Vendor Application & Approval

Each year we welcome over 500 event professionals to work in our venues. From caterers to florists to event planners and more, we are proud to be able to support local businesses by creating a great place to work.

Like most venues, we have maintained a list of Preferred Vendors that we recommend to our Clients. We have always put a lot of integrity into our list. We don't include you just because you call us and ask to get on the list, we include you because we have experienced your work and can personally vouch for the quality of your services. In the past selected vendors were featured on our websites and were periodically emailed leads they could connect with. As technology has adapted, we've observed the incredible opportunity to make it 10x easier for our clients to find quality vendors by creating an interactive online directory. Gone are the days where we passed out a list of company names and websites and left it up to the client to figure out who could do what, now our directory features hundreds of vendors all on one site. Our prospective and booked clients can search and filter by vendor category, pricing, and minority affiliations. They can read vendor profiles and look at photos of their work to decide if they want to reach out. They can submit a message through the site and we can even match them with vendors based on their needs. This creates a much better planning experience for them, and exposes our approved vendors to more opportunities, both at our venues and off-site.

Unlike other online directories that have no standards and tend to send you unqualified leads, our hyper-local directory is designed to get vendors qualified, targeted leads. While we do charge for various advertising packages, the fees are nominal, they are structured to cover the cost of administrative time and the technology tools. We offer three different packages:

• Preferred: These are the folks that we have worked with often enough to personally vouch for their services. Preferred Vendors get extra advertising perks, like the ability to post banner ads and coupons. This tier is open by invitation only.
• Featured: Any approved vendor can purchase this tier. You'll be able to create a custom listing, add photos, and connect with leads. 
• Pro: This basic listing gets you on our search engines, allowing clients to find you in your selected categories. To be listed on their tier you must still be approved to work in our space, or be a non-event day service provider (like a dress shop). 

How to Apply

To apply to work in one of our spaces, or just to be listed in our directory, we have two options.

Option #1: I want to work in your spaces AND I want to be listed in your directory. 

• Submit the below application, pay a one-time $25 application fee, and maintain a valid Certificate of Additional Insured on file with us.
• Once your application is approved, you will get an email to claim your directory listing and manage your profile. 
• As your insurance expires each year, you'll need to send us an updated COAI to stay listed. 

Option #2: I want to work in your spaces, but I DO NOT want to be listed in your directory. 

• Submit the below application, pay the $25 application fee, and provide a Certificate of Additional Insured. This can be a one-day insurance policy if needed. 
• Once your application is approved, we will let you and your Client know you are approved for their event only. 
• This approval will be for one event. Should you want to come to our space again, you will have to go through the process again. 

Option #3: I'm not a vendor that would work in-person at your space, but I want to be listed in your directory. 

• In addition to event day vendors, we feature other services in our directory that our users may find value in. Dress shops, stationary designers, jewelry stores, etc. We are even listing venues. Please note we only list services that are related to events at this time.
• You will need to submit the below application and pay a one-time $25 application fee. 
• Once your application is approved, you will get an email to claim your directory listing and manage your profile. 

Visit the Directory

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why should I pay for an advertising package?
We love supporting our local event professional community. Our company is involved in 800-1,000 events each year, from weddings to corporate events to festivals and more. If you name an event in Greenville, we've probably had something to do with it.

Over the years we've gotten to know dozens of the area's best event pros. While we love giving personal recommendations to our clients (and will continue to), this platform allows our Clients to engage with our vendor community in a way that a paper business card can't do. Vendors can add details to their profile, including photos and videos of their work, social media links, reviews, and more. These links will drive traffic back to your website, and you'll be able to access reporting that shows you your ROI. Preferred Vendors can also add coupons and banner ads. Unlike some of the major wedding directory sites, the leads coming through this directory have already booked, or are considering booking, at one of our spaces. That means the leads you get will be qualified, providing an instant ROI. 

