Selecting the right vendors for a festival can make or break the attendee experience. It’s not about filling every available space with booths – it’s about curating a vendor lineup that complements the festival’s story, keeps guests comfortable, and operates efficiently. The mantra is fewer, better, faster: inviting fewer vendors of higher quality, ensuring better offerings, and achieving faster service. This approach elevates the overall atmosphere of boutique festivals and large events alike, prioritising guest delight over sheer throughput.
In this guide, an experienced festival producer shares hard-earned wisdom on vendor selection and management. From crafting a cohesive vendor lineup that enhances your festival’s theme, to practical tips for reducing queues and supporting vendors, each section provides actionable advice backed by real-world examples. Whether you’re organising an intimate food & wine weekend or a massive music festival, these strategies will help you curate vendors who truly elevate comfort and story, not just throughput.
Curate Fewer Vendors Who Elevate Story and Comfort
Quality over quantity is a golden rule when selecting festival vendors. Instead of packing your event with as many stalls as possible, focus on a curated lineup that aligns with your festival’s theme, values, and audience expectations. The goal is to have every vendor contribute to the story and vibe of the event, enhancing comfort and delight for attendees.
Start by defining what experience you want guests to have. Is it an indie boutique festival highlighting local artisans? A foodie festival celebrating regional cuisines? Choose vendors whose offerings and brand personality fit that narrative. For example, Shambala Festival in the UK took a bold approach by going entirely meat- and fish-free to match its eco-conscious mission. Organisers hand-picked vegetarian and vegan food vendors known for excellence, from Glamorgan “beetroot bombs” to sustainable sushi, ensuring the food on site reflected the festival’s values (www.theguardian.com). This not only sparked meaningful conversations about sustainability but also proved that a cohesive vision can be achieved without sacrificing guest satisfaction (Shambala continued to sell out its tickets, and attendees embraced the diverse meat-free menus).
Curating with taste means prioritising vendors that add character and comfort. A well-chosen vendor can become a memorable attraction in their own right. Think of a coffee cart that provides that much-needed morning latte at a camping festival, or a local bakery stall whose treats tell the story of the region’s culture. At community-oriented events, inviting local vendors and family-run businesses can boost authenticity and community engagement. Guests appreciate seeing familiar hometown favourites or discovering artisans from the area – it gives them a sense of place and supports the local economy. Many small festivals in places like Mexico, India, and Indonesia integrate local food stalls and crafts, which delights travelers and earns goodwill with the community.
Another benefit of fewer, high-quality vendors is that each vendor has a better shot at success. When festivals overcrowd the grounds with too many similar food stands or merch booths, vendors end up competing heavily for the same customer base. Sales per vendor drop, which can lead to cost-cutting and a poorer experience for attendees. By contrast, a boutique festival that carefully selects a limited number of vendors (with distinct offerings) can ensure each one gets enough business to stay motivated and keep quality high. The result is better food, unique products, and happier vendors, which all circle back to a better festival atmosphere.
Case in point: Outside Lands in San Francisco, though a large music festival, illustrates the power of curation. Its “Taste of the Bay Area” food lineup is legendary for featuring the region’s best eateries. The festival’s food curator, Tanya Kollar, vets every food vendor and even works with chefs on their festival menus. Her team doesn’t just pick popular restaurants – they ensure each vendor can deliver in an outdoor, high-volume setting while keeping the food true to its character. She might tell a chef to replace a complex noodle soup with an easier handheld dish or to serve sauces on the side to minimize mess for fans (sfstandard.com). Thanks to this hands-on curation, Outside Lands has transformed food into a headline attraction. As one participating chef noted, there’s no other festival with the amount and caliber of food that Outside Lands offers (sfstandard.com). This kind of reputation only comes from purposefully choosing vendors who elevate the overall festival experience beyond the basics.
In summary, be selective and strategic. Treat your vendors as part of the storytelling. Fewer vendors chosen thoughtfully can provide more comfort (shorter lines, better service, tastier food) than a haphazard assortment of dozens. Attendees will remember that amazing wood-fired pizza from the family-run stall or the artisan market that perfectly matched the festival’s art theme long after the event. Curation is the key to turning vendor selection into a competitive advantage for your festival.
