Ways To Participate

Brief descriptions of each area of participation follow by category. Participant details apply to all. Crafter details and jury criteria apply to the artisan/crafter tables.

The deadline for registration applications is August 1st. You may download the application here or request it by emailing Chris@holidaygifts4pets.com.

Print and fully complete the application that applies to your interest and mail (or hand-deliver to Tagawa customer service) with applicable documentation no later than Aug. 1, 2008 to

ATTN: KENT KREGAR / HGPP 2008
Tagawa Gardens
7711 S. Parker Rd.
Centennial, CO 80016

Any questions or concerns should be directed to Chris Collins, HGPP Coordinator, at Chris@holidaygifts4pets.com.

Again, we are looking forward to this unique, fun and successful event and sincerely appreciate everybody’s participation in advance.

The Details…

This year's event will be held the weekend of November 8-9, 2008.

The event will again be held inside at Tagawa Gardens, a climate-controlled indoor greenhouse near Broncos Pkwy. and Parker Rd. in Centennial, CO.

Opportunities

With more space and experience, we are expanding the ways in which to participate. Find descriptions below for

Artisans/Crafters
artisans/crafter booths
artisans/crafter demos (new!)
caricatures

Animal Rescue Organizations
wandering carolers
bake sale
wish list raffle
gift wrapping
santa photos
sleigh rides
other attractions (new!)
cats with gratitude auction (new!)

Food vendors (new!)

Business participation and contributions (new!)

As well as
HGPP wish list (new!)
donation opportunities (see wish lists) (new!)
volunteer construction opportunities (see HGPP wish list) (new!)
Participant details
Crafter details
Jurying criteria


Artisans/Crafters

This year, artisans/crafters will receive a booth space from which to sell their wares for the holidays. Wares will be both animal and people oriented, with an emphasis on pet-themed goods (See crafter details below). The booth space “fee” is a donation of at least 10% of sales from the event to a Colorado animal rescue organization of your choice, due at the end of the fair. (Please complete a crafter application)

Artisan/crafter demos.

Many people don’t understand what goes in to making the products they buy and why truly hand-made crafts are usually more expensive than commercial/imported products. Let’s help them gain an appreciation for where their money is going by demonstrating how the products are made! Crafters may sign up for 1-2 hr. time slots in which they will demonstrate the making of their product. The public can not only watch, but then purchase a finished product at their booth!
(Please complete a crafter application)
 

Caricatures. Back by popular demand, we will again offer caricatures. One or more artists will receive a booth from which to draw people and their pets, live and in person! The booth “fee” is a donation of at least 10% of sales from the event to a Colorado animal rescue organization of your choice, due at the end of the fair. (Please complete a crafter application)

Animal Rescue Organizations

Wandering carolers. Organizations will sign up for 1-2 hour time slots in which they will travel throughout the garden center providing musical entertainment. They will be provided with a donation jar and not be subject to the 10% vendor donation. Passion is the only requirement and all monies received while they are caroling are their group’s to keep! (Talk about incentive to find those altos and sopranos in your group!) This was a popular and profitable hit in our first year! (Please complete a participant application)

Human concessions/baked goods. Animal organizations will sign up for ½ day time slots in which they will have the opportunity to have their own holiday bake sale. Each group will assume all responsibility and liability for the items they sell and we highly recommend individually wrapped goods. It will also not be subject to the 10% vendor donation. All monies made will go directly to the group manning it during their time-slot. Warm up those ovens! (P.S.- Feel free to submit at least 2 items with your application as bribes J). This was another big hit in 2007 and if interest presents, we will consider multiple booths in 2008. (Please complete a participant application)

Wish list donations and raffle. Although all animal organizations accept monetary donations, many organizations also publish a “Wish List” of items specifically needed by that particular group. They contain anything from copy paper to blankets/towels to kennels and fencing. We will again collect some of those much-needed/desired items. In return for the donated items, the public will receive a ticket for the raffle to be held during the event. Raffle prizes will contain gifts from the crafters (see crafter details), donated gifts, and gift certificates for services donated, etc. This area is open to any non-profit animal organization with a published wish list who is willing to man the booth. This group may encourage donations with handcrafted give-aways and gift certificates, but in staying true to the integrity of this fair, commercial/imported items will not be allowed. (Please complete a participant application)

Gift-wrapping. Animal organizations will sign up for ½ day time slots (from 10-3 each day) in which they are responsible for manning that table. It will not be subject to the 10% vendor donation (although the “group of the hour” will be responsible for providing their own wrap and supplies). All monies made will go directly to the group manning it during that time. This area was a bit of a challenge in our first year, but we hope that a better location will make it a success in 2008. We also believe that props (wrapped presents), a price sign, and outgoing/exuberant wrappers will make a big difference. (Please complete a participant application)

