In addition to finding and analyzing events, contacting event coordinators, submitting your applications and following up with confirmation, there are additional activities important to the event procurement process.

Your Promotional Flyer
Your promotional piece, whether in the form of a flyer, pamphlet or brochure, is an important tool for promoting your business to prospective events. By introducing yourself and your business to the coordinators you, not only increase your odds of getting a contract, but also, provide the coordinator with the information they need to arrange for the best situation for you when you get there. Coordinators have many food booth applications to choose from. Your promotional flyer is the most effective way to favorably distinguish your booth from the others.

Your promo piece should tell the coordinator what a great asset your booth would be to their event. Emphasize how great your food is. Your menu is always your biggest selling point and the first thing they will consider. You should also tell them about your operational needs and give them answers to important questions about your business.

Your promotional material should be included when you mail your application. If you have access to a computer you can easily design an attractive document that introduces your business, describes your menu, outlines any needs you have, such as water and power, and diagrams the dimensions and configuration of your booth. If you have a concession trailer tell them where the service window and tongue are located. Most event coordinators will measure out and assign spaces before the concessionaires arrive with their various booths. If they understand in advance your booth's configuration and specific needs they will be more likely to give you the location you need, and enough room to set up and operate comfortably. If possible include a photograph of your booth as it looks when open for business so they can see how it will benefit their midway. Photos of your attractive booth may inspire them to give you a more visible location. If you don't yet have photos, do a drawing. The more information the coordinator has about your operation, the less likely you both will be disappointed by unpleasant surprises when you arrive.

The Health Permit Application Process
After you make progress filling in your event calendar you should contact the Health Department of each county in which you will be working to request an application for a temporary restaurant permit. For your convenience most Health Departments now make their permit applications available online.

Temporary restaurant permit applications are generally fairly straightforward. Some are one page of simple questions about you, your booth, and your menu. Others are several pages long and additionally ask for a diagram of your booth, and the specifics of your food handling procedure. Some Health Departments will return to you a receipt or a signed copy of your license prior to the event. Others will wait to inspect your booth at the event before they give you a copy.

Liability Insurance Certificates
Some events require the food vendors provide them a certificate of insurance naming the event and specified parties as "additional insured." This is simply a document confirming your business liability insurance coverage. The certificate also covers the named party (the event) under your policy for the date of the event. As you develop your event schedule make a list of any events that require an insurance certificate, the language that is used to name the "additional insured" and the address where it should be sent. Give this information to your insurance agent and ask them to send a certificate to each of these events. You may, or may not be charged a small fee for this service if you have them all sent at the same time. Sometimes an event will ask you to send them an insurance certificate with your application. However, until your booth space has been confirmed, simply noting your policy number and the amount of your coverage on the application is appropriate. Make a note on the application that a certificate will be sent to them directly from your agent once your application for booth space has been approved.

The Big Picture
Most new concessionaires approach their search for events by contacting and applying to as many events as they can. This broad approach will produce enough small and mid-size venues to keep almost any concessionaire busy. Concessionaires who are serious about getting their booth into large events sometimes take a different approach. Booth spaces at large state and regional fairs, where booth space applications are particularly competitive, are sometimes awarded through politics. In addition to meeting specific concession booth criteria, the only way a concessionaire can get into many large events is by personally courting the person or persons in charge of screening applications. At these events, where the presentation of your promotional flyer may not be enough to set your business apart from other applicants, a face to face query to impress the manager with your professionalism is often the most effective way to get your foot in the door. Further, your willingness to modify your menu to suit the needs of the event might be what's required to be offered a contract.

For the best results when seeking booth space, keep in mind, concessions are an important source of revenue for events. In a sense, concessionaires are also their ambassadors. It is important to event coordinators that their concessionaires have the experience to meet the challenges of serving thousands of attendees with skill and professionalism. Managers of large events, that charge a percentage of gross sales, also want to feel confident your concession business is capable of maximizing the bountiful opportunity they have bestowed on you. And, they want to feel certain that neither you, nor your business practices, will create problems for them in the form of bad press or a lawsuit. Establishing a sound business relationship with an event manager is an important mandate for any concession business owner because, providing you follow the rules and do a good job, once you are awarded a booth space you can retain it year after year.

ABOUT BARB FITZGERALD:
The author Barb Fitzgerald has more than twenty-five years of experience in the food concession industry. She additionally held a position on the Oregon Food Services Advisory Board and founded Northwest Vendor's Network Association. Her dedicated passion for the concession business makes her a leading authority on this unique mode of self-employment. For details about her best-selling book: Food Booth, The Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to the Food Concession Business, go to: http://www.foodbooth.net