Vendor management · cluster
Vendor Insurance and Permits Checklist
If a vendor's deep fryer starts a fire and their insurance lapsed two weeks before your festival, that liability rolls uphill to you. Collecting the right documents — and tracking when they expire — is non-negotiable.
Documents every vendor must submit
- Certificate of Insurance (COI) — minimum $1M general liability, naming your org as additional insured.
- W-9 — required if you're paying them more than $600 in a calendar year.
- Health department permit — for any vendor handling food, even pre-packaged.
- Signed vendor agreement — your terms, refund policy, and indemnification clause.
- Sales tax permit — if your state requires it for temporary vendors.
Food vendor extras
- Mobile food unit license (varies by city)
- Fire suppression inspection cert for any propane or grease
- ServSafe or equivalent food handler cert for the lead operator
Track expirations or get burned
- Log the expiration date of every COI and permit.
- Send a 30-day reminder automatically — vendors forget.
- Block check-in for any vendor with an expired document. No exceptions.
Stop running vendors out of a spreadsheet
HoldThat EventOS handles applications, approvals, fees and attachments in one place.