2024 Vendor Kit

Your 2024 Vendor Kit is in progress and will be ready in the summer

Information will be posted as it is ready. Browse below to get a jump start!

Know Before You Show!

The Vendor Kit has been created by your show team to help our vendors have a great show! 
Please review the vendor kit below and let us know if you have any questions as you prepare for the show. 
From your show team - Hannah, Jennifer, and Stephanie

Everything you need to know about move-in, move-out, booth regulations, and more!

MUST READ for ALL Participants - Click the green links below  
2023 Vendor Manual AND Fire & Safety Requirements 

----- NEW Political Merchandise Policy for 2024 -----
As we enter a highly volatile political environment in advance of the 2024 General Election, Marketplace Events (MPE) wants to make clear its position on what content will not be permitted on its exhibit floors in all its US consumer home and holiday shows effective January 1, 2024. MPE shows are welcoming environments built solely to encourage face-to-face commerce. Creating respectful, safe marketplaces where our attendees and exhibitors can come together to learn, shop, compare pricing and do business together is our highest priority.

MPE’s acceptability standards do not permit political candidates, parties or other groups promoting issues or ballot initiatives to participate as exhibitors. In addition, the display or sale of any products or services that are political/partisan in nature or that can be interpreted to promote, incite, or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or religious intolerance are prohibited. MPE’s judgment in applying these standards will be final.

MPE maintains these policies to ensure a welcoming environment for all attendees and exhibitors.

RESOURCES

• Vendor FAQ's - Frequently asked questions by our vendors.
• Floor Covering (Required) - What is floor covering and why are vendors required to have it?
• General Electrical Do's & Don'ts
• Emergency Evacuation Points

FORMS & ANCILLARY DOCS

• Utilities - The Park Expo & Conference Center - Electricity, internet, parking, and storage
• Show Decorator - COMING SOON - Rent booth supplies, freight and move-in labor
• Food & Beverage Vendors - For those selling immediately consumable products at the show
  
• Insurance
• Taxes
• Hotel Partners - COMING SOON - Discounted pricing on select hotels
• Enhanced Vendor Listing - Establish your online presence with attendees before the show opens!
• Traffic Drivers - COMING SOON - Promotional material to use online to let your customers know you'll be at the show.
  
• Holiday Boutique Online Shop - COMING SOON - Online shopping experience across all Marketplace Events holiday shows!

SCAM ALERT FOR VENDORS

As per our privacy policy, Marketplace Events is a permission-based email sender. We do not share, rent, or sell any email lists. 

SCAM WARNING

There have been a number of spam emails offering our attendee lists. These are scams and the senders are unauthorized to use the Marketplace Events’ name. These scammers are attempting to receive monies from exhibiting companies without providing anything in return. These emails are not approved by Marketplace Events, and Marketplace Events would never ask for bank information or other sensitive information over email.  

CLICK HERE for more information.

Holiday Décor

It is required for all vendors to incorporate holiday décor in your booth display.

2024 MOVE-IN

Olde Towne Shops Only (#1-50)*:
Saturday, November 9: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Sunday, November 10: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

*Tent vendors (booths #100-125) may not begin set-up till Monday.

All Vendors:
Monday, November 11: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 12: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 13: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

All exhibits must be fully set-up by Wednesday, November 13 at 12:00 p.m.

Doors to the show open at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 13 and there is usually a crowd waiting at the door to start shopping!

2024 MOVE-OUT

Vendors should not begin to move-out or dismantle any part of their exhibit before 6:00 p.m, Sunday, November 19th. Any vendor whose display is not intact at 6:00 p.m. will not be invited to return the following year.

Tents (Booths #100-125)
Sunday, November 24: 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

All Other Vendors
Sunday, November 24: 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Monday, November 25: 8:00 a.m. - Noon
All exhibits must be moved out by Monday, November 25 by Noon.

Utilities - The Park Expo & Conference Center

The Park Expo & Conference Center provides facility services.
2024 Ancillary Order Form - Download and fill in the form to order electricity, internet & reserved parking*. Once form is filled in, please email to ancillary@theparkexponc.com.

If you have questions, leave a voicemail to receive a callback.  The phone number does not connect to a live representative and will not show as a missed call unless you leave a voicemail, 704-499-6805.

**Deadline to receive advance pricing is October 24, 2024.

STORAGE (Limited Availability) - Storage can be rented through The Park Expo & Conference Center. Please call Henry Mills at 704.274.0220 to book storage.

*Reserved parking often fills at the close of the previous year.  For additional information on general parking, please refer to the Vendor FAQs. 

