Step-by-step migration for market organizers still running vendor intake through DMs, Google Forms, and shared spreadsheets.
Why DMs and spreadsheets fail at scale
Instagram DMs are great for community energy and terrible for audit trails. Vendor photos get buried, payment screenshots are hard to verify, and impersonation scams target organizers who collect booth fees through unofficial channels.
Spreadsheets also fail silently — duplicate rows, broken formulas, and version conflicts show up on market morning when you need a booth map, not a debugging session.
A 30-day migration plan
You do not need to rebuild your entire season overnight. Most coordinators can migrate in four weeks while keeping their existing social presence.
- Week 1: Publish your next market on Popup Hub with categories, fees, and juried or open applications.
- Week 2: Link your official application URL from Instagram bio, Facebook group pinned post, and email signature.
- Week 3: Import returning vendors and stop accepting new applications via DM.
- Week 4: Publish your booth layout and patron map so shoppers see confirmed vendors before they arrive.
What to tell vendors during the switch
Vendors tolerate change when it saves them time. Emphasize one reusable passport profile, HubGuard organizer verification, and a single place to track application status and booth payment.