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Apply to Vend - ILLO MART 2026

Apply to Vend - ILLO MART 2026

by San José Made
$350.00

We are soooooo excited to announce the return ILLO MART: a celebration of all things illustration and the amazing illustrators of our creative community. As fans of the many illustration fairs around the world, it has been our dream to do one of our own some day, and last year, we were able to finally make this dream a reality. So happy to be bringing it back this year! Happening September 26-27 at South Hall in downtown San José, ILLO MART will bring together 275 of our favorite illustrators all in one place as well as a lineup of exciting illustration and drawing workshops, talks and programming!

Located indoors at downtown San José's South Hall at 435 South Market Street, San José, CA 95110. Open from 11 am to 6 pm. Free admission for attendees. Service animals only. 

 

Event Details

Event Dates & Times

  • Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27, 2026 (11 am to 6 pm)

Location:

Event Details: 

  • This event is free admission to attend.
  • No outside food & beverage will be allowed into the event.
  • Per the venue's rules, strictly only service animals are allowed inside the venue. The venue's security team will ask any non-service animals to be removed from the venue if they encounter any.

Accessibility

  • Accessibility parking is available within the on-site parking lot surrounding South Hall as well as in the San José Convention Center Parking Garage located next to South Hall.
  • Attendees with accessibility needs should proceed directly to the front entrance of the event, even if there is a line. 

Parking

Paid parking lots and garages are available in the neighborhood. Street parking is free on Sundays. 

 

Changes from ILLO Mart 2025 to ILLO Mart 2026

  • We will not be offering six-foot-table spaces for the 2026 event. We will only be offering eight-foot-table spaces and 10'x10' booth spaces (corners and inline). 
  • We will be reducing the vendor spaces for this event by 25% (from the 2025 vendor space quantity) in order to accommodate a greater non-retail programming area for the event (e.g. workshops, talks, drawing sessions). The biggest goal of the 2026 event is to drive greater attendance through the addition of programming that complements the illustration / drawing / art theme of the event. 

 

Does your work qualify for ILLO Mart?

  • When you apply to this event through this form, you acknowledge that your work qualifies as and was derived from illustrations (digital or physical) / drawings / graphic design / printed artwork / paintings of which you are the creator (i.e. you are not reselling the illustrative work created by others (including generative AI), nor are you selling non-illustration-based work).
  • You acknowledge that if you apply to this event and your work does not qualify per the terms described above, you will forfeit the right to 3% of your booth fee when your application is rejected and your booth fee is refunded.
  • If you have any questions about whether your work qualifies for consideration for this event or not, you will email events@sanjosemade.com prior to submitting an application. If your work does qualify for consideration for this event BUT your application is rejected, you will be entitled to a refund (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee).

Food/Drink Vendors

  • We are not offering food/drink vending spaces at this event. If you are a food/drink vendor, please do not apply to this event.

Additionally, for any SJMADE events, we do NOT consider applications where: 

  • The applicant appears to be reselling mass manufactured goods (e.g. reselling items purchased from Amazon, Temu, AliExpress, etc.).
  • The applicant appears to be associated with a large corporate business or appears to want to promote a large corporate business. 
  • The applicant appears to be promoting a business that cannot be considered to be involved in a creative or artistic discipline. 
  • The applicant appears to be using AI to create the artwork featured in their products.
  • The applicant appears to be wanting to sell alcohol, drugs and/or weapons

If your application can be considered to be one (or more) of the above five items, your application will be rejected and your booth fee will be refunded according to our Refund Policy for this event (scroll down below).

 

Instructions on How to Apply - PLEASE READ

To successfully submit your application, you must go through the online checkout process. Don't worry about the pick-up / delivery method, just choose whatever. Since this is a digital vendor application, whichever option you choose will not matter.

