This is your Bible - the most useful piece of material before, during and after the show.

DO NOT SEND THIS WITH THE EXHIBIT OR ANY OTHER FREIGHTED MATERIAL.

It should contain everything that might possibly need to be checked concerning the exhibition, with particular attention paid to things that might go wrong or missing during the exhibition. The following is a list of sections to include:

• Key contacts and telephone / mobile / emergency numbers:
  • Freight forwarders
  • Exhibition organisers
  • Stand staff
  • Shipping agents
  • Organisation phone numbers
• Contracts, special arrangements and service order forms.
• Exhibition space map.
• Inventory of the contents of each box or crate.
• A duplicate set of set-up drawings.
• Photographs of last year’s exhibit to serve as visual aids for the set-up crew.
• Checklist of everything to be done and its latest completion date. Mark each item with the initials of the person responsible, and circulate an updated copy on a regular basis, asking for feedback as things are completed.
• Checklist of items to be sent to the show that won’t come from the warehouse or from the design organisation.
• Copy of the organiser’s Exhibition Technical Manual
• Hotel / travel / maps etc.
• Copies of any press releases / press coverage.
• If it is a large stand, get the design team to create a stand map.
• Exhibition schedule, including open and close times. Include seminar and special event information.
• Staffing schedule.
• Contents of the exhibition tool kit

• Contents of the stationery kit

Ideally, this should be stored in the same place back at the office (when out of use) with consumables added as they run out.

Suggested contents:

• Medicine kit - should contain plasters, moleskin (for blisters), antiseptic cream, painkillers and antacid tablets.
• Clothes kit - stain remover for clothes, needle and thread (black and white),
• Fix it kit - sellotape, scissors, hammer, screwdriver (plain and Philips), scraper, Stanley knife, double-sided carpet tape, double sided Velcro, packing tape and tape guns, Blu-tak, drawing pins, safety pins, glue, fishing line (really useful for securing things invisibly) and Spray-mount for peeling graphics
• Notice board for staff area
• Cleaning materials - spray polish, glass cleaner, dusters, hand wipes etc.
• Food kit - corkscrew, plastic glasses (when the cafes and restaurants are closed), kitchen paper roll etc.

• Electric kit - electric extension leads and surge protection leads for computers. Get extension leads with longer leads if possible, but remember extension leads must be no more than 2 metres long. If you are exhibiting abroad, continental adapters

Make sure that sufficient organisation stationery is all in one place - a portable file system with sections is ideal for this. If you do this early enough it can be sent with the rest of the stand materials - but then take a few of each thing with you in case of emergency non-arrival of the stand.

Think about including:

• Sales territory maps with addresses and phone numbers of all dealer / distributor / sales offices.
• Annual and / or quarterly corporate financial reports (just one or two in case anyone asks).
• Letterheads, compliment slips (useful for jotting down extra details and stapling to your literature) and a dozen A4 envelopes.
• Product literatures, order forms, price lists, photos and spec sheets.
• Lead forms.
• A4 note pads.
• Fax rolls or plain paper and ink cartridges or ribbons, if you have a fax on stand.
• Ruler, staplers and spare staples, hole punch, empty folders to file lead forms, post it notes and black marker pens for packages.

• Pens! Loads and loads of pens…

• When you first arrive, check the stand and ensure everything is in the right place.
• Check that the technical equipment is working correctly.
• If this is your first time at the venue check where the following places are:
  • Nearest toilets, cafes, rest rooms, meeting rooms, business office, exhibition organiser’s office, CIPD exhibitor lounge, seminar area.
  • Check to see the likely direction that the ‘people traffic’ will come from.
  • Check out the competitors.

• You might think you will remember where things were, and what worked or didn’t but you won’t.
• Take photos of your exhibit at the beginning of the exhibition when the stand is looking its best. If you need some other photographs with more ‘atmosphere’ then take some when you are good and busy.

• Put the photos straight into your organisation’s exhibition folder with a note of what needs to be remedied.

• Be aware that you are surrounded by the competition at an exhibition making sure that organisation information is kept as quiet as possible.
• Don’t talk about organisation business on a mobile phone in the middle of the aisle.
• If your laptop contains sensitive files, reset your passwords and don’t let it out of your sight.

• Leave any sensitive organisation materials at home, or tuck them away out of sight in a cupboard.

• If you have your own stand, give it a thorough inspection before leaving the exhibition. Go through it with the lead member of the dismantling crew, or preferably your contact at the stand builders. If you make a list of the needed repairs before your display goes back into the crates, you’ll not only save on inspection charges but time checking the stand before the next exhibition.
• Make sure you have arranged for the collection of all your stand items. If you leave too much rubbish you may be charged for removal.
• Before you leave the show, make sure everything you rented for the stand is returned otherwise, you’ll be charged a penalty. Don’t rely on your stand construction team to know which items are rentals and which are not.
• Don’t leave your leads behind. It is not unknown for stand builders to find a box of contact business cards forgotten in a corner of the stand after the stand team has left.

• Don’t leave items unattended for collection at the end of the show - you may never see them again.

• If you are going to improve on your performance, you need to measure it first. Once you are back in the office, schedule a meeting quickly while everyone’s memory is still fresh.
• Keep notes of anything that needs attention adding these to your organisation’s exhibition folder so that you will remember next time.
• Was the budget allocated correct for that exhibition, or do you need to allocate more resources?
• Start your follow-ups as soon as possible after the exhibition. See page 38.

• If you have the resources, think about re-qualifying your leads. Even if your leads are all qualified in order of interest, your visitors may not have been telling the whole story. People are not always as honest at an exhibition stand for a number of reasons, they might not want to hurt your feelings, and they might be scouting for the opposition. Or they may be wary of hard selling but are really interested in your products or services. A phone call can save you time and money and give you a more accurate view of their real intentions.

