Thrive! Exempt Vendor Completion 2026
Thrive! Exempt Vendor Completion
Dear Exempt Vendor,
Thank you for your time, work and ministry on behalf of homeschooling families. Thank you also for your commitment to participate in the NCHE Thrive! Conference vendor hall. In order to retain your place in the vendor hall, you need to fill out this form and pay your balance by October 31.
First, allow us the opportunity to introduce ourselves to you as we will be working with you in this process.
Spencer and Debbie Mason have been involved with NCHE since 1985 and on the board since 1988. They homeschooled their children from birth and graduated all four from homeschool. Debbie is the events director and chair of the conference committee. She has been on the conference committee since the late 80s, but has been the chair of the committee since 2014. Debbie will be the one most responsible for selecting vendors and speakers and assigning booths. Debbie’s email address is debbie.mason@nche-kindly.cantatasites.com; cell phone 704-607-0618. Spencer assists the conference committee in his role as executive office manager. He will be the primary one sending you emails and processing payments. He is also the law and policy director on the NCHE board. Spencer’s email address is spencer.mason@nche-kindly.cantatasites.com and his cell phone is 704-661-6299.
We look forward to working with you at this year’s conference. What you do is truly a ministry, and we appreciate you so very much. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will have a page on the conference website just for you (this page will be updated for the 2025 conference in mid-fall): https://nche-kindly.cantatasites.com/thrive/information-vendors/.
Sincerely,
Debbie and Spencer
Options on the Completion Form
- Vendor Workshops
Vendors may conduct vendor workshops. Doing a vendor workshop gives you an opportunity to explain your product or service in a more detailed way. The cost of each workshop is $100. The content must relate to home education and not exceed 60 minutes. Early application will improve the likelihood of getting the workshop times desired. Apply for vendor workshops using this form. You will also have the opportunity to order AV for your workshop. Note: We have two types of workshops: vendor and conference. Vendor workshops are connected to the vendor hall, and generally, all vendors wanting to do workshops will get them. Conference workshops are helpful homeschool or parenting information and are presented by selected speakers. There is an application process, and the selection is highly competitive. Conference workshops are selected in Jan. To attend conference workshops, attendees must have full conference registration. - Contact List
Vendors have the opportunity to purchase a contact list for attendees who agree to allow their contact information to be given. Vendors must agree to use these contacts only for their own business and not to loan, rent or sell these contacts. In 2024, there were 404, and in 2025, there were 406 willing to share their contact information with vendors. Warning: Don’t buy this list from anyone but us. Every year we have scams promising to sell this list. They get your contact info from our website vendor list. - Signature Card
NCHE offers to vendors to put their name on a signature card to help to draw attendees to your booth. These cards will be given one per family. Adult attendees who complete the card by having someone at each booth sign the card, will be entered into a drawing for a $250 cash prize. The signature card will have a minimum of 5 vendor names and a maximum of 17 vendor names, on a first come first served basis. - Extras for Your Booth and Vendor Workshops
You may order electricity, laptop and LED monitors to use at your booth and presentation equipment for vendor workshops.
Additional Opportunities to Know About
- Conference Workshops
A conference workshop is a non-vendor, non-commercial workshop. It must relate to home education. There is a selection process. If your conference workshop is selected, you will be informed by mid January. Fill out the online speaker application It is due by November 30.
Note: We have two types of workshops: vendor and conference. Vendor workshops are connected to the vendor hall, and generally, all vendors wanting to do workshops will get them. Conference workshops are about helpful homeschool or parenting information. There is an application process, and the selection is highly competitive. Conference workshops are selected in Jan. To attend conference workshops, attendees must have full conference registration.
- Advertising in the Conference Program
The printed conference program is a quality publication. Our program is distributed to all of our adult attendees for free and is a vital tool to them while they are at the conference. You do not have to be a conference vendor in order to advertise in the conference program.
- Sponsoring the Thrive! Conference
You can gain even more visibility at Thrive! by becoming a conference sponsor. We have plenty of options to choose from.
- Advertising in the GREENHOUSE Magazine
For over forty years, our flagship magazine has been bringing words of encouragement, methods of homeschooling, stories of student success and news to keep homeschoolers informed. GREENHOUSE is available in print and digital formats.
- Advertising on Social Media, NCHE Weekly Email, and on the Website
To learn more about all of our ways to reach homeschoolers, click the button below.
- Sandwich for Lunch
We will offer the option of ordering a sandwich for dinner on Thursday and lunches on Friday and Saturday that will be delivered to your booth. You will be able to order these on the nametag order form in May.
Vendor Hall Information and Policies
Set-up and Operating Hours for 2026
All vendors are welcome to begin setting up Wednesday, May 20, between 3:00 and 8:30 p.m. Additional set-up time will be offered after 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21. Due to facility climate control, loading dock doors will close at 12:30 noon. (This time can be later if it is cool weather outside.) All vendors must be set up and ready for business by 3:00 pm on Thursday when the vendor hall opens to the public. Please note that there are no dollies provided by the convention center.
Vendor Hall Hours
Vendor Hall operating hours will be as follows: Thursday 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm (change of closing time from last year); Friday 10:30 am to 7:30 pm; and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Drop Shipping & NC Sales Tax
No shipments will be received at the Benton Convention Center, the Marriott or the Embassy Suites Hotel. Shipment of all materials must go through Hollins Exposition Services. They will be contacting you with drop shipping information closer to the conference. For information on NC sales tax, contact the NC Department of Revenue, Sales & Use Tax Division at 877-252-3052, or go to their website, www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/sales-and-use-tax. The current combined county and state sales tax rate for Forsyth County is 7%.
Vendor Hall Policies
- All vendors must remain in their allocated space. (Aisle space is not usable space.)
- If asked to make changes to booth configuration, the vendor has an hour to comply.
- No vendor is allowed to sublet space to another vendor unless permission is obtained by conference committee.
- All vendors must be invited by the NCHE conference committee.
- Vendors must be considerate of other vendors. If your demonstration causes noise that becomes a nuisance to vendors around you, you will be asked to stop or lower the sound level to an acceptable level.
- Vendors are not allowed to diffuse a scent.
- Vendors may sell only during vendor hours.
- Booths must be manned the entire time of the conference (allowing for short absences) unless special permission is granted.
Nametag Policy
We will allow 4 free vendor nametags per first booth. Two additional free nametags will be allowed for each booth after that with a cap of 10 free nametags per vendor. We will charge $10 per nametag beyond those allowed for free.
Hotels with NCHE Blocks
Embassy Suites and Marriott are part of the convention area. October 1 (at 9 a.m.) is the first day reservations are open.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations will receive refunds based on the following:
- Received by August 1, will receive all funds paid less 20% of required deposit
- Received by September 30, will receive all funds paid less 40% of required deposit
- Received by October 31, will receive all funds paid less 80% of required deposit
- Received by November 30 will receive a 70% refund.
- Received by December 31 will receive an 60% refund.
- Received by January 31 will receive a 40% refund.
- Received by February 28 will receive a 30% refund.
- Received by March 31 will receive a 20% refund
No refunds will be given after March 31.