Boston Veg Food Fest 2024 Sponsor & Exhibitor Information

Dear Friends,

We will be hosting the 29th Annual Boston Veg Food Fest on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, 2024. We will gather at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Boston for the longest-running veg festival in the nation. Festival hours are Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-4 with free admission.

  • We are limiting and curating registrations, and are using the ground-floor exhibit hall only.
  • Registration deadlines:
    • 9/6/2024 for FOOD exhibitors, to meet the city health department’s deadline for temporary food permit applications
    • 9/13/2024 for NON-FOOD exhibitors who need ELECTRICITY
    • 9/20/2024 for NON-FOOD exhibitors who do NOT need ELECTRICITY
  • Early-bird DISCOUNT deadline is 7/22/2024.

Read carefully our Exhibitor Information and Regulations Governing Exhibitors, and our Food and Non-Food Policies at the bottom of this page. All ingredients must be vegan (no dairy, eggs, or honey) and to further protect the environment, all disposables must be BPI-certified compostable. (We hire pros to handle our event waste.)

We offer this event to promote a way of eating and living that is kind to animals, the environment, our own good health, and abates the climate crisis — all while being fun and delicious! We want to show the wide variety of plant foods and products that are available in the marketplace, and where to find them. Read what previous sponsors and exhibitor say about our event!

The festival is presented by the Boston Vegetarian Society. All event organizers and staff donate their labor, time, and talents. Feel free to contact us with questions at info@BostonVeg.org. 

Please read all of the info below on this page before registering.

REGISTER

Sponsor Packages

Discount for applications with full payment by 7/22/2024

Principal Sponsor Package

$2,200 ($1,750 by 7/22/2024)

  • Our top level of sponsorship gets your logo on our MBTA liveboard ads.
  • Your logo on the front of the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Prominent placement of your logo with link to your website and with a description, as a Principal Sponsor on the Festival Sponsors  page
  • Your logo with link as a Principal Sponsor on the festival Home page.
  • Your logo on your own Main Stage slide between speakers in the Speakers’ Auditorium
  • Promotional announcement of your sponsorship on our Facebook page
  • Dedicated @vegboston Instagram post solely for your company with tag to company’s Instagram account
  • Customized festival graphic provided by BVFF with your logo as a Principal Sponsor for your use on social media
  • Exhibit space of up to a 12 foot table, with prime placement, and two chairs
  • Wall or goal post behind your table provided for your banner

Major Sponsor Package

$1,200 ($975 by 7/22/2024)

  • Your logo as a Major Sponsor in the inside cover of the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Prominent placement of your logo, with link to your website and with a description, as a Major Sponsor on the Festival website
  • Inclusion in group Facebook and Instagram posts announcing our festival Major Sponsors with tag to your company’s social account
  • Customized festival graphic provided by BVFF with your logo as a Major Sponsor for your use on social media
  • Your logo on a Main Stage slide of Major Sponsors (grouped) between speakers in the Speakers’ Auditorium
  • Exhibit space of up to a 12 foot table, with prime placement, and two chairs
  • Wall or goal post behind your table provided for your banner

Sponsor Package

$975 ($775 by 7/22/2024)

  • Your logo, with link to your website and with a description, as a Sponsor on the Festival website
  • Listed as a Sponsor in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Customized festival graphic provided by BVFF with your logo as a Sponsor for your use on social media
  • Your logo on a Main Stage slide of Sponsors (grouped) between speakers in the Speakers’ Auditorium
  • Exhibit space of up to a 12 foot table and two chairs
  • Wall or goal post behind your table provided for your banner

Exhibitors

Standard Exhibitor (8ft.)

$600 ($525 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 8 foot table and two chairs

Small Exhibitor (6ft.)

$475 ($400 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 6 foot table and two chairs

Small Exhibitor (4ft.)

$400 ($325 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 4 foot table and two chairs

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Exhibitor – Standard (8ft.)

$425 ($350 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 8 foot table and two chairs

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Exhibitor – Small (6ft.)

$325 ($250 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 6 foot table and two chairs

Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Exhibitor – Small (4ft.)

$275 ($200 by 7/22/2024)

  • Listed as an Exhibitor on the Festival website and in the Festival program handout, given free to attendees upon entering and available via QR code
  • Exhibit space of one 4 foot table and two chairs

Required Permits, Add-ons, and Essential Details

Food Permit

ALL exhibitors of food or beverage for sale or sampling must complete the City of Boston Temporary Food Service Application and submit to us with your registration. (Save the completed form to your computer, then upload it to our festival application form using the “Choose file/Browse” feature in the application form. Check to make sure your answers show.)