Santa/Pet photos. Back by popular demand! This was one of our most popular attractions in 2007! Although the area and photo drops will be provided, the participating group(s) must provide Santa, the photography and proof of insurance to Tagawa Gardens. Donations and photo fees will not be subject to the 10% vendor donation. (Please complete a participant application)

Sleigh/Sled rides for the public. This aspect is dependant upon a group willing and able to donate the means to do it (I.e.-donation of the horses/dogs and sleigh/carriage/sled). We are again hoping to be able to offer sleigh/carriage/sled rides around the Tagawa grounds to the public. The participant must provide proof of insurance to Tagawa Gardens, but the fee for the rides will not be subject to the 10% vendor donation and will be an excellent exposure tool for the group. (If a commercial source is willing to take on this aspect, the vendor donation “fee” to a rescue group will be imposed.) (Please complete a participant application)

Other attractions. If you have ideas for other animal-related performances or attractions, let us know! We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please email Chris Collins, HGPP coordinator at Chris@holidaygifts4pets.com. Make sure to include a contact person and email address for the suggested group/attraction.

Cats With GratitudeTM joins HGPP…

The “mask” project of the animal world continues in 2008 to help non-profit animal rescue organizations make money in a fun way! Tagawa Gardens will provide up to two 12” tall paper-maché cat statues to qualifying non-profit groups to decorate in any creative & imaginative way it chooses. Celebrity & Noted Artist involvement in creating the cat tends to produce the highest bids along with the group’s promotion of the event, including email, web site & newsletter advertising! This year, the one day silent auction will be held in conjunction with “Holiday Gifts For Pets and Their People” on Saturday, November 8, 2008, where visitors may bid on their favorite one-of-a-kind creations. The cat will go to the highest bidder and all proceeds will go directly to the sponsoring animal group. As unique, one-of-a-kind, pieces of art, each group has the potential of raising a significant amount of money. The winners pick up their statue and write a check directly to the organization (no cash or credit cards accepted).Please note, completed statues will be due physically at Tagawa Gardens no later than 5:00 pm on Oct. 1st for photography and advertising purposes. Please contact Kent Kregar for additional details at events@tagawagardens.com.

Food Vendors

In answering the demand from 2007, lunch-type food vendors will be welcome in 2008. Food vendors must be licensed by the state of Colorado, provide a copy of liability insurance with their application and prepare food off-site. They may not, in any way, compete with the animal groups by selling bake sale- type items and must have the ability to operate the booth without open flame. Facility electrical capabilities are very limited so electrical needs must be specified on your application and arranged prior to the event. A menu of the items you plan to sell must also accompany your application. Because Colorado law requires us to go beyond our “no commercial products” policy for this aspect, the booth “fee” will be a donation of at least 20% of sales from the event to a Colorado animal rescue organization of your choice, due at the end of the fair. We do, however, encourage you to utilize volunteers from your chosen animal group beneficiary to run the booth. Food vendors will be juried and accepted based on variety submitted on a first come, first served basis. In the event of overwhelming interest in this aspect, Colorado-owned, small businesses will receive higher consideration. (Please complete a food vendor application)

Please note…

Because the focus of this event is artisan/crafter talent and animal rescue fundraising, vendor signage should be limited to no more than 10% of your booth space.

We are looking for a nice variety of foods instead of many booths of the same type so submission acceptance will be based as much on submission variety as it will be on first come, first served applications.

Business/Community Participation and Contributions

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send those businesses on over…

We’d like to include pet-related businesses in HGPP 2008, as well as other supporting businesses within the community. Gift certificates for services and products, as well as other donations will be graciously accepted for the wish list raffle. In exchange, your contribution will be on display in the donation/raffle area so everyone can see who’s supporting the fair. We will also be adding informational kiosks with 2’ x 3’ flat “billboard” surface areas where your business can be featured and promoted. You’ll need only to provide the 2’ x 3’ poster for your assigned space. Business cards, brochures and handouts may be secured to your “billboard” poster as long as it may be secured flat in back and they don’t protrude more than 3” in front. If you prefer to provide business cards or tri-fold brochures in holders instead, we’ll gladly display them in the raffle area.

HGPP Wish List

Holiday Gifts For Pets and Their People” is in need of the following items. If you or your business is willing to donate them, we will gladly acknowledge your participation at the fair with a “billboard” promotional space.

