> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://vendorspace.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://vendorspace.gitbook.io/docs/vendors/adding-vendors.md).

# Adding vendors

Every vendor you work with starts here. Adding a vendor to Vendor Space creates a company profile that you can track across all of your events, from first contact to event day.

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## How to Add a Vendor

1. Click **Vendors** in the sidebar to open your vendor list
2. Click the **Add Vendor** button in the top right
3. Fill in the vendor details in the panel that slides open

### Required Fields

| Field            | Description                                                         |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Company name** | The vendor's business name                                          |
| **Email**        | The email address you'll use to contact them and send payment links |

### Optional Fields

| Field            | Description                                                    |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Contact name** | The name of your primary contact at the vendor's company       |
| **Phone**        | A phone number for the vendor                                  |
| **Address**      | Street address, city, province/state, postal code, and country |
| **Notes**        | Internal notes visible only to your team                       |

4. Optionally, assign the vendor to one or more **events** right away
5. Click **Save** to create the vendor

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## Assigning Vendors to Events

When you add a vendor, you can assign them to events during creation or later from their company profile. Assigning a vendor to an event places them into the **Lead** stage of that event's [vendor pipeline](/docs/vendors/vendor-pipeline.md), so you can start tracking their progress right away.

A single vendor can be assigned to as many events as you like. Their pipeline stage is tracked independently for each event, so the same vendor can be a **Lead** for an upcoming market and **Paid** for a different one.

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## What Happens After You Add a Vendor

Once a vendor is created, you can:

* View and edit their details from their [company profile](/docs/vendors/company-profiles.md)
* Move them through the [vendor pipeline](/docs/vendors/vendor-pipeline.md) for each event
* Send them a payment link to collect booth fees
* Send them onboarding forms to gather additional information
* Message them directly from Vendor Space

> **Tip:** You don't need to fill in every field up front. You can always come back to a vendor's profile and add details later as you learn more about them.

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## Adding Vendors in Bulk

If you have a list of vendors in a spreadsheet, you can save time by importing them all at once using the CSV import feature. See [Importing from CSV](/docs/vendors/importing-from-csv.md) for details.