Speed Matters: Cap Menus and Set Service-Time Targets
Even at a boutique festival, long food lines or sluggish service can dampen the mood. Attendees want delicious options, but they also value speed and convenience – nobody enjoys missing a favourite band’s set because they’re stuck waiting for fries. To keep things moving quickly without sacrificing quality, festival organisers should work with vendors to simplify menus and establish clear service-time goals.
Limit menu complexity: Encourage each food vendor to offer a concise selection of their best items, rather than a sprawling menu. Fewer menu items mean the vendor can focus on doing each dish well and serving it fast. It also speeds up decision-making for customers. Industry experts note that a “concise, high-turnover menu is vastly more efficient than a sprawling à la carte selection” at events (www.meedloyalty.com). In practice, this might mean asking a vendor to feature 3–5 signature dishes that they can churn out quickly under festival conditions. Many experienced festival vendors already know this trick – a taco stand, for instance, might sell just a chicken, a beef, and a veg option rather than a dozen different fillings. Similarly, a craft cocktail bar might stick to a curated list of quick-mix drinks instead of complex cocktails that slow the queue.
As an organiser, you can guide this process during vendor onboarding. Share expected crowd numbers and peak eating times so vendors can plan inventory and prep accordingly. If a vendor’s initial menu seems too ambitious (e.g. dishes that require lengthy cooking or assembly), have a conversation about festival-proofing their offerings. For example, a gourmet vendor might love doing elaborate plates in a restaurant setting, but for a festival you might help them adapt that dish into a hand-held format or a simplified portion. We’ve seen festivals where even Michelin-starred chefs adjusted their cuisine to be crowd-friendly – serving items in cones or on sticks for easy portability, or pre-grilling skewers ahead of the rush.
Set service-time targets: It’s wise to communicate a benchmark for how quickly vendors should be able to serve each customer, especially during peak hours. For instance, you might target that each transaction should be completed in, say, under 2 minutes on average. This kind of target helps vendors understand the urgency of festival service. To support this, ensure vendors have the tools they need: functioning POS systems (or even better, cashless payment solutions), adequate staff, and efficient booth layouts. Some festivals include service speed in their vendor selection criteria – favouring vendors who have proven they can handle high volume. As a festival organiser, you could even run a timed trial or training with new vendors, or pair less experienced vendors with mentors who have worked your event before.
During the event, keep an eye on the lines. If one stall consistently has an enormous queue, investigate why. Is their food so popular that demand is overwhelming (a good problem, which might mean you need more vendors of that type or a larger operation next time)? Or are they simply too slow at fulfillment? In the latter case, gently step in. For example, if a coffee vendor is struggling to serve morning crowds, you might deploy a couple of volunteer runners to help take orders from people in line, or suggest the vendor temporarily simplify (e.g. selling pre-brewed drip coffee during the rush instead of made-to-order lattes). Little adjustments like these can significantly cut wait times.
One tactic some events use is publishing menus ahead of time on the festival website or app. This allows attendees to decide what they want before they even get to the front, reducing dithering at the counter. It’s a simple step that, combined with shorter menus, can shave seconds off each order and collectively save hours of waiting for hundreds of people.
In summary, make efficiency part of your vendor culture. By capping menus and setting clear expectations for quick service, you create a win-win scenario: guests get fed faster and vendors get to serve more customers (which means higher earnings). The festival gains a reputation for great food without the painful lines. Remember, hungry or frustrated guests won’t fully enjoy even the best concert or activity – so speed matters.
Streamline Operations: Shared Storage, Power, and Waste Solutions
A festival site can be a chaotic environment for vendors if not properly organised. As the event organiser, one of the best ways to set your vendors up for success (and keep the venue orderly) is to provide shared infrastructure and support services. By centralising certain resources – like storage, power, and waste management – you help vendors operate smoothly and efficiently, which in turn improves the guest experience.
