Your stall application is often a stallholder’s first impression of your event. If it’s clear and simple to follow, it can attract the right applicants and save everyone a lot of time. But if it’s confusing or overwhelming? You risk incomplete applications, errors in details provided, endless follow-ups, or even losing great stallholders before they start.
The trick is striking a balance. Ask for enough information to make good decisions, but also keep it quick and simple enough for stallholders to fill out.
Here are some tips to help you get it right:
1. Too much? Too little? Find the sweet spot
Many event managers get stuck in one of two traps:
Asking too much Long forms with unnecessary or repetitive questions overwhelm stallholders. They rush through answers, skip sections, or sometimes abandon the form entirely.
Asking too little Short forms might be quick, but they often mean extra emails, missing documents, or extra back-and-forth trying to get all the info you need.
A good application gathers what you actually need — and nothing more.
2. Start with the application essentials
Before building your application, ask yourself:
“What information do I really need to approve or decline this stallholder?”
For most events, the essentials are:
- Stall / Stall or business name
- Contact information
- Stall category or product type
- A brief description of what they sell
- Images of their stall or products
- Any required compliance documents
If a question doesn’t help you make a decision or meet event requirements, it’s probably best left out.
3. Add nice-to-haves thoughtfully
Some questions are useful, but not every stallholder needs to answer them. Too many “nice-to-haves” can make your form feel long and cluttered.
Common questions include:
- Power or space requirements
- Previous event experience
- Social media links
- Setup needs or special requests
If you include these, make it clear they’re optional — or only ask them when relevant.
Localstalls makes this easy by giving event managers a few powerful tools:
- Conditional questions – only appear if a stallholder gives a specific answer in the form.
- Category-specific questions – only show up for certain stall or stall types.
- Extra-specific questions – linked to extras you set up. For example, if a stallholder selects electricity, you can collect details about power requirements just for those who need it.
This ensures stallholders only see questions that actually apply to them, keeping the form short, clear, and quick to complete.
4. Make it readable and easy to complete
It’s not just what you ask — it’s how you ask it.
- Use plain, simple language
- Break the form into clear sections
- Avoid long blocks of text
- Give short, friendly instructions when needed
Stallholders will give better answers when the form feels approachable and human.
5. Set expectations from the start
A lot of unnecessary follow-ups come from uncertainty.
Make sure your application clearly communicates important information. For example, Key dates and deadlines, pricing and what’s included, any capacity limits or category caps, and when stallholders are likely to hear back. Being upfront keeps stallholders informed and saves you time.
6. Save time for stallholders (and yourself)
Stallholders often apply to multiple events, and filling in the same information over and over is frustrating.
With LocalStalls, event managers can create customised stall applications while letting stallholders pre-fill previously saved details, like business info, images, and documents. This makes applying faster and easier for stallholders — and keeps applications clean and organised.
Quick checklist for a strong stall application
Before you hit “publish,” check that your form:
Only asks for information you actually need
Clearly separates essentials vs optional questions
Is easy to read and logically structured
Sets clear expectations and deadlines
Makes life as easy as possible for stallholders
Remember – a good stall application doesn’t just collect information! It sets your event up for success from the very first click!