• Raffle items and gift certificates (both pet and human related)
• Public advertising (donations by a media source OR monetary gifts will be acknowledged at the fair as sponsors of the fair- newspaper ads alone cost appx. $1000.00 each!)
• 2-3 free-standing potty stations (for obvious reasons)
• Free-standing stanchions (to help with crowd    control)
• Printing (of signage and advertising)
• Free-standing, triangular-shaped kiosks consisting of panels that are 2’ wide x 5’ tall (for business promotion)
• OR the lumber to build the kiosks
• AND/OR the labor to build the kiosks
• Brightly colored copy paper (neon red preferred for advertising and multiple colors for administration)
• White 3-hole punched paper (for administration)
• White copy paper (for administration)
• Color printer and cartridges (for show use)
• Printer toner cartridges (black-Brother TN-350)
• Electrical generators
• ATM machine

We will accept most donations physically at Tagawa Gardens (ATTN: KENT KREGAR) as late as Oct. 27th, but much prefer to receive them ASAP so we know what we have to work with. Advertising and printing donations must be received no later than Sept. 1st. “Billboard” posters must be received physically at Tagawa Gardens no later than Oct. 27th.

Participant Details (applies to all)

All applications must be received at Tagawa Gardens, ATTN: KENT KREGAR either by mail or hand-delivery to the customer service desk no later than 5:00 pm on August 1, 2008. You will be notified by email of approval no later than September 1, 2008.

All participating and benefiting animal groups must provide proof of non-profit status (for Tagawa’s security and tax purposes) with their registration application. Acceptable documentation includes a 501c3 letter, federal I.D. letter, state tax number, etc.

All participants and benefiting animal organizations must help spread the word. The event is specifically set up so that its success relies equally on everyone involved. We will forward press information in the form of a uniform flyer to each participant/group by email for forwarding and publishing. Although our goal is to have the flyer out with lots of lead-time, please note any press/newsletter deadlines, etc. on your application so we are sure to get the information to you in a timely manner. Display posters will be made available upon request.

All areas will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

By submitting an application, participants/vendors understand that this is NOT an animal adoption event and agree that all adoptable animals will join the festivities with friends and family only and not be kept at their booth. The exception to this rule is the animals joining their owners/representatives for wandering caroling.

All opportunities requiring a booth must abide by the limitations set forth for booth space (see crafter details).

In staying true to the mission of HGPP, the fair will continue to be strictly limited to unique, handcrafted goods. We will, however, accept gift certificates for human and pet-related services, as well as goods from commercial sources for the Wish List Raffle.

Each participant will be responsible for their own money collection and sales tax reporting.

Each participant will be required to track their sales and/or donations and submit “Sales and Donations” paperwork to Chris Collins at the end of the fair or their assigned shift.

By submitting an application, participant/vendor agrees that, if selected to participate, they will maintain their booth in operational order for the entirety of the event, both in published days and hours or assigned shift.

Tagawa’s normal hours of operation will be strictly adhered to before, during and after this event. Set up time will be available on Fri., Nov. 7th from 12pm-4pm and Sat., Nov. 8th from 8am-10am. All items must be removed by 5:00 pm on Nov. 9th. Tagawa is a safe and secure building and the fair area will be enclosed for security so there is no need to remove non-perishable items until the end of the event, but we do recommend a cloth or other item to cover and secure your booth overnight from environmental elements. (Tagawa is an indoor, heated greenhouse making it comfortable in any weather condition, but subject to overnight moisture/drips from above). Also be aware that on occasion, raccoons and other wildlife find it a comfortable sleeping environment so plastic tubs are recommended for items left under tables and on booth floors.

We ask that all participating and benefiting animal organizations forward a workable copy of their organization’s logo to Chris Collins at Chris@holidaygifts4pets.com no later than Sept. 15th for use on fair signage and possible advertising purposes.

Crafter Details…

In staying true to the mission of HGPP, the fair will continue to be strictly limited to unique, handcrafted goods. We will, however, accept gift certificates for human and pet-related services, as well as goods from commercial sources for the Wish List Raffle.

All applications must be received at Tagawa Gardens, ATTN: KENT KREGAR either by mail or hand-delivery to the customer service desk no later than 5:00 pm on August 1, 2008. You will be notified of approval by email no later than September 1, 2008.

This will be a juried show to ensure high-quality goods and a nice variety of items (we want good word-of-mouth for next year!). Crafters will be juried and approved on a first come, first served basis so register early. See below for jury criteria.

