Planning to exhibit at a trade show in the USA and need to know how it differs from Europe? Read below for various details of the experience.
[EXHIBITING USA vs EUROPE]
Each industry has it own association that organizes annual trade shows, to promote that industry. Now there are over 80,000 trade associations in USA.
Stem from mediaeval exhibitions in the market squares and bazaars where tradesmen would travel to meet with the makers of eg cloth, dye, and silverware.
More promoting and meeting than selling.
Meetings are quick typically involving the exchange of contact & company info.
More sales oriented.
Meetings are more often sales meetings and take generally more time.
Short opening hours: eg. 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Longer opening hours as it is more about closing deals. Eg. 10.00 – 18.00 hrs.
Facility is with more seating and hospitality such as food and beverages.
66% of shows owned by trade associations. Eg. national restaurant association. They use that profit to fund their association.
Very diversified ownership: can be venue, can be other private owners. [eg. Easyfairs]
Are normally not owned by associations.
Depending on where, it is usually done by Union Labor or Exhibit House | Standbuilder.
> a combination of different materials and systems are used.
Mostly the standbuilder himself.
> uses only wood [traditional] or only 1 system or combination of the former.
Exhibits, Booths
Shows [Trade shows, Public shows], Trade fairs
Exhibit house
Stands
Exhibitions
Stand builder, I & D [Install and dismantling] company
Feet and inches
Meters
2 make up 75 % of market. [GES and Freeman]
Globalization has only started. [GL events, …]
Distances are so large, that you need partners all around USA.
Standbuilder does most himself, as vast majority of shows in Europe are to be found in a radius of 500 miles. [London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hannover, Milano, Barcelona…] For shows further away local labor can be used in combination with own supervisor.
Average drayage cost $85 per hundred pounds.
See DRAYAGE below.
No drayage here.
See UNIONS below.
No unions involved here.
Every one can build as long as they do follow the [ever increasingly strict] rules.
More standard surfaces
“Standard customization”
Per 10 ft : 10 X 10 ft, 20 X 20 ft, 10 X 20 ft, 10 X 30ft …
Generals | Shell scheme
Custom stands: sizes are very variable
Standard 8 ft long = 244 cm
Hence standard beMatrix® height here is 2418 mm: 39 holes.
Panels here are per half a meter. [2; 2,5; 3; 4 m]
Hence standard beMatrix® height here is 2480 mm: 40 holes.
> Inline exhibit space [1 side open]
> Corner exhibit space [2 sides open]
> Peninsula exhibit space [3 sides open]
> Island exhibit space [4 sides open]
> Row stand [1 side open]
> Corner stand [2 sides open]
> Head stand [3 sides open]
> Island stand [4 sides open]
[EXHIBITING USA vs EUROPE]
[DESIGN]
Design needs more extensive setup instructions, because it is usually built by 3rd party.
Design by standbuilder or external design | marketing company
[PREBUILD]
Distances make prebuilding and signing off by customer necessary: consequences are too big if something goes wrong.
Prebuilding is not often done.
[SET UP INSTRUCTIONS]
Set up manual is needed as exhibit house is mostly not the builder.
Not needed as the stand builder mostly builds himself.
[PACKAGING]
Goods must be well-packed in crates.
Lighter packaging as transport is done by standbuilder from door-to-showfloor.
[TRANSPORT or LOGISTICS]
Logistics done by external freight company.
> or to central warehouse of the venue or the general contractor
> or directly to show depending on time frame
Transport done by standbuilder directly onto the show
[DRAYAGE]
Before any material enters the show site, a charge called DRAYAGE is levied for handling and storage based on the weight of the material.
A light weight system like beMatrix® is cost effective here.
Charges per 100 lbs vary [45 kg] across the USA, based on local conditions, like prevailing union wages , move in – move out times and exhibit facility access. From $70 as high as $200.
Drayage is based on a contract between the Show Mgmt and the General Show Contractor [GSC]
All free extras the Show Management has negotiated, have to be passed on in the drayage.
DRAYAGE IS LEVIED FOR:
No drayage here.
[BUILD-UP]
Managed | supervised by exhibitor or standbuilder.
Actual labor is hired from general contractor or independent contractor with union staff in
those states requiring it.
A. Material is unpacked and assembled as per the SUD [setup drawings]
B. Depending on state you build in, union workers do the build-up: they charge per man-hour and min 4 hours.
> Hourly rates can vary from $70 to $185 straight time.
Overtime X 1,5 or double time [holidays]
Done by stand-builder.
[EXHIBITING USA vs EUROPE]
WHY UNIONS?
WHY SO EXPENSIVE?
HOURLY RATE EXAMPLE
Total cost to the exhibitor $130.00
USA
TO BE MEMBER OF A UNION IS NOT A CONDITION FOR EMPLOYMENT.
There are less unions in right to work states, however some of these states have Union Cities.
RIGHT TO WORK STATES
| Alabama | Arizona |
| Arkansas | Florida |
| Georgia | Idaho |
| Indiana | Iowa |
| Kansas | Louisiana |
| Michigan | Mississippi |
| Nebraska | Nevada |
| North Carolina | North Dakota |
| Oklahoma | South Carolina |
| South Dakota | Tennessee |
| Texas | Utah |
| Virginia | Wyoming |
UNION PAIN LEVEL
[1 = LOW COST –> 10 = HIGH COST]
| Atlanta = 1 | Louisville = 1 |
| Dallas = 3 | Orlando = 5 |
| New Orleans = 5 | Houston = 7 |
| D.C. = 8 | Vegas = 8 |
| Chicago = 8 | Anaheim = 8 |
| Boston = 9 | San Francisco = 9 |
| New York = 10 |
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