Happy Mother’s Day

To all of you Mothers that are involved with the Chattanooga Market. I do so appreciate that you are spending your day with the Chattanooga Market family.  

We will be hosting a Mother’s Day special in the middle of the pavilion. Featuring Champagne & wine from On the List Catering, Chocolates from The Hot Chocolatier (yes, I convinced Wendy to make an encore presentation. Please give her a warm welcome back) and flowers from Herr’s Flowers.

Jewelry vendors get ready this is your day!

BIG!

After Opening Day I am hoping for a wonderful Mother’s Day crowd. Mother’s Day has consistently beaten Opening Day in vendor sales, so come prepared. We will see if we can continue the great vendor sales we have experienced so far. 

Last weekend’s “Hair of the Chihuahua” market that everyone characterized to me as “OK” finished at a little over $69,000. Isn’t it funny how our perspective changes. in 2009-2010 I would have been extremely satisfied with that sales figure!

Great job!

Facebook!

As you guys know the Chattanooga Market utilizes Facebook. I normally create the Sunday event on Monday or Tuesday. I need your help to promote the coming Sunday event on your page and to your friends. Every little bit helps bring people in. Thanks.

Upcoming Special Events

Arts In The Park

We will be accepting applications for September 3rd “Arts In The Park Festival” very soon. Even though last year’s event was rained out. We have incredible interest in the 2012 version. This will be a juried art show focused festival so please contact us soon about this.

Fall Hodge Podge

I will know more as soon as this weekend. But, it looks very certain that the Chattanooga Market will partner with the Mountain Arts Community Center and the Town of Signal Mountain to produce the 2012 Fall Hodge Podge. This is an established fall festival that was in danger of going away. I stepped in and it looks like we might have another great event on our calendar. Fall Hodge Podge is Friday Oct.5 & Saturday Oct.6 10am-5pm. I know many of you have done Hodge Podge before and feel it is a great event. Let can make it even better. Stay tuned!

Ringgold Market

If you are food or farm vendor please contact us very soon about our May 2nd Grand Opening! We have been getting tremendous interest from media and incredible support from the North Georgia community. Help us make this first year a success and build a strong clientele for your product!

River Market

The Tennessee Aquarium’s numbers are up almost 20% for the year. The River Market averages have been strong and this is a great venue if you do any kind of Etsy, or Internet marketing. This Market while not really having regulars is filled with tourists! Use that focus to promote your web site, mailing list or Facebook page. I get calls all the time, I wished I had grabbed a card or gotten their name. Promote yourself!

Steve, Melissa, Brandy and I are working hard to give all of you the opportunity to succeed! None of us are really sure what Chris does! But, we know we could not do our jobs without his direction and his coffee and his beer! HA!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Paul

Thanks and a preview of MAY!

Thanks to all the wonderful people that make the Chattanooga Market possible each week! The first Sunday was the single best market day in our history.

Last weekend’s Night Market and Tornado Relief was a very strong showing as well. In the first two full weekends of 2012 we are averaging over $100,000 per weekend. Awesome.

A few very strong weekends coming up.

“Hair of the Chihuahua” This Sunday. We will have Carlos Colon & Tropical Swing playing Latin music for all the salsa dancers that want to shake a leg. We will also have award winning salsa from local restaurants! Yummy. We will have to wait and see if they are any where near as good as some of  the salsa’s our great vendors sale!

“Mother’s Day Celebration” May 13. Get ready for this folks! Mother’s Day is always in the TOP 3 vendor sales markets every year. It normally beats Opening Day! So plan big for Mother’s Day.

“EPB Strawberry Festival” May 20. Two years ago two farms sold over $20,000 in strawberries. the lines were long and deep. Again, a Top 5 day every year! get ready for this one too! Let’s see how many vendors can offer something “Strawberry!”

“Beast Feast BBQ Festival” A Party! probably our biggest FUN event this side of Oktoberfest! The BBQ restaurants and caterer’s are probably firing up their pit’s!

It’s a very strong May line up some help us bring in the crowds by sharing our facebook events with your fans and friends, sharing it on your page and web site.  Thanks!

Saturday’s & Sunday’s have gone very smoothly. I know Sundays are always a bit hectic but let’s all continue to be good neighbors, friends and family. Every time you get that many people in one place with their own agenda issues can arise. But, nothing a little communication can’t handle.