Crafters will receive a 10’ x 10’ booth space from which to sell their wares. Although chairs will be provided by Tagawa Gardens upon request, you must provide your own table(s) and display props. So as not to interfere or infringe upon the booths of others, all product and displays will be limited to your assigned 10’ x 10’ space. For booths against walls, displays up to 5’ from the wall will be limited only by the room height, but all other booth areas will be limited to a height of 54” from the floor. Please note, although we will do our best to accommodate preferences, not all booths will have wall space.

Tagawa will provide advertising for the event in its newsletter, on its web site, in the newspaper, and other potential media. Vendors and participants are expected to spread the word as well. The event is specifically set up so that its success relies equally on everyone involved. We will forward press information in the form of a uniform flyer to each participant by email for forwarding and publishing.

Each crafter will be responsible for their own money collection and sales tax reporting.

Each participant/vendor will be required to track their sales and/or donations and submit “Sales and Donations” paperwork to Chris Collins before leaving the fair.

By submitting an application, artisan/crafter agrees that, if selected to participate, they will donate one hand-crafted item with a value of at least $10.00, to be received at Tagawa Gardens no later than Oct. 27th for the “Wish List“ raffle.

By submitting an application, crafter agrees that, if selected to participate, they will maintain their booth in operational order for the entirety of the event, both in published days and hours.

By submitting an application, crafter agrees that, if selected to participate, they will submit 1 or more neutral background Jpg photos (samples of available goods) and a waiver for use for possible advertising purposes. If you don’t have digital access, you agree to make items physically available at Tagawa Gardens for photography by August 1, 2008 and agree to pick up said items upon notification.

Tagawa’s normal hours of operation will be strictly adhered to before, during and after this event. Set up time will be available on Fri., Nov. 7th from 12pm-4pm and Sat., Nov. 8th from 8am-10am. All items must be removed by 5:00 pm on Nov. 9th. Tagawa is a safe and secure building and the fair area will be enclosed for security so there is no need to remove non-perishable items until the end of the event, but we do recommend a cloth or other item to cover and secure your booth overnight from environmental elements. (Tagawa is an indoor, heated greenhouse making it comfortable in any weather condition, but subject to overnight moisture/drips from above). Also be aware that on occasion, raccoons and other wildlife find it a comfortable sleeping environment so plastic tubs are recommended for items left under tables and on booth floors.

Bring your checkbook. All crafters and vendors will be required to submit their “booth fee” donation check, made payable to their chosen animal organization, and sales paperwork to Chris Collins before leaving the event. Checks will be packaged with a letter of explanation and sent by Kent Kregar of Tagawa Gardens.

Speaking of donation checks, our goal is to benefit as many organizations as possible with this event so we ask that each approved vendor/crafter choose a different group. To help with the selection process, we’ve asked for a first and second charity of choice on your application. The charity must be officially recognized as a Colorado non-profit group (for Tagawa’s security and tax purposes) and must provide Tagawa with documentation of such. Acceptable documentation includes a 501c3 letter, federal I.D. letter, state tax number, etc. It must also agree to promote the event through its available newsletter, mail, email, and web site sources. If you need ideas on who can use help, you can visit the All Breed Rescue Network web site at www.allbreedrescuenetwork.com and click “Breed rescue list” for dog rescues or “Links” for other rescue organizations. If you’re still in question, let us know. We will be glad to provide a list of participating groups and others we are aware of (almost every animal has a rescue group).

Finally, for jury purposes, applications received without example photos of the goods you plan to sell (or physical goods submitted with application) will be automatically disqualified. Digital photos may be emailed to Chris@holidaygifts4pets.com with a subject line of “HGPP application photos”. To prevent crashing Chris’ computer, photos must be in jpg format between 50 and 200k in size. If you need help re-sizing your photos to send, we’ll be more than happy to walk you through the process. Please make sure to check the digital photos box on your application and be sure to specify which application the photos go with in your email. 

If photos are unavailable, you may physically bring samples of your items to Tagawa Gardens during normal business hours prior to the application deadline (Aug. 1st). Please make sure to label these items with identifying information. If you choose this option, be prepared to leave the items until the approval notifications go out and to pick them up when notified.

Jurying will be based on the following criteria:

All items must be hand-made, handcrafted, high-quality, NON-COMMERCIAL goods. In staying true to the integrity of this fair, commercial/imported goods will not be allowed.

We are looking for a nice variety of goods instead of many tables of the same type of item so submission acceptance will be based as much on submission variety as it will be on unique, quality crafts.

Because the main focus of the event is pets, vendors submitting goods for pets only or animal-themed goods will receive higher consideration than those selling only people-oriented items.