Just gonna throw in my two cents: for 6 total markets, even with the price increase, the market would still be wildly more affordable than any other regional holiday markets. If it were to move outdoors I would probably forgo it and apply to those, however, because as a jewelry vendor most of my customers are going to be trying on items. When it’s cold out and people are bundled up in hats, coats, and scarves they tend to not want to un-bundle to try on jewelry and that cuts into sales. Personally, I’d be happy to pay the increase to remain indoors!
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Is there an option to have food vendors be a part at the pavilion and have craft vendors inside? The first weekend as Mainx24 would be a good launch pad to test it. We miss the food trucks at the holiday market too. The potato bar is just not good.
@Lin_Feagans by inside, do you mean Arts & Crafts at the Convention Center and food trucks at FH Pavilion? Or are you basically indicating support for the normal/winter pavilion setup described above?
What was the average price increase % for the last 5 years at the convention center? Makes me wonder why 27% now, when I spoke to @chris during the holiday market, he mentioned that there is usually not many events happening. Are there poor relationships or greed involved?
If we agree to 27% this year, what happens the following year? Will we continue to get priced out? Can we negotiate? Maybe they think we don’t have a choice!
I love the idea of an outdoor/pavilion market, so we can include many of the food vendors that are left out, and create more of a Christmas feel with trees, decorations, etc. Maybe we can even get a snow machine for outside and heaters for inside!
Last year my wife and I attended a Christmas market in Hamburg Germany, it was freezing, it was wet and it was so packed we had to force our way though the isles , but it was the BEST Christmas market I have ever been to! (there were vendors for everything, clothing, jewelry, desserts, pottery, metal) an no one seemed to mind! It definitely felt like Christmas, a feeling that I didn’t really have at the convention center.
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We’ve internally managed most of the price increases of the past; part of the jump this year was to provide for a guaranteed load-in day on Friday prior to the weekend for each weekend. While they historically have worked with us on that, it’s now required that we book the Friday setup day (for each weekend) in order to guarantee it’s availability. So it’s effectively a significant rate increase.
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The poll results are now public, and 56% of the opinions were to leave the Convention Center in favor of the Pavilion. Within that group, 82% preferred some efforts to winterize/enhance the pavilion setting using slightly higher fees.
This is good food for thought, and I will begin the next phase of talks to see if us remaining at the Pavilion in December is even possible. Contractually, we do not currently have those December rights and there are scheduling priorities given to others which might make this an impossibility. One reason we shifted indoors was to get away from those conflicts, as the spectre of Holiday Market potentially being cancelled was unacceptable.
I have requested a meeting to discuss this possibility with the decision makers, and have outlined the situation to them. There are a number of factors well-outside my direct control here to predict how those conversations will go, but the timing is probably good for this topic to be debated.
For now, the venue for Holiday Market 2020 will remain as Undecided until more information is gathered.
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I saw this late, but would much rather stay inside. I feel the weather this year already deterred some people from coming out and it would be even worse at the pavilion. I liked the island corner setup as well. I made my deposit in good faith that we would be in the convention center…
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Sorry, I thought I had registered my vote, but I don’t see it listed here. I vote to stay at the convention center. I have paid way more in fees to vend through other markets. I am concerned the weather would decrease foot traffic.
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Hopefully it can remain at the convention center so us new vendors have a shot at a space. ( and keep our customers warm)
I’ve tried ta few times to vote but it won’t let me.
I vote to stay indoors at the convention center. It’s worth the extra money to not battle the chance of winter weather. Also customers already expect us to be there.
the poll is now closed; that’s why you can not vote. it was open for a couple of weeks
When will a decision be made for this years Holiday Market 2020?
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Our Holiday Market launch for the last 10+ years has been July 1 – so by then, for certain. We hope to have things wrapped up a lot sooner. There are significant complexities with all of these options, and we’re currently holding discussions with key stakeholders to see if occupying the FH Pavilion in December is even possible.
Nothing is simple 
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If the pavilion is ultimately the venue that is chosen what about the vendors that gave a deposit so they could set up at the convention center? Chris you had mentioned that there’s much less space at the pavilion and more than likely most of those spaces are sold out. We wil still have a spot at the pavilion. Thanks
Well, multiple questions and responses:
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everyone who left a deposit/registered for Holiday Market 2020 would be offered a spot at the Pavilion (with deposit applied). 100% of those who early-bird registered would be fine; we just won’t have much room for extras.
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or if they didn’t want the Pavilion, we would refund their deposit and allow someone else to take their spot.
Finally, it’s not entirely about Vendor Preference – it’s also about what is contractually possible. I’m still working on that process, but it’s complicated and things are not moving quickly. As of today, we do not have any option other than the Convention Center – but have a few more weeks before our self-imposed deadline is reached. This may become a 2021 decision point.
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Thank you Chris much appreciated.
I’m looking forward to a definitive direction. As a newer vendor I most likely won’t be able to get a spot at the pavilion. We would prefer the convention center and if it’s the pavilion we could begin planning year end events since there would be fewer spots. The 2021 decision point IMO may be the way to go if we consider letting customers know in plenty of time for the change while in the warm inside of the convention center making purchases Dec 2020.
Don’t get stressed - the consumer is pretty smart. We had even more concern when we first decided to move into the convention center away from the pavilion – and it worked out just fine.
We will know more fairly soon, one way or another.
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