How we Executed our Merch Market Event
Oct 5, 2026
/
Educational
Introduction
An event doesn’t start from the moment people start walking through the door. It takes months of planning, collaboration, and getting your team on the same page. At Brand+Aid we envisioned an event centered around a merch market activation that would showcase our capabilities while showing appreciation to our community.
Here is a look at the process behind bringing our event to life:
Phase 1: Strategy
Defining our goals and mission for the event
Establishing a budget
Determining a date and time
Selecting a theme
Identifying our target audience
Forming a planning committee
Drafting the event concept
Phase 1 of event planning is arguably the most important. It sets the foundation for how you want to execute your event and establishes the overall goal behind it.
For our event, all of our departments came together to understand why we were hosting this event and who we were hosting it for. Our goals included generating projects from new and existing clients and testing event activation transferability. And for whom you ask? Everyone. We wanted to create a community-driven event filled with clients, potential clients, industry partners, and anyone interested in getting a glimpse into the merch scene. Overall, we wanted people to feel FOMO for not coming. We established our theme set as Utah history, and with that we were able to move on to the next part of the process.
Phase 2: Sourcing
Finding a location to host the event
Source Vendors
Draft initial floor plan
Phase 2 focused on the logistics and overall flow of how we wanted the event to go. We reached out to suppliers we wanted to feature and began building the event around the number of vendors who would be participating. We decided to host our event in our warehouse space and designed a floorplan to guide attendees from the entrance through the merch market, past the activation, and into the retail space. We positioned our activation to make an immediate visual impact upon entry with a layout that encourages attendees to visit all stations.
Phase 3: Launching
Launch RSVP Platforms
Build design assets
Send out the first email blast
Publish social media announcement
Finalize targeted client list
Finalize catering menu’s
Phase 3 is the beginning of getting people to plan on coming to the event. We finalized our targeted client list and launched an email campaign to send out invitations. We published social media announcements that used link features to allow people to RSVP when they commented specific keywords. Meanwhile, our creative team began developing design assets around the event theme to create a cohesive look and feel across our branding and promotional materials.
Phase 4: Operations
Build merch backdrop
Design and order signage
Design branded merch
Design team uniforms
Design branding for the merch market
Design email template
Order branded merchandise
Order 6’ tables with table cloths
Renting a storage space to temporarily store our warehouse inventory
Determine staff roles for the show
Phase 4 focused on all of the behind-the-scenes work needed to bring our vision to life. These specific tasks were divided amongst our creative, marketing, and management teams. Our creative team focused on the events design, signage, and merchandise. Marketing organized the email campaign and continued to email potential clients we wanted to attend our market. Management determined staff roles and responsibilities for the event and coordinated temporary storage for our warehouse inventory.
Phase 5: Countdown
Print badges and signage
Send final attendee count to our team and vendors
Confirm vendor arrival times
Clean warehouse and office
Phase 5 is the final countdown till show day. This is when the last details are finalized and everything gets double-checked. We shared the final RSVP count with our team and vendors so everyone was aware of what to expect. In the days leading up to the event, we stayed in communication with our vendors to confirm arrival times and answer any last minute questions. And, of course, we made sure the warehouse and office were clean and tidy to welcome guests.
Phase 6: Show Day
Pre show team meeting
Load in equipment
Execute live event
Oversee vendor tear downs
Phase 6 is showtime. On the day of the event, we held a pre show meeting to ensure everyone on the team was on the same page and knew their responsibilities. We helped vendors load in their equipment and products to be used at their booths. Once everything was set up and the clock hit 10 am, it was time to open the doors and watch the event come to life.
Phase 7: Wrap up
Send attendee feedback survey
Debrief with vendors and team
Phase 7 is all about wrapping up and reflecting on the event. Since this was one of our first times hosting a merch market event, we wanted to send out feedback surveys to attendees and vendors to see what we could improve on and what went well. We reviewed feedback as a team and took notes on what we should do differently for future events. We concluded by taking the time to show appreciation for all the hard work our team put in to make this event successful.
Conclusion
A successful event is never a simple process. It takes months of planning, collaboration, and multiple creative minds coming together to bring an idea to life. But in the end, all the hard work pays off when you see people enjoying an experience that took your team months to create.
