06/03/2026
Pull up a chair and grab a drink.
I’ve been sitting on this conversation for years, choosing to stay quiet because it felt easier to keep the peace than to speak up. But lately, I’ve found myself wondering why vendors are often expected to absorb poor experiences without ever talking about them.
To be clear, this isn’t about the hosts who care. It’s not about the hosts who communicate, work hard, support their vendors, and genuinely try to create a great event. There are many amazing market organizers out there.
This is about the other side of the conversation.
The markets where communication is lacking.
The markets where promises don’t match reality.
The markets where vendors are expected to invest their time, money, inventory, travel, and energy, but don’t feel respected in return.
Every vendor has stories. Some incredible. Some frustrating. Some that still make you shake your head years later.
So consider this me sitting down with friends over a Negroni and asking:
What’s the best market experience you’ve ever had?
What’s the worst?
And what do you think every market host should be doing for their vendors?
I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
And don’t worry—I have a few stories of my own. I’ll pour those into the next post. 🥃