Historically we have been able to set up on the Friday before the first weekend and remain in place till the final day of the market. However, it is not guaranteed that we will always be able to do this! The Convention Center has been booking more and more events, and there could come a time when we will need to break down after one weekend and set back up the following weekend. Just be sure to keep this in mind! We would love to be able to guarantee that this would not happen, but in order to do so vendor fees would have to drastically increase. The instructions below are based on the assumption that we will be able to remain in place.
Opening Weekend Setup
The majority of Holiday Market participants are with us for all three weekends, thus the initial setup process is the most exciting. We begin setup on the Friday before Opening Day:
- Select a Market Load-In time slot using our online Vendor RSVP system.
- Time slots are available between 2pm and 9pm; only a limited number are available each hour in order to prevent traffic jams on the loading ramps.
- Your load-in ticket is good for the entire hour (you do not have to be there at 2:00pm on the dot — a 15 or 20 minute delay might actually be helpful).
It’s OK if you are running a bit late, but understand that 200 other vendors are also trying to load-in as well. Patience is a wonderful thing around the holidays!
Load-In Procedure
Once you arrive at the Convention Center, proceed to the loading docks located behind the facility on Chestnut Street. There are two gates: one for entering the facility, and the second for exiting — the North gate is the entrance (located at the intersection of 12th and Chestnut).
- if the gate is not open, press the intercom button and a CTCC staff member will answer/open the gate for you.
- Proceed to the area behind the loading ramps and begin to unpack your items. Please note that the ramp can only accommodate two vehicles at a time, so do not attempt to set up your booth while parked; unload, move your car then return to set up your fixtures.
- There is no driving in! We recommend that you bring your own cart, but the facility has 8 to lend. They are just down the hall from the loading dock area, and will hold your driver’s license as collateral until you return the cart.
- A Holiday Market Staff person will be onsite to show you to your preassigned spot.
- Once your vehicle is unloaded, you must move it out of the way so that others can load-in. There is no vendor parking allowed behind the Convention Center.
This process goes exceptionally well when everyone is relaxed, patient and in good spirits; thanks for doing your part to make Holiday Market a pleasant and fun experience for everyone.
Alternative Setup Times/Restocking your booth
If you are unable to set up on the initial Friday, alternative setup times are available. You can also come in at these times to restock your booth.
- Saturdays and Sundays at 8 am (must be finished by 9:30am)
If you need to set up at a different time than any of those listed above contact us to make special arrangements.
You will not have access to your booth during the week and Convention Center security will not allow you into the hall without a market staff member present. If you absolutely must get an item from your booth please contact market management and we will arrange a time to meet you on site.
Breakdown Procedure
For those vendors leaving after the first or second weekend, load-out will begin at 5:30pm and should be completed no later than 9pm. For those leaving the final weekend, we will remain onsite for as long as needed.
A few observations:
- We will all be tired and ready to go home; please use common courtesy, and appreciate the fact that we all have the same goal to get home.
- Do not move your vehicle to the ramp until your entire booth is dismantled and ready-to-load at the staging area. The ramp only has room for two vehicles, it is not possible for you to break down your booth directly into your vehicle.
- The load-out is often more stressful than the load-in because everyone is attempting to leave at once. Understand that this simply is not easily possible, and let’s try to make the last few hours of our of time together this season happy ones.