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Open Air Market Guidelines

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Student Union (The U) serves as a gathering place for students, facility/staff, and visitors. Union Business Operations manages and reserves these spaces to maximize their use and provide safe and aesthetically pleasing environments to host events. Our goal is to enhance the quality of lives in our community and advance the mission of our university. We look forward to serving you! Questions, concerns, and suggestions are always welcome at (337) 482-6400.
This document outlines guidelines for the Open Air Market at The U starting in the Spring of 2017.

Purpose of Open Air Market

This Open Air Market will be an event scheduled regularly for any persons who wish to reserve an information table at The U. The Market will be in the Union Courtyard, with each vendor scattered throughout the area. Market vendors can include Student organizations, University Departments, Non-Profit Organizations, Non-university clients, or any other local business’. Having all information tables registered for a scheduled Market day will attract more business, including the general student population. Hosting this event outside will prevent overcrowding in the hallways. This market is simply a collection of any booked information tables at The U.

  • To best uphold the mission of the Market and to offer the most variety, The U may ask a specific vendor to move to a different Market day. The vendor will be notified at least two weeks in advance.

This Market will be scheduled for the last Wednesday of every month from 10:30 am to 1 pm. In the future, we hope to schedule this market on a weekly basis.

Information Table Displays

These information tables can be used for a variety of displays. The U encourages business promotion or advertisement, organization or Non-Profit awareness, retail or marketing, food sampling or selling, and more. The U is interested in having a variety of displays at The Open Air Market. Any interested vendor may contact The Student Union Business Operations Staff for questions on types of displays allowed at an information table. Please also read the Right of Refusal section at the end of this document.

General Operations Rules

Each vendor is provided:

  • One six-foot table and two chairs in a 10x10 foot area.
  • One parking space per vendor will be provided in the Union side lot, next the catering loading dock. Directions to this lot will be provided to the vendor.
  • Access to the Catering Loading Dock for drop off and pick up
  • If a vendor expands past their reserved space, the vendor will be charged for one additional space at the appropriate rate for the vendor category.

Additional Requests

  • Vendors may request one additional table at $8.00 each.
  • If a vendor wishes to have a larger space, the vendor must purchase two vendor areas (to equal a 20x20 foot space), and The U will arrange these spaces next to each other.
  • If a vendor should need electricity, please speak with the market Coordinator to discuss availability and options. The U can accommodate for this need if it is discussed in advance.
  • The vendor may request to rent a 10x10 foot tent from The U at an additional cost. If the vendor is interested in renting a tent, they must indicate this request on the Vendor application and the Open Air Market coordinator will contact the vendor with a price quote.

Tent Displays

  • 10x10 foot tents are allowed over reserved vendor space. Vendors are allowed to bring their own tents or can be rented from The U at an additional cost. Because this is a university campus we ask that no other university logos be used in or around the reserved space.

Set Up

  • Vendors are allowed one hour for set up, beginning at 9:30 am. The Market begins at 10:30 am.

Clean Up

  • It is intended for the reserved space to be returned back to the original condition at the end of the Market.
    • The reserved space must be cleared within one hour after the end of the Market. The Market is currently scheduled until 1pm, so clean up must be completed by 2pm.
    • All trash must be cleared by the renter.
    • All items not provided by The U must be removed by the renter.

Signage

  • All vendors must display a sign with their name in their reserved space.

Sales Tax

  • If the vendor is an independent business owner, they must be responsible for collecting their own taxes.

Vendor Application

All persons wishing to become a vendor at the Open Air Market must complete a Vendor Application Form (click here to the Application) one month before the Market date they wish to attend.

  • The person, organization or business who applies to the Open Air Market must state their intended use of the reserved space. If goods are to be sold, the vendor is only allowed to sell what they specify in the Vendor application.

Insurance

If a vendor intends to serve food items, it must be stated on the Vendor application and the vendor must provide evidence of their Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) permit of operations. If no DHH is provided within 24 hours of the market day, the vendor will not be allowed to sell food items.

Reservation Procedure and Fees

All groups must fill out the Vendor Application Form on the Student Union website.

Fees

  • Recognized Student organizations receive a 100% discount
  • University Departments will be charged a $40 fee.
  • Non-university Clients or Non-Profit Organizations will be charged a $75 fee.

Deposit and Confirmation Policy

Full payment is required to secure the information table for the Open Air Market. The reservation for the Market is not confirmed until full payment is received and a member of the Student Union Business Operations confirms the reservation. A reservation for a Market Day is considered pending until the confirmation letter/email has been sent.

Payment Method

Vendors can pay their reservation fees by calling The U to make a credit card payment over the phone. Or checks can be mailed to The U

  • Phone number: Information Desk (337) 482-6400
  • Checks should be made out to UL Lafayette Student Union. Mailing address: 620 McKinley Street PO Box 43614, Lafayette LA 70504

Cancellation

The Student Union Business Operations Staff recognizes there are circumstances where cancellation becomes necessary through no fault of the organizing party. Failure to show thirty (30) minutes after your reserved start time will be deemed a No Show. The cancellation/No Show policy is as follows:

Student Organizations:

Cancelling a reservation within two weeks of a Market Day or being considered a No Show is charged according to this tiered cancellation policy:

Two weeks before reservation

  • 1st cancellation/No Show: $25 processing fee
  • 2nd cancellation/No Show: $50 processing fee
  • 3rd cancellation/No Show: suspended from reserving through next semester/session

All other Clients:

  • Cancelling a reservation within two weeks of the scheduled Market Day or being considered a No Show: $25 processing fee

Weather

In the case of inclement weather, the Open Air Market will be cancelled. All vendors will be notified in an appropriate time and will be given the choice of a future Market Day. If a vendor chooses to not register for a new Market Day, there will be no refunds issued.

Right of Refusal

The Student Union Business Operation Staff reserves the right to accept or deny any vendor for Market Day according to the mission of The U and the mission of the university.

Indemnification

The responsible party indemnifies and holds harmless the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, its employees, officers, directors and agents from any damages, actions, suits, claims, or other costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in connection with any damage to any property or any injury caused to any person (including death) caused by the responsible party’s use of the room, including any acts or omissions on the part of the responsible party, its employees, officers, directors, independent contractors, or other agents. The responsible party shall notify the Union Business Operations staff of any damage or injury of which it has knowledge in, to, or near the facility, regardless of the cause of such damage or injury. Furthermore, the responsible party hereby indemnifies and holds harmless UL Lafayette, its employees, officers, directors, and agents from any damages, actions, suites, claims, or other costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in connection with any damage to any property or injury caused to any person (including death) caused by the responsible party’s use of the facility, including any acts or omissions on the part of the responsible party, its employees, officers, directors, independent contractors, or other agents.