CFM Vendor and Attendees Rules Page

Coral Farmers MarketSM Vendor and Attendee Rules

Rules for Vendors (if these rules are violated we can refuse service)

Vendor Rule 1
> Only Aquacultured and Farmed Corals are to be sold within any Coral Farmers MarketSM event.
Explanation
> Cultured corals on artifical disks or constructs are considered as farmed coral and do not violate this rule. Fragments or sections of whole colonies do not currently violate this rule. Aquacultured colonies do not violate this rule. Currently no wild corals are allowed to be exported so this rule should be easy for vendors to follow. A vendor that violates Rule 1 is violating the spirit and underlying principals of a Coral Farmers MarketSM event. Event operaters, attendees or vendors should notify the Coral Farmers MarketSM of any reported or observed infractions. The Coral Farmers MarketSM will register the complaint in private to the offending vendor who will be allowed to disprove the charges. If satisfactory innocence is established, the matter will be completely dropped.
Penalty
> Guilty infractions will result in the vendor being assessed a 2 year Coral Farmers MarketSM event probationary ban period where service will be denied due to causing disruption. No public notification will be given.

Vendor Rule 2
> No illegal activities of any kind can occur within any Coral Farmers MarketSM event.
Explanation
> The event operator, attendees or vendors should immediately report any illegal activity to the police.
Penalty
> Vendors found guilty in a court of law of committing an illegal activity within any Coral Farmers MarketSM event will be permanently banned and denied service and all contracts cancelled due to illegal activity.

Vendor Rule 3
> Vendors must collect and/or intend to pay any local sales taxes that are applicable.
Explanation
> Vendors should be informed about the presence of any state and local sales taxes. Vendors can choose to charge customers this tax amount or in some localities the vendor can offer to pay the tax amount for the customer. The event organizer and the Coral Farmers MarketSM are not legally responsible to verify that these taxes are actually paid. That is the responsibility of the vendor. The event operator will report to the local business licensing agency any required information.
Penalty
> If the Coral Farmers MarketSM is informed by any tax collecting agency that a particular participating vendor has not paid their required taxes, the Coral Farmers MarketSM will place the vendor on an indefinite probationary ban period where services will be denied and all contracts cancelled due to illegal activity, until we are informed that these taxes are paid in full to the tax agency making the complaint and the law is no longer violated.

Vendor Rule 4
> Vendors must conduct fair retail business practices at all times.
Explanation
> These events are retail trade shows open to the public. These are not events for coral transhipping, coral distributing or wholesale. Fair retail business practices are defined as followed: fair and legal retail competitive pricing between vendors and attendees; accurate monetary exchanges between vendors and attendees; fair valuations of barter exchanges (coral trades); and accurate descriptions of any items offered for sale.
Penalty
> If a vendor is reported to be coral transhipping, coral distributing or selling wholesale to the attendees, service will be denied for future events due to disrupting service to other vendors. Vendors with a history of monetary exchange complaints will be denied service due to disrupting service to attendees. And attendees with a history of monetary payment complaints will be denied service due to disrupting service to the vendors. Additionally any vendor that violates legal laws concerning retail transactions will have all contracts cancelled due to legal infractions.

Vendor Rule 5
> Vendors cannot hold the Coral Farmers MarketSM or event operators responsible for any loss or income shortcomings
Explanation
> The Coral Farmers MarketSM and the event operators do not guarantee that every vendor will profit or even make sales from thier participation within a Coral Farmers MarketSM event. We will make every effort to promote the event and ensure that attendee participation is strong. The Coral Farmers MarketSM and the event operators are also not responsible for any vendor loss due to theft or vandalism committed by persons not employed by the Coral Farmers MarketSM or the event operator.
Penalty
> Vendors who attempt to hold the Coral Farmers MarketSM or the event operator responsible for any of these decribed event losses or underperformance issues will be denied service at future Coral Farmers MarketSM events and this will be considered to be a breach of contract by the vendor.

Vendor Rule 6
> A Vendor booth reservation without a deposit or full payment is not a booked booth with a contract. The Coral Farmers MarketSM considers these non payment reservations as intentions to book where booths are placed on hold waiting for payment to complete the contract.
Explanation
> The Coral Farmers MarketSM has experienced a significant increase in non payment booth reservations being cancelled near the event date. Booth reservations with no payment that are not used can cause loss of revenue and loss of additional bookings with the Coral Farmers MarketSM company. This causes a disruption of our business operation. After a deposit or full payment is received, the reserved booth will become a booked booth and a contract between the vendor and the Coral Farmers MarketSM will occur.
Penalty
> Vendors who have a reservation without a deposit or full payment, can have that booth on hold service, cancelled by the Coral Farmers MarketSM if a deposit or full payment does not occur by a specified date. This is due to a disruption of our business operation. Failure to pay the balance payment on the requested balance due date will be considered to be a breach of contract by the vendor.

