Information for Show Exhibitors

The Monastery, Manchester, M12 5WF

14^th & 15^th April, 2012.

1           Friday Set Up - Setting up on Friday is available from 3pm until 7pm.

2                  Saturday Set Up - Access on Saturday is from 7.00am, with the event opening at 10 a.m. 

3                    Unloading  - On arrival you will see a marquee erected to the front of the building.  Access for unloading will be through the marquee to provide you with the nearest access to the main space.  Remember, this is a Gothic Monastery, so does not come with loading bay doors etc.  Immediately you are unloaded, PRIOR to setting up, vehicles must be moved to the designated exhibitor parking at the rear of the Monastery, which is the West car.  This exhibitor entry point will be closed at 09.15am on Saturday, so we suggest you arrive in good time to be unloaded before then and that you unload totally before beginning to set up.  After 09.15am, admission will be via the public entrance and this is much less convenient.  We also expect some queuing, so this will further hamper you if using the public entrance.

4                    Car Parking – Exhibitor parking for the whole weekend is in the West car park at the rear of the building.  The Monastery are providing car parking stewards both for the logistics and security of vehicles.  Visitors will find parking on site at the Monastery, in the overflow car park at The Angel, just a few hundred yards away and when both are full, the whole area has on-road parking availability.  A car park pass has been sent to you for display in your vehicle window.  If you require more than one for any reason, please advise us.

7                    Exhibitor Welcome Pack – On arrival new exhibitors will find on their table, an exhibitor welcome pack.  Please open it.  In it will be various items to assist you during the show.  Regular exhibitors will find a series of information sheets - please read them.

8                    Exhibitor Badges – Every exhibitor and helper, family member etc, must wear an exhibitor badge during the weekend.  Those of you who have already exhibited with BSSK this year will already have your exhibitor badges.  Please use them at the Monastery.  For those who are doing their first show of the year with us, then you will find on your table an envelope with your exhibitor badges enclosed.  Every booking received two badges in the price.  Further badges are available at £2 per badge.  Please advise if you require further supplies.  Badges should be retained for any future BSSK event in 2012.  This prevents recycling of sharps for health and safety reasons

9                    Saturday Opening - Exhibitors must be on site and set up with bags and boxes out of the gangways and out of the way of neighbouring exhibitors by 9.40am on Saturday morning, so the final health and safety check can be performed prior to opening.  All loading doors will be secured at this time.  Exhibitors arriving after 9.45am, unless having set up on the Friday or contacted us to advise of unavoidable late arrival, may be refused permission to set up so as not to disrupt neighbouring stands.  The mobile number for emergency contact is 07980 827145.

10                Sunday Opening - On Sunday, exhibitors should be on site by 9.45am at the latest please.  The show opens at 10am and arrival after this time is not acceptable.  Last year the queue was so large, we were obliged to start entry early and we hope this will be repeated again.

11                Public Entrance – We are offering advanced ticket sales again to help queue control.  Entrance will be through two different doors depending on whether pre-paid or pay on the day, but both entrances are at the head of the cloisters, so all visitors will enter past the cloister stands.  If you know visitors who are attending, advise them to pre-order tickets to speed up their entry.

12                Your Space - Regular BSSK exhibitors will know that I am fairly generous with space where I can be, but at this show, in order to keep the price affordable to many, I have had to utilise as much of the space as possible for stands.  This means that everything has to be within the width of your stand.  Couches etc will need to be placed behind or instead of the table, and extra racks, tables and rails within the 6’ frontage.  You may need to consider having the table further back with things in front, or turning it sideways where there is sufficient depth to allow this.  We do have some 3’ table availability, so please let us know if you require this.  There is no space to add side tables to the length of your stand.  The ambience in the Monastery is amazing, and the ‘cosy’ stand arrangement adds rather than detracts from that.  We will do our best to iron out any difficulties with space in a fair manner, but please use judgement about what will realistically fit in to a 6’ table width.  We ask for your tolerance and co-operation during setting up. 

