Vendor Info

2011 Vendors

Dealers Room hours will be:
Friday: 10AM-7PM | Saturday: 10AM-7PM | Sunday: 10AM-1PM
Dealers can begin setup at hotel at 4PM Thursday night.

Steam Funk Bizzarre (Lead Dealer)
steampunkfunk.com

Vendor FAQ

How can I signup as a vendor?
TeslaCon 2 is completely full of vendors for 2011. You can signup for the 2012 event on our Vendor Signup page. It is important to understand that by filling out this form, it does NOT guarantee you a space, you will be put on the list. The expected number of spaces is around 25-27 total. TeslaCon 2 had 65 vendors apply.

How many people will be at TeslaCon II?
In TeslaCon’s first year, 450 people plus staff attended. This was as much as the venue could hold. Because of the excitement and good reviews, TeslaCon II has been expanded to a larger hotel in accordance to our participants’ wishes. It is hoped that TeslaCon II will match the initial Con and sell out at 650 attendees in 2011. As of March 1, 2011, 25 percent of the tickets have sold with all Grand Royal tickets officially sold out.

What is the general age of the participants of Teslacon?
TeslaCon I was surveyed carefully to gauge the ages and interests if the participants. The median age was 32 (participants’ general ages ran from 18- 63). The bulk came from two age groups: 20-28 and 32-43. The average income is unknown; however, we estimated the average member spent between $45-$125 per person in the dealers’ room. This did not include the Tea Room additional price.

Is there anything I can do to maximize my sales at TeslaCon II?
Yes there is! First: this is an immersion experience. People want to feel like they are actually in the 1880’s. Start with period dress. This year’s theme is “20,000 Leagues” so it has a wide variety of possibilities in form of dress. Second is to theme your booth area. Use colors from our color palette to help you. Make your tables stand out by using color and appropriate signage when possible. Third and foremost: engage the patrons in character. Yes, you read that correctly. Have fun, use an accent, and tell a yarn of how your specialties are created. The more immersive you get and have fun with the patrons, the better you will do overall.

These ideas came from several dealers who participated last year. Their input and assistance was very valuable. If you have questions or desire to know more about the Con in particular, please contact Lord Bobbins for information.

Is there anything I cannot sell in the Duty Free Room?
Food and drinks are prohibited.

The sale of sharpened weapons, firearms, illegal substances, and restricted substances are also prohibited.

Bootlegs, unlicensed, and counterfeit goods are not permitted in the Merchants Bazaar under any circumstances.

Some items, such as goggles, corsets, non-sharpened metal weapons, may be restricted to the number of vendors who may sell them. Please keep this in mind!

TeslaCon Vendor Staff will be making inspections throughout the open hours of the event to ensure our policies are upheld. Any offending materials will be identified and the vendor will be asked to remove them. Multiple offenses will result in a vendor’s expulsion from the event at any time.

Is there a load/unload policy for setting up in the Duty Free Room?
The hotel and TeslaCon reserve the right to restrict all freight and package deliveries to the pre-specified entrances of the hotel. These areas will be detailed for you upon approval to vend with TeslaCon. TeslaCon personnel will be on site to direct and assist vendors during loading periods.

For the convenience and safety of vendors and patrons, all freight and material handling must enter and exit the facility through the pre-specified entrances. Dollies and hotel carts may be at a minimum, so please be prepared to have your own carts available if the dollies are being used at the time of your arrival.

We highly recommend that vendors arrive on Thursday at the hotel, stay the night, take their time setting up, and then stay through Sunday. This will allow the most time for a vendor to set up and take down, and also allow vendors to fully use the time that they have at the event with our patrons, staff, volunteers, and performers.

I’d like to donate a prize from my business for an event. How do I do this?
Send us a message with the subject line: “Donation from [name of your business] for TeslaCon 2011” and we can discuss the details of either shipping a prize or handing the prize to a staff member the day of the event. As we have around a dozen different events over the three day fair that require cool, fun prizes, we really appreciate your generosity. If you include a business card, the announcer of the event will be able to inform the crowd who donated the item as well.

How do I advertise in the program guide?
Our TeslaCon Program Book will be available for some ads. Please contact us for rates and specifications.

Can I have items for my vending space shipped to TeslaCon a few weeks before the convention?
No. The hotel does not make provisions for early delivery until the Thursday (November 17th) of the Con. Please contact us and we will assist you if this is a problem for you.