Instructions

  • Fill out the form of this vendor application page.
  • Select an option from Booth Type.
  • Click "Checkout" or click the shopping cart icon in the top-right corner.
  • To successfully submit your application, you must go through the online checkout process (i.e. paying for your booth). Don't worry about the pick-up / delivery method, just choose whatever. Since this is a digital vendor application, whichever option you choose will not matter.
  • Our team will send you an admission notification (accepted / waitlisted / rejected) within the stated time (scroll down to the "Notification" section).
  • Note: When you apply to this event through this form, you acknowledge that your work qualifies as and was derived from illustrations (digital or physical) / drawings / graphic design / printed artwork / paintings of which you are the creator (i.e. you are not reselling the illustrative work created by others (including generative AI), nor are you selling non-illustration-based work). You acknowledge that if you apply to this event and your work does not qualify per the terms described above, you will forfeit the right to 3% of your booth fee when your application is rejected and your booth fee is refunded. If you have any questions about whether your work qualifies for consideration for this event or not, you will email events@sanjosemade.com prior to submitting an application. If your work does qualify for consideration for this event BUT your application is rejected, you will be entitled to a refund (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee).

FAQ: "I successfully submitted my application and paid the fees. Does this mean I'm automatically confirmed to vend for the event date(s)?"

  • No. Submitting your application on our website and paying the fees associated with the application simply means that you've successfully applied to the event.
  • Once we receive your application (and fees), our team will review your application. You will receive an admission notification (accepted / waitlisted / rejected) within the stated amount of time on the vendor application page. If your application is accepted, you're all set. If your application is rejected, we will fully refund your fees. If your application is waitlisted, you will have the option of staying on the waitlist OR withdrawing your application and receiving a refund of your fees (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee).
  • What do we review? For every applicant, we will review your website (if any), Instagram (if any) and any additional content you shared with us about your work (photos, descriptions). Additionally, if you've done events with us before, we will take into consideration our past experiences with having you vend at our event(s). Please note that if you do NOT include a website or Instagram in your application, you should email us at events@sanjosemade.com with photos of your work and a description of your work and your business. Without this content, we will be unable to review your application 
  • Why do we jury applications? Our goal in jurying applications is to ensure that the vendors who participate in our events are good fits for the event and, therefore, are positioned for success in both sales and customer engagement. If your application is not accepted, this does not mean we don't like your work. It also does not mean that future applications from you will not be accepted. We have had many, many, many vendor applicants whose application was rejected for one event, go on to do many events with us beyond that. Additionally, we jury applications so that we can achieve a healthy balance to the diversity of product types offered at an event (i.e. not having too much of a product type represented at the event). 

FAQ: "I applied early. Does this mean my application is more likely to be accepted?"

  • No. So long as you submit your application within the application window, your application will be juried in the same fashion as all others submitted before the deadline. In other words, the first application to be submitted is no more or less likely than the last to be accepted for the event.

 

Application Deadline/Admission Notification

  • All applications submitted before June 30, 2026 will receive a vendor application status notification (via email) on July 6, 2026. This status notification will share whether or not the applicant's application has been accepted / rejected / waitlisted.
  • Please note that your admissions notification email may state that you have been selected for the event BUT you need to select a different type of vending space. 
  • If your application is accepted, you're all set. You'll receive further instructions and information about vending in your application status notification email.
  • If your application is waitlisted, you will have the option to remain on the waitlist OR withdraw from the waitlist and receive a refund of your fee (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee). Your waitlisted application notification will contain additional information to help guide you through the waitlist process. 
  • If your application is rejected, you will receive a refund of your fee (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee), provided your application is in line with the terms outlined above.

Any questions?

Email us at events@sanjosemade.com with the subject line "ILLO MART 2026 - Vendor Inquiry: [INSERT YOUR BUSINESS NAME]".

Notes for Vendors

  • Application acceptance is NOT guaranteed for vendors whose applications were accepted for a previous SJMADE events. Each year, each application is juried by our application jury regarding of what happened with your application in previous years. 
  • Booth assignments from previous years is not guaranteed upon acceptance for this year's event (or subsequent years' events). Additionally, we do not take specific booth location requests.

 

Pricing

For ILLO MART, we're offering two vending space options: customizable 10'x10' booth spaces, and lower cost option 8' table spaces. We know that there are some illustrators who only need a small amount of space to share their amazing work with an audience and then there are some illustrators who thrive in creating amazing experiences out of 10'x10' booth spaces. We want this event to accommodate and celebrate both types of Illustrator vendors!