Shared storage: Consider arranging communal storage areas for vendors, especially at multi-day festivals. This could be as simple as a secure dry storage tent or as high-tech as refrigerated containers on-site. Rather than each food vendor hauling multiple fridges or coolers (and risking running out of stock), a big walk-in cooler that all vendors can access helps maintain food safety and saves space. In the UK, it’s become common for festivals to rent refrigerated containers to keep perishable goods fresh all weekend (www.eventcontainers.co.uk). Shared storage means vendors can stash extra supplies nearby instead of overcrowding their booths or making frantic off-site runs mid-event. It also allows smaller vendors – who might not own large refrigeration units – to participate without huge investment, widening your pool of potential vendors.
Central power supply: Power outages and noisy generators are the bane of outdoor events. Rather than leaving each vendor to bring their own generator (which can create a maze of cables, noise, and fuel safety issues), provide a coordinated power solution. Work with an electrical contractor to set up a grid of power drops or distribution boxes throughout the vendor areas. Each vendor can then be allocated a certain amperage connection. Not only is this safer and more reliable, it also reduces the sound of multiple generators drowning out the music. Vendors will appreciate having stable electricity for their equipment – no one wants their oven shutting off during the dinner rush. Be sure to have technical staff on call in case a breaker trips or someone blows a fuse; quick fixes keep the festival running on schedule.
Water and waste management: Food vendors, in particular, generate grey water (from sinks, cooking, etc.) and plenty of trash. Make it easy for them to dispose of waste properly by providing shared disposal stations. For example, set up clearly marked bins or dumpsters for food waste, recyclables, and general trash behind the vendor row, and arrange scheduled pickups so these don’t overflow. Some festivals even assign a waste management crew to periodically collect garbage from vendors’ stalls, which keeps the front-of-house looking tidy. Additionally, supply vendors with what they need for hygiene and cleanup – access to water for washing utensils, a grease disposal container for fry oil, and so on. When the basics are taken care of, vendors can focus on serving people rather than worrying about where to dump their dirty water.
By investing in infrastructure, you also reduce chaos during setup and teardown. If you tell vendors in advance that “power, lighting, and waste bins will be provided,” they can come prepared without hauling extra generators or lights, which streamlines load-in. Tight coordination on these essentials means fewer last-minute emergencies (like a vendor’s generator dying) and a safer environment (fewer cords and gas cans strewn about).
An illustrative example comes from many eco-conscious boutique festivals: they not only provide communal utilities, but also set standards to reduce the event’s footprint. Festivals in Australia and New Zealand, for instance, have implemented central dishwashing stations and reusable cup systems where vendors and attendees return used cups for cleaning. By handling such services centrally, the festival minimises waste and vendors don’t have to each manage these logistics alone.
In short, take care of the backbone services, and your vendors will thank you – as will your operations team. A well-organised vendor area with shared storage, reliable power, and efficient waste management keeps everything running smoothly. Guests may not see these behind-the-scenes efforts directly, but they will certainly notice the results: shorter downtimes, cleaner grounds, and vendors who are able to serve with confidence.
Coach Underperforming Vendors Before Penalizing
Even with careful vetting, not every vendor will knock it out of the park on day one. Some may struggle with the volume, while others might not meet your service expectations initially. As a festival organiser, it’s important to approach these situations as a coach and partner rather than an enforcer (at least at first). Providing guidance and support to underperforming vendors can turn things around and build loyalty – whereas immediate penalties or harsh criticism may sour the relationship and even impact service for guests.
Identify issues early: During the event, have a vendor coordinator or team member monitor each vendor’s performance. Are lines getting too long at one booth? Does a craft vendor look overwhelmed by demand? Perhaps a food stall is getting complaints about portion sizes or running low on stock too soon. Once you spot a potential issue, proactively engage with the vendor. A friendly check-in – “Hey, how are things going? Need any assistance?” – can open the door to understanding their challenges. Maybe they underestimated how much food to prep, or their new staff member is confused by the payment system. These are solvable problems, especially with the organiser’s help.
