Overview of Trade Show General Contractor Services
Now that we have covered the material handling portion of the Exhibitor Manual let’s turn our attention to the other services provided by the trade show contractor. They include:
- Labor for exhibit Installation and Dismantle (also called I and D)
- Carpet and padding
- Furniture
- Vacuuming
- Sign Hanging
Keep reading to learn more about selecting and ordering these essential services, understanding pricing structures, and optimizing your trade show preparation for both efficiency and cost-effectiveness
Ordering Services: Advanced Rates vs. Standard Rates
All of these services, more or less, have two things in common: they have order deadlines for discounted pricing and, if you miss the deadlines, you would pay the showsite rate instead. On the order form you usually see two columns next to the item with different prices in each column. The columns usually are marked advanced rate and standard rate. If you order in advance of the deadline date then you can claim the advanced or pre-order price. If you miss the deadline then you would pay the standard rate which is the same rate that you would pay if you went to the service desk and ordered the item on the show floor.
Operational Efficiency: The Importance of Early Orders
The reason the general or official contractor sets these deadlines for carpet, padding and furniture orders is to get as many orders known within one or two weeks of the first setup date. They are able to get a “pull list” down to their Operations Department with an accurate assessment of the needs for the show. If they can get 90% of the exhibitor needs upfront it prevents a lot of guessing and unnecessary or inadequate equipment on site.They offer this discount to help them pre-plan and execute the show more efficiently.
Labor and Sign Hanging: The Need for Advance Planning
The same thing applies to trad show labor services and sign hanging services. Most companies use part time labor to fill labor requirements for trade shows. They will work with a temporary labor company or a union hall to fill labor calls for each show’s move in and move out. These temporary labor companies require advanced notice to make the necessary arrangements with their labor force to fill the labor calls. Labor calls include the drayage or freight moving operation, the installation and dismantle labor for exhibits, and the sign hanging labor crews. Knowing the number of personnel needed and the time and dates required by the exhibitor are essential for getting the right amount of labor. If you order labor on site, then you disrupt this preplanning and will pay a premium for trade show labor services.
Exhibit Edge: Your Trade Show Service Experts
Ready to get started with trade show labor services? Reach out to the knowledgeable team at Exhibit Edge, adept in offering guidance on a wide range of trade show aspects. Explore our exhibits today.
Vacuuming services have different rules to understand. Bottom line – exhibitors are usually able to vacuum their own exhibit space with their own equipment. Packing a small vacuum can save you a close to $100 per 10 x 10 booth space.
Next week we’ll be taking a look at the other official contractors you’ll find in the Exhibitor Manual.