September 27th and 28th, 2007 marks the fourth year for this event and we hope
to develop
even more of a theme and periodesque atmosphere this year continuing what we
have started in the previous three years. To those who are New to Four Kingdoms
here are a few areas of interest that have worked well for the past three years.
EARLY BIRD Registration
We have extended the deadline for early registration this year to May 31st. By
doing so you are getting a 25.00 dollar discount off the 125.00 booth fee.
Hospitality Tent… To those who were not at our event in 2005,
2006 the Hospitality Tent is available to all entertainers, demonstrators,
vendors and volunteers where you will find coffee,
hot tea, lemonade, water, hot chocolate and various bake goods as well as, for
those so inclined,
a place to smoke a cigarette outside of the public’s eye. A donation basket will
be provided for those so inclined to help us cover the cost of such also,
donations of Goodies are always welcome.
The RED FLAGS… Having sat in a booth with no relief ourselves
we understand the needs that
can occur such as needing a bathroom break, needing refreshment, or simply need
a chance to stretch your legs. Red Flags will be provided on Friday night; you
simply hang out the red flag and
a volunteer will come by and ask what assistance you need. They are there to
assist you whether
it is to get you a cup of coffee, sit in your booth while you go smoke a
cigarette or take a
bathroom break.
Volunteer Donation Raffle… Volunteers are the backbone of any
event and often the unsung heroes of such. With this in mind we want to show our
appreciation to those who come and help out. We are asking, it’s not required we
are simply asking if each Merchant would donate an item say in the five to ten
dollar range to help us reward those who help out.
Tent Camping: those wishing to camp in a tent may set up a
modern tent in the designated
Gypsy camp area at no cost. However space is limited so let us know ASAP so we
can set aside space if you require such. Merchants may also if they wish stay in
their Merchant booth at no additional cost. Modern Showers and Bathroom
facilities will be available.
RV Camping: For those who want there will be a designated place
for such at no cost but with
no hookups. For those wanting to camp with hook-ups and want to inquire about
the cost,
contact the campgrounds at:
Camelot Campground • Rock Island, Illinois, 61201
Phone: 1-309-787-0665 • Toll Free: 1-800-787-0605
http://www.RockIslandKOA.com/
Hotel… For the past three years Motel Six by the Airport has been the hotel of
Choice for FKRF
the contact information is:
http://www.motel6.com/
•
Hotel #1179
2359 69th Avenue •
I-74 West at Airport Road, Exit #5-B
Moline, Illinois, United States, 61265
Phone: (309) 764-8711 •
Fax: (309) 762-4092
Advertising Donation Fund…The next idea is that we are still a
young event and we have no choice but to count pennies and stretch them as far
as possible. However, advertising benefits everyone involved; the Merchants, the
Entertainers and the Festival and as everyone knows it
does not come cheap.
With this in mind we are once again asking for donations so we can put together
the best advertising campaign possible. All monies received for our Advertising
fund will be used expressly
for this purpose and everyone who contributes will receive an accurate
accounting of funds as to where and what they were used for. If you are willing
to say donate $1000.00 dollars expressly
for say a Billboard then that’s exactly what this money will be used for. If you
give us $500.00 for newspaper ads or a radio spot guess what? That’s where it
will be used. Also, if you donate monies toward Advertising your name will be
used in the advertisement if you desire such. Something like,
“This ad is sponsored by…”
Now we will be putting money in this direction as well as finding sponsors to
help with this but the more advertising we can generate is of a benefit to us
all. For those who want something a bit
more tangible we will also have a program keepsake and we will be selling ad
space as well.
Exclusivity Fee… Having been to many faires one major complaint
we hear a lot from merchants is that there are too many vendors of one type. We
do recall one venue which had several merchants of a specific type to the
determent of them all. Our question has been what would you be willing
to pay for such? 500.00? 1000.00? If you are interested in such an arrangement
let us know ASAP. Now we can not do this straight across the board such as a
Clothing merchant being the only clothing merchant for example but we can say
one person is hats another is court garb etc. If we decide to do this it is
imperative we receive a list and pictures of all the goods from all our
merchants so we do not infringe upon those individuals who we give this
opportunity to if we decide to do this.
Juried Rules… Four Kingdoms is a Juried Event and we will be
much stricter this year. We are working for an illusion that when you enter the
Festival you are stepping into a different place.
The plan is to create an event that resembles a French Village in the 1500’s. So
we are strongly discouraging the use of POP UPS!
If you have no other options available and will be using a POP UP, the Pop Up
MUST BE DISGUISED!
We have created a Booth Building Guide for those who do not have a tent and
those who do and wish to have something a bit more. As an incentive for getting
our Merchants more into our theme we will be having a best booth contest the
winner will receive a Free Merchant Spot for 2009. Last Years Award went to
Beowulf Books, who read and used the Booth Building Guide to make his booth.
Great job Murray!
Signage… We are requiring Signage this Year for ALL
Merchants…Tell people who you are and what you are selling and please avoid the
cliché “Ye Olde….” This should be either cloth or wood and absolutely no poster
board and magic markers please! They can be as big as you like but no smaller
than 2’x 2’.
List of Merchandise… Also we will be requiring a list of what
you want to sell. We do not want
to see any last minute additions unless you have checked with us first. If you
do not have it on
the list sent in with your Application do not expect to be able to sell such
unless you have received Prior Approval.
This includes our Food Vendors as well. We are striving to present a “Juried”
event which means
we want to see as much hand crafted and created items as possible. Pictures are
a plus here so
we avoid as much duplication as possible. We are also asking our merchants to
show off your skills
as well. Again it goes to the illusion of a working village.
Merchant Fees…You may Note that we have raised our Rate this
year from 100.00 to 125.00, however if you send in your application before March
31st we are offering a 25.00 discount.
That said if you pay before April 30th the Fee is 100.00 not including any other
fees.
Clothing: Garb/Period Clothing/Costumes is not optional but is
REQUIRED of all participants during Festival Hours. There will
be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. We have created a clothing guide
to
help with this.
Smoking: If you smoke cigarettes do it out of sight, Pipe
smoking is permissible. Please note that
we are going to have places where you can take a smoke break out of view of the
public.
Modern Items: We realize that certain items such as Credit Card
machines and the like are a necessary evil, so is your favorite carbonated
beverage. We simply are asking to either keep it
out of main view or disguise it. Again this goes to the illusion and theme we
are working towards.
Site Map… We will be moving a few elements around from last
year and we pre-place Merchants before the event this is why it is very
important to include the correct measurements on your Application. In your Final
Packet you will receive a site map and your spot will be marked on site
as well.
In closing… One thing we wish to let everyone know is that this
festival is everyone’s festival. In
a very big way a successful event is a team effort, everybody working for a
common goal. If you have comments or suggestions on how to make this event a
success then by all means tells us. If you have a suggestion for a service, a
specific act, a skilled artisan or an interested Merchant let us know as early
as possible. We will listen. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to
ask.
We will be sending out one or two more letters before the event and will be
updating our website and Four Kingdoms Yahoo Group periodically as well.
We are still looking for more volunteers to fill several roles from our Royal
court, Village Characters, Hospitality, site decoration, public relations and
much more. If you or someone you know is interested, by all means let us know.
Guides have been developed for Clothing and Booths and
are posted on the website and the Yahoo group. We look forward to working with
you all and here’s to a successful Four Kingdoms Renaissance Festival 2008.
With Regards,
Camelot Productions LLC
John & Carol Downing
Shani Dyer & Jame’ Kettering |