• If you have too much material to bring yourself, you will need to choose a reliable freight forwarder.

• When appointing your freight forwarder, ask about their track record:

• • Have they been involved in large exhibitions or internationally, if this is relevant?
  • Do they have a global network of reliable affiliates and agents?
  • Do they have the ?sole official exhibition forwarder? status?
  • If you are shipping internationally, are their staffs trained in airfreight, sea freight, cargo handling and cargo packing?
  • Do they have the experience of working in different exhibition venues?
  • Are their operations computerised to track and monitor cargo?
  • Can they store your boxes?
  • Do they have proper H & S policies and procedures in place
• Make sure you have ordered adequate set-up passes for vehicles and crew and that these are sent to the freight forwarders / stand builders if they are not one of the exhibition?s official contractors who will have their own passes.
• If you are using outside stand builders for the first time, make sure you are aware how long the build will take.
• Make sure you have given your stand contractors all the relevant information, build up & breakdown times, technical regulations etc. The organisers will be happy to forward them a handbook at your request.
• Find out who your contractors? onsite manager is; ask them to keep you updated on build progress.
• Unless you have arranged otherwise, the stand builders will not generally keep anyone on the stand with you during the show. If you have a high level of technical input then you may consider the extra cost for an onsite technician well worth the money. In any case, allow sufficient time for a run through of everything so that you can deal with any minor problems and get a 24-hour number to contact just in case anything goes wrong.
• You will need to agree who is going to dismantle and store your stand.

• Establish a cost up front for storage and transportation for the year if appropriate.

• If you are bringing your materials make sure you have checked when you will have access to the halls to begin your set-up, and when you can start to break-down.
• If you have a shell scheme stand, when will the carpets be laid? It is pointless to start to assemble anything before then.
• If you are new to the exhibition venue, check with the exhibition organisers whether lifts and escalators will be working on set-up and break-down days. If not, then ensure that your boxes are not so huge you can’t carry them up stairs.
• Book your parking for your delivery vehicles early to make sure you get a space near the entry to the exhibition ground - these prime slots go first.

• Bring your own trolley - demand always outstrips supply for trolleys onsite.

There is such a wide spectrum of individuals involved in set up and break down of an exhibition, that the potential for theft and tampering is highest at these times. All exhibitors should have their own security plan. Some suggestions:

• Designate one person to be responsible for protecting important assets such as handbags, briefcases, lead sheets, or collected business cards.
• Pack immediately after the show is over - or as soon as you can get your boxes to your stand.
• Don’t leave samples out.
• Report thefts to show security immediately.
• Don’t label contents of crates that have valuables in them (i.e. computers, VCR, TV, etc.)

• Never leave your stand/goods unattended.

Murphy’s Law was written for exhibitions! Stand equipment, graphics, product samples, stationery, furniture and literature can all be delayed or disappear completely. If this happens make sure that you have an emergency plan well prepared.

• Prepare an alternative stand design that consists of rental furniture and / or plants.
• Plan a presentation that can be done with product literature, without product.

• Create backup signage and graphics for emergencies.

• After you have spoken to your stand designers or freight forwarders (make sure you have 24 hour contact numbers for them in your organisation exhibition folder), contact the exhibition organisers and see if between you, you can cobble something together!

• Put together an emergency kit that someone can keep in their car (or take on the plane if you are exhibiting internationally). It should contain the very bare minimum for you to create a presence on day one while waiting for more supplies to be sent from head office.

Graphics are one of the things that tend to go missing most often - probably because they are always being finished at the very last minute and are couriered separately to the rest of the exhibit.

What might you do if this happens to you?

• Check to see if the exhibition organisers have an area where they put badly addressed items. You may find them there.
• If your graphics still don’t show up, make sure you have a copy of your artwork on disk allowing you to perhaps get new ones made up by a local printer.
• Maybe the shipment never left your office? Call and check.

The one thing you can do to make sure this disaster is less likely?

• Do things on time - or even early - last minute rushes are a major cause of problems.

Keep an eye on your budget throughout the whole exhibition process. Here are some tips to keep costs down without compromising on the quality of your exhibition.

• Keep to your list. Don’t get carried away with embellishments at the last minute.
• Check your rental prices if you are exhibiting the in UK. Waste bins are usually cheaper to buy than rent. Electrical extension cords and surge protectors definitely are.
• Do any photocopying you think you will need before you get to the exhibition. Business services at exhibitions are very useful, but should be used for emergency top ups rather than for the main copying.
• Don’t leave everything to the last minute - you may get discounts if you book early.
• Be aware of any cancellation charges.
• Reuse as many of your graphics and stand displays as possible. But don’t let them get too tatty before you replace them - that is false economy as tatty exhibits reflect badly on your organisation.
• When buying portable displays, check the weight. The lighter the display the less it will cost to transport.
• Buy your own plants to decorate the display. Silk plants last well, but fresh ones look classier.
• Shipping - keep a check of what was delivered and how many boxes so that you can check the invoices later.
• Watch your minimum weights for shipping. Don’t ship several small consignments, as you will hit minimums every time.
• If you are hiring contract staff, keep a check on how many people turn up, and check that you are charged correctly.
• Don’t cut corners when wrapping your graphics. They are damaged very easily.
• If you are staying away from home, check if the exhibition organisers have arranged special exhibition deals. Remember hotels near the exhibition ground can seem more expensive until you factor in the cost of the taxis.
• Pre-book any parking tickets to make sure you get a space at the exhibition venue, and often you’ll get a discount too.

• Don’t economise on staff to the extent of only having one person staffing the exhibition. They will be so exhausted that they will not be able to look after your visitors properly, and the risk of pilferage is high every time they go to the toilets or to get a coffee.