Market Events

colinwatson1980

Hi,

My wife and I have recently started putting together stuff for a part time business(which we hope to grow into her full time business) and we are putting together our 1st event.

Basically, we run events where people rent tables off us to sell stuff, now they are both business and private sellers. However, this is just part time, so we are not ready to register as a company yet, but we don't want to get shut down at our 1st event.

Can anyone offer advice on what we require, I don't want to start asking the venues, as that's a little unprofessional, but I'm struggling to find exactly what I require.
I have seen similar events run in my area that give a % to charity, which I am assuming is an easier way to get a licence, and also helps a local cause. But do I need to be a company to register with a local charity? Trading licences seem to be a strange area, as it will be within non council run hotels and such, and we are looking to have around 30-50 stalls.

Thanks in advance

Colin Watson

heretolearn_2

I take it this is something along the lines of a craft market/indoor boot sale type event.

Why do you think you need a trading license from the council? Individual market TRADERS (as in the traditional on the street town market) need a traders license, but not those who run the market, as such. although there mivght need to be other things in place, and a firm might be 'licensed' by a council to run a market in the sense of they win the contract to do it on the council's behalf. It doesn't sound like that type of market. Without knowing exactly what type of event it is, we can't say definitely there will be no need for license/planning permission etc, but your council can. They will look differently on a 10 stall indoor craft market to a 1000 stall event attracting 10s of 1000s of visitors run at a town centre location disrupting traffic/parking etc. Call them and ask if your planned event will be of interest to them.

You also need to think about public liability insurance and how you will make sure your traders have the right insurances/registrations in place (eg food providers registered with environmental health).

Your wife (and possibly you) need to inform the HMRC and register as self employed.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

ok just done a quick google search and found this

http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=177812&filetype=pdf

I typed in small events organiser insurance

You might pick up some usefull info in there.

Don't forget even though it is up to your stall holders to have their own public liability etc... you will need to cover your own backside by making sure you have insurance, and you also have a risk assessment form filled out by EVERY stall holder, if they do have insurance make sure you have up to date copies

paddyrg

INSURANCE! Without question you will need public liability! I would also see a lawyer to get any trader/venue agreements nailed down - it would be easy for things to go badly wrong and hang on the turn of a few words in a contract/agreement, better to get it right.

colinwatson1980

Thanks for the info guys.

Basically yes, its a market where people come and sell their own goods. I just rent them the stalls. Not unlike a wedding Fayre, sorry for not saying exactly what it is, but at the moment we can't find anything else like it.

We hadn't even looked in to the insurance, thanks for that. HMRC will come. Do we need to do that right away before we even run the event, or can we do it afterward?

Anyway, initially we are looking at around 20-50 stalls. But reading up on the local council sites it appears that we do need a license as we are not a charitable organization or anything like that.

Renfrewshire is our local council. It's definitely not winning a contract or running it on anyones behalf, we would be doing this for ourselves, as a new company and to obviously make a profit and grow.
We want to do a couple of small events and grow our community before we start looking at the bigger venues, but with the cost of licensing, this was what led me to the forums.

Happy to provide more info if the above doesn't make sense.

Kind Regards

Colin

heretolearn_2

Events licenses are only required for certain activities. I can't see how an indoor event with stalls would need one, unless your local council has managed to wangle having some additional conditions. Post a link to the council page you've found.

"Under the Licensing Act individuals are generally required to obtain a licence, or temporary event notice (TEN), in order to stage events including a film exhibition; indoor sporting events; live music performances or recorded music playing; plays; dance performances, and boxing or wrestling matches. This is regardless of whether they are free public events, charity-fundraisers or commercially motivated."

colinwatson1980

Hi,

The link is.
{edit, it won't allow me to post links}[edit2, managed to paste it that way]

renfrewshire.gov.uk/webcontent/home/services/business/licensing/other+licences/cs-dm-market-operator-licence


My Wife phoned them and they said no matter what type of event, she would need a licence. Now I am wondering if it's because she said a Market, when it's not really a market.

But the council are just like a shop, if you ask if something is needed, they will just say yes anyway to make some money! heh

Kind Regards

Colin