Vending Space Type

  • Full Corner Booth Space (10'x10') ($600). This will come with one (1) 8' table and one (1) chair. Additional table and chair rentals will be available at a cost to the vendor. A link will be shared in the application acceptance email to secure additional rentals. 
  • Full Inline Booth Space (10'x10') ($450). This will come with one (1) 8' table and one (1) chair. Additional table and chair rentals will be available at a cost to the vendor. A link will be shared in the application acceptance email to secure additional rentals.
  • 8' Table Space (8'x8') ($350). This will come with one (1) 8' table and one (1) chair. Vendors may NOT modify the layout of these spaces. Please make sure you view the vending space layout diagram below before applying. NOTE: We will not allow any tables added to "corner table spaces". 
  • If you're a vendor who already knows with whom you want to share a booth with... Please use one of the options described above to apply. You'll only need to apply using a single application. When filling out this vendor application, you'll be prompted to include information about your preferred boothmate (business name, name, email, website, Instagram, phone number, CA seller's permit number and any additional info). Please make sure to include your preferred boothmate's information otherwise we will not be able to consider them for the event. 

IMPORTANT

  • Any vendors who have NOT been officially accepted to vend at ILLO MART 2026 will not be allowed to vend at the event.
  • Booths are non-transferable.
  • If you decide to withdraw from the event, you will not be able to sell or transfer your booth to another vendor.
  • If you sell your booth space to another vendor, both you and the vendor who bought the booth from you will be banned from all future San José Made events.

Food/Drink Vendors

  • We are not offering food/drink vending spaces at this event. If you are a food/drink vendor, please do not apply to this event.

Additional Vendor Details

  • Electricity. If vendors would like access to electricity, they will need to sign up for access to electricity at least two months prior to the event. A link will be shared in the application acceptance email. 
  • Wifi. We recommend vendors use their mobile data to take transactions OR to use a mobile hotspot. Mobile wifi hotspots are available at some public libraries.
  • Canopies. The use of canopy covers will NOT be permitted. Only the use of the canopy frame itself will be permitted only for booth spaces. 
  • Security Overnight. You will be able to leave your booth setup overnight between Saturday night and Sunday morning. As always, we recommend taking home personal valuables and electronics. The venue will be secured overnight (both locked as well as patrolled inside and outside). You leave your items at the venue overnight at your own discretion. 
  • Friday Load-in. We will NOT be offering Friday load-in for this year's event. All vendor load-in must occur on Saturday morning starting at 6 AM until before the event starts. 

 

Refund Policy

  • To withdraw your participation from SJMADE ILLO MART 2026, please email events@sanjosemade.com and include your business name, full name and, if possible, order number. 
  • If you withdraw from the event anytime before July 31, 2026, you will receive a refund (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee) on your booth fee.
  • If you withdraw from the event anytime between July 31, 2026 and August 15, 2026, you will receive a 50% refund (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee) on your booth fee. 
  • If you withdraw from the event anytime after August 15, 2026, you will not be eligible any refund on your booth fee or any booth fee credits.
  • If your application to vend is NOT accepted, we will process a refund (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee) of your booth fee upon sending you the notification email.
  • If your application to vend is NOT accepted, see below.

Refund Terms for Rejected Applications

If your application to vend is NOT accepted, we will process a refund of your booth fee (minus the $5 Application Processing Fee) upon sending you the notification email EXCEPT in instances where the application: 

  • Is a duplicate application (i.e. a vendor applies multiple times for the same event)
    • If you intend to share your booth with another artist, please only submit one form. Each additional form submitted will be considered a duplicate application.
  • Is incomplete or fails to provide sufficient information for our team to jury the applicant. One example of this would be an application that is missing a website link AND the applicant has not emailed us their product photos before the application deadline. Another example of this would be an application that includes only erroneous website links or Instagram handles, whether this is broken links or links to pages that do not represent your work and/or your business.
  • Does not qualify for consideration for the event being applied to. This information is contained in the "Does your work qualify for ILLO MART 2026?" section on this page above as well as here below:
    • The applicant is not an illustration-based business.
    • The applicant appears to be reselling mass manufactured goods (e.g. reselling items purchased from Amazon, Temu, AliExpress, etc.).
    • The applicant appears to be associated with or want to promote a large corporate business.
    • The applicant appears to be promoting a business that cannot be considered to be involved in a creative or artistic discipline.
    • The applicant appears to be using AI to create the artwork featured in their products.
    • The applicant appears to be wanting to sell alcohol, drugs and/or weapons

If any of the above applies to your application, we will retain 3% of your booth fee and refund you the remaining 97%.

