Columbus Book Festival

2025 Festival Marketplace Exhibitor Application

We're putting together an eclectic Festival Marketplace during the Columbus Book Festival where readers of all ages can explore resources, learn and have fun at hands-on activities and book buyers will shop outdoors at a mix of retail booths.


Our goal is to create a festival marketplace to delight our community of readers and meet their wide variety of reading and shopping tastes.


Main Library & Topiary Park

Columbus, OH


Saturday, July 12

10 a.m.-6 p.m.


Sunday, July 13

10 a.m.-5 p.m.



RETAIL VENDORS


  • Booksellers are a vibrant part of our event! Bookshops, used/antique book sellers, authors and publishers are invited to sell your titles directly to readers.


  • Bookish artisans, makers and vendors of fun gifts for readers will find eager shoppers at the Columbus Book Festival.



COMMUNITY EXHIBITORS


  • Businesses and community organizations dedicated to promoting literacy are welcome to exhibit and engage with festival attendees.


  • Literary service providers for aspiring authors, publications, and direct-to-consumer reading services will showcase your products to a captive bookworm audience.


  • Libraries, reading services, literary organizations and local or national non-profits promoting reading or hosting bookish activities are invited to be part of the Columbus Book Festival.


PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES


To reserve an exhibit booth or to vend at the Columbus Book Festival, you must either sell or promote books or book related products/services, promote reading, or perform a literary or education-based activity.


• Materials must be professionally presented

• Participation during both festival days is required.

• Vendors will bring and set up their own supplies (display items, payment system, etc).

• Payment and a completed exhibitor contract are required to guarantee space.



REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS


Columbus Book Festival is committed to celebrating a broad range of cultures and ideas, and to providing space for merchants, book sellers and community organizations who have a variety of viewpoints. Festival exhibitors are decided by panel review, selecting a balance of merchandise categories, book genres and/or perspectives from the application pool.


• Selection is not first come, first served.

• Prior participation does not guarantee future participation.

• All exhibitor applications may not be selected.


Interested vendors must complete an application and provide a website and/or relevant social media channel for reviewers to evaluate. With the information provided on the application and relevant digital channels, a selection committee will evaluate applications using the following criteria.


•    Professionally presented material

•    Relevance to the vision, purpose and goals of the festival

•    Relationship to other applications in the same subject field

•    Relevancy of content to the community and festival attendees

•    Competence, popularity, local interest and reputation of seller, author, creator, producer, performer and/or publisher

•    Timeliness and importance of materials for contemporary society

•    Legal definition of obscene materials

•    Provides added value to the overall selection of vendors

Exhibitor Contact Information

Complete name as you would want it listed on the festival website and booth sign. If you're an author, list either your name OR your book title as you would like to be recognized in marketing materials.

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Phone
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Prior participation does not guarantee selection this year.

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Location request

If selected, would you like your booth to be located in a similar spot or try a different area of the park? We'll do our best to accommodate requests while creating a cohesive layout.

Vendor Information

Tell us about the merchandise or services you'll be selling or exhibiting at your booth. We're looking for a mix of vendor types to ensure that customers have a varied selection of booths to visit while attending the Festival Marketplace.


Food vendors: visit the Food Court application

Vendor Type

Please supply a professionally written description in the third person. This description will be listed on the festival website if you are selected as a vendor. This will be your marketing pitch to attendees! 50 words max

Exhibit Space

Let us know how much space you'd like for your exhibit booth. We will fit in as many vendors as possible in the space available while creating a broad range of retailors and exhibitors for attendees to visit in the Festival Marketplace.


Standard Booth 10'x10': $500

Double Booth 10'x20': $1,250


Rental fee is for two days at the book festival and includes:


  • 10'×10' or 10'x20' frame tent with side walls
  • Two 6’ tables; two chairs per 10'
  • Two vendor badges per 10'
  • Booth identification sign
  • Vendor description on the festival website – includes short description and website/social media links
  • Vendor listing in the printed Festival Program
  • Reserved garage parking pass

Payment will be due with contract confirmation, sent separately after application review.

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