| “A man is getting along on the road to wisdom when he begins to realize that his opinion is just an opinion.”
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Author Unknown |
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Right To Work
Probably one of the most misconstrued phrases in the tradeshow business is, “Right to work.” Right to work refers to any laborer’s right to work without paying union dues. It does not apply to an exhibitors’ right to do things
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themselves when labor contracts assign the tasks to be handled by laborers. So before you go to a show in a right to work state such as Nevada – check the rules about working in your exhibit space – a little pre-planning can save you a lot of money!
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On the Show Floor ...
no time to fight!
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What a memorable experience – the first time you bring your exhibit to a union-contracted show venue. Or better yet, the fifth time you come to your tradeshow and plan to install the same booth you personally installed the last four years and the union posse meets you on the show floor. Confrontation, screaming, abusiveness will not work. You can of course go to your show management. But, keep in mind that all of the labor contracts in exhibit halls are negotiated and your show management has agreed to abide by these agreements when they contracted for a show.
You may not like the thought of having to pay for someone to screw in your light bulb or plug in your electrical cord - nevertheless,
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in most exhibit halls that are unionized, you don’t have a choice. Take a deep breath, step away from your booth space and grab a copy of the show manual. There you will find the rules that you were given prior to signing for your show. Oops – I guess what your exhibit house was trying to tell you was really true – and now you will pay premium prices, no advance rates here, for your show services. There are enough pressures associated with pulling off a good show without the additional problem of getting into a dispute you cannot win.
All exhibitor manuals will tell you what you can and cannot do when moving into a show. They will let you know if a union is involved and what their rates for various jobs are. Remember, you can shop for the best rates, you do not have to use show contracted labor. There are many union-affiliated I&D companies that work in each venue. If no union is present, you will probably be able to set up your own booth. But read the manual first!
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Where does the union fit into the show floor picture and who is making the rules? What do you really understand about the different people behind the show at which you are exhibiting? First there is show management – in most cases the association that is directing the show. Then there is the official service contractor that provides services and a labor force to get the exhibits built on the show floor – think GES, Freeman, and many smaller companies. Then there are the EAC’s – exhibitor appointed contractors – that have been hired by the exhibitor outside of the show contractor. It has been our experience as an EAC that many exhibitors on the show floor feel that they must work with the onsite show contractor. This is not true.
However, if you are going to a union-contracted venue then you must use a company that has a union contract. Additionally certain things like electrical services, drayage costs, and specific union jobs such as the electrical labor must be purchased by your company or through your exhibit house from the official contractor. In different cities, even in different venues within a city, there are different rules. As the exhibitor it is your job to contract with a knowledgeable company that abides by the union contract in place – or in the end you will pay through the proverbial nose!
It is very important as the exhibitor that you have shopped and compared. Do you know the local union’s rates and how those rates compare to those quoted by the show contractor and your EAC? What exactly may exhibitors do for themselves, according to union rules? Is there a floor-dispute resolution process in place?
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 How does it work? Mandatory crew size issues can’t be ignored. You may think it’s a two-man job, but the union work rules, because of OSHA concerns or contract clauses, may say three are mandatory. Remember you are at the mercy of many people at your show – learn your rules early and carry your manual – the most reliable person you have is yourself!
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DisplaysandExhibits.com
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We have mentioned our new website within our Absolute Exhibits website before – but the amount of traffic and orders we have been receiving tells us that we have something to offer that everyone needs to explore. If you are looking for an inexpensive pop-up or panel exhibit, a literature rack, a banner stand, lights, whatever – this is the place to shop, compare and buy. A word to the wise – we have sold all of these items for years, and we back them without question. Be certain that the company where you ultimately choose to buy is a real company, not someone’s bedroom online store. Why?
Six months, twelve months, two years from now – if you have a broken channel bar, or a bent panel, or you need a new graphic panel what will you do if that bedroom company is no longer there? Or that they are even representing the same line of products as before. If being able to fix a future problem or service your purchase is a major part of your decision go to
www.DisplaysandExhibits.com.
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