EVENT: The Buy Michigan Now Festival is scheduled to be held in Downtown South Lyon, Michigan, August 1-3, 2025, regardless of weather.

ELIGIBLE EXHIBITORS: Buy Michigan Now (a.k.a. The Catalyst Company, LLC) reserves the right to determine if an organization will be able to participate, or sell a particular product. All applications will be reviewed and applicants will receive written notification if eligibility is denied. Priority will be given to businesses that produce products in Michigan/USA to better meet the desires and expectations of our guests. At a minimum, all organizations purchasing exhibit space, MUST be Michigan-based as defined by meeting one of our four Michigan Identification Criteria.

EXHIBIT SPACE RESERVATIONS: All entities wishing to interact with guests at the festival must be registered for exhibit space, or invited by Buy Michigan Now. Exhibit space reservations cannot be processed until a completed online application is received. If approved, applicants will receive an email inviting them to pay for the space to complete their reservation. No reservation is secured until any required payment is received in full. To aid in the success of our vendors, we limit the number of companies within each business category. Consequently, we recommend applying early to increase the chances of receiving an invitation in your business category. An approved application may be revoked in the event that the business category or entire event sells out before payment was received. A $35 penalty fee will be applied to all checks with insufficient funds and all late payments.

CANCELLATION: Notice of cancellations must be in writing. In the event of an exhibitor cancellation, 50% will be refunded before July 1, 2025. No refunds will be made after July 1, 2025. No refunds will be given due to the cancellation of the event by, an act of God, local authorities, or a weather-related incident.

EQUIPMENT: All exhibitors are required to have a tent and appropriate weights to secure it (unless special arrangements have been made in advance) and are responsible for bringing or renting their own tent, tables, and chairs for their display. If you rent equipment, be sure and tell the company that all equipment must be set up between 10AM-2PM on Friday, Aug 1. Exhibitors are responsible for their own property and for furnishing and removing their own tents, tables, and chairs. Overnight security will be on site should exhibitors opt to leave any equipment or product behind. At no time will The Catalyst Company and/or the City of South Lyon be responsible for damage to property, rental equipment, or displays.  

INSURANCE: All vendors are responsible for providing a Certificate of Insurance for $1M General Liability for the event dates, listing The Catalyst Company, LLC (29581 Hathaway, Livonia, MI 48150), as additional insured. If your business does not already have a General Liability policy, ACT is one resource many vendors choose for affordable event insurance for qualifying businesses. Use ACT Discount Code: bmnfest5 to save $5. Certificates of Insurance may be mailed to Buy Michigan Now (14191 Merriman Road, Livonia, MI 48154) or emailed to fest@buymichigannow.com. Concessions exhibitors may find FLIP (Food Liability Insurance Program) to be a better source for their General Liability insurance. Save $10 with FLIP Discount Code: bmnfest10 All General Liability insurance certificates must be received by July 1, 2025, unless special arrangements have been made in advance.

CONCESSIONS AND FOOD EXHIBITORS: In addition to the above insurance requirements, all concessions exhibitors and/or vendors preparing food on site for sampling, are responsible for meeting all county/state licensing requirements. South Lyon is in Oakland County, Michigan. Whether sampling and/or selling, please provide for the recycling or disposal of all utensils, plates, napkins, etc. If cooking food, be sure to have a fire extinguisher at your location, as required by law, and be prepared to show it to the Fire Marshall. Failure to comply with these regulations and/or pass a health/fire inspection, may result in a forfeiture of exhibit space without a refund.

Buy Michigan Now reserves the right to restrict food and/or beverage products served to specific brands, in the event of a sponsorship agreement (e.g. selling only a Michigan-made brand of pop). Vendors who applied to sell such items may receive complimentary product to sell, if dictated by the sponsorship agreement. Said exhibitors will be contacted prior to the event and given the opportunity to place an order.

BOOTH RELOCATION: Buy Michigan Now reserves the right to make any necessary layout changes. Any exhibitor may be relocated to a comparable space, other than previously specified, if it is deemed necessary and in the best interest of the festival and/or local merchants.

