What is the GAAM Holiday Nerd Market?
The GAAM Holiday Nerd Market is a holiday market event put together by the GAAM team, with a focus on vendors and artists. We plan on having over 25 curated, businesses with nerdy stuff to sell right before the holidays on Small Business Saturday! There will also be musical performances, game stations, holiday and gaming selfie spots, food trucks and more!
This will become a new tradition to showcase all the creative entrepreneurs in our community and just be a fun gathering of our nerdy family. 🙂
What kind of business should I run if I want to set up at the GAAM Holiday Nerd Market?
Anything nerdy! If you’re an artist that has a passion for fandoms like Marvel, Nintendo, Star Wars, or Anime, you should set up. If you make any kind of craft, home decor, or fashion that has a nerdy or gamer flair to it, you should set up. If you’re making a video game or a board game, or trying to create or support a community/business based around gaming and nerd passions, YOU SHOULD SET UP AT THE GAAM HOLIDAY NERD MARKET. 😉
Do I need to be a Jacksonville local to participate?
No! As long as you’re willing to make the drive, we’d love to have you!
How are vendors and artists selected?
We want to make this the best nerd market we possibly can! With that being said, we only have a limited amount of space, and there’s a lot of great people to choose from!
We are selecting vendors based on the following factors
- Product quality
- Photos provided
- Online presence
- Social Media Presence and activity
- Attitude (we want to work with people who have a great attitude!)
- Booth Display
- Communication skills
- Engagement and with customers in person and online
- How well you promote your products and other events online
Is there an application fee?
Nope. 🙂
Is there a fee to setup if approved?
$50 per 5 foot table/9×9 space. (tables are provided, but feel free to bring your own) :). If we hit our fundraising goal of $4000, vendor fees will be refunded.
Will electricity be provided?
Electricity is available. Please bring extension cords and wall strips if you have electrical needs and let us know in advance through the sign up form.
What are the event hours?
12-6pm on Saturday, November 26th for the Main Market. There will be additional activities such as social mixers that will go on into the night for those that want to socialize.
Where is Aloft?
Aloft at Tapestry Park is located at 4812 W Deer Lake Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32246 (it’s pretty close to Tinseltown and right off Gate Parkway).
You can book a room there at https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/jaxtl-aloft-jacksonville-tapestry-park/.
When is set up?
Set up time for vendors and artists will be available the Friday before the event starting at noon. GAAM Staff may not be there until 4pm, but hotel staff will direct you to the ballroom and you can set up in accordance to the floorplan.
If you are an outside vendor, please do not attempt to set up until the day of, unless you can set up a table inside the ballroom, and plan to move it the day of.
On Saturday, set up starts at 8:00am and concludes at 11:30, so get there bright and early! If you do not show up by 10am, your spot will be forfeited and you will not be refunded.
Please unload at the front lobby, and then go park your car nearby. 🙂
If early set-up is available the night before, you will be notified ASAP.Early set up will be available on Friday, November 25th, starting at 6pm. If an earlier time is available, we’ll let you know. 🙂
When is break down?
Breakdown starts at 6pm, and ends at 7pm. We gotta be outta there!
Do I need to bring my own table?
5 foot tables will be provided to all vendors. If you paid for multiple tables, they will all be provided, along with 2 chairs per table.
How many passes do I get?
Passes are free now thanks to the community!
What are the food options?
At least 2 food trucks will be set up, and there’s a ton of restaurants (Mombays, Another Broken Egg, Starbucks, Yashi Sushi, Your Pie, Jimmy Johns, III Forks Steakhouse, Lime Leaf, Flame Broiler and more are within walking distance.
Bento, Mellow Mushroom, Pho, Larry’s Giant Subs and 15+ additional restaurants are within a 5-minute drive.
What if I need a 6ft table instead of a 5ft table?
If you need a 6ft table, please let us know, and as long as we have them, we’ll hook you up. (They will be on a first come/first serve basis)
If you need a 10ft table/more space, you’ll have to pay for 2+ 5ft tables.
What about parking?
Aloft has it’s own parking lot, and there is additional parking throughout Tapestry Park.
What else is there to do for attendees?
There will be crafting activities, a social mixer, gaming and holiday-themed selfie spots, lounge areas, food trucks, a toy drive for Toys of Tots, maybe Nerd Trivia and more!
When will I be featured on GAAM’s social media?
The current plan is to promote at least one business a day via posting on social, with a bigger push during GAAM Live on Sundays at 9pm.
If possible, we may add a second livestream to provide additional coverage.
Who do I look for during the event if I have a question/problem?
We will identify GAAM Team staff before the event via email or social media. You’ll also typically be able to find them at the ticket table.
How do I go about getting my business featured on GAAM Live before the GAAM Holiday Nerd Market?
Once you sign up and pay, we’ll use the information from your application to feature you. (Don’t worry, we’ll tag and let you know in advance. :D)
We’ll also reach out to you to see if you would like to appear on GAAM Live with us!
What If I don’t want to be on GAAM Live, but I want my business featured on GAAM Live?
There’s an option in the application to be featured on GAAM Live without having to go on the livestream. Don’t worry, we’re not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. 🙂