info@basinfood.ca

EXHIBITOR GUIDE

✅ Event Agenda & Schedule

Full three-day agenda with session descriptions, locations, and speaker details: 👉 https://basinfood.ca/agenda-2025/

Thursday — Business Development Day

  • Workshops, networking, and evening dinner events (Farm-to-Table Dinner or Brine & Dine)

Friday — Expo Day

  • Sessions begin at 9:30 AM

  • Exhibitor setup: 12:00 PM (with lunch available during setup)

  • Food & Buyer Expo: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
    (You may sell product if buyers want to take something home.)

Saturday — Public Market

  • Market: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  • Optional Dessert Showcase: 3:00 – 4:30 PM (sweet/dessert-adjacent vendors)

You’ll receive a separate Exhibitor Overview email (from market@basinfood.ca or via the ticketing platform) with your booth number and table size.

🚚 Load-In & Site Access

Mary Hall & Scholars Hall — Selkirk College.

Before unloading or parking in the loading zone, check in at the reception of Mary Hall and get your lanyard and a lay of the land.

General Load-In Instructions (for most exhibitors)

  • Drive to the main Mary Hall entrance

  • Continue down the sloped parking lot

  • Turn left and drive alongside the building to the loading door

  • Park side-by-side (not parallel) to maximize space

  • Unload quickly and move your vehicle immediately so others can access the door

Please be courteous — this entrance gets busy.

NON-FOOD Exhibitors (Community groups, Services, and Government)

Our community tables will be setup Thursday 9am and ready for your promotional material and signage. These unmanned / non powered display tables will remain up Thursday and Friday.

  • Setup window: 9-9:30 AM Thursday and Friday

  • Pack Up FrIday 5pm

Friday Load-In — Expo Exhibitors

  • Setup window: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  • Lunch available during setup (12:00 – 1:30 PM)

  • We must flip the room from the morning sessions — please do not arrive early

Friday-only vendors pack out at: 5:00 PM

*NOTE Friday is ticketed and registration is required – Any additional team members you have will need to purchase a General Admission Ticket here

Saturday Load-In — Public Market & Saturday-Only Exhibitors

  • Setup window: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

  • If you require fridge/freezer access, please arrive early.

    • Facilities staff available 8:00 – 10:00 AM to unlock refrigerator and freezer

Market opens: 10:00 AM

Pack-out (Saturday Public Market): 3:00 PM
Pack-out (Dessert Showcase vendors): 4:30 PM

*NOTE Saturday is free admission, any additional team member you have are free to join you!

🍰 Dessert Showcase Load-In — Dessert-Only Vendors

Saturday only, Scholars Hall access

Dessert Showcase vendors do not load in through Mary Hall.

Instead:

  • Enter Scholars Hall directly (signage will be posted)

  • Walk in without product to get oriented

  • Locate the side loading door near the stairwell

  • Bring product through the side Scholars Hall door
    (Prevents pushing through the busy Public Market)

  • Load-in window for Dessert Showcase: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

  • Scholars Hall will be closed and empty during this time, ready for set-up

At 3:00 PM:

  • The dividing wall closes

  • Savory vendors pack out quietly (or go enjoy dessert!)

  • Dessert Showcase begins (3:00 – 4:30 PM)

  • People’s Choice Award for Best Sweet Bite

  • Pack out @ 4:30 All vendors must be out by 6pm.

🔌 Power, Tablecloths & Setup Requirements

  • If you requested power, bring a long extension cord (50–100 ft)
    Outlets are shared and located on pillars.

  • If your equipment commonly trips breakers, please bring a backup option.

  • Bring your own tablecloth. (No linens will be provided.)

  • Samples are strongly encouraged.

  • Wifi in the building isn’t great but cell service is, so please plan to use your data for payment processing. An ATM is onsite and will be fully stocked before the market.

  • If selling liquor at the Saturday market, bring your printed market liquor license — required at your table before opening.

  • If you took the Selling to School prep class, there will be a table placard at your table for you to display during the expo.

🧊 Fridge / Freezer / Storage Access

  • Limited space available

  • Access times:

    • Friday morning: 8:00 – 9:00 AM

    • Friday end of day: after Expo (place into fridge/freezer)

    • Saturday morning: 8:00 – 10:00 AM

    • Saturday Dessert kitchen access from noon-5pm

If you need refrigeration before setup Friday and don’t arrive before 9:00, please plan to keep product in a cooler or vehicle until noon setup.

📣 Sales & Buyer Engagement

  • You can sell product during the Expo on Friday (Many buyers will not return on Saturday.) But the goal is building relationship over sales.

  • Bring:

    • Business cards

    • Sell sheets / wholesale pricing / ordering info

    • POS materials

This is a business development expo, so come prepared to make meaningful retail connections.

☕ Food + Coffee + Nourishment

  • Friday: lunch provided during setup, and cash bar open during expo 2-5pm (all local libations)

  • Saturday: food trucks + grab-and-go savory options inside

  • No coffee kiosk — we encourage everyone to support our coffee vendors some of whom will be selling by the cup!

  • We’ll come around mid-day Saturday with refreshing beverages to keep everyone happy and hydrated.

❓ Questions?

Email: market@basinfood.ca or info@basinfood.ca

We can’t wait to host you — thank you for being part of this delicious, community-building event.

Below are two vendor slides you can save and use! Please tag basin food for re-shares. We will start sharing exhibitor highlight reels this week!

Your market point people are Jaliya & Shauna (again this year!)