A beloved UK live shopping event transformed into a scalable online exhibitor marketplace using Shipturtle’s multi vendor automation engine. Exhibitors now have a permanent, curated digital home that runs year round.
TL;DR (Too long; didn't read)
- Claire Donovan ran one of the UK’s most loved live shopping events for 15 years before deciding it was time to digitise her exhibitor ecosystem.
- Her existing website was basic, limited to event details, with no vendor dashboards, no catalog structure, and no monetisation model.
- She wanted a branded, white-label, professional marketplace that matched her event experience and supported 500+ exhibitors.
- The marketplace needed subscription + commission models, automated payouts, and seamless onboarding.
- Shipturtle became the silent operational engine powering onboarding, catalog management, commission automation, shipping flows, and vendor portals.
- The transformation allowed Claire to turn a seasonal live event into a year-round digital commerce ecosystem.
The result: a stable, scalable marketplace where exhibitors finally have a permanent digital home.
The Founder Story: Turning a Beloved UK Event into a Digital Marketplace
For over 15 years, Claire Donovan’s live shopping events hosted boutique brands, artists and heritage exhibitors.
One moment changed everything.
After an event, an elderly exhibitor told her:
“I wait all year for this event. I wish I could keep selling through you when it ends.”
That simple sentence planted the seed for a digital extension of her show.
But Claire’s website was only an informational page, with no catalog, no vendor tools, no commerce engine.
To create a true digital home for exhibitors, she needed more than a website, she needed infrastructure.
That’s when she found Shipturtle.
Why Exhibitor Marketplaces Are Operationally Unique
A marketplace meant for live-event exhibitors is not a typical ecommerce store. Exhibitors vary drastically:
• Handmade, curated, seasonal, artisan and boutique products
• Sellers with little digital experience
• Complex and inconsistent attributes
• Community-driven storytelling
• White-label branding needs
Claire didn’t want a generic vendor portal.
She wanted a curated, high-touch ecosystem where exhibitors felt represented, visually and emotionally.
The Build Phase: From Static Site to Scalable Marketplace
Claire’s wishlist was ambitious:
• A branded Shopify marketplace
• White-label vendor dashboards
• Subscription + commission models
• CMS for journals and event updates
• Scalability for 500+ vendors
• Automated payouts
• End-to-end onboarding workflows
What she had was a simple informational website.
To rebuild everything fast, and elegantly, she moved to Shopify + Shipturtle Multi-Vendor.
“I built this marketplace because my exhibitors deserved a home that did not disappear after one weekend.”
Creator-Friendly Onboarding Across Shopify, Wix & WooCommerce
Shopify Sellers (Professional & Structured)
Vendors expected fast, stable onboarding.
Shipturtle delivered instant syncing, clean inventory mapping and automated commissions.
Wix Sellers (First-Time Digital Sellers)
Many exhibitors had never sold online.
Shipturtle made onboarding unintimidating with simple upload flows and a clear dashboard.
WooCommerce Sellers (Complex Catalogs)
Shipturtle handled attributes, variants and syncs, turning large catalogs into clean marketplace listings.
The Operational Backbone: Powered Quietly by Shipturtle
Once vendors joined, operations became the core advantage.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Unified workflow, automated labels and integrated couriers.
Payouts & Monetization
Commission + subscription models ran automatically, no manual reconciliation.
Catalog & Inventory Structure
Clean UI for uploads, attributes, moderation and real-time updates.
Vendor Dashboards, Alerts & Automation
White-label dashboards made exhibitors feel at home.
Automated alerts reduced support needs.
Workflow rules kept operations running on their own.
This is when Claire realised, she now had an ecosystem, not a website.
The Turning Point: When Exhibitors Felt “Seen”
Three weeks post-launch, exhibitors began posting screenshots of their vendor dashboards on Instagram.
They said:
“It feels like your event, but online.”
“For the first time, I have a place to sell all year.”
Vendor referrals increased.
Catalog size expanded.
Sales started flowing without ads.
Content updates drove organic traffic.
The marketplace had become a community, not just a commerce platform.
Shipturtle’s Role: The Silent Engine Behind Scale
• Multi-platform product syncing
• Real-time stock & pricing updates
• Variant & attribute mapping
• Unified orders & shipping flows
• Automated labels & tracking
• Subscription + commission payouts
• Vendor onboarding workflows
• Catalog moderation
• Alerts + notifications
• API extensibility
Shipturtle didn’t stand on the stage.
It powered the stage.
Your Marketplace Launch,
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72%
of exhibitors said they wanted year round visibility beyond a seasonal event.
Final Transformation: A Permanent Digital Home for Exhibitors
Today, Claire’s marketplace is:
• Stable, built on predictable workflows
• Seller-friendly intuitive dashboards and clean processes
• Scalable, ready for 500+ vendors
• Future-ready, built for new events, journals and categories
Her seasonal event now lives all year, with exhibitors who don’t just attend…
They belong.
Book a demo with us today and see how Shipturtle can extend your event’s magic into a full year digital marketplace built for scale.
FAQs
1. What makes an exhibitor marketplace different from a regular ecommerce marketplace?
Exhibitor marketplaces focus on boutique brands, artists, seasonal vendors and event based sellers who need curated dashboards, simple workflows and storytelling friendly tools rather than high volume retail infrastructures.
2. How does onboarding work for exhibitors using Shopify Wix or WooCommerce?
Shipturtle supports direct product syncing from Shopify, simple uploads for Wix users and structured attribute mapping for WooCommerce catalogs to ensure smooth entry regardless of seller platform.
3. Does this marketplace support subscription and commission based monetisation models?
Yes, Claire’s marketplace uses both subscription and per sale commission logic which Shipturtle automates without manual calculations.
4. How are payouts managed for hundreds of exhibitors?
Payouts run automatically using Shipturtle’s commission engine which tracks vendor earnings, applies the right commission slabs and prepares accurate settlement reports.
5. How does the system maintain catalog consistency across so many exhibitors?
Product approvals moderation workflows and attribute mapping ensure that every listing meets Claire’s brand standards and matches the event’s curated aesthetic.
6. Can exhibitors manage shipping labels and tracking inside their vendor dashboard?
Yes, they can generate labels, track orders and manage fulfillment with integrated carriers through a single vendor portal.
7. Is this marketplace built to scale to 500 or more exhibitors?
Absolutely. The operational foundation supports multi vendor onboarding, catalog expansion, automated commissions and future categories without breaking stability.
8. Does the marketplace support journals announcements and storytelling sections?
Yes, Claire uses it for event updates, exhibitor stories and community driven content which enrich the marketplace experience.
About The Author
Disha Krishnani
Disha Krishnani is a marketing professional with hands on experience in building and scaling digital businesses. With a background in finance and e-commerce, she’s passionate about helping startups grow smarter, not just bigger.
Currently working in the C2C marketplace space, Disha combines SEO, business development, and a deep understanding of user behavior to create strategies that drive visibility and sustainable growth. She believes every marketplace has its own story, and her goal is to help brands tell it better while optimizing for conversions.
A postgraduate from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Disha approaches every project with a practical mindset, blending creativity with real-world business insight. Her curiosity for how startups evolve keeps her exploring new ideas, tools, and trends that shape the future of digital commerce.