Cloister stands - please remember these are pushed to the wall with space for one chair to one end.

13                Packaging - If you have polystyrene packaging, please be sure to have the means of sweeping up the mess it can make, i.e brush and dustpan or ‘dustbuster’.

14                Table Covers - Although the majority of exhibitors already do this, may we request those that do not yet do so, to use a table cover that reaches the ground at the front of their stand.  This provides more continuity and enhances the appearance greatly, besides providing a hiding place for unsightly boxes and bags.  Any trailing edges should be secured so as not to cause trip hazards.

15                Access - Please note, once a show is open, no further access through fire exits, unless in the event of an emergency is permissible.  This is for security but also in fairness to the exhibitors opposite or either side of them.  If you need to return to your vehicle, you must use the main entrance doors.

16                Candles -  Due to health and safety requirements, lighted candles or t-lights may not be used on your stand at this event.  If you wish to purchase battery operated versions of either, these are available at www.scentedcandleshop.com and also at www.batteryoperatedcandles.co.uk.

17                Heating Appliances - Kettles or coffee machines and the like are not permitted on stands.  This is for safety reasons and electrical overload.  If you need a kettle to provide hot water in connection with your therapy etc, please notify us in advance so we may arrange electrical connection accordingly. Likewise, please draw our attention to ‘hot stone’ machines or other heating appliances for the same reasons.

18                Lighting – In the cloisters where the lighting is very mellow, lighting will be required on your stand.  Many of you already have this but if not, please give consideration to it, as we think you will find it necessary as the day draws to a close.  If you use halogen lights, these must be fitted with no more than a 300kw bulb, to prevent overload on the power system.  Most come with a 600kw, so these need changing please.

19                Children – For many reasons, it is our preference that young children do not accompany exhibitors at this event.  However, where it is unavoidable, children must remain on the stand at all times and be accompanied by an adult if leaving it, either for the toilet or refreshments or any other purpose.  Please be aware of your neighbours and stands backing on to you when arranging facilities for accompanying children.

20                Your Property – No responsibility for exhibitor’s goods is assumed by either ourselves or the venue.   The facility will be secured at the end of the show and is alarmed and has overnight security guards on site.

21                Signs, Banners etc – Nothing whatsoever may be secured to the fabric of the building by any means!  Please do not use tape, Blutak or any other fastening.  Signs must be free standing and self supporting and be placed to the rear of your stand in most cases.

22                Refreshments –will be available throughout the weekend from the in-house catering team. If queues are long, feel free to hail one of our stewards to fetch food and drink for you.  Breakfast buns are available.

23                Directions – The postcode is shown above for those with Sat Nav.  Maps are also available – please advise us if you require one.

24                Breakdown - The event closes at 5 p.m. each day, and packing away before this time is strictly not permitted unless prior arrangement.  This is for the good of all, as early pack up has an unsettling effect on the public who think the event is closing and other exhibitors who may still be working.  We have some workshops running on past 5pm, and so some members of the public will be on site past 5pm, another reason why early breakdown is not allowed.

25                Insurance - All exhibitors are required to hold public liability and furnish us with a current copy of the certificate in advance of the shwo.  In addition, the following cover is required and copies of documentation supplied:

Therapists  -  cover for treatments (known either as professional liability cover,  treatment risk cover, or professional indemnity cover) , is required.

Traders -  products liability is required where anything is sold that is personally  manufacture or for which esoteric properties are claimed.

Readers -  Professional indemnity cover that will cover the content of the readings. 

Other Exhibitors – please check with us as to the specific insurance requirements for your discipline.

We know many of you are really getting behind the promotion of this event and we do thank you for it.  For our part, we have invested heavily in advertising both in Manchester and nationally, and it is our hope that it will be an amazing success for all concerned. 

I think this covers everything, but if you have any further queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards

Angie & Chris Jury

BSSK Events