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What are the Various Methods Vendors can Book?
- Regular Vendor Self-Booking: If a show is fully open and has available tables, any vendor registered in the booking system may sign in and self-book them from the interactive layout. If a vendor has any overdue past orders, those must be settled before they can self book. Also, the general booking instructions are here: https://repticon.com/vendor-info-2/
- Manual Booking with help from Repticon Bookings staff: While self-booking is recommended because the vendor can choose their own tables in real time and immediately pay the deposit, any vendor may request a manual booking if they find they need help, then pay the deposit afterwards. Please contact [email protected] or text/call the booking line at (407) 734-3976 with which show and what open tables you would like and your vendor information. Emailing is recommended especially if contacting after hours. If a show has just opened, the bookings call line may not be able to answer all calls if directly helping other vendors, but often several staff may be scanning the emails for requests or issues related to that recently opened show.
- Sponsors/bulk booking agreements: Some vendors have signed annual contracts with Repticon management for bulk pre-placement across certain shows agreed to in the contracts. These vendors agree to vend several types of shows, both the large shows with strong vendor demand, and smaller markets at which they assist in filling. Repticon expects vendors to commit to all scheduled shows in a contracted market. New contracts are decided by Repticon management on a case by case basis and require the vendor to commit to a variety of shows. If you are interested in a bulk contract, please review the show calendar at https://repticon.com/calendar/ which lists all future confirmed shows in date order. Then email a list to [email protected] of what shows you would commit to, how many tables at each specific show, and what you would be offering/vending. Bookings will forward that to our staff that works with management on such contracts and they will reply to you. Be advised such replies may take a few weeks.
- Regarding bulk booking contracts for the remainder of 2024: Due to a large volume of vendor interest and limited table availability at many shows, there is a hold on any new bulk booking contracts for 2024, and many of the previous vendor inquires from late 2023 are still being worked through at this time. New inquiries are welcome, but such inquiries may not be reviewed until contracts for 2025 are being developed.
- Contracted Bulk Booking Vendors should be familiar with the policies regarding overdue payments and their contracts, which are detailed at this link: https://repticon.com/vendor-information-overdue-balances-bulk-bookers/
- Prepaid preplacement: If there is a scheduled and confirmed next show date at the same location that is running on a given weekend, Repticon offers a prepaid preplacement option for that next show to vendors who are in attendance vending that weekend. Booked vendors who do not have bulk contracts are emailed with details about this option usually on the Thursday before the show. Once vendors are notified, the option has been added to invoices and is available for purchase at that time. This prepaid preplacement system was developed in response to many vendor requests. For Bookings to avoid overselling the next show and other potential problems, vendors are required to be vending that prior show, they can only prepurchase the same number of tables they are vending, they must prepay in full, and they must prepay by the end of that weekend (Sunday night/early Monday morning). There have been recurring problems with many vendors requesting to pay this option late, which complicates and slows the booking processes overall and presents a danger of them not being booked if they pay after this information is pulled and the show closed. Therefore, exceptions for late payment are rarely allowed and we do request the option be paid during the four day period it is offered (Thursday to Sunday). When the next show is ready to open, the prepaid vendors will be contacted to review their placement and have one business day to make any requests. This option is highly recommended because it has become favored among a majority of returning vendors and is why many shows nearly sell out before opening to prior vendor self-booking.
- Prior vendor booking: Any vendor who has vended a specific show location in the past 2-3 years and does not have overdue payments for that past show, they will receive a notice one business day before the show opens for an exclusive prior vendor booking period. On the day announced, they will receive an exclusive booking link and be able to book for about two business days before the show fully opens to all public booking.
- Waitlist booking: If a show is sold out, the layout will include a gray waitlist button to the top right where a vendor may add themselves to that waitlist immediately. New vendors do not have to be registered or signed in to do this, but please be sure to include your vendor information and how many tables you would like, or how few you’d take if those numbers are different. Registered vendors may sign in and their vendor info will be included automatically, but please still include desired table numbers. Vendors may also email [email protected] with the same information to be added manually. As cancellations occur, Bookings will email waitlisted vendors in turn based on the tables involved to confirm. Typically vendors have one business day to respond and take the tables, though this timeframe may get tighter the week of the show.
- Vendor Shares: For vendors who wish to share their tables with another vendor, Repticon allows for this under the following conditions: One of the two vendors must be the booked vendor who pays for the booking in full and is the responsible party in case of a no-show or cancellation. Any financial arrangements between the two vendors are between themselves and outside of the Repticon booking system. The vendor who is the share will be added to the first vendor’s tables so they appear on the vendor list and the hover feature on those tables on the layout. Both vendors should contact [email protected] to set this up so Bookings has a record of the request from both vendors.
Recommendations regarding Vendor Requests:
Bookings advises that all vendor requests be made via email to [email protected]. This gives Bookings the request in writing which then can be referenced later if needed. Also, email correspondence is more likely to be seen by multiple Repticon staff in a more timely way. If you are on-site at a show, while questions and concerns are always welcome and encouraged, relying solely on verbally making a future booking request of the on-site managers is not advised. The demands and distractions of running a Repticon event can reasonably result in the manager failing to notate your request. A quick email sent to Bookings ensures your request will be received.