What is a event vendor agreement?
An event vendor agreement is the contract an event organiser signs with each business that trades at the event — craft stalls, food trucks, mobile bars and exhibitors. It confirms the pitch, what the vendor may sell, what they pay and when they can set up and pack down, and puts the responsibility for permits, food safety and insurance on the vendor, where it belongs.
This template covers the event, pitch and power, the products the vendor may sell and any category exclusivity, the pitch fee, optional commission on sales and a refundable cleaning bond, set-up, trading and pack-down times, permits and food safety, insurance and liability for the vendor's own stock and equipment, site rules (with space for your own), and cancellation by either side, including bad weather on the day.
- Best for
- Markets, craft fairs, food festivals, trade shows and community events
- Signed by
- The organiser and the vendor
- Fees
- Pitch fee, optional % commission on sales, optional cleaning bond
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a event vendor agreement
- A weekend craft or farmers' market booking stall holders
- A food festival booking food trucks and mobile bars
- A community fair or school fête with local vendors
- A trade show or expo booking exhibitor booths
- A one-off pop-up market or night market
What You Fill In
25 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: organiser, vendor.
1 The parties
- Date of the agreement*
- Organiser's name*
- Organiser's event-day contact
- Vendor's business name*
- Vendor's phone or email
2 The event
- Event name*
- Event date(s) and trading hours*
- Venue*
3 The pitch
- Type of vendor* a market stall · a food truck or food stall · an exhibitor booth · a mobile bar
- What the vendor will sell or show*
- Pitch size and location*
- Power* not supplied · one standard socket supplied · supplied for an extra fee agreed in writing
- Exclusivity for the vendor's category
4 Fees
- Currency*
- Pitch fee*
- Commission on sales (%)
- Pitch fee due by*
- Refundable cleaning bond
5 Times
- Set-up window*
- Pack-down window*
6 Permits and insurance
- Vendor's public liability insurance (minimum)
7 Cancellation
- Vendor may cancel for a refund up to (days before)*
- Refund on vendor cancellation (%)*
8 Rules
- Extra site rules
- Governing law*
9 Who signs
- Organiser signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The person or organisation running the event.
- Vendor signature and date, initials on every page · The stall holder, food truck operator or exhibitor.
What the event vendor agreement Covers
- The event and the pitch
- Fees
- Set-up, trading and pack-down
- Permits, food safety and compliance
- Insurance and liability
- Site rules
- Cancellation
- General
Using the event vendor agreement, step by step
1 Describe the event
Enter the event name, dates and trading hours, and the venue. Add an event-day contact so vendors know who to call.
2 Set the pitch
Choose the type of vendor, describe exactly what they may sell, and give the pitch size and location. Say whether power is supplied, and add category exclusivity only if you're promising it.
3 Set the fees
Enter the pitch fee and the date it's due. Optionally add a commission on sales and a refundable cleaning bond.
4 Times, insurance and cancellation
Set the set-up and pack-down windows, the minimum public liability insurance you require, and how late a vendor can cancel for a partial refund.
5 Add your site rules and send
List any extra rules — vehicle movements, gazebo weights, noise, packaging. Send the agreement to each vendor; the signed copies are filed together in Files.
Tips Before You Send It
- Ask food vendors for their food business registration, hygiene rating or certificate and any gas safety certificate well before the event.
- Check what insurance your venue or local authority requires of vendors and set the minimum to match.
- Say clearly what happens if bad weather shortens the event — the template leaves partial refunds or credits to your good-faith decision.
- Keep a waiting list: the template lets you re-offer a pitch if the fee isn't paid on time.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Event vendor agreement: frequently asked questions
Who needs the permits — the organiser or the vendor?
Under the template, each vendor is responsible for the licences, permits and certificates for its own trading, such as food registration, temporary food permits, alcohol licences and gas safety. The organiser remains responsible for any permits for the event itself.
What happens if the event is cancelled?
If the organiser cancels for any reason other than the vendor's breach, the pitch fee and bond are refunded in full within 14 days. If it is cut short or cancelled on the day because of severe weather, a safety risk or the authorities, the organiser decides in good faith on a partial refund or credit.
Can vendors sign the agreement on their phone?
In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when. Vendors sign from any device without creating an account.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the people you send it to don't need a VergeHR login to sign.