If you are a Farm or Food vendor with an interest to join us on Saturdays this summer at Ringgold Market, please let us know ASAP. This will be a bit of a smaller market and showing a commitment to help us grow it will not be forgotten! Thanks in advance.

We need your help!

We are a tad over $200,000 April. Let’s finish May with over $500,000!

Saturday River Market

If you have not tried the River Market, you really should. We have the a core group of vendors that do very well each week. Try to do one and see for yourself. It’s a cool environment to sit and people watch, advertise to thousands of tourists and make some money all at the same time!

This Sunday!

I will be leaving shortly after roll call. My middle son Jack is having his First Communion ceremony at church. So if you have questions hold them until Mother’s Day or email help@chattanoogamarket.org!

See you this weekend!

Paul

Chattanooga Market vendors!

Welcome back to the Market. I am so optimistic for this season. Let’s all have some fun and good business this year! Some important details for the upcoming season.

*Please use the EventBrite system for all reservations. I cannot confirm your participation in a market day without one. (Food Concession vendors, ie. BBQ, Pizza do NOT have to reserve a spot each week. Food concession are expected to be there every week unless they notified the Market otherwise.)

*Every vendor will have to pay the $1 city and $1 county business tax per day unless you provide Steve.brehm@chattanoogamarket.org with a copy of your City or county license.

*Also, please submit your Tennessee Dept. of Revenue sales tax number or bring a copy this Sunday or be prepared to apply for the $5 temp permit!

*Farm and Food vendors will have booth selection at 9am. Old and new vendors alike will have booth selection similar to the art vendor booth selection process but at 9am sharp.

*If you sale any type of product, prepared food, cheese, cookies, donuts and any other item for Human Consumption, you are required to have product liability insurance with the Chattanooga Public Market as an additionally insured.

I am hopeful that all of our hard work during the off season, and we did work hard, right guys, will pay off! The economy is better, people are happier and buying more! Please help us by picking up some rack cards and taking them to your churches, doctor’s offices, post offices anywhere are everywhere that you think of putting them.

FACEBOOK!

Please help me spread the word each week. If you are not my friend on Facebook please add me. www.facebook.com/chattpaul, I will create an event for each and every Sunday market. Once you get the invitation invite your friends and encourage them to invite people. Let’s work together to fill the pavilion each week. Thanks.

NEW APPAREL!

Get your new Chattanooga Market apparel on Saturday or Sunday! We had to cut off the head of the model so you would still be interested in the shirt! Show your support, promote us on your chest and head!

I am so excited for this Sunday! Please show up with some great enthusiasm and some patience! Let’s set a new Opening Day record of $100.000 in vendor sales!

Paul

The 2012 River Market season has gone very well. The Tennessee Aquarium attendance has been better than expected. Vendor sales have been solid and with the exception of a late afternoon shower about 4pm all has been perfect.

So far all expectations have been exceeded!

I do have a few concerns that ALL VENDORS need to know.

**Weights are required with all tents. The wind does move through at time and all tents must be weighted!

**The River Market is a limited space available venue. If you register for the River Market on EventBrite and NO-SHOW twice. All your remaining reservations will be cancelled.

**End of day LOAD-OUT! Please have your booth and merchandise completely broken down and moved to to the curb before you bring your car into the horseshoe. We have to share that space with the Horse ad buggy folks. This is the big revenue night for them we should respect that. Continued violation of this load out policy will lead to suspension of your Chattanooga Market vending privileges. Please do not do it!

Let’s all work together and make the event fun, safe and as easy as possible to exit!

Paul

Market Vendors! Here is request I wanted to forward to you guys. MakeWork is an arts development project in Chattanooga. This vending opportunity is “NOT CONNECTED TO THE CHATTANOOGA MARKET!” this would be a relationship between you and MakeWork.

Here are the details:

Hello, Chattanooga Market Vendors!

www.makework.is/10x10

Thank you all for making the 2011 season the best yet. Great returning friends and some great new ones.

I hope that you all return for the 2012 season. it will be even better.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

Paul

Directions:

From Carter Street turn west on 13th Street. This is the street in between the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center, (CTCC) Proceed one block and turn left on to Chestnut Street. You will now see the loading dock area for the CTCC. The first gate you come to is the exit gate. Proceed and the entrance gate is directly across from 12th street. 

