TRADER INFORMATION 

I've done away with the application form as too many people had problems with it :) Just copy and paste this list, filling in the gaps and email it to me.

So, info I need from you please:

Your name

Brand name

Up to date phone number

Up to date email, preferably with a backup

Which day/s you want to trade

What size pitch - single or corner*

Do you need access to power

Have you attached your up to date PLI certificate

PLEASE READ THROUGH ALL OF THIS FIRST AS IT DOES COVER EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR ALL EVENTS. 

I know there's a lot but if I get emails asking questions that have been answered in the information below then I'll know you haven't read it!

INVITATION TO TRADE:

LSM are not curated events although we do invite traders, artists and authors that are the best in their respective fields and try to avoid duplication where possible. We do encourage new people that wish to trade to get in touch and I receive emails on almost a daily basis from new traders asking to be at our events.

I also invest a lot of time in finding new creators, artists, authors etc through social media and the internet in general. This is the reason I no longer publish trader lists is because I am sick of rival events picking off my traders as they are too lazy to do their own work in finding names themselves.

We invite traders we believe have a unique offer for our customers and would like to keep it that way – we don’t want everyone selling the same thing.

We are always delighted to find new people doing something that we haven't had before. Although the label says "steampunk" we like the range to cover steampunk, Victorian, military, gothic, dark and spooky, paranormal, holistic, spiritual, faery, pagan, LARP, roleplaying, historical, heritage crafts, Sci-Fi, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, geeky, nerdy, comics, gaming, modelling (railway and dollshouse), a bit of Boardwalk Empire/Game of Thrones thrown in, vintage, alternative (but NOT in a fetish/burlesque way) - we think you can see how different we like the stock to be. (Read the About Us tab to see my way of thinking as to why we like to have traders with these...)

We also welcome traders doing edibles such as interesting and unusual jams, chutneys and alcohol (must have Personal Licence). All food traders (outdoor with hot food, indoor ones with anything else) must have all necessary paperwork/inspections up to date. Food traders please click on this link 

If you sell anything edible or drinkable (even if you don't make it yourself such as cans of pop) your home premises MUST be registered with your local authority as a food trader. This information has come direct from Environmental Health and confirmed by NCASS. See the Food & drink tab here for more details on what you should have in place.

So if your stuff is different enough to be considered for a stall, then please email with more details. We can't guarantee you being placed immediately as the events are nearly always oversubscribed. If you don't receive a reply then we may not have received your email. Do please wait a few days before writing again as sometimes emails are not always answered the same day as I also help my husband with his brand as he also trades at events in addition to selling from his website, Etsy and eBay. So do please bear with me!

If you are invited to trade, then your stall must have only your own goods for sale. You are not allowed to sell someone else's goods on your pitch without prior agreement from us (and also them for that matter).

Do please add me and my husband as friends on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jodee.neal.3) and join the Leeds Steampunk Market group - please answer the questions so I know whether you're an interested trader (https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedssteampunkmarket/) and like the official page (https://www.facebook.com/LeedsSteampunkMarket/).

There is an application form at the top - if you cannot get this to open, use the checklist at the end of this information (you will need to copy and paste in your reply filling in the details required).

Please familiarise yourself with our terms and conditions, as shown on the here through the link: http://www.leedssteampunkmarket.co.uk/terms-of-trading.php

COMMUNICATION: 

Send all communication by email to leedssteampunkmarket@gmail.com and reply to emails as soon as possible.

Supply me with two working email addresses – essential in case one stops working. Do remember to keep me informed if you have changed your email in case I am sending invitations to a now defunct email address, especially if you had a website which no longer exists due to rebranding for example. (Plus websites' own email addresses are buggers for not letting you know when they are full and get bounced back..)

Ensure you have our email address saved to your White List / Safe Contacts in your email provider so I don't end up in your spam folder or trash.

The reason I ask for a prompt reply is because there is a discounted price on all pitches which lasts for 4 – 6 weeks from the first email. After that, it reverts to the full price. Don’t forget the events are nearly always oversubscribed.

The order that I send out invitations and details on events are as follows:

1st batch – if you’ve filled in the application form you get the information and invoice on one email as I know the day/s you asked to trade and the pitch size.