Offer help and advice: If a vendor is slow, you might share some tips or resources to speed things up (drawing on your experience or other vendors’ methods). For instance, suggest they pre-wrap some popular grab-and-go items during lull periods, or rearrange their workspace for better flow. If they’re short-staffed, see if you have a spare volunteer or floater who can pitch in for an hour. Festivals are often a community, and vendors usually appreciate an extra hand. In fact, at many well-run events, vendors band together and help each other – borrowing supplies or stepping in when a neighbour’s equipment fails. Fostering this camaraderie by setting a helpful tone is far better than ruling with an iron fist.
Consider implementing a “three strikes” or phased escalation policy in your vendor guidelines. The first instance of an issue (say, not keeping up with demand or violating a minor rule) results in a verbal warning and coaching. The second instance might entail a more formal discussion or written notice with specific improvement steps. Only if problems persist or if there’s a serious violation would you impose penalties like fines, loss of deposit, or not being invited back. By clearly communicating this approach, vendors know you’re serious about quality but also fair and willing to work with them to get it right.
Educate pre-event: Ideally, coaching starts before the festival. Host a vendor briefing or send a detailed vendor handbook that covers best practices and event-specific tips. This might include sections on expected peak times, examples of efficient booth setups, or how to use the festival’s point-of-sale system effectively. When vendors arrive on site, consider holding a short orientation meeting. Some festivals do a walk-through of the grounds and introduce key staff, ensuring vendors know who to call for electrical issues, how to request more water, etc. When everyone is on the same page from the outset, the likelihood of major underperformance drops.
That said, unexpected hurdles can still happen – maybe extreme weather slows everyone down, or a supplier delivers ingredients late to a food vendor. In these cases, empathy and problem-solving go a long way. Rather than immediately docking a vendor’s pay for a slow service time (which might have been beyond their control), work together on a solution. For example, if a food vendor’s fryer breaks, can you help them find a replacement or rework their menu on the fly? The audience will remember that you kept things running more than they’ll remember the one item that vanished from the menu.
By coaching first, you build trust and mutual respect. Vendors who feel supported are more likely to go the extra mile to delight guests. And if ultimately a vendor doesn’t improve even after guidance, it will be clear (to them and to you) that you gave them every chance – so parting ways or enforcing a contract penalty will be seen as justified, not capricious. Aim to create an environment where everyone – organisers and vendors alike – is striving for the same goal: a smooth, successful festival.
Remember, vendors talk to each other and to others in the industry. If your festival develops a reputation for treating vendors fairly and helping them succeed, you’ll attract the best vendors in the long run. A bit of coaching and patience can pay off massively in the quality of your event.
Rebook Vendors Based on Data and Guest Delight
The festival might last a weekend, but your vendor strategy should extend year-round. One of the most powerful tools you have is data – information from sales, surveys, and observations that can inform which vendors to bring back (and who to swap out) in the future. By rebooking vendors based on performance and guest satisfaction, you continuously improve the festival’s offerings and keep delight levels high.
Track performance metrics: During the event, capture as much data as possible about vendor sales and operations. If your ticketing or payment system provides real-time sales figures, review them: Which food stall sold the most meals? Which bar had the highest throughput? If you’re using a cashless payment platform or centralized POS (for example, some festivals use systems like Ticket Fairy’s analytics or other event apps to monitor vendor sales), take advantage of those insights. High sales can indicate a vendor that was very popular (assuming their service was also efficient and quality remained good). Low sales might flag a vendor that either didn’t resonate with attendees or had operational issues. Be sure to contextualize data, though – a vendor tucked in a corner might have lower sales due to location, not their fault, which is a placement lesson for you as organiser.
