Hidden Earth Trade Hall

The Hidden Earth trade hall is a great place to buy discount gear and see what new shiny things you might not have yet! Why not treat yourself to that new caving suit you've wanted - you're unlikely to get a better price than at Hidden Earth! Traders don't always have everything with them so if you want anything specific, please contact them directly and they should be able to bring it along for you.

Along with gear you can buy a whole range of products such as new and used books and journals, artwork, gifts, pottery and much more. Not forgetting surveys and other products from the various club stalls.

How to get a space in the trade hall...

We are not going to use an online booking form for the trade hall, this year, so please just read the information below and then contact us.

Enquiries about Club Stands should be made to clubstands@hidden.earth and enquiries about Trade Stands to traders@hidden.earth. 

All stands must be booked by two weeks before the event. The pricing for Club and Trade stands is given below.

General information

Pitches are usually about 1.8 m (6 ft) square and provided with a table and chairs.

Tables are likely to be 1.5–1.8 m × 0.75 m (5–6 ft × 2.5 ft). However, we cannot guarantee this; nor can we guarantee that your tables will all match. We have to hire in the tables, and what we get depends on what the company can supply.

Back-boards, screens and display stands will not be provided – you must bring your own.

Power will be provided to traders' stands but not to club stands unless you request it in advance. For club stands, power is only for computer equipment and must not be used for kettles, toasters or the like. Traders must tell us their power requirements in advance.

Safety is paramount and we will require you to remove any equipment that is likely to be a hazard to people, or to cause damage to the infrastructure. In particular, please note that if you have any heavy equipment you must bring suitable load-spreaders (e.g. battens or 1" boards). We also reserve the right to refuse a power connection to any equipment that we consider to be electrically unsafe.

Pricing and other arrangements are similar to those for the previous events, and are explained below.

Club stands

Caving clubs and similar not-for-profit groups that are affiliated to BCA or BCRA can benefit from reduced-rate pricing – your first table is free. We will be running the usual prize for Best Club Stand. Pricing is as follows...

• First table - free
• Subsequent tables - £10 each
• Power feed (computer equipment only, no kettles or toasters) - £5

Admission tickets not included.

Traders

The Exhibition Hall is expected to be open on Friday evening from 7 pm to 11 pm for setting up. Registration for delegates is expected to open at 7 pm, closing at when the Bar closes. (These times are provisional and will be confirmed nearer the date). The Exhibition Hall will re-open for traders at 8 am on Saturday. The room will be locked overnight.

If you have a preferred location in the Exhibition Hall, please let us know. However, please note that we cannot guarantee to place you in a specific plot. The number and location of power points will be limited, so it is essential that we know your requirements, including the total power (e.g. 2 × 150 W) of equipment used. Don't forget to tell us about kettles, lights, computers and any other electrical equipment you will be using. We reserve the right to refuse to connect any equipment that we consider to be electrically unsafe. Please bring suitable load-spreaders (e.g. battens or 1" boards) if you have any heavy equipment.

Parking and access arrangements

Information on access to the exhibition hall – to be announced

Camping information

Information on tents, motorhomes and caravan pitches – to be announced

Pricing

• First table - £40
• Second table - £40
• Third table - £35
• Fourth and additional tables - £30
• Power feed - included, but you must specify requirements
• Admission Tickets - Usually one per booking, but please ask.

How to Book your Trade Stand

Please contact traders@hidden.earth. The latest date for booking a stand is two weeks before the event.

• the number of pitches required
• any location preferences
• the number of power outlets required
• your maximum power load in watts
• how many complimentary tickets you would like us to consider. Please supply a list of names for the name badges
• any competition sponsorship you are able to offer
• any camping/motorhome/caravan tickets you require