Food Vendor Application (Outdoors)

Hello Food Vendors! If you're interested in selling at QCAC then please fill out this application.

Food Vendors who are approved, and whose payment is processed successfully, will be provided a designated space outdoors on the property of the venue (within the approved area), as well as (1) full weekend Vendor badge to QCAC 2025.

Notes regarding the venue:

Due to renovations that will be happening at the venue they will not be able to serve their regular menus, therefore less food options are going to be available within the venue - providing a greater need for Food Vendors.  

• The Embassy Suites will still be serving their usual breakfast buffet each day, which ends at 10:30 am, therefore Food Vendor hours will begin at 11 am each day.
• Approved vendors will be able to arrive and begin setting up prior to the 11 am  Food Vendor opening hours each day - details will be shared with approved vendors closer to the event dates.
• Food Vendors will be allowed to stay later into the evening/night to benefit from sales made during our evening and after-dark programming hours. 

Food Vendor hours (subject to change):

Friday: 11 am - 12 am

Saturday: 11 am - 12 am

Sunday: 11 am - 6 pm

We do make our approvals based on a jury system, on a rolling basis. Apply by July 1st for priority consideration but we will continue taking applications for as long as we have space. Set up will be on Thursday, September 11th; further details will be provided to those whose applications are approved.

Please be sure to provide the best possible images of your set-up, products, and signage, as that makes a huge difference in our ability to accurately evaluate what you have to offer as we make our acceptance decisions.

GENERAL RULES

• Special Requests entered on any Vendor application are not guaranteed, even if application is approved. We will do our best to meet these requests when we can.
• Only one business can occupy the assigned space, spaces will be within in the designated areas indicated on the file attached below the Terms and Conditions section. 
• Vendors are permitted to sell merchandise only during designated hours and at their assigned space. 
• Displays must comply with the allotted space limitations and must not impede the view of safety signage at any height. Please see further specifications in the Terms and Conditions section below. 
• Smoking is not permitted in the Food Vendor area.
• Vendors are required to keep any noise from their area at a courteous level.
• Queen City Anime Convention will not permit any offensive behavior, including, but not limited to: hate speech of any kind, or excessive profanity. If you are in question as to whether you will be in violation of our standards, please reach out for approval.
• You may reach out to the Vendor Team via Eventeny with any questions or concerns.

PAYMENT FOR SPACE 

Full payment for space is due upon application approval - therefore payment information must be entered prior to submitting an application, and payment will be processed immediately if application is approved. If the balance cannot be processed immediately upon application approval you will be contacted and given (3) business days from the date of approval to provide payment in full or your space(s) are forfeited and no refunds will be issued for any deposit amount paid.

CANCELLATION

Vendors must notify the convention in writing via email at vendors@queencityanimecon.org to cancel their space reservation and request a refund. Refunds will be based on the following timeline:

Prior to 09/12/2025:

At least 120 days prior = 75%

At least 90 days prior = 50%

At least 60 days prior = 25%

Any requests made less than 60 days prior are not eligible for refund. Queen City Anime Convention reserves the right to manage canceled vendor spaces as deemed necessary.

UNCLAIMED RENTAL 

Any vendor rental not claimed by end of day on 09/12/2025, will be forfeited without refund. Please notify the Vendor Team via email in case of emergency. Queen City Anime Convention reserves the right to manage unclaimed vendor spaces as deemed necessary.

Vendor spaces may only be utilized by the business leasing the space, therefore spaces may not be reassigned or resold by any Vendor.

SAFETY STANDARDS

Maintaining adequate spacing is essential for attendee accessibility, particularly for those with mobility impairments, and for compliance with all applicable fire and safety codes. Vendors are required to confine all displays and merchandise to their assigned space. Any deviation from the allotted space, including shifting or unauthorized movement of spaces (occupied or vacant), is strictly prohibited. Additionally, all vendor setups must ensure clear access to doorways and unimpeded visibility of emergency, fire, and exit signage. Post-setup inspections will be conducted. Violators will be instructed to immediately rectify any non-compliance, regardless of setup time. Penalties for violations may include immediate removal without refund.

SAFE FOOD HANDLING

1. Vendor Responsibility and Compliance: a. Each Vendor selling or providing food items ("Food Vendor") is solely and exclusively responsible for all aspects of their food handling, preparation, storage, and sale. b. Food Vendors shall, at their own expense, comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, and requirements pertaining to safe food handling, health, and safety, including but not limited to those set forth by the Cabarrus County Health Department and the North Carolina State Health Department. c. Food Vendors are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all necessary permits, licenses, and certifications required by Applicable Food Safety Laws to operate their food vending business at the Event. Copies of such permits must be available for inspection by QCAC upon request.

2. Disclaimer of Organizer Liability: a. Queen City Anime Convention ("QCAC") expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for overseeing, monitoring, or ensuring any Food Vendor's compliance with Applicable Food Safety Laws or their individual food safety practices. b. QCAC shall not be liable for any illness, injury, loss, or damage arising from the consumption of food or beverages sold or provided by any Food Vendor at the Event.

3. QCAC's Right to Intervene: a. Notwithstanding the foregoing, QCAC reserves the unconditional right, but not the obligation, to: i. Inspect any food items, equipment, or an entire Vendor space if QCAC, in its reasonable discretion, has concerns about food safety or compliance with this policy or Applicable Food Safety Laws. ii. Demand the immediate removal of any food items that QCAC reasonably deems to be unsafe, spoiled, improperly handled, mislabeled, or otherwise in violation of Applicable Food Safety Laws or this policy. iii. Require a Food Vendor to immediately cease operations and/or be removed from the Event, without refund or recourse, for failure to comply with Applicable Food Safety Laws, this policy, or any directive from QCAC staff related to food safety. b. Any food safety concerns identified by QCAC staff, attendees, or other parties may be investigated by QCAC, and QCAC may take any action it deems appropriate under section 3.a.

END OF DAY & BREAKDOWN PROCEDURE 

Vendors are required to exit the Food Vending area within 30 minutes after selling hours end each business day, other than the final event day. On the final event day, Vendors will be given 120 minutes (two hours) to pack-up and are required to clean up their assigned area before departing the convention. This includes breaking down any boxes and picking up any trash, following all the site instructions from either the Embassy Suites Charlotte/Concord employees or Queen City Anime Convention staff regarding where trash will be left. There will be a fee of $125 applied to any Vendor not properly cleaning their designated space, please check-in with a QCAC Staff member to be checked off on your area prior to departing the event grounds each day.  

INDEMNIFICATION  

Each Food Vendor shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless QCAC, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or in connection with the Food Vendor's sale or provision of food items at the Event, or any breach of this Safe Food Handling policy or Applicable Food Safety Laws by the Food Vendor. 

TAX RESPONSIBILITIES 

Vendors are required to collect and report all required taxes on all sales at the event. If the Vendor has concerns in regards to what item(s) are taxable, it is the sole responsibility of the Vendors to contact the North Carolina Department of Revenue in order to resolve this.

Vendors may be asked to leave the convention for violating the terms of this agreement or the convention rules. Vendors who are asked to leave the convention for violating the terms of this agreement will not be offered a refund and may not be permitted to sell at Queen City Anime Convention in the future. Full convention rules can be found on the convention website and are subject to change.

Force Majeure: Queen City Anime Con Inc is not responsible for event cancellations due to weather, pandemic, or acts of God.

We do not guarantee any sales and reserve the right to refuse the sale of Vendor space rentals to anyone for any reason. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance. By submitting an application you are agreeing to all of the terms and conditions outlined within this application, as well as Queen City Anime Convention's Rules, Policies, and Code of Conduct.