, posted on Instagram: “Yesterday’s vendor market was a total bust.”
I’m not big on taking to social media for negative purposes, especially not for business. (I’m also not a fan of vendors touting their show successes, for the aforementioned reason that someone else may have had a bad day. Just play it cool publicly whatever the circumstance.)
I want customers to view Stay as a beacon of hope, an even keel, an oasis of calm in a world that can be hard and even cruel. However, that’s not an excuse for a market organizer to become complacent or hostile to constructive feedback from vendors.
I take seriously my responsibility to deliver customers to vendors who put their trust in me. It’s a punch to the gut when any of our vendors has a tough day.
It’s not always a comfortable conversation, but I try to check in with vendors throughout our shows. I want them to be honest with me and welcome and encourage their observations.
We can always be better, vendors and organizers alike. We need one another, even if the love is tough at times.