Vendor Rule 7
> Vendors who post social media comments on any promotion, ad or social media thread posted by the Coral Farmers MarketSM need to comment only on the subject matter of the original posting.
Explanation
> The Coral Farmers MarketSM has had to remove comments from vendors who posted about another event on our original posting. These comments can confuse the reader and are not applicable to the original posting even if the comments are about another CFM event.
Penalty
> Vendors who post inappropriate comments on our Coral Farmers MarketSM postings may have their comment removed. Vendors with multiple infractions can be blocked from posting any comments on our postings.

Vendor Rule 8
> Vendors who email or message the Coral Farmers MarketSM need to correspond in a professional manner. We have organized and operated well over 100 events and have experienced a lot over the years.
Explanation
> No vendor should act as if they are speaking for all vendors. And no one knows our methods, reasons or motivations. These are internal manners and are generally of a proprietary nature. Each specific event is also a unique situation. We recommend vendors ask questions before making assumptions.
Penalty
> Vendors who send inappropriate emails or messages as described above to the Coral Farmers MarketSM may have their future services denied.

Vendor Rule 9
> There can only be one vendor in each rented booth or booth contract.
Explanation
> It is unfair and a disruption of our customers (vendors) service to put two vendors into a single booth. It is also disrupting the operation of the Coral Farmers MarketSM . Vendors are allowed helpers, but not additional vendors.
Penalty
> Vendors who are reported to have multiple vendors within their booth will have future services denied. This rule does not apply to a vendor that consists of multiple aquaculturalists or farmers who normally operate under the vendor as a group. These groups or coops need to be reported to the show operator.

Vendor Rule 10
> Vendors are provided with one table, two chairs and electrical power at every venue. If a vendor needs extra chairs or tables they need to be requested or approved by the show operator or organizer ahead of the event. Also a limited number of vendor helpers are allowed at each table. They must checkin with the show operator upon arrival.
Explanation
> In some of these venues, space is very limited and side tables have to be approved for each booth location. In general each booth location should be considered unique. Some are near a fire exit which cannot be legally blocked. Some locations just don't have the room for an extra table. The show operator will determine if an additional side table will fit.
Penalty
> Vendors may not be allowed to add an additional table if the operator determines it to be unsafe or it has a detrimental affect on access to a nearby vendor booth. Please do not put in a second table without approval.

Rules for Attendees

Attendee Rule 1
> No illegal activities of any kind can occur within any Coral Farmers MarketSM event.
Explanation
> Any illegal activity will be immediately reported to the police.
Penalty
> Attendees found guilty in a court of law of committing an illegal activity within any Coral Farmers MarketSM event will be permanently banned.

Attendee Rule 2
> Attendees cannot hold the Coral Farmers MarketSM or event organizers responsible for any losses.
Explanation
> The Coral Farmers MarketSM and the event organizers are not responsible for any attendee loss due to theft or vandalism committed by persons not employed by the Coral Farmers MarketSM or the events organizer. We are also not responsible for any refunds from the cancellation of the event if this cancellation was a result of activities by any attendees.
Penalty
> Attendees who attempt to hold the Coral Farmers MarketSM or the event organizer responsible for any of these decribed losses or refunds will be permanantely banned from Coral Farmers MarketSM events.

Attendee Rule 3
> Attendees must conduct fair business practices at all times.
Explanation
> Fair business practices are defined as followed: accurate monetary exchanges between attendees and vendors; fair valuations of barter exchanges (coral trades); and accurate reporting of vendor violations.
Penalty
> Any infractions and reported infractions by attendees should be reported by the event organizer and vendors to the Coral Farmers MarketSM where they will be recorded. Attendees that build up a history of unfair business practices will be subjected to probationary ban periods from the Coral Farmers MarketSM.

Attendee Rule 4
> Attendees must not intefere with the operation of any Coral Farmers MarketSM event.
Explanation
> Coral Farmers MarketSM events are short events that can include specific activities that are scheduled to occur at specific times. No attendee should ever interfere or hamper the operation of the event. If an attendee has a grievance or complaint it should be reported to the event organizers or the Coral Farmers MarketSM. The main emphasis during any Coral Farmers MarketSM event is the smooth operation of the event. Once the event has completed, specific responses to specific complaints can be expected.
Penalty
> Any attendee that attempts to interefere, hamper or affect the operation of the event, while the event is occurring, will be placed on a 2 year probationary ban period.

Please note - These rules are intended to establish guidelines that permit the operation of a free market based coral farming event where attendees, vendors and organizers can operate with confidence and security.