If none of the above applies to your application, we will refund you fully minus the $5 Application Processing Fee.

 

Terms

  • SAFETY: Participant will act with the highest regard for the safety of the attendees and other participants of the Event, and will adhere to all laws, policies, rules, and regulations applicable to the goods and/or activities of Participant, including obtaining all licenses, permits, and approvals that may be required to enable Participant to conduct its activities at the Event and fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.
  • LIABILITY: San José Made will not be responsible for any loss or damage to Participant’s property, injury to, or death of the Participant (or its agents, employees, and/or personnel), or Participant sales. Participant expressly assumes all risks of loss, damage, liability, injury, or destruction resulting from any cause whatsoever, including but not limited to acts or omissions by Participant, and hereby releases and waives any claims against San José Made related to such loss, damage, liability, injury, and/or destruction. 
  • INSURANCE: Participant represents that it has, or will have at the time of the Event, appropriate insurance to cover liability for the types of activities Participant will conduct at the Event. Participant covenants to be fully responsible for any of its liabilities, actions, or omissions, and will indemnify, defend, and hold San José Made (and its officers, employees, agents, vendors, affiliates, and representatives) harmless against any claims related to Participant’s liabilities, actions, or omissions.
  • RIGHT TO CANCEL: Per its Code of Conduct, San José Made will in good faith attempt to resolve any vendor's transgressions of the Code of Conduct (as well as any applicable laws) in order to preserve their ability to participate in an event. However, San José Made reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel the participation of any vendor at any time before or during the event. This decision may be based on, but is not limited to, failure to comply with the Code of Conduct, inappropriate behavior, violation of applicable laws or any action deemed detrimental to the event's success, reputation, or safety. In such cases, no refund of fees paid will be issued (unless the cancelation occurs during an applicable refund eligibility window), and the vendor agrees to comply promptly with any instructions from the event organizer regarding the removal of materials and departure from the event premises.

 

Vendor Code of Conduct

  • View the Vendor Code of Conduct
  • By applying to and being accepted to our events, each vendor is agreeing to adhere to the 2026 Vendor Code of Conduct.
  • We are asking everyone to read this document before participating in any SJMADE events this year and to try their best to adhere to the following vendor code of conduct. Failure to do so may negatively affect the jurying of a vendor's future applications to our events. Egregious flouting of the vendor code of conduct may result in a vendor's removal from the event in question. 
  • We will exhaust every opportunity to avoid these situations (because we love having y’all at our events!); however, as our events have grown, it's become clear that we need to define our expectations for the participating vendors at our events and how they exist within an event's community of vendors. San José Made will in good faith attempt to resolve any vendor's transgressions of the Code of Conduct (as well as any applicable laws) in order to preserve their ability to participate in an event. 
  • However, San José Made reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel the participation of any vendor at any time before or during the event. This decision may be based on, but is not limited to, failure to comply with the Code of Conduct, inappropriate behavior, violation of applicable laws or any action deemed detrimental to the event's success, reputation, or safety. In such cases, no refund of fees paid will be issued (unless the cancellation occurs during an applicable refund eligibility window), and the vendor agrees to comply promptly with any instructions from the event organizer regarding the removal of materials and departure from the event premises.
  • If you believe you'll be unable to adhere to this code of conduct, please let us know and we can discuss.

 

Scam Alert

Please feel free to share with any of your fellow vendors or vendor communities. We have seen a reported increase of instances on Facebook and Instagram of people attempting to scam prospective vendors by purporting to be "selling" the last few vendor spaces for our previous events.

In many of these cases, the scammer asks for payment via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or some other form of digital payment after filling out a Google Form. Please note that these people (i.e. the scammers) are not associated with San José Made in any way.

We never sell vendor spaces through social media direct messages or even text messages for that matter. We only sell vendor spaces through our official website (sanjosemade.com).

If you ever encounter communication online from a non-SJMADE account purporting to be associated with SJMADE, please feel free to contact us at either events@sanjosemade.com or info@sanjosemade.com. We would be happy to verify for you whether or not the communication you've received has officially come from us. 

Please note that we cannot honor any vendor booth spaces that were purchased through channels that were not ours.