Event Industry Trader is a free UK guide for market stallholders, festival vendors and event operators. It covers pitches, permits, kit, pricing, sales, insurance and payments, written by specialists who work in the industry.
Sourced reports on the rules, dates and costs that affect traders and organisers.
The short version of the questions we hear most. Each one leads to a full guide.
Usually yes. Councils control street trading and market pitches, and event organisers often ask for proof of insurance and, for food sellers, food business registration. Check with the organiser and the local council before you book a pitch.
Read the licence guideMany organisers ask for at least £5 million of public liability cover, and some ask for £10 million. The organiser's trader terms have the final say, so read them before you buy a policy.
Read the insurance guideA 3m x 3m gazebo is the usual choice, because many market pitches are around that size. Confirm the pitch dimensions with the organiser and leave room for weights and guy lines.
Read the gazebo guideA mobile card reader or a QR payment link will both do the job. Check the mobile signal at the venue first, because both need a connection, and keep a small cash float as a backup.
Read the payments guideStart with local council market listings, organiser websites and trader groups on social media. Ask regular traders which events are worth the pitch fee, because they know which ones bring the footfall.
Read the starting guideA gazebo with weights, a table and display, a card reader, a cash float and a first aid kit. Add a fire extinguisher if you cook. Check the organiser's list, because some events require specific safety kit.
Read the kit checklistChoosing what to sell, setting up the business and booking your first pitch.
Profitable, craft, farmers market, Christmas, low cost and summer stall ideas, with display tips.
Starting and setting up a food stall, hygiene ratings, allergens and street food ideas.
Licences, council rules and how organisers allocate pitches.
Gazebos, tables, signage, lighting and everything that goes in the van.
Pitch fees, margins and what it really costs to trade at an event.
Selling at the stall, handling objections and building repeat custom.
Branding your stall, social media and getting people to your pitch.
Public liability cover, safety rules and what organisers ask to see.
Card readers, QR payments, cash handling and keeping takings safe.
Trading at race meetings, car shows and track days.
Each guide carries the name of the specialist who knows the subject first hand.
Markets and outdoor retail
Read Darren's guidesEntrepreneurship and payments
Read Jason's guidesSales and customers
Read Lisa's guidesMarketing and promotion
Read Ryan's guidesMotorsport and automotive events
Read Jack's guidesProducts and equipment
Read Andrew's guidesOur news writers report on shows, festivals and rule changes across the trade. Opinion pieces are signed by the specialists above.
Newsdesk
Read Tom's storiesNewsdesk
Read Bailey's storiesNewsdesk
Read Jonathan's storiesGala Tent supplies gazebos, marquees and printed products to traders and event organisers across the UK. Event Industry Trader brings that day-to-day experience together in one place, so traders can find a clear answer without trawling through forums.
Where a guide recommends kit, it says why. Where a rule applies, it links to the authority that sets it. Where a trader needs printing, payments or paddock kit, the guides point to the Gala group sites that cover it: Gala Graphics for branding and print, SOTpay and Pay by QR for payments, and Gala Performance for motorsport.
Event Industry Trader is a free UK guide for market stallholders, festival vendors and event operators. It covers pitches, permits, kit, pricing, sales, insurance and payments, and it is published by Gala Tent.
Each guide carries the name of a specialist who works in that field, covering markets and outdoor retail, entrepreneurship and payments, sales, marketing, motorsport and automotive events, and products. A Newsdesk covers news and opinion.
Yes. Every guide is free to read, with no sign-up needed.
Gala Tent publishes the site. Gala Tent supplies gazebos, marquees and printed products to traders and event organisers across the UK.
Rules and requirements are linked to the authority that sets them, such as government and local council pages. Practical advice comes from the specialist named on each guide.
