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Trade Show Questions Forum

We have set-up this section to post answers to your trade show exhibit display and booth related questions. To post a question to our forum click here and write Forum Question in the subject line. We will answer you directly and post your question and answer on this forum.

Trade show display related subjects and questions:

Exhibit Booth and Display Height Related Questions
What is the permissible height at the AORN Show, April 2005?

Trade Show Freight Related Questions
How can I get my freight back at the booth directly after the trade show rather than waiting until late that night or the next day?

Union related questions
Are exhibitors allowed to vacuum their carpet and clean their own exhibit booth & display at the AORN Show?

Freight Related Questions
How can I get my freight back at the booth directly after the trade show rather than waiting until late the night of show close or the next day?

Use Accessible storage – if you have company product or marketing materials that must be given out during the show, but you cannot store all of those goods in your exhibit, you may want to put those goods into accessible storage. Accessible storage is kept right on the premises during the show, whereas crates put into storage are often moved on flatbed trailers to a nearby parking lot. Skids, crates and boxes in accessible storage are brought back into the hall immediately following the show. Since you pay a premium for this access, you may in fact, schedule their return to insure that you get them back when you want.

This creates an interesting possibility for the exhibitor that needs their freight and packing materials directly after the show for exhibit pack-up, such as the case where you are packing the exhibit yourselves, and have a late evening flight the day of show close. Or perhaps parts of the exhibit must be shipped immediately following this show in order to make it to the next venue on time, using shipping cases and other paraphernalia that is too large to store within the exhibit during the show.

At the recent AORN show, rates for accessible storage were $50 / show day for up to ¼ truck of freight. If you are concerned about putting your freight in with another exhibitor’s or have more freight, for an entire container, this rate is $200 / show day. You must also pay an in charge for the driver and forklift to move the goods from your exhibit to the truck for storage, and an out charge. The driver and forklift charge to move your goods back to the exhibit. Each of these charges has a half hour minimum and is billed at the rate of $91.00 / hour.

For each delivery during the show in New Orleans, you will pay $91.00 / hour for driver and forklift, subject to a minimum charge of ½ hour. Schedule these deliveries between 8 and 5 or else you will pay the overtime rate, which in New Orleans is $112.00. Also, since in this case you are paying for delivery to or from the exhibit on an hourly basis, skids and boxes should be consolidated into less moveable pieces, so that there are less pieces to be moved and therefore, less trips by the forklift and time required to move them. This type of consolidation and planning will reduce your costs.

Accessible storage is usually arranged for at the general contractor’s service desk at the show, although, occasionally, accessible storage may be arranged for ahead of time, by using a form in your exhibitor services kit. return to top

Exhibit Booth and Display Height Related Questions
What is the permissible height at the AORN Show, April 2005?

Trade show exhibit or booth height – from the Freeman Decorating Website, exhibitor guide for AORN, April 2005 - AORN Rules and regulations link to PDF http://www.myfreemanonline.com/forms/64498/67539_Rules%20%20%20Regulations.pdf Page 6/8 with Regards to Island Booths Section D – Towers may be as tall as, but may not attach to the ceiling. return to top

Union related questions
Are exhibitors allowed to vacuum their carpet and clean their own exhibit booth & display at the AORN Show?

According to Rene at the Freeman offices in New Orleans, while Freeman is listed as the official contractor for cleaning services for the AORN Show, this does not mean that exhibitors may not clean or vacuum their exhibits themselves at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Designation as the contractor for cleaning services simply means, that an outside vendor cannot work in the same show hall during this show competing with Freeman to provide those vacuuming services. Along these same lines, only an exhibitor with their own vacuum or cleaning equipment and supplies may partake in the cleaning of their exhibit.

In general, you may do any and all work regarding your exhibit outside of electrical, which is restricted due to safety concerns, as long as you are in right to work states. For an explanation on Right to work states , go to the following link - http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm In general, the halls where you will have the hardest time doing any sort of labor yourself are McCormick Place, Chicago IL and Javitz, NY, NY. Illinois and New York are not right to work states, and these halls are particularly strict when it comes to enforcing union rules and jurisdiction. return to top

About this forum: The purpose of this forum is to act as a resource for all exhibitors to find out solutions for FAQs (frequently asked questions) at little or no cost for you the exhibitor. In cases where your questions require extensive research for us to answer, we will let you know. Questions with Links to the answers are posted below.