Booth Construction in North America

Trade fairs in North America and especially in the USA are subject to their own laws. We know all rules and regulations. We gained our first trade fair experience back in 1981 at CES in Las Vegas and are familiar with the whole trade fair development in this market. With our many years of experience, we are there to help you with any questions you may have. Our own extensive exhibition warehouse for all local needs is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. From there, we can realise your trade fair stands in any exhibition centre in North America with our powerful partners. Experienced project managers on site take care of all the necessities, including the local unions and the respective general contractor. That way, your trade fair stand will become a worry-free turnkey experience, also in the USA.

“Trade shows” and “conventions” in the USA have a different origin and development from those in Europe. While trade fairs in Germany in particular have evolved from (medieval) markets over a long period of change, it was the conferences of trade associations that formed the basis in North America . Thus, small, accompanying exhibitions developed into important trade fairs whose development is far from complete.

The range of trade fairs is enormous – according to various sources, between 5,000 and 13,000 trade fairs, exhibitions and congresses with accompanying presentations are held annually in the USA. The net exhibition space, in some cases, is extremely small – sometimes under 5000 sqft. But for certain specialist topics, a small event can already be sufficient for market entry. As a result, exhibitors must be aware of the fact that small to medium-size trade fairs in the USA often address an important target group and thus bring the corresponding success.

In some sectors there is also a division between east and west coast. And there are other events that change locations every year in order to reach new target groups.

But there is nothing more constant than change itself. This applies especially to trade fairs in the USA. Trade shows, which in the past were considered pure pipe & drape* events, can grow into important and large industry gatherings in just a few years – others may lose their importance or disappear completely from the trade fair market.

The growth of certain trade fairs in the USA is mostly due to an increased international interest and thus a high number of foreign participants – who want to achieve a considerable image growth with their participation – and can also achieve this through optimal implementation.

When planning a trade fair booth in the USA, it is important to take into account a number of peculiarities beforehand and to consider them in the budget.

Some exhibitors already despair of the several hundred pages of exhibitor manual with deadlines, target days, as well as the countless order forms for Material Handling, Electrician, Carpenter, Rigger, Card Retrieval, EAC or the required insurance policy and the payment form – including credit card coverage (“financial coverage” klingt hier besser finde ich) of sometimes high amounts.

This is only one of our strengths. As a service provider with over 35 years of experience with trade fairs and exhibition booths in the USA, we are experts in planning and implementation. This does not necessarily make a trade fair participation significantly cheaper – but safer and more efficient. It is therefore extremely important for us to discuss objectives and wishes with the customer in advance – so that we can provide an excellently prepared exhibition booth for the event at every trade fair location.

Furthermore, many regulations for trade fair booths in the USA vary considerably between trade fair centres. In addition, there is the influence of the unions, which is very big in some places. At most exhibition grounds, there are contracts that regulate which professional group is to be engaged in which work and when overtime rates are to be paid.

The pure rental price of the exhibition stand is only one factor. The amount depends very much on the importance of the trade fair. The allocation of space here, is interesting. Usually, there is already a floor plan during the planning process, showing all exhibition stand areas and sizes. These are selected in a specific manner – and here, too, there are various methods.

In many cases, exhibitors who have already participated in previous events have staggered privileges – depending on the number of participations and the size of the booked space. There is often a point scale, according to which exhibitors can choose their exhibition spaces. In these cases, points are usually not only gained by the number of previous participations. The respective area or additionally booked sponsor packages also play a role. Another important factor is the continuity of participation – reducing or suspending participation for one year can often have a very detrimental effect on the choice of exhibition space.

It also may happen that particularly popular exhibition areas are offered with so-called premium surcharges or are reserved for customers who are willing to purchase an additional sponsor package. But one thing is almost always certain – the earlier you book, the better.

Las Vegas does not (yet) have the largest exhibition centre in the USA – but 3 of them are among the top 10 in the USA. Combined with all the many other halls and hotel facilities, Las Vegas Valley has more than 10 million square feet of exhibition space. For comparison – the world’s largest trade fair centre – the Hannover Messe – has about 5 million square feet of exhibition space.

This means that Las Vegas has the largest and most flexible supply of space in the USA – for any event. In combination with the available hotel capacity, this forms the basis for the innumerable conventions and trade shows that take place here. In 2016 alone, nearly 22,000 conferences, meetings and trade fairs were held in Las Vegas. With 57 of the USA’s largest trade fairs, Las Vegas is the undisputed number one for trade fairs in North America.