1. Order Wi-Fi.  (Recommend ordering by Oct. 22, 2024 to save time AND money!)
2. Once on show site, go to the building services desk to pick up your Wi-Fi code(s).
3. When picking up your Wi-Fi code, make sure to let them know that you will be using the Wi-Fi for a square device.  By doing this, they will provide a special version of the Wi-Fi code to make it compatible with both your device and your square.

Show Decorator 

Southern Exhibition Services is the Show Decorator. 

2023 Decorator Order Form - Download the form and email order for carpet, furniture, signage and other booth decor items.**

** Order by October 17, 2023 for advance discount pricing

Food & Beverage

North Carolina requires foodservice operators at the Southern Christmas Show to obtain a permit from the local health department, to prepare and sell food to the public.  A permit is NOT required for sampling or food that is prepared off-site.

A fee must be paid with each Food Vendor Application.
Payment(s), along with application(s), may be mailed or delivered to
Mecklenburg County Health Department

Click here or visit the Mecklenburg County Health Department website to get more information and download the application.  

Insurance

Show Insurance Made Easy - A simple way to establish insurance for the show. Click Here

A few things to be aware of:

• Vendors will have to pick the show from a drop-down list that includes shows other than just those run by MPE. 
• Marketplace Events is not selling this insurance and doesn’t profit from it in any way.  This is simply a resource for those vendors who don’t already have the required insurance coverage per their contracts. 

The Insurance clause is #5 on the Terms and Conditions page of all booth space contracts. You may use any insurance company for insurance but it must meet the following requirements: 

• Comprehensive General Liability and All Risk Property insurance
• Coverage must be from the start of move in to the end of move out
• Coverage of at least $1,000,000 for each separate occurrence
• Name Marketplace Events LLC and the venue as additional insured
• Provide a copy of the certificate of insurance (COI) to MPE if requested

Taxes

• FAQs
• Online Business Registration
• 2023 Department of Revenue Letter to Vendors

2024 Hotel Partners

Check back in the spring for 2024 discounted hotel rates.  Limited availability.

4808 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210

• 2 Queens or 1 King Bed 
• Free Parking, Free WiFi and Pet Friendly
• 15-20 minutes from the venue surrounded by shopping and local restaurant choices

201 South McDowell Street, Charlotte, NC 28204

• 2 Queens or 1 King Bed
• Free Breakfast, Free high-speed internet, On-site Restaurant, $10 Parking
• Only 2 exits away from the venue in beautiful Downtown Charlotte  

ENHANCE YOUR COMPANY’S ONLINE VENDOR LISTING

Your basic listing will be uploaded to the website when you book your booth. Within 24 hours you will receive an automated email to enhance your listing. This link can be used multiple times and you can make updates and changes to your listing until ONE day after the show commences. If you have any questions regarding the online vendor listing or do not receive the link, please email our digital support rep, JenK@mpeshows.com.

Need help with your listing?
View the tutorial video - https://youtu.be/ecSxq1oKuYg and the FAQs.
To see some samples, visit the Interactive Exhibitor List section of the website.

Learn more about the benefits of creating your enhanced listing.
Go from basic to ENHANCED!

SOCIAL MEDIA
#LetsGetSocial

Share your show pics or your holiday décor and celebrations with us.

Hashtags: #SouthernChristmasShow

In efforts to protect potential joint customers from fraudulent events and scammers, we request that you do not create your own Facebook Event. This helps us manage ticket sales for the event, and ensures that our team are available to support both exhibitors and potential attendees with any questions, comments, or concerns that they have. Please feel free to reach out to your show manager or show marketing manager with your companies’ Facebook page and we can add you as a co-host to the official event.

Click Here to go to our Facebook Event for 2023

Click Here for the Social Media Marketing Kit

Click Here for a short video on the 4 C's of Social Media

Invite your customers to shop the show!

Upload the photos above to your social media, email blasts, and website to share where your company will be in November! 

Click on the photos to enlarge the image. Right-click on the image and select save-as to save onto your computer.  

Click, download and print postcards to give or mail to your customers. 

Click Here to learn more about our traffic driver opportunities at the show!

HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE SHOP 2023

The Holiday Boutique SHOP will be available to all holiday show vendors in 2023! 

One store, ONLINE. All the shows!  Opening on August 15th, the shop will be promoted to multiple markets and display products from sellers across multiple shows – that means more shoppers! If you have yet to receive your invitation to be a part of a brand-new way to connect with shoppers online and beyond the show floor, connect with us.  Reach out now to receive your invitation to start selling at HolidayBoutiqueSHOP@mpeshows.com.