2nd batch – if you’ve been in touch and said, “yes please, put me down for this date”. I’ll have you marked as just “yes” so will send you the invitation. You must reply to confirm which day/s and what size pitch so I can then send the invoice.

3rd batch – same as 2nd batch but instead of “yes” you’ve said “interested/tbc”.

4th batch – sent out invitation to traders that traded at the previous two events. Again, you must reply to confirm which day/s and what size pitch so I can then send the invoice. Followed by traders from previous events to that and to new names that I have found, then other names randomly picked from my database, old and new traders alike. If you can’t see an invitation and want to trade, just email me as my database is so big, it takes a while to get to everyone so it really is nothing personal if you get left out from an event. 

So if you don't want to miss out please fill in the application form, mark the dates accordingly and please MARK THEM IN YOUR OWN DIARY so you don't end up double booking yourself!

Initial interest can be made through Facebook by message but apart from that ALL communication MUST be made by email. Facebook messages, posts and comments can slip under the radar and not be picked up on. Or if I read them later in the evening when I don’t have my database of names open on my laptop (as I really should not be working at that hour!) and say to you “please email me” as otherwise it will get forgotten. Email is always best – you can always drop me a message on Fb saying have just emailed you.

If you receive an invitation to trade and you are unable to make it, please reply to it to let me know so I can offer the space to someone else.

If you would prefer not to be sent invitations to trade any more, not a problem. Just send me an email with “unsubscribe” in the subject line of the email. A brief note explaining your reason is considered courteous (moved away, no longer doing steampunk, focussing on online sales etc) and you will no longer be emailed invitations. If, however, you do find yourself in a position where you would like to join us sometime, just email me.

Please understand that I spend many hours sending out individual emails to traders via Outlook from my gmail and then a month later following up with a further email / text / Facebook message to ones that I have had no reply from. When I have a whole bunch of emails sent the same day that have not been replied to, it leaves me wondering whether the whole lot has gone astray (which wouldn't be the first time tbh). I do not do them in BCC batches as they always end up in your spam!

Once you have your attendance confirmed by email, please make your payment immediately using either the Paypal tab or by bank transfer to the account given in your invoice sent by email.

Plan your diary well in advance and an announcement will appear on the Facebook group and page when emails have been sent so you will know to look in your inbox.

PITCHES: Please see the Pitch tab here for details.

PAYMENT: When you are sent an invoice with the details to pay, this is our confirmation of your provisional pitch booking. Your response is needed urgently and payment immediately to confirm it is secured.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE ALL RELEVANT PAPERWORK/DOCUMENTS/CERTIFICATES UP TO DATE BEFORE PAYING - CHECK HERE FOR ADVICE.

Please wait to be sent bank details before paying and double check you have the details correct. I am using a different account to the one in the past ie before Covid.

Invoice details are always emailed so please ensure you have the email address of  leedssteampunkmarket@gmail.com saved in your contacts so that emails do not get sent to your spam folder. 

There are PayPal links (as requested by you the traders as bank transfers seemed to cause problems for some people) for everyone to be able to pay promptly for their pitch.

We cannot emphasise enough that your pitch is not fully confirmed until payment is received. If you delay in paying or don’t respond for any reason there is a risk it may be filled by someone being quicker. These events always look to run the risk of being oversubscribed with the amount of people who have already asked to trade based on past events.

PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE (PLI): It is a condition of our events that all Traders/Caterers must carry a minimum level of at least £2 million Public Liability Insurance. All traders must bring their PLI certificate with them on the day as well as supplying proof of it in advance by email. 

Further certification is required from any traders selling anything edible, soap making, if you have anything alcoholic in bottles you MUST hold a Personal Licence. Most venues do not sell alcohol so you will need to contact the relevant council to apply for a Temporary Event licence (TENS) to sell on that premises. This not usually very expensive so recommend you check it out first before contacting us to trade. We welcome all varieties of products such as steampunk gin, interesting variations of other spirits and mead etc.

Basically, no PLI = no pitch. This isn’t just us – all events should be asking for it nowadays as it is essential for the Event Organiser's own PLI. There is a separate tab on here giving suggested and recommended places to get it from. For as little as £36 you get peace of mind with compensation cover of £1-£5 million. Suggestions for PLI suppliers can be found here on the Legal Stuff tab.

