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| Source: Candy Adams, Exhibitor Magazine, August 2009. |
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| Exhibit lighting should be directed within the boundaries of your booth space, not on the surrounding aisles, walls, or exhibits. Show management may require drawings of proposed lighting plans. Many shows prohibit flashing lights, spinning or pulsating lights, and lighting that could be potentially harmful, like lasers and ultraviolet lighting. |
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| Quartz halogen lighting fixtures can be a fire hazard and are banned in some convention centers. The show facility may even have a different set of lighting rules than the show manager, so be aware of all restrictions before you arrive on show site. |
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| Exhibits should be designed to withstand some contact, including wind coming through open freight doors and minor bumps from attendees and fork trucks. Exhibits with second stories and upper decks usually have to submit floor plans for approval by both a structural engineer licensed in the state where the exhibit will be erected and the facility's structural engineer to confirm their safety and assure conformance to the local building code. |
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| Such exhibits may also need to be rigged to the ceiling - at the exhibitor's expense - for structural stability. Some shows require drawings for any exhibits larger than 20-by-20 feet, so make sure you know if and when you need to submit your plans in order to avoid on-site hassles. |
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| If you are a food or beverage distributor, you will generally be allowed to provide small amounts (1 ounce of solid foods, 2 ounces of fluids) of your product. If you are not in the food business, check with the exclusive caterer for the convention center before distributing food items in your booth. The caterer will generally charge you a fee based on the amount of revenue it would have gained from selling the food or beverage you are distributing. |
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| This rule prevents companies from soliciting trade show attendees without purchasing exhibit space. "Suitcasing" is selling within the exhibit hall without purchasing a booth space. "Outboarding" refers to non-exhibiting companies who attempt to piggyback off of the event by booking space near the convention center to hold meetings and events with show attendees. |
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| Show management may ban some items that are just downright messy or a nuisance to clean up, such as glitter, confetti, adhesive stickers, and popcorn. Don't plan on using helium balloons either, as they have a tendency to get loose and head straight for the ceiling. |
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| Mylar balloons are also generally banned, as they can actually short out overhead lighting and cause fires. If you violate this regulation and distribute balloons that end up floating to the convention center's ceiling, you may be billed for the equipment and labor to remove them after the show. |
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| Breaking the rules is a bad idea, but just because a rule or regulation appears in your exhibit space contract or exhibitor services manual doesn't mean it can't be challenged. Don't be afraid to ask show management for a variance on any of its published rules - but be sure to do so prior to the show, and allow enough time to alter your plans if show management refuses your request. After all, when your company's trade show investment is on the line, it's far easier to ask for permission than it is to beg for forgiveness. |
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