Information for Small Businesses, Charities and Sponsors

Small Business On Display

We welcome interest from businesses considering the potential benefits of a 'shopfront' visited by 10,000 people over the Mela weekend. This is a unique opportunity to bring small community businesses together with a varied West Sussex market for mutual benefit.

Priority is 'first come, first served' although preference may be given to two-day bookings and SMEs.

To apply for a pitch please see the application pack:

PDF: Application form (PDF)
HTM: Application form (HTM)

PDF: 2011 Rate card (PDF)
HTM: 2011 Rate card (HTM)

PDF: 2011 Catering guidance notes (PDF)
HTM: 2011 Catering guidance notes (HTM)

PDF: Catering needs questionnaire (PDF)
HTM: Catering needs questionnaire (HTM)

There is more detailed information on the Stalls Forum . If you have not registered for the Mela Forums before please follow the instructions to set up your own secure login.

Hire Rates

Hire rates for pitches have changed little since 2006. There are a range of rates which include concessionary discounts for retail (non-catering) and non-commercial charities. A rate card is available but please contact the Stalls Team c/o the Hawth (01293-552941), by email to rph [at] crawleymela.org, or via the confidential Stalls Forum to find out how we can best support you. If you have not registered for the Mela Forums previously, please follow the instructions to set up your own secure login.

Full weekend pitch hire includes evening operations where these are scheduled.
Note: Do not leave valuable goods overnight. Security is the stallholder's responsibility

Quality and Diversity - Commercial Pitches

We also encourage commercial sponsors to help us improve the quality and diversity of the Mela. Active community support is essential for the stability and future of this valuable and unique event. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the Mela's support from and for local business.

Charities

Charities are an essential part of the Mela festival mix. As a not-for-profit community service we recognize the vital role played by charities and voluntary organisations in making our society a better place to live. Translating that into action, we offer reduced rates for charities of two types:
For charities with retail activities who wish to fundraise over the weekend, we offer a substantially reduced retail rate.
For charities wishing to bring their service to public attention without product retail, we ask for a small contribution to cover our loss of income (pitch hire is the mainstay of Mela Association funding for projects such as Community Outreach).

To qualify for a charity pitch, you need a registered charity number from the Charities Commissioners. Click here to contact us for more information. (If you have not registered for the Mela Forums before please follow the instructions to set up your own secure login.)

Sponsorship

The Mela could not exist without businesse and Trust sponsors. We are happy to work directly with businesses to ensure recognition on the festival site, in promotional literature, and on our website.

We offer sponsors and Stallholders a dedicated website page to promote their Social Responsbility programmes and interest in multicultural Crawley. We place sponsors' logos and links on our home page and recognize their efforts during the Opening Ceremony.