Please ensure that you carry adequate insurance cover, as no exhibitor will be admitted without supplying prior proof of insurance cover and we recommend that you have extreme weather covered by your insurance.

ELECTRICITY: If you need access to power please let us know. All equipment more than one year old (such as lights) must be PAT tested and have the full certification with them on the day. You need to bring your own plug adaptor and extension leads (as power sockets are in very random places) and rubber mats to cover them up (not masking tape as we use listed buildings) as shown in the photos below. Some venues have a very limited amount of plug sockets so access may not always be possible so please have a back up plan where you can ie battery operated lights. Again, further info is on the Legal Stuff tab.

PRODUCT LINES: Once you have advised of your stock-line, you cannot assume to deviate and bring completely different products either as an alternative or in addition. I go to great lengths to ensure that I do not put two traders selling similar lines near each other (hats, fascinators, jewellery, goggles, leather etc.) It can be awkward to be confronted by two traders selling very similar items which we weren't aware of before the day. We also monitor how many people we have each doing similar product styles - so that the market has a balanced and diverse product offer. Please just keep us advised and make sure we have up to date knowledge of what you intend to sell. If you bring anything you have not advised us of, you may be asked to remove them as they could clash with the person next to you.

All items offered for sale must conform to any and all relevant UK regulations and legislation. See the Legal Stuff tab for further advice.

TRADING TIMES: If we are advertised as 10-4 or 11-5 then that is the times you are expected to be there running your stall. 

You do NOT pack up your pitch and sneak off early without speaking to me. 

You do NOT pack up your pitch at the end of the Saturday when you are booked for trading both days.

You do NOT start packing up your pitch earlier than the closing time. Even if the building looks to be getting quieter, this is the time when the other traders will have a wander and do some shopping of their own. (I like to have a last wander and spend money - you don't want to know how much money I can spend!!)

LOADING IN/OUT: We have a few hours of access to get people and stuff in and out at the venues dependent on the hours we are open.

This is usually 2 to 2 1/2 hours before we open on the Saturday, 1 to 1 1/2 hours on the Sunday. If you arrive before us, you may have to wait for us to arrive in order to ensure you get loaded in from the closest door to your pitch as some venues have more than one door we can use.

It takes about an hour to get everyone out at the end of each day. 

There will be a friend of mine there in the morning and other team members co-ordinating traffic in to the spots where you need to pull in and help you to unload. We can be identified by high-visibility jackets with the LSM logo on the back.

There are plenty of staff also available to help you unload and get to your pitch. There aren't always any trolley wheels on site – if you have a set of your own they may prove very useful. The road outside some of the mills for example are cobbled so recommend flat trolley with four wheels as opposed to the two wheeled porter’s version. There are a couple of wheelchairs at Middleton and two large plastic tubs on wheels (the size of a bath tub) at Bradford Industrial.

Full set up details for the loading in will be emailed the week before the event itself along with our contact phone numbers.

There is also an option with some venues to drop off your stock late Friday afternoon for people with larger set ups travelling longer distances. You need to book this in with us in advance and not just turn up.

TRADER PASS: You will be supplied with a laminated trader pass to identify you as a Trader which must be worn at all times to receive discounted prices for food/drinks and also to access the building. In the past we have become aware that many visitors did not pay admission to the museum as they were mistaken for traders. This will not be tolerated again and one Armley event which appeared quieter (by footfall) actually had the same recorded attendance (till admissions) as before. Keep it safe if you plan to return to us for another time - it doesn't need to be handed in as we use the same ones for all events.

We are also no longer doing the free tea vouchers.

WEAPONS POLICY: LSM has a strict no weapons policy for all visitors and customers. We do, however, allow traders to sell them* as they can be worn at other events not run by us.

Please see the weapons policy which can be found here.

*Please note, weapon sales are not allowed at Abbey House Museum.

THE VENUE: Please have respect for the staff, other visitors, the building and its grounds at all times. If you smoke, please do so well away from the entrance in the designated spots. Dispose of your cigarette butt thoughtfully (i.e. not thrown carelessly to the ground, in the bushes or over a wall into the canal!) by ensuring it is fully extinguished before throwing it away in an appropriate bin.

