Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver Working Conditions

May 17, 2013 By

Many of you have global trade show programs and exhibit in international locations – some across the pond in Europe, but hopefully your exhibition portfolio includes at least one show in neighboring Canada. This country operates its trade shows much like we do here in the states. The venues and halls in Canada are unionized and depending on the size of the show or event, most facilities use union laborers.

When it comes to exhibiting in 3 of the main cities in Canada – Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver – the regulations are consistent for the most part. However, we would encourage you to reach out to our Toronto City Representative, Jon Auger, with any specific questions. He provided the information below and is more than happy to help you sort through the intricacies of exhibiting in Canada and will definitely help put your mind at ease. I know this because Jon’s motto is, “We are a peaceful nation with great beer.” Now who could argue with that?

Material Handling

  • Can exhibitor carry in merchandise/items into hall? Yes.
  • Can exhibitor use a hand truck or dolly/wheeled cart to bring exhibit materials into the hall? Normally, yes. However, some halls are not accessible through parking lots and may have closed doors.

Work

  • Can shop supervisor or exhibitor work in this city or supervise ONLY? Toronto & Montreal – In most cases the shop supervisor or exhibitor can work, but this should be verified on a case-by-case basis as local ratios of union personnel to non-union personnel will be in effect/Vancouver – No.
  • Can the exhibitor install & dismantle their display? Yes, for exhibits that are 100-square-feet or less.
  • Can the exhibitor FT employees use tools to set up their displays? Yes, for exhibits that are 100-square-feet or less.
  • Can the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) set-up steel deck structures? In most cases, yes, but this is show management’s decision. If allowed, a building permit is normally required.

Electrical

  • Electrical service – from overhead or floor? Toronto – Both/Montreal – Floor/Vancouver – Both
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords under carpet? Yes. The base service must be delivered by house electricians. In addition, there cannot be any wired connections, plug-in only.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords above carpet? Yes. The base service must be delivered by house electricians. In addition, there cannot be any wired connections, plug-in only.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC plug lights and/or other devices into booth electrical outlets? Yes, but if there is a stage or production element to the build, IATSE would want to be included for A/V instruction.
  • Can exhibitor/shop/EAC place lights? Can exhibitor/shop/EAC insert duratrans in light boxes? Yes.
  • Can exhibitor/shop use Genie Lift? No. This varies by facility, however in most cases this can’t be done without an EAC crew member.

Other

  • Who can vacuum the booth carpet? The exhibitor can always vacuum the carpet and the EAC can normally do so. However, in Vancouver this is not always the case for EACs.
  • Can exhibitor/shop have food/beverage brought into facility? Not during the show run. These items must be purchased from the house caterer. During move-in, exhibitors may bring in food/beverages in limited quantities.
  • Is there access to local specialty vendors? Yes. Note – some specialty vendors such as graphic vendors and lighting suppliers are only available during normal business hours. Notice is also required.
  • Can EAC assemble hanging signage? Yes.

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Philadelphia Union Regulations

April 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Okay, so you know the drill by now – Nth Degree wants to make your experience on the show floor less stressful by empowering you with knowledge. Philadelphia is no exception when it comes to the challenge of navigating union regulations in each city and understanding what an exhibitor can and can’t do. Our labor operations team has once again provided the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding union regulations.

Follow these guidelines and you may even have time to visit the Liberty Bell or grab a cheesesteak! Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or contact us directly if you have any other questions.

Material Handling

  • Can exhibitor carry in merchandise/items into hall by themselves? Yes, hand-carry only.
  • Can exhibitor use a hand truck or dolly/wheeled cart to bring exhibit materials into the hall? No. Exhibitors can only hand-carry items or use a 2-wheeled personal cart. Otherwise, this must be handled by the GC.

Work

  • Can shop supervisor or exhibitor work in this city or supervise ONLY? Supervise ONLY.
  • Can the exhibitor install & dismantle their display? Yes, as long as the exhibit is 300 sq. ft. (10′ x 30′) or less in size and this is done by a company employee (exhibitor) ONLY.
  • Can the exhibitor use tools to set up their display? No. No power tools are allowed. The exhibitor must provide his or her own ladder or have a contract with an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC).
  • Can EAC set-up steel deck structures? Yes, but the structure must be pre-approved by building engineering. Copies of approval are required on-site during install.