With our Las Vegas exhibition warehouse as well as the workshop and local partners, we are at home in these exhibition centres and have, not only here, known all the local conditions for well over 35 years. Since from here, we also organise any other participation in North America – from the west coast to the east coast – from Canada to Mexico.

A booth in the USA is, with a few exceptions, always to be booked in 10 x 10 feet (10 feet = approx. 3.05 meters). This is also the smallest unit. For stands with a maximum depth of 10 feet, the height is normally limited to 8 feet (approx. 2.44 meters). Only a Peninsula or Island Stand from 20 x 20 feet upwards allows for a flexible design.

There are special rules for perimeter booths – these are exhibition stands at the side of the hall.

The fact that all measurements are calculated in feet and inches makes a significant difference to most of the rest of the world – which has an impact very quickly when an existing exhibition booth is to be sent to the USA.

It is relatively easy to calculate that 10 feet are about 3 meters – but with bigger booths, more serious mistakes happen quickly. Since 40 feet are not 12 – but 12,192 meters. So almost 20 cm more. A brought in carpet with a width of 4 meters does thus not reach up to the edge of the stand. But that’s where it should be, because the organizers lay out carpets in the corridors up to the edge of the stand and a gap is not only unsightly – it can also become an insurance problem in the USA.

A further difficulty is that at trade fair booths in the USA, power cabling is installed almost entirely underneath the carpet, which is why a so-called padding is used under the carpet to compensate for the cable thickness. However, not every carpet is suited for this purpose. A double floor is not recommended as this can cause tripping hazards, which can lead to extremely high compensation claims in the event of an accident. Due to the Disability Act of 1990, in order to prevent discrimination of disabled persons, it is often required to provide for an extremely flat, all-round ramp. Additional costs that can be avoided by using a flat carpet.

On the subject of electricity, there is another major difference: The normal mains voltage in the USA is 110-120 volts at 60 Hz – compared to 220-240 volts and 50 Hz in Europe. Thus it is not possible to operate devices without transformers. Motors and also refrigerators do not run properly even with voltage transformers because the speed of rotation, including the compressor, run faster at 60 Hz. This causes a problem of heat generation, especially with built-in refrigerators. But also extensions, necessary cable cross-sections, distributions and power calculations are just different. All electrical cables and components must be UL-certified for use in the USA.

Drayage is the handling of materials. The costs are charged according to CWT (price per 100 lbs). They include the unloading of crates, transport from the loading ramp to the exhibition stand, storage of the empties during the event as well as return afterwards and subsequent loading. Usually, these costs also cover the guidance systems as well as the aisle carpets and other services provided by the general contractor for the organizer, such as registration, etc.  This is one of the reasons why normally, minimum charges have to be paid.

Unfortunately, due to the high mechanical load of the transported material, it is not possible to dispense with stable crates for the goods – but a “light” stand construction can save some costs. It is also important not to make the delivery with lots of single shipments, because the billing for each item is always rounded up to the next CWT. In the case of predefined Move-In and Move-Out-Targets, delivery and pick-up should be carried out exactly in these time slots, otherwise there will be additional charges.

There are also stricter regulations for catering at the exhibition stand. There is usually only one licensee, who provides everything that is given out at the stand. Coffee, soft drinks and ready-to-eat snacks are a grey area. Alcohol at the booth may only be served by licensed bartenders. Nonetheless, you are usually not limited to the menus offered by the licensee. If individual special offers are requested and the supplier himself cannot provide these, it is possible to deliver them. However, the licensed caterer is responsible for serving and distributing the food at the exhibition booth as well as billing it. This is why every catering must be planned and coordinated exactly in advance.

DPPPELT!

Drayage is the handling of materials. The costs are charged according to CWT (price per 100 lbs). They include the unloading of crates, transport from the loading ramp to the exhibition stand, storage of the empties during the event as well as return afterwards and subsequent loading. Usually, these costs also cover the guidance systems as well as the aisle carpets and other services provided by the general contractor for the organizer, such as registration, etc.  This is one of the reasons why normally, minimum charges have to be paid.

Unfortunately, due to the high mechanical load of the transported material, it is not possible to dispense with stable crates for the goods – but a “light” stand construction can save some costs. It is also important not to make the delivery with lots of single shipments, because the billing for each item is always rounded up to the next CWT. In the case of predefined Move-In and Move-Out-Targets, delivery and pick-up should be carried out exactly in these time slots, otherwise there will be additional charges.