Please do not eat or drink as you walk through the areas with exhibitions - use the outside areas (this applies to traders and visitors). Do not leave empty food wrappers, drinks cans or paper cups in random places, empty them of excess fluid and use a waste bin to dispose of them, making use of recycling bins where possible.

When getting yourself a cuppa from the tearoom or outdoor hot trader, please ask to have it in a disposable cup with a lid. If you are using your own mug, please do not fill it too high as you are likely to risk it spilling as you go back to your pitch. Spillages (even small ones) must be wiped up by yourself immediately as the venues we use are nearly always listed buildings and also because they pose a safety risk. The staff have enough to do on the weekend without running around cleaning up spills!

Traders must not attach anything to walls or ceilings in a way that will leave marks and they must leave their stall area clean and tidy at the end of the day. You are responsible for clearing away rubbish from your own stall - do not leave it strewn all over where your pitch was for the staff to clean up.

CAR PARKING: Please ensure you park in the designated parking spots and observe the venue's signage in respect of access routes in and out - it's not always immediately obvious!

If the car park you use is not run by the venue, it may be a Pay & Display one. Do make sure you have sufficient change to pay for your whole day of parking (don't forget to allow for the time to load in and out) and display your ticket in a visible place.

If the parking is full, you will need to look for alternative places to park such as public roads, side streets etc. Please be considerate and courteous if parking in residential areas (not blocking driveways etc) and be aware of any parking restrictions in place. Use common sense and not park on corners where you could lose a wing mirror to a passing bus; likewise remove any items of value or put them out of sight.

In all instances, you take responsibility for your own vehicle's safety and for any fines / penalties incurred by parking somewhere you shouldn't or for exceeding the parking time limit.

1ST AID: In the event of anyone needing 1st aid (for themselves or for a visitor) please contact the reception desk and ask for the Venue / Shift Manager. All venues have staff that are 1st aid trained and will take the necessary action.

SECURITY: Whilst we and the venue staff will make every reasonable endeavour to keep the event site secure, we cannot guarantee or take responsibility for total security. The ultimate responsibility for the security and insurance of exhibits, items offered for sale, stands, vehicles, equipment, personal property and staff lies with the individual stand holder. We strongly advise that you take out adequate insurance and that leaving valuable display items unsecured on your pitch overnight is at your own risk. 

EMERGENCY EVACUATION: For any enquiries, please contact the reception desk and ask the staff. All traders will be briefed on the emergency procedures at the venue 15 minutes prior to opening.

We will be uploading PDFs relating to the venues in due course.

FUND RAISING: Every LSM we used to have a raffle or tombola as a fundraising event for a nominated charity. I'm now not able to run these as my events are so much smaller, also there are clauses in the agreements that state no gambling.

ADVERTISING/NETWORKING: There will be a quarter page colour advert in the local press in order to guarantee a much higher attendance of customers; this can only mean good news for you as you will (hopefully) sell more. At least 1,500 glossy A5 flyers are printed for every event. These go out at other steampunk events on the run up over the previous months (please let us know if you are able to take some with you if you are trading at any other events, we are happy to post them out), to the other Leeds Council run museums, the relevant Tourist Information and also get added in with all eBay purchases through Captain Cumberpatch sales (which accounts for 300+ per month worldwide).

We also create specific events made for all forthcoming LSMs on Facebook. 

ALL traders (with NO exceptions) are expected to promote these events and themselves through their own Facebook pages and websites in order to maximise the attendance of their own customers and potential sales.

As you are probably aware, past LSM events at the Armley location each attracted a footfall of 1,200 – 1,500 visitors over the two days and Bradford Industrial Museum with its free entry meant a record attendance of 2,290 over the weekend of 5/6th March 2016 and around 2,500 in March 2017.  This isn’t just steampunks but also general public who love to spend money with us.

As with any event, we cannot guarantee visitor numbers but we will do our utmost to ensure that traders have a successful event, but the weather (rain, snow or boiling hot) or interruption of power or services is out of our control.

With continued web presence, flyer distribution and constant advertising, we hope for a successful event for all involved.