DISPLAY DIMENSIONS & RESTRICTIONS: Absolutely all displays, inventory, boxes, product, etc. must be contained within the exhibitor’s reserved space, unless permission for an exception has been granted by Buy Michigan Now. Easels, signs, product, etc. shall not be placed beyond the booth area into the street or sidewalk, nor may awnings be extended, due to fire lane requirements and guest safety concerns. Distribution of samples and literature is strictly limited to the confines of the exhibitor’s booth. This is important in ensuring the safety of our guests, so repeated violations of this rule will likely result in expulsion from the event without a refund and/or denial of entry into future events.

SOUND DEVICES: The use of devices for mechanical reproduction of sound or music is permitted, within reason. Sound of any kind must not be projected outside the confines of the exhibitor’s booth. Voice and/or music amplification must be kept to a sufficiently low volume so as not to disturb other exhibitors or attendees. Live entertainment at a booth space is prohibited unless permission has been secured from Buy Michigan Now in writing prior to the start of the event.

VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHS: Buy Michigan Now will be taking photographs and videos of the event for future promotional purposes. Registered exhibitors, consent to have their likeness, and those of anyone working or volunteering in their booth, used in those promotional efforts. Likewise, exhibitors may take pictures or video of their participation in the event for promotional purposes.

CONDUCT & CHARACTER: Exhibitors agree to conduct themselves in a respectful, cooperative manner, while operating their booth during ALL hours of the festival including set-up and tear-down. In the event of an emergency, exhibitors may request permission from Buy Michigan Now to close early or open late without repercussions. Any other premature exit, or late start, without permission, may result in being blocked from participating in any and/or all future Buy Michigan Now events. Any behavior deemed inappropriate by event organizers may result in expulsion. Furthermore any vendor deemed to be causing a scene, lecturing, making political statements or using this event as an avenue for a radical display will be expelled. The Buy Michigan Now Festival is a family-friendly, nonpartisan event, and does not wish to include political, radical, or vulgar content of any kind. Event organizers also reserve the right to expel any organization that interacts with guests for commercial purposes that is not a registered exhibitor or sponsor, and any entertainer who is not sanctioned by the Buy Michigan Now Festival.

EVENT HOURS: All exhibitors MUST complete set-up and be ready to greet guests at the time the event officially opens to the public each day. This means all vehicles that are not part of a display (e.g. food trucks) must be removed from the streets by no later than 4pm. As such, exhibitors will not be allowed to enter a festival street after 3pm. If you arrive later, you may still set up, but you will have to find another way to get your belongings to your booth space. All aisles must be clear, and and all products and exhibit materials must be kept within the exhibitor’s designated booth space, by the time the event opens to the public. All exhibitors are expected to remain open and available to guests from open to close on each day of the festival, even if no product remains. In the event of an emergency, please contact volunteers at the Information Booth or call 248-390-0974 to request a schedule adjustment. Exhibitors may not leave tents or any other display materials unattended while the event is open to the public. The hours are: Fri Aug 1st 5pm-9pm; Sat Aug 2nd 10am-8pm; Sun Aug 3rd 10am-4pm.

DIRECTORY LISTING: All businesses participating as registered exhibitors must submit a listing in the Buy Michigan Now business directory prior to July 1, 2025. This requirement is to assist guests who frequently seek to contact companies they encountered after the event, but is also a nice marketing benefit for our exhibitors. An Associate level directory listing is free. Enhanced directory listings with website links and photos are part of Buy Michigan Now Membership, which is available for just $100 for a single business, and includes a $50 discount on festival space. Click here to submit directory listing now.

FAILURE TO COMPLY: Violation of any of these rules is basis for expulsion and/or denial of exhibitor applications to any and/or all future Buy Michigan Now events. Buy Michigan Now may close any booth which fails to cooperate with these regulations, without a refund.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Exhibitor hereby releases and forever discharges Buy Michigan Now (a.k.a. The Catalyst Company, LLC), City of South Lyon, and all other participating and sponsoring organizations from any responsibility, personal liability, loss or damage in connection with this event. Buy Michigan Now reserves the right to make final interpretation of the rules, and to make amendments, up to one week prior to the event. Submitting an application certifies an understanding of, and agreement to comply with, the cancellation policy and all other rules described herein.

Author: bmnadmin