The CTCC staff will answer the intercom if the gate is not open. Please feel free to use any of the loading docks to unload. There is a ramp that will accommodate only two vehicles at a time. If you need to use the ramp please unload quickly, move your items onto the staging area and remove your vehicle form the ramp so that your fellow vendors can use it. 

Ballroom A is right inside from the loading area. Find me or Chris and we will show your pre-assigned booth space. 

If you need a cart. The CTCC security office had 8 to lend. They are just down the hall from the loading dock area. 

Parking:

There is a parking garage directly behind the loading dock area. There is another attached to the CTCC. Or you can park free at Finley Stadium just two blocks down Carter Street. Basically there is no designated vendor parking. 

Load in Times:

Thursday Dec. 8, 2pm-8pm
Or 
Friday Dec. 6am-9am

The event begins at 10am. 

Event details:

*We will have our credit card process available
*you will be responsible for all state, city & county taxes.
Please use the upgraded food options or they will not be there the second weekend.

Promotion:
We have substantially expanded our normal promotions for this event, TV, billboards, radio and print. But, as we all know word of mouth is priceless. Please send out the times and NEW location details out to any mailing lists or Facebook groups. 

2ND weekend

For those few of you doing only one weekend, load out on the 10th should be easy. If you a loading in the 2nd weekend. Please email Steve and me at info@chattanoogamarket.org on Monday, Dec. 12 and we will email you your load in times. 

Load out on the 17th. Please use common courtesy. Do not move your vehicle to the ramp until your entire display is on the staging area. 

Thank you for vending in this event.

Paul

Thank you to all the great vendors that participated in our outdoor season finale. It was a fun, happy crowd both days. It was good to see that many of our vendors did just as well on Saturday as they did on Sunday.

A special thanks to all the loyal vendors that participated in the Season ending dinner. The food was great, especially the great roasted meats brought by Danny Roller of Barton Creek Farms.

And to every one of you, thank you for all the wonderful products you all bring that makes the Chattanooga Market special.

Paul

Well the season in the First Tennessee pavilion is over after this weekend. It has been a very good year, although very quick it seemed to me.

As is my new tradition as of last year. We will have a quick awards and comic routine during the pot luck dinner this Friday night at 7pm. It is my chance to poke fun at all the silly things that happened this year, some of them by you! (you know who your are) I hope you all can join us.

I will be at the pavilion Friday starting at 1pm and I will be there until 10pm. Please use this 9 hour window of time to setup your booth. A few worthy notes:

*You will be able to drive in. The later you get there the more careful you will need to be.

*Since this is a prepaid event it does not mean you are responsible to pay your City & County $1 taxes at the front counter. Plus Brandy gets bored. DO THIS SATURDAY!

*Please have your booth completely ready to go by 9:30am.

*There will be Chattanooga Police Officers on site 24-7 during the event. However, you will need to make the judgement call about what gets left in your booth. This is the 8th time we have done one of these 2-day events and we have never had an incident.

*last year I ended up staying Saturday night until around 12:00am tryng to secure tents that were blowing down the aisle of the pavilion. PLEASE WEIGH or TIE YOUR TENT DOWN! I will be checking

But, most of all THANK YOU for such a fun year. Please feel free to email us if you have any questions.

Thanks, Paul

Holiday Market Too! Vendors,

Finally, we have heard from the Chattanooga Trade & Convention Center (CTCC). Everyone there has been extremely nice to work with and very easy going.

The Load-in Instructions are as follows:

Thursday December 8th, 2pm-8pm.& Friday December 9th, 6am-9am.

*There will be a total of 8 carts (you will be required to give your drivers license to borrow) available for you to use to cart your materials from your vehicle to your booth space. Please use them quickly and return for your fellow vendor.

*Do not show up before 2pm. the doors will be locked and you will wait!

*There is no vendor parking arrangement, each vendor will be responsible for your own parking.

*The CTCC has provided an enhanced food option for our event that will be avaiilable during the event to everyone, over and above the hot dog, nacho, burger and snack concessions. Please patronize this food option if possible.

I will have more details about the specific directions to the back loading ramp and gates very soon.

If you have special needs please let me now asap.

Paul