Gather guest feedback: Numbers tell one story, but qualitative feedback is just as important. Use post-festival surveys, social media, and on-site feedback to learn what attendees thought of the vendors. Ask questions like “Which food or shopping experience was your favorite?” and “Did any vendor disappoint you?”. If a particular taco truck is getting shout-outs for the best burrito ever, that’s a vendor to invite back. On the other hand, if multiple attendees mention that Vendor X had cold food or unfriendly service, take note. Guest delight can also be observed in real time – did you see lots of people dancing away happily with a certain vendor’s ice creams in hand? Did a merch stall draw a constant crowd because it had unique, festival-themed items? Those are signs of vendors enhancing the experience.
Consider qualitative factors: Data isn’t only numbers. Talk with your vendors after the festival (or send them a vendor feedback form). Did they sell out each day (maybe demand was higher than expected)? Were they happy with the event organization? Sometimes a vendor might have suggestions for you, like a better location or different operational hours, that can help both parties in the future. Also review any incidents or health/safety notes – a vendor that consistently stayed clean and compliant is preferable to one that caused issues for your inspectors.
When making your rebooking decisions, aim to reward great performance. Vendors who delivered excellent service and delighted guests deserve prime spots or early invitations for the next edition. This not only is fair, but it incentivises all vendors to bring their A-game. Some festivals even create informal awards or shout-outs for top vendors (e.g. “Best Food Stall” or “Fan Favorite Drink Stand”) to publicly recognise their contribution. These vendors often use those accolades in their own marketing, which in turn reflects well on your event brand.
Meanwhile, be prepared to politely drop vendors that consistently underperformed or caused headaches. If despite coaching and feedback a vendor didn’t improve, it may be time not to invite them next year. Always communicate professionally – thank them for being part of the event and, if appropriate, share the reason they won’t be rebooked (e.g. “We received numerous complaints about slow service” or “Your product didn’t seem to match our attendees’ tastes this year”). This clarity can help them improve for other events, and it maintains your festival’s reputation for quality.
By using a data-driven, guest-centric approach, you also fine-tune the vendor mix for each new edition of your festival. For instance, data might reveal that the vegan salad bowl stall sold out within hours every day (time to add another similar healthy option or ask them to expand), whereas the fifth burger stand didn’t get much traffic (perhaps you had one burger vendor too many). Over years, these adjustments create an optimal balance of food types, price points, and experiences.
Finally, don’t forget story and freshness in rebooking. While you want reliable favorites back, it’s also good to introduce a few new vendors each year to keep things exciting. Use your data and guest input to identify gaps: maybe people want more breakfast options, or a craft coffee vendor, or a late-night snack cart. Seek out new vendors to fill those needs. Attendees will appreciate seeing beloved vendors return (the ones that make the festival for them) alongside new discoveries that show you’re always curating with care.
Rebooking based on data and guest delight ensures that each festival edition learns from the last. It’s like evolving a menu for a restaurant – keeping the star dishes, tweaking the recipes, and adding seasonal specials. Over time, this approach will build a vendor lineup that is exceptionally strong and closely attuned to what your audience loves. In turn, your festival’s reputation for great food, drinks, and shopping will continue to grow, attracting even better vendors and more attendees in a virtuous cycle.
Key Takeaways
- Quality Over Quantity: Prioritise a curated selection of vendors that fit your festival’s story and values. Fewer vendors, chosen for excellence and uniqueness, can elevate the guest experience more than a crowded vendor field.
- Simplify for Speed: Work with vendors to limit their menus and focus on a few standout items. A concise menu and clear service-time goals (like serving each customer within ~2 minutes) mean shorter lines and happier attendees.
- Provide Infrastructure: Support your vendors by supplying shared essentials – reliable power, cold storage, water access, and waste disposal. Streamlining these logistics reduces chaos and lets vendors concentrate on great service.
- Collaborate, Don’t Just Enforce: If a vendor is struggling, step in with help and coaching before resorting to penalties. A supportive approach improves performance, builds loyalty, and ultimately ensures better service for festival-goers.
- Data-Driven Rebooking: After the festival, use sales data and attendee feedback to decide which vendors to invite back. Rebook the crowd-pleasers and high-performers, and replace underwhelming vendors with fresh options that align with what your audience loved.
27th September 2025