How does it work?
It's simple really, submit the application below to apply for a listing. All applications have a $25 one-time application fee that covers vetting & set-up. Once you are approved, we will send you a link to claim your listing. From there you'll create an account, purchase your advertising tier, and customize your profile. 
We split our directory into four categories;

1. Event Day Vendors - Folks who come on our property to provide a service, like a caterer or DJ. These vendors are required to agree to our venue policies and maintain a current Certificate of Additional Insured with us, regardless of if they have any events currently on the books with us. 
2. Non-Event Day Services - Businesses selling a product or service to event organizers but aren't involved in the event day itself. Stationery, dress shops, tanning salons, etc. 
3. Event Venues - We know we aren't the right fit for every lead we talk to. We use this platform as a way to support our neighbors and send business their way when the prospect's needs just don't match what we offer. We do vet the venues, we want to ensure we feel comfortable recommending their services. 
4. Other Services - Local businesses that offer related services like life insurance, premarital counseling, mortgage companies, etc. are welcome to apply for a listing. We reserve the right to restrict the number of businesses in specific categories or to deny an application if the business's mission isn't in line with the mission of this directory. 

What kind of leads will I get?
All sorts! While a majority of our leads are wedding clients, we also work with numerous corporate and non-profit organizations. Many of the leads will have already booked one of our venues, while others may still be scoping things out. Either way, they are serious about planning their event. 

          In the last year our type of event breakdown was;  Weddings, 68% / Corporate & Non-Profit, 23% / Social, 9%

When a lead visits a vendor's profile and messages them, they will be prompted to request information from other vendors in that category. When that happens, our team gets a message and will match them to appropriate vendors based on the information they provide. Whether they are asking for vendors in a certain price range, vendors with similar backgrounds to their own, or vendors with a particular style, we do our best to match them to vendors that we think they should consider.

It's important to know that we do not give out our user's information without them opting in to receive information from vendors directly. We ask that all vendors follow all CAN-SPAM laws and avoid sending lead contact information to others. Vendors who abuse the lead matching system will be removed from the directory.

This feels like pay-to-play, what's different?
We understand that paying for advertising may seem like we are asking you to pay a fee to come to our venue. In reality, our low advertising prices are designed to cover our costs and provide an awesome service to our clients, not drive more $$ to our bottom line (we wish). Aside from the $25 application fee, vendors do not have to pay for a listing to work in our spaces, the listing is optional. In 2023 we approved over 500 vendors to work in our spaces. We spend over $15,000 annually reviewing and approving vendors.
 
We are investing a great deal of time into building this directory to be a great service for our clients and the community. We could certainly just keep a spreadsheet, and that would probably be easier, but our clients deserve more. They want access to engaging tools to help plan their big event, this directory is just one of those important tools. Aside from vendor advertising, our directory site features other venues,  non-event day services, and other resources event organizers can use to find the best vendors for their needs.

What does it take to qualify as a vendor?
As we've mentioned, we do put a lot of integrity into our list. As part of the application process we'll want to determine that;

1. You are a legitimate business that has gone through the licensing processes necessary for your category. 
2. You have been in business for at least one year. Newer businesses may be permitted if they can prove they have a good track record in another area of the industry. 
3. Event Vendors should have done at least 10 paid events. We ask that you provide three client and/or venue references. 
4. Event Day Vendors affirm that they will maintain a valid Certificate of General Liability Insurance, naming us as an Additional Insured. Failure to do this will result in an immediate suspension of your account and loss of privilege at our venues. This certificate must stay current so our clients know you are approved, even if you don't have an event currently booked with us. 
5. Event Day Vendors will also have to sign our Vendor Agreement, and understand that our venue policies are firm. Any breach by the company owner or employees could result in loss of privileges.
6. Your company's mission and values must align with ours, primarily the mission of inclusivity and providing remarkable customer service. 

What if you deny my application?
There are a lot of reasons we may deny an application or revoke a listing later. If your application is denied, we will give you appropriate feedback in the event you can qualify at a later date. Since we invest a great deal of time in reviewing applications, the $25 application fee is non-refundable. Some of the reasons we may deny your application include (but are not limited to);

• Start-ups that don't quite have enough experience yet. 
• Businesses that don't have the appropriate licensing or general liability insurance. 
• Business owners who have a criminal background.
• Business owners or employees who have a history of poor customer service, bad communication, or just in general make things difficult for us and/or our clients. 
• Business owners or employees who have a history of harassing, or verbally or physically abusing our staff or other vendors. 
• Businesses whose negligence has damaged our space in.
• Businesses that don't respect others or whose actions don't align with our values. 

Please note, that we do reserve the right to restrict the number of businesses listed in a particular category. Should that happen, we will have that indicated on the application form. 

I have more than one business, can I list everything under one profile?
If you have a common brand you operate your businesses under, you may be able to get away with one profile, but to maximize the categories you are listed under, it's recommended that you have a listing for each business. 

How do I get insurance?
Click here to learn more about the insurance process.