  • If you are serving/sampling open food or beverage, the city’s $35 permit fee will be added to your total.
  • If you are a NON-Boston company, you need to submit your license from the city/town where you are licensed.
  • If you are a Boston-based company, please submit your license as well. It will speed up the approval process significantly.
  • If you are selling/displaying (NOT sampling) ONLY commercially-sealed, prepackaged food or beverages which are not opened before leaving your table, you need to submit the city’s application form, but no fee is required.
  • If you offer samples of a product at your table, even if sold pre-packaged, the $35 fee applies because of the sampling.
  • Please read the City of Boston’s Temporary Food Application Process packet.

We will get the permit for you using the completed form(s) that you submit to us. These forms must accompany your application. You will not get a paper permit. Your name will be on the city Food Inspector’s list of permit holders.

Electricity

  • Small electric needs (e.g., charging a laptop or phone): $50
  • Large electric needs (e.g., blender, microwave, appliances): $150
  • Extra large electric needs (e.g., multiple blenders, large appliances): $250
  • Please list on form exactly what appliances you will bring (how many, what types of appliance.) This is needed to lay power cords and the correct amount of circuits to your table.
  • We rent a large generator that parks outside the building, and we run cables to the tables that order electricity – all of which is costly.
  • The generator is turned off overnight. If you need overnight refrigeration, please contact us in advance.
  • Please note that if your electricity needs change closer to the date of the festival, there may be additional charges.

Product Samples

Please contact us to discuss distribution of product samples.

Storage/Handling

  • Add $25 per pallet (full or partial) to your registration if you will ship product in advance, to arrive the week of the festival, September 23-27 (not earlier). Email us for shipping instructions and address, and ship at your own risk. We will get your items from storage and place them at your exhibitor table, ready for your arrival.

General Information

  • Vendors may offer their products for sale. A “show special” discounted price is recommended.
  • Vendors of food items are encouraged to offer free food samples to attendees.
  • Local vegan restaurants can sell their meals/food. Please offer taster-size portions since attendees like to try a variety of foods.
  • City Food Inspectors recommend a sneeze guard / plexiglass shield to separate exposed food from attendees.
  • It is essential to read our Exhibitor Information and Regulations Governing Exhibitors. Exhibiting at our Festival is an agreement to these regulations. 
  • Exhibitors must supply their own refrigeration / ice chests. There is no refrigeration on site. Helpful info in Exhibitor Information and Regulations Governing Exhibitors items #29-31.
  • All disposable food sampling and serving materials must be BPI-certified compostable. This includes utensils, napkins, cups, plates, and straws. See our Exhibitor Information and Regulations Governing Exhibitors item #5. We hire professionals to handle our compostable and recycled waste to help reach our Zero Waste goal.
  • Bring extra sanitary serving utensils so there are always clean ones on hand.

Food and Non-Food Policies

Food Policy: All products must be free of animal ingredients (vegan.) This means no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, animal parts, or byproducts. This also means no animal derivatives such as broth, gelatin, rennet, lard, tallow, enzymes, beeswax, and no dairy derivatives such as whey or casein. Any food items that do not adhere to this policy will be removed from display, sale, and sampling. Ingredients should be listed on the package or on the display, including for prepared foods or meals. Foods without artificial additives are most desirable.

Non-food Policy: All non-food items must not have been tested on animals, and must be free of leather, fur, wool, gelatin and any animal slaughter derivatives or animal products.

Printed Materials: Displays, handouts, and recipes may not promote foods that are non-vegan. Cookbooks must be vegan.

Allergens: Please have signage on your table that notes any of the FDA’s Major Food Allergens contained in your food, for example: Contains peanuts, wheat, sesame, soybeans, tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)

Disposables: To preserve the environment, all disposables used for food sampling and serving must be BPI-certified compostable. (See our Exhibitor Information and Regulations Governing Exhibitors item #5 for sources.) We are striving to minimize waste from the event. We provide compost receptacles and staff to monitor them. We hire outside professional companies for proper handling and disposal of our compostable waste and our recyclable waste.

Note: The Boston Veg Food Fest reserves the right to decline any application at our discretion.

Note: BVS NEVER sells, rents, or swaps our exhibitor or attendee lists with anyone. There are scammers who contact festival exhibitors seeking to sell them attendee lists. This is a SCAM, so do not send them money.

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