Welcome to Dartmouth Regatta 2009

Dartmouth Regatta Booking Form updated 8 Jun - payment now required in full

Congratulations! You have been invited to participate in the Dartmouth Royal Regatta Shopping Village for 2009. After reading this page please click on the link at the bottom and you will be taken to the Dartmouth 2009 booking form.

Deborah Martyn Events Ltd. organised the established Shopping Village for the first time in 2008 and the general consensus of opinion is that it was a great success. Many positive comments were received about the quality of the marquee, the addition of hard wood flooring a nd the standard of products on offer. There was certainly no shortage of visitors to the event and we are very pleased to be asked to continue to organise this show.

Because it was our first time running Dartmouth last year we were working with a number of traders and exhibitors for the first time and it gave us an opportunity to inspect and assess the products on offer. Whilst we were generally pleased with the standard available we felt that, in one or two areas there was room for improvement. We therefore took the decision to make the 2009 event “by invitation only”. This allows us the freedom to invite back to the event people whose products we felt were of good quality and variety and to bring in new exhibitors who, we feel, can enhance the event even further. The fact that you have been invited means that you fall into one of these categories!

The event runs from Thursday 27th August to Saturday 29th August inclusive. It will once again be held on Coronation Park on the Dartmouth waterfront. The format of the 2009 event will be similar to last year but we do intend to enlarge the dining area in the Village and make one or two other minor, but significant, changes.

One of the main problems that we faced last year was the failure, in parts of Dartmouth, of the electric supply. The infrastructure of the town was not designed for such a massive influx of people (it is estimated that there were 150,000 visitors to Dartmouth during Regatta) and, at peak times, there was a significant supply failure. This had an effect on us in the marquee and this year we are bringing in two large industrial generators in an attempt to prevent a repetition of these problems. It is therefore very important that, when you fill in the booking form, you also enter the details of your electrical requirements that will allow us to distribute power appropriately. A small charge is being made for use of electricity this year relevant to usage.

In 2008 the opening times were: Thursday 11.00am to 6.00pm, Friday 10.00am to 6.00pm and Saturday 10.00am to 7.30pm. The opening times for 2009 still have to be confirmed with the Regatta Committee but we anticipate similar opening hours for this year with, perhaps, a little tweaking. One of the changes we are looking at is extending the closing time on Saturday to 9.00pm (because of the volume of customers in the town) and we will inform participants once this issue has been decided. In response to numerous requests from exhibitors we have also agreed that, after closing on Saturday, there will be an option to leave your stands in place overnight so that you can pack up leisurely on Sunday morning. Obviously, if you want to pack up on Saturday evening then nothing is stopping you.

On the subject of packing up, we do insist that when you book with us you stay until the event has been closed. Last year a couple of exhibitors left early without our permission on Saturday afternoon and, needless to say, they have not been invited back this year. As you may be aware, accommodation in Dartmouth during Regatta week can be difficult to obtain which is why we have sent the invites out in January. Once you have decided to accept our invitation you need to get the booking form back to us as quickly as possible and to book your accommodation before it all sells out.

We look forward to working with you at Dartmouth. Please use this link to open the Dartmouth Regatta 2009 Booking Form.