 We reserve the right to amend, transfer or cancel any trade booking at any time for any reason.

APPLICATION TO TRADE:

I did away with the application form as too many people had problems with it.

Just do the copy and paste checklist please!

Food traders (both indoor and outdoor caterers as well as anything edible that regular stall holders sell) please go to this tab for all information.

NEW TRADERS FORM CHECKLIST (copy and paste into the body of your email and overwrite the information in black)

Category: What your stuff comes under  - for example jewellery, leather, clothing, artwork, hats, fascinators, author, and whether steampunk, goth, faerie, geeky etc

Title: Your company name

Description: What you make/do

Person:  Your real name

Emails: write in here the main email address you use and must have a 2nd email address as a backup

FB profile: Supply the url from the address bar of your Facebook profile       

facebook page:  Supply the url from the address bar of your Facebook page

Website: Supply the url from the address bar of your Website/Etsy/eBay    

Telephone: Mobile number (for my use only not public):

Landline: Landline number if you have one:          

town: Just useful to know!    

Size: Pitch size needed: single or double*****

Day: Which day/s are you trading? If only one day specify preference

Future dates to be marked as a yes for:

Notes: Anything not covered by everything else!

power:   Do you need access to power? If yes, what electrical items are you planning to use?

table: Can you supply your own table? * (Don't forget to bring a nice cloth to cover your table with). Are you bringing anything else such as a rail (size needed)?           

Health: Do you or any of your team have mobility or health problems we need to be aware of (when laying out the floor plan)? **  

PLI: Expiry date of your pli – make sure you attach your proof of PLI, (and any other certificates required) onto this email even if you’ve sent it before***

RETURNING TRADERS FORM

Your real name:

Your company name:

Pitch size needed: single/double (or deep - applicable at some events)

Which day/s are you trading?

Have you attached your proof of PLI onto this email?

Any changes I need to know about? Additional stock lines/change of phone number /email /website / email/ tables*

PLI CERTIFICATE NEEDS TO SHOW YOUR TRADING BRAND OR OWN NAME AND DATES VALID FROM/TO. THIS MUST BE SENT WITH YOUR EMAIL**** TO EVERY INVITATION CONFIRMING YOUR ATTENDANCE. THIS IS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CHECKED TO SEE IF YOUR LAST ONE HAS EXPIRED AS AT THE LAST EVENT WHEN I CHECKED THERE WERE LOADS THAT HAD EXPIRED. 

(Not something I should need to be chasing up at the last minute!)

*Really helpful if you do have your own table as venues may not supply enough for all traders. Only exceptions to this is at Bradford Industrial - they have none whatsoever so we have to pay to hire them all in. It makes it far easier for us that way so you may not need to bring yours. Please advise if you need to bring your own if it is set up to hold a framework or whatever. On other events do advise if yours is not a standard 2' x 6'. 

*****Please check pitch details further down on the relevant event in regards to how pitches are laid out to see what size pitch you need. Some venues supply metric sized tables which give the same footprint as a 6 x 2.

**In regards to health, we don't just mean mobility problems - some of our venues have working machinery where it may affect things like asthma.

***The only reason for replying "no" to previous question is because you've not got it yet and getting it started closer to the date of the event as new trader.

****Send either the original downloaded document the insurers sent you. It will be called Statement Of Insurance or Certificate Of Insurance. If not scan it in and send as an attachment. If you are taking a photo please ensure you have a large size/resolution so that I can zoom in on it and read it! Then attach it to the email. Most insurance companies will allow you to take out PLI (or renew it) and for it to be dated in advance commencing from the actual trading date to save you paying for dead time. If you are with A&N I know their PLI runs for a year so just send me proof of your membership.

Chairs are supplied (unless stated otherwise). Tables vary in quantity at different venues so if you have your own you will need to bring it. 

We do not supply rails.

PLEASE NOTE: All traders must be still trading right up to the end (4pm or 5pm) to allow for customers coming in the last hour of the day. It is also an opportune time for the traders themselves to have a wander and spend their own money. There is to be no starting to pack up early unless either Si or I come round to say so. I have even been known to be racing around with my camera half an hour before closing catching pics of traders!

Pitch prices for all events can be found here

2019