Share Your Story.
Be a Marketplace Merchant.
The Taste Marketplace at Slow Food Nationsis a collection of 70+ food producers and organizations who support good, clean and fair food. Presented by Slow Food USA, this is not your typical trade show or convention. It’s a place for over 30,000 festival guests to learn the story behind their food, sample and purchase product and connect with like-minded merchants.
Slow Food is a global, grassroots nonprofit that bridges farmers and producers, individuals and businesses, Slow Food chapters and community leaders. Connect with the Slow Food movement in the heart of downtown Denver over two bustling days: Saturday, September 12 from 10am-7pm and Sunday, September 13 from 10am-5pm. Join us and share your story at the most vibrant North American food event in 2020!
You’ll find details and FAQs below, please contact us if you have any questions or inquiries not answered here!
Applications for 2020 Taste Marketplace Merchants are now open!
Early Bird rate available until May 4. Apply from the button below.
Who is in the Taste Marketplace?
The Taste Marketplace is limited to 80 merchants to maintain a high quality experience for producers and visitors. Merchants align with Slow Food’s mission of good, clean and fair food for all, and have the ability to serve and engage with an expected 25,000 attendees.
Merchants — Makers of artisanal foods & beverages; producers prioritizing craftsmanship and authenticity; farmers & fishers using sustainable practices; representatives of traditional foods, farming and indigenous food cultures; cookware, cutlery, barware and tabletop companies; ecologically-minded clothing and textile manufacturers. Food producers have priority and make up the majority of merchants. We strongly encourage our merchant to offer samples to engage festival attendees!
Nonprofits — Environmental sustainability and food advocacy organizations; Slow Food chapters showcasing local producers, experts and chefs; food and consumer educators.
If being a merchant in the Taste Marketplace is not the right fit for you, we have other exciting opportunities as sponsors or participants in the programming. Contact us and let us know how you’d like to be involved and we’ll work together.
Booths & Costs
Merchants can opt for a single or double booth, or work with us to create a custom booth! All booths are beautifully designed and constructed with repurposed wood, counter space, and shelving. Single booths are a great option for smaller businesses that like a farmer’s market style set-up with a counter in the front of the booth. Double booths are great for those looking for more room and the option to open up your booth so that attendees can step in to your space. If you require a specialized booth size outside of the specifications below, please contact us directly!
Included:
- 8’x 8′ (single booth) or 8’x16’ (double booth) footprint booth constructed from reclaimed pine-beetle-killed wood equipped with 4′ tall and 8″ wide countertop for samples and displays. For a single booth, the front of the booth has a 4′ wide open entrance into the booth with 8″ wide counters wrapping around the other 4′ of the booth’s front with an 8′ wall in the back of the booth.
- 24-hour security
- Weather-proof structure protecting booth from sun and rain
- Slow Food Nations branded banner hung at booth before load-in
- Standard Edison 20 amp 110 V outlet for power
- Check out these images of the build-out of our booths.
Pricing:
Early Bird Rates (until May 4) —
$950 single booth // $1550 double booth
Regular Rate (May 4 — August 10, 2020) —
$1050 single booth // $1950 double booth
Add-ons:
- Refrigerated storage (2’x2′ footprint) close to booth ($200)
- Advance receipt, warehouse storage and delivery of shipments to site ($250)
- Additional electricity (price depends on need)
- Ice available on site (fair market value)
Benefits
- Access to exclusive Slow Food Nations B2B merchant reception on Friday, September 11
- Your logo featured on the Slow Food Nations website with a link to your website
- Product spotlights and promotion on Slow Food USA social media platforms (total of 700k followers across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter)
- Exposure to an estimated 30,000 targeted and motivated attendees
- Sample, market and sell your products
- Connect with like-minded producers and consumers
- Opportunity to participate in other areas of the event — workshops, dinners, talks, and pop-up events
“The connections are invaluable and the take home is really powerful. It reaches so many.“
“The most memorable part of Nations was the merchants. They were remarkable, cool, inspiring. It’s a grand group of warrior poets doing great work.”
“Slow Food Nations attracts the right people and there’s a lot of potential as a producer to attend.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to hear back about the application? Applications for Taste Marketplace merchants will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Merchants will be notified within two weeks if they are accepted to this year’s Slow Food Nations. If so, they will be sent a series of follow-up steps to begin the registration process.
Can merchants leave their booth displays up overnight? Yes, there will be security in the area to allow merchants to leave displays overnight.
What times will the merchant booths be open/when can merchants begin their set up process?
Saturday, September 12 : 10AM – 7PM
Sunday, September 13: 10AM – 5PM
*Merchant set up should be complete by 9AM on Saturday, September 12. Merchant load-in options will be provided during advance process.
Can multiple merchants share a booth?
Slow Food wants to encourage the participation of smaller producers in the Taste Marketplace. Therefore, it is possible for producers to share a space. We will need one point of contact per space who will coordinate all of the logistics with our team.
What should I bring for my booth? Merchants will receive an electronic packet detailing what to bring to the event. As a general guideline, we are trying to minimize waste at the event, so when thinking about materials please keep this in mind.
Is there a way to participate as a Slow Food Chapter? Yes, of course. Please contact us for more details.
What are the food handling guidelines that need to be met for serving hot and cold food onsite? A merchant coordinator will follow up with confirmed merchants closer to Slow Food Nations to help coordinate these details.
What are the licensing and taxation requirements for selling food onsite? A merchant coordinator will follow up with confirmed merchants closer to Slow Food Nations to help coordinate these details.
Will all merchants have access to electricity and refrigeration?
A Standard Edison 20 amp 110 V outlet for power is included in the merchant fee. Electricity will be available directly at booths. Refrigeration and storage will be available on-site for an additional cost. A merchant coordinator will follow up with confirmed merchants closer to Slow Food Nations to help coordinate these details.
Can wine/beer/spirits producers participate in the marketplace? Due to regulations, alcoholic beverage producers cannot participate directly in the Taste Marketplace. However, there are many ways for these producers to take part in Slow Food Nations. We will have more details soon, in the meantime please contact us with interest or questions.
What’s the festival protocol for waste and sustainability? Slow Food Nations implements a strict zero waste approach. The event will utilize three-bin zero waste stations (compost, recycle, trash) throughout the venue, including merchant back-of-house areas. All merchants are required to use compostables for samples, and all waste must be properly sorted into compost, recycling or trash. In addition, there may be an opportunity for properly handled unused food to be rescued and collected by the organizers of the event’s Zero Waste Community Supper. The event’s zero waste staff and volunteers will monitor stations, support merchants, educate attendees and sort all waste, to ensure that everything possible is kept out of the landfill.
Still have questions? Please contact us and we will get back to you ASAP.
