Virtually all of the trade show convention centers and venues provide 24 hour hall and perimeter security to ensure as secure an environment as possible for exhibitors. Every reasonable effort is made to prevent loss. However, the exhibit floor is not completely secure and it is the exhibitor’s responsibility to take measures to avoid theft.
It is strongly suggested that a company take a rider to an existing insurance policy to protect both the exhibit and the products from the time it leaves your warehouse to that time it returns. If you choose not to hire either an onsite security officer or an EAC security company, you may order a locking security cage from the onsite show contractor.
Here are a few measures to take into consideration whether it is a few moments or overnight never leave small electronic equipment such as video player, monitors, cameras, PC’s, cell phones, etcetera unattended in your exhibit space. When shipping any products do not identify contents on the outside of boxes or cartons. Use coded labels.
Do not ship VCR’s, computers, plasmas, or other electronic equipment in the manufacturers’ cartons. Consolidate into a shipping crate. And when you send the crate to empty storage do not leave valuables in them. When the show concludes and your materials are packed go to the service desk with the Outbound Material Handling Forms – do not leave them in your booth or attached to the crates. It is best to stay with your items until it is picked up.
You cannot be overly cautious on the show floor. Extremely large shows are the worst, as outside laborers are pulled from everywhere to get the jobs done. Unfortunately these people, more times than not, are out of work and some are desperate. We have had furniture stolen by non-EAC workers, we have had food stolen at PMA, and best yet we have had brand new 58″ 3D plasma stolen last year that had been set in the booth two hours before. This job was done by people that had worked for us on the floor before and were working for one of our friends this year that owned an exhibit house. Caught on their way out the door. Nothing is ever hopeless head for the service desk the minute you are missing anything!
