Where can I sell my products at markets and events in Surrey?

The best event is not the biggest one, it is the one your customer already attends. Be specific about who buys from you, what they are doing when they buy, and what they expect to pay. A food festival crowd, a country show crowd and a Christmas gift-fair crowd behave very differently.

• Who is your product actually for, and what do they typically spend?
• Are they buying to consume there, or to take home and give as a gift?
• Do they need to taste or handle the product before buying?
• Is your price point right for the audience the event attracts?

Pitch fees are usually non-refundable, so the research happens before the booking, not after. Ask the organiser directly and, where you can, visit the event once as a visitor.

• Attendance: last year's visitor numbers, and how they were counted.
• Audience: who actually comes, and whether they buy or just browse.
• Pitch fee: the total cost including any commission, power or admin charges.
• Competing traders: how many others sell something similar to you.
• Pitch size: the exact dimensions, and whether the gazebo is included.
• Electricity: whether it is available, what it costs and what you must supply.
• Insurance: the public liability cover required, plus any risk assessment.
• Trading hours: how long you must stay, including any early-pack-down rules.
• Set-up: access times, vehicle access, parking and how far you must carry stock.

Add up the pitch fee, stock, staffing, fuel, parking and your own time, then work out how many units you must sell to cover it. If that number looks unlikely given the expected footfall, the event is a marketing cost rather than a sales channel, and should be judged on that basis.

Our free event return calculator does the arithmetic for you and shows the sales you need before an event makes money.

Surrey Hills Enterprises runs public events through the year where local producers, makers and traders sell directly to visitors. Members receive discounted pitch fees, and stands are allocated with an eye on the mix of products so traders are not competing head to head.

See the trading and stallholder opportunities page for pitch prices, event details and how to apply, or browse everything on our events page.

Regular smaller markets are frequently more profitable than a single large show. The pitch fee is lower, the risk is lower, and the same customers return week after week, so you build a local following rather than making one-off sales. They are also the cheapest place to test new products, pricing and stand layout before committing to a large event.

What regular markets give you

• Repeat customers who learn your name and your schedule.
• Honest, immediate feedback on new lines.
• A predictable weekly or monthly income line.
• Practice at selling, which makes the big events go better.

Markets and events are one route to market, not the only one. Steadier income usually comes from selling through organisations that already have customers.

• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Farm shops
• Cafés
• Retailers
• Visitor attractions
• Venues
• Corporate gifts

Before approaching them, be sure you can meet the volumes, labelling and lead times they will ask for. Our advice on approaching local retailers and knowing whether you are ready for wholesale covers the practicalities.

Local relationships can develop well beyond buying and selling. Hogs Back Brewery(opens in a new tab) and Hampton Estate(opens in a new tab) worked together on a charity event and secured sponsorship support from Hall Hunter(opens in a new tab).

That kind of relationship can lead to:

• Joint events
• Sponsorship
• Shared audiences
• Community activity
• Longer-term partnerships

Joint products and shared stands put you in front of an audience that already trusts someone else, and they split the cost of the pitch. Recent examples from within the network include:

• Silent Pool Distillers and Delightfully Decadente
• Mandira's Kitchen and Sweet C's
• Porky Whites and Roni B's
• Surrey Copper Distillery and other Surrey drinks producers

Our collaboration request builder helps you write the approach.

• How do I choose the right fairs and markets?
• Can local fairs and events help me win customers?
• How can a local food, drink or craft producer get more customers?
• How can I approach local retailers, hotels, pubs or restaurants?
• Do members receive discounted stall fees?
• How do I apply for a stall at a Surrey Hills event?