Electrical

  • Electrical service – from overhead or floor? Floor – floor ports are used as the primary tie-in.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords under carpet? No. House electricians must make tie-in to floor ports. All cords under the carpet must be provided by house electricians.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords above carpet? Yes. Cords can be rented by an EAC or provided by the exhibitor. 14ga or lower only.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC plug lights and/or other devices into booth electrical outlets? Exhibitor – yes. Shop supervisor – no. Any rental flat screens must be installed by stagehands and any direct wiring must be handled by electricians.
  • Can exhibitor/shop/EAC place lights? Can exhibitor/shop/EAC insert duratrans in light boxes? Exhibitor – yes. Shop supervisor – no.
  • Can Genie Lifts be used? Yes. Genie lifts can be rented from EACs, however, you must hire a rigger to operate.

Other

  • Who can vacuum the booth carpet? The exhibitor can vacuum carpet (with his/her supplied vacuum) or order booth cleaning through the show contractor. EACs cannot vacuum in this facility.
  • Can exhibitor/shop have food/beverage brought into facility? No, not during the show run. These items must be purchased from the house caterer. During move-in, exhibitors may bring in food/beverages in limited quantities.
  • Is there access to local specialty vendors? Yes. Note – some specialty vendors such as graphic vendors and lighting suppliers are not available on weekends.
  • Can EAC assemble hanging signage? Yes.

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Connect with Nth Degree at EXHIBITOR 2013 Next Week

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The Nth Degree team is busy gearing up for the EXHIBITOR Show that opens next week. We are exhibiting this year and you can find us on the show floor in booth #958. Come meet our team of project management and event experts face-to-face and learn more about Nth Degree’s worldwide trade show and event marketing services. We look forward to connecting with everyone!

Filed Under: Content, Show Floor Senses

Thomas J. Petrella Appointed Vice President, National Accounts, Nth Degree

March 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Thomas J. Petrella Appointed Vice President, National Accounts, Nth Degree
Industry Veteran to Help Strengthen Sales Leadership Team

For more information:
Elise Simons
404-296-5282
esimons@nthdegree.com

ATLANTA, GA/March 08, 2013/Business Wire/ – Nth Degree, a leading full-service global event marketing and labor management company, has expanded its sales leadership team with the appointment of Thomas J. Petrella as Vice President, National Accounts. In this role, Petrella will provide strategic account management of Nth Degree’s top national client accounts and will also support sales activities and new business development efforts in key industries and markets.

Scott Bennett, EVP, Client Services, said, “Our toughest business challenge is finding the right people to add to our team. Tom was a long-time client and friend to our company for many years. He works hard and may be one of the most humble people I know. He is a person that understands that small gestures can make something better.”

Petrella has managed numerous high-profile marketing, trade show and public outreach marketing projects and has more than 25 years of executive-level marketing and communications leadership experience. As a former Partner with Avalon Exhibits, Petrella’s primary focus was on client development, product promotion, and creative sales strategy. For the past 6 years, Petrella has served the event and trade show industry leading business development efforts at Remline Corporation, a promotions and marketing communications firm based in Newark, DE that helps companies execute marketing programs.

In addition to Petrella’s client-focused responsibilities, he will also offer additional leadership to Nth Degree’s national sales team and support efforts to develop and implement new opportunities through both direct and indirect channels. He will also participate in long-range planning for product improvements, additional service offerings and further evolution of the company’s international operations.

“Nth Degree is a group of hard working people that care about each other and their clients. Somehow throughout the years, they never lost sight of this simple idea. They are a leader, have a strong management team and I’m humbled to be joining this team,” said Petrella.

Nth Degree, based in Atlanta, GA, is one of the world’s leading face-to-face marketing companies. The company offers event and trade show marketing and management, and installation and dismantle services worldwide to more than 1,100 domestic and multinational clients and supports more than 7,500 proprietary events, trade shows, and event marketing projects annually. Nth Degree has 21 North American offices, including all major convention cities, and offices in England, Germany, and China. Additional information is available at www.nthdegree.com.

###

Filed Under: Content Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Orleans Working Conditions

March 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Work isn’t a word that comes to mind when you think of New Orleans, but I can assure you that Nth Degree’s local labor team feels differently. They are hard at work in this busy market – especially this spring with several big shows in town such as this week’s HIMSS show. If your trade show marketing program brings you to NOLA in the near future, we want to give you the chance to relax and enjoy all this great city has to offer, so our labor operations team has navigated through all the union rules and regulations to give you the answers you need to the most commonly asked questions.

Please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly if you have any other questions.

Material Handling

  • Can exhibitor carry in merchandise/items into hall by themselves? Yes, Hand-carry or 2-wheeled personal cart only.
  • Can exhibitor use a hand truck or dolly/wheeled cart to bring exhibit materials into the hall? No. Exhibitors can only hand-carry items or use a 2-wheeled personal cart. Otherwise, this must be handled by the GC.

Work                

  • Can shop supervisor or exhibitor work in this city or supervise ONLY? The shop supervisor can supervise and work.
  • Can the exhibitor install & dismantle their display? Yes.  
  • Can the exhibitor use tools to set up their display? Yes, but if there is no EAC, the shop must provide shop-owned ladders and tools on-site.
  • Can the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) set-up steel deck structures? Yes, but the structure must be pre-approved by building engineering. Copies of approval are required on-site during install.

Electrical                       

  • Electrical service – from overhead or floor? Electrical service is from the floor, but overhead drops are available when necessary.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords under carpet?  No. All floor cords must be supplied by show electricians.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords above carpet? Yes. Cords can be provided by EAC or exhibitor – 14ga or lower, no 16ga.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC plug lights and/or other devices into booth electrical outlets? Yes.    
  • Can exhibitor/shop/EAC place lights?  Can exhibitor/shop/EAC insert dura trans in light boxes?   Yes.     
  • Can Genie Lifts be used? Yes, but this varies depending on the general contractor and/or show association. You must consult exhibitor show book regulations.

Other                

  • Who can vacuum the booth carpet? The exhibitor can vacuum carpet (with his/her supplied vacuum) or order booth cleaning through the show contractor.  EACs cannot vacuum in this facility.
  • Can exhibitor/shop have food/beverage brought into facility? No. Not during the show run. These items must be purchased from the house caterer. During move-in, exhibitors may bring in food/beverages in limited quantities.
  • Is there access to local specialty vendors? Yes. Note – some specialty vendors such as graphic vendors and lighting suppliers are not available on weekends.
  • Can EAC assemble hanging signage? No. This is the responsibility of GC rigging.  EACs cannot assemble any hanging sign.

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Getting Partners Involved in Event Marketing

January 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Marketing and attendee acquisition activities are rarely handled exclusively by the event organizer or lead sponsor and from our experience, getting the partners involved garners better results.  At Nth Degree we encourage our clients to see these activities as a combined effort – the event organizer brings the audience through the doorway, but it’s the partner’s job to get the attendees to their booth at the event.

Most partners understand the more people who attend and actually seek out their booth during the event, the better their chances are of making good contacts or actually lining up sales during a live event. However as an event organizer, you cannot rely on these partners to proactively promote your event – even if they realize it is to their benefit to do so – as they often do not have the tools or knowledge necessary to do so effectively. That is why you should consider it a part of your responsibility to provide them with those tools.

An active exhibitor marketing program can yield tremendous benefits for both the individual partner exhibitors and the event as a whole. Partner exhibitors often have contacts that the event organizers do not, providing a wider pool of potential attendees. In addition, partners are likely to have an existing relationship with these contacts, making it more likely that they will attend if invited by that individual partner directly. As an example, in 2012 one Nth Degree customer allowed us to provide exhibitor partners with marketing materials for their last event of the year after not doing so for previous events in the spring and summer. The result – registrations for this final event ended up nearly 50% higher than the earlier events.

To facilitate these activities, Nth Degree provides partner exhibitors at events we manage with Exhibitor Marketing Kits. These kits contain items such as a PDF invitation with live links to the event website, HTML files that can be sent as email blasts, banner ads to put on the partner exhibitor’s website, signatures that can be used in company emails, and pre-approved copy that can be posted on the partner exhibitor’s social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

In addition, event organizers can actually track all online activity through the use of tracking codes from websites such as Google Analytics in order to see which partners are actually driving traffic and registrations. These are the partners that event organizers may want to specifically engage with after the event to gauge what their experience was like and look for ways to improve marketing efforts for future events. Another way to effectively track activity is to provide the partner exhibitors each with a unique discount code, which they can give to their contacts. By tracking how many times a code is used, you can see which partner exhibitors are making the biggest effort to bring in attendees.

Providing marketing tools to partner exhibitors will boost your attendance numbers and make them feel more involved in the event. The most