Booth Guidelines and Applications
This section of the web site contains general information concerning guidelines for obtaining and running a booth or activity at Alamo Heights Night® (AHN) and application/agreement for participation.
All organizations wishing to operate as a vendor in Alamo Heights Night® 2023 must submit an Application Agreement requesting their participation. Included in the Application is an agreement that the organization will comply with the three pages of Responsibilities and Guidelines, Alamo Heights Night® 2023, that are a part of the Application Agreement.
The Application Agreement may be downloaded from this site. There is no time limit for signing up. There are many returning vendors that do so immediately after the previous year’s event. Late entrant’s will be accommodated as long as there is still space and an agreed to item/activity. A completed Application Agreement may be mailed to Alamo Heights Night LLC, P.O. Box 6995, San Antonio, Texas 78209 or e-mailed to: info@creativechocolates.com.
Following is some background information concerning vendor participation in Alamo Heights Night®. It is recommended you review this information prior to submitting an application for participation in AHN. A downloadable application link may be found in several locations on this page including the last paragraph on this page of background information. If you have additional questions, need clarification of any item, or wish to discuss the food, item, or activity before submitting an application, please contact Rick Berchin at 210.824.2462 or email him at info@creativechocolates.com.
General Background Information
For profit food service operators, includes any for profit organization that prepares/serves food (including restaurants, caterers, hotels, groceries/markets, specialty food companies, food vendors, etc.). There are no specific guidelines as long as the operation is reputable, can do a good job, and sell an item that will add something to the event. If an organization is not a professional legally established business, we would normally not allow its participation. The normal money split with for profit food service organizations is 50/50. Some volunteer to donate 100% of their proceeds.
Not for profit organizations (Rotary Clubs, 501c organizations, etc) may serve food items if they are able to meet the same sanitary standards as for profit food service operations. They may also provide other services/activities. There are no specific guidelines as long as the organization is reputable, can do a good job, and can sell an item/service that will add something the event does not already have. The money split is negotiable and may be different than the 50/50 split arrangement with for profit food service organizations.
For profit organizations are normally not permitted to participate in Alamo Heights Night® on-site except for those we hire (e.g., entertainment), media (Radio/TV stations), food service operators, or those that are major EVENT level sponsors (see Sponsor Packages).
Media. Radio/TV stations wishing to operate at the event must clear any activity they wish to do prior to the event. They may not sell any items and may not give away anything normally sold at the event. They also may not bring any of their advertisers or advertise anything but their station. Download a media application here or email Rick at info@creativechocolates.com.
Other activities. Unless the participation of a for profit organization in some way was a significant benefit to the event or our club, the organization/activity has not been permitted to participate. On the few occasions where this has happened, it has normally been for a single year. Each time it is looked at separately.
Priority is given to professional food service operators and non profit organizations that have participated in previous years as to location (the same location or try to relocate to accommodate their desires) and item served or service provided (serve the same item or choose a new one not served by someone else).
There will be no duplication of food item served. Similar items but significantly different in form/content/preparation are sometimes permitted (e.g., hamburgers/cheeseburgers; chicken prepared in several different forms, ice cream/yogurt). Prior participants may not select an alternative food item/service/activity without agreement/confirmation from the Alamo Heights Night LLC (AHNLLC). The item or activity that a new participant applies to provide is considered a request only until confirmed by the AHNLLC.
All liquid refreshments will be served at the discretion of the AHNLLC in Alamo Heights (AH) Rotary sponsored booths. AHNLLC obtains appropriate licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages at the event and alcoholic beverages will be served only by AH Rotary sponsored booths. No vendors may give away free liquid refreshments including water. Following exceptions have occurred but are re-evaluated each year:
–Tea/Coffee & Tea/coffee type products
–Ice cream shakes/smoothies
AHNLLC retains the right to not permit any type of food or activity at AHN. The following types of activities are normally not acceptable activities at Alamo Heights Night® :
–sale of Fiesta medals (except Alamo Heights Night Fiesta® Medals)
–sale of cigars/cigarettes
–sale of most any “craft” items, furniture, paintings, decorative items, garden items, or appliances
–sale of hats, cups, koozies, t-shirts or other items of apparel, jewelry, or with logos
–sale of medicines or health products
–noise producing activities that interfere with other event activities
–dangerous or otherwise unsafe activities
–duplication of same or similar items/activities
–prizes in the shape of weapons or dangerous objects
–give away of anything sold or most anything that is not authorized for sale
–distribution of printed or 3D informational materials not related to an activity that is hired by us or is selling a product/service agreed to by us (applies to both for profit and non profit organizations). This includes organization from participating in the event for the expressed purpose of distributing materials and either selling items to be picked up or delivered after the event or signing up attendees for services after the event.
Please note that for profit organizations requesting to be a vendor primarily to interact with event attendees to disseminate information about their product or service will not be allowed to do so as a vendor. See information about special sponsor packages where that may be possible.
Location of booths/activities. Generally, priority is given to placing organizations in the same location they were previously if they want to stay there; attempt not to place similar food items next to one another (e.g., ice cream/yogurt); and try to place complementary items near one another (e.g. cookies/ice cream). Returning vendors may request new locations. Our objective is to make everyone successful and priority is given to locating vendors to maximize their exposure and sales potential. It is not always possible to accommodate everyone’s preferences. Vendors signing up late may not expect to be located where they desire.
Booth fee/deposit. Beginning in 1998, the AHNLLC began collecting a one time non-returnable booth fee/deposit from each for profit vendor (currently $50 for each booth/space). As long as that vendor continues to participate each year, they are not be required to pay another fee/deposit. If they skip a year, a new deposit will be required. No fee/deposits are required from not for profit vendors.
Publicity. Alamo Heights Night® (AHN) is a well known and respected event and we welcome any additional publicity vendors can add to ours. Our pre-event publicity is limited to street banners, radio, TV, web site, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, and posters/fliers distributed throughout the AH Independent School District and at restaurants and retail establishments, and other available media. Some for profit food vendors are listed on the posters and fliers advertising AHN as long as their application and deposits have been received prior to the time the posters/fliers are printed and space is available. These are available for distribution by vendors. Vendors with web sites are encouraged to advertise their participation in AHN on their web site or place a link to the this AHN website site (www.alamoheightsnight.org) and to like/follow our facebook/instagram/twitter pages (www.facebook.com/alamoheightsnight)/#alamoheightsnight2023/(@alamohtsrotary) and share items on them. Food vendors are encouraged to provide us with photos of the food items they will be selling so we can publicize them.
Sales/Cash/Money Exchange/Tickets. AHNLLC obtains and sells $1 denomination tickets at locations throughout the event site. These tickets are changed every year and are the only authorized method for vendors to sell their product or service. Vendors are not authorized to accept cash, credit cards, or checks in payment. ATM machines are available for patrons to obtain money to buy the tickets. Vendors are responsible for turning their tickets in at the end of the event. The AHNLLC will count the tickets and send the vendor a check for their portion of the proceeds normally within two weeks after the event is over. The tickets will be retained for approximately six weeks in the event there are any questions concerning the count. While AHN is a large block party for the ’09 community and an opportunity for exposure for the vendors, it is also an event to raise funds for charitable causes. As such, vendors should refrain from activities that do not contribute to the bottom line of the event (e.g., trading food items/services with other vendors, using the tickets they obtain from sale of their items to purchase items from another vendor, and giving away free items).
Code of Conduct. Participants in AHN are expected to comply with our posted Code of Conduct. See AHN Code of Conduct.
Last minute information will be distributed to vendors approximately one-two weeks before the event including last minute instructions, booth/space numbers, map of locations, vendor parking passes, and worker entry passes.