Markets Operations Guide

We run two markets each year:

• Fall Harvest Market — Oct 23–25, 2026. Vendor applications close Aug 15. Held across the Gym and Banquet Hall.
• Christmas Market — Nov 26–29, 2026. Vendor applications close Aug 31. Held across the Gym and Banquet Hall.

Both markets are managed from the same place in the portal. A vendor can apply to one market, the other, or both. Booths are tracked per market — a booth can be assigned to a different vendor for Fall vs Christmas.

Vendor enquiries come in through the website and land in the portal. Here's where to look:

• Vendor application forms (website): the public Fall and Christmas market pages each have a vendor application form. When someone submits it, a MarketVendor record is created with status Submitted.
• Vendor Interest page: general enquiries (not tied to a specific market) come in via the Vendor Interest form.
• In the portal: go to Office Portal → Market Management. Vendors appear in the Vendors list, where you can filter by market and by status (Submitted, Under Review, Approved, Confirmed, etc.).

Tip: check the Vendors list at least a couple of times a week during application season so nothing sits unanswered.

Most vendors add themselves through the website form. If you need to add one manually (e.g. a phone enquiry), do it from the portal:

1. 1Office Portal → Market Management → Vendors. Open the Vendors tab.
2. 2Click Add Vendor and fill in their business name, contact name, email, industry, and which market(s) they're applying for.
3. 3Set their status to Submitted (or Approved if you've already confirmed them).
4. 4If they need to pay a booth fee, they'll pay through the website checkout, or you can record a payment manually (see Chasing payments below).
5. 5Once approved, assign them a booth (see next section).

Each vendor moves through a status pipeline. Keep this moving:

• Draft — started but not submitted. Usually means a form was abandoned.
• Submitted — enquiry/application received. Review their details.
• Under Review — you're checking their fit, products, and any past history.
• Approved — accepted. Ready to be assigned a booth and to pay.
• Not Approved — declined. Send a polite note.
• Waitlist — good fit but no booth right now.
• Confirmed — paid and booth assigned. They're in.
• Cancelled — pulled out.

Booths are assigned by dragging a vendor onto a booth on the floor plan.

1. 1Office Portal → Market Management → Floor Plan.
2. 2Pick the market (Fall or Christmas) at the top — the plan updates per market.
3. 3Pick the area (Gymnasium or Banquet Hall).
4. 4On the right, you'll see Unassigned Vendors. Drag a vendor onto an open booth to assign them.
5. 5To move or release a vendor, drag them off the booth back onto the vendor list.

Notes: a vendor can only go on a booth for their market. Corner/end-cap booths show an amber marker. The booth capacity is 88 total (Gym + Banquet).

These are the official floor plans — doors and aisles must remain clear. Banquet Hall holds 24 booths; the Gym holds 56.

Vendor booth fees are tracked per vendor. Here's how to stay on top of who owes what:

1. 1Office Portal → Market Management → Payments (or the Vendors tab, payment column). You'll see each vendor's payment status: Unpaid, Deposit Paid, Paid in Full, Refunded, or Comp.
2. 2Filter to Unpaid to see who still owes. Most pay online through the website at the time they apply; some pay by cheque, cash, or e-transfer.
3. 3To follow up, use the Send Payment Reminder action on the vendor — it emails them a polite reminder with their balance.
4. 4When a cheque/cash/e-transfer arrives, mark them Paid in Full (or Deposit Paid) and record the amount and method so the books stay clean.
5. 5A vendor should be Confirmed (paid + booth assigned) before the market opens.

If a payment doesn't seem to have come through the website, check with Jody (finance@bearspawlc.org) before marking it paid.

Quick links you'll use often:

• Office Portal — Market Management (vendors, floor plan, payments)
• Fall Harvest Market (public page)
• Christmas Market (public page)
• Vendor Interest form
• Staff Portal (clock in/out, your schedule)

Stuck on something? Message Emma at 825-431-1377 — happy to walk through anything.