We receive many more applications from vendors than we can accept in the show.  Therefore, it is impossible to provide feedback to individual applicants about why they weren’t selected.  Here are some reasons why vendors are not chosen:

  • Vendor rotation: We want to keep the show fresh and give different vendors a chance – especially in popular categories.  No vendor has a safe space in the show year after year.
  • Many applicants in same category: In general, some categories have many more applicants than others. If you have an original, unique take on your craft that will serve you well.  For example, if you knit scarves and five other applicants submit similar items, chances are only one of the scarf knitters will be accepted into the show.  We want you to sell your crafts!  You will have a much harder time if five other vendors are selling exactly what you sell.  Here’s another example: we often have multiple jewelry vendors.  They were chosen because they all do something different in the jewelry category: beading, silver, polymer clay, etc.
  • Craft-by-numbers: We prefer vendors who are putting creativity and originality into their work.  These days, it’s very easy to buy craft kits or watch a YouTube video on how make simple crafts.  If we can sense that your work is like this, it is unlikely to be chosen.
  • Aesthetic of product line: Over the years, we have developed a sense of what items are selling.  Quite simply, many items have fallen out of favor.  If we think a vendor’s items fall into this category, that vendor will not be chosen.
  • Not following directions: If you disobey the rules set forth by the CCA Craft Show, you will not be accepted for future shows. These include: bringing your own table or other additional furniture without permission; not cleaning your garbage; packing up your table before the end of the show; selling items during event set up; misrepresenting what items you will sell (when you describe the items you want to sell, we expect to see those items and not a bunch of other stuff); and harassment of CCA Staff, City of Ottawa Staff, CCA Board Members, or event volunteers.  If you have a question about something we set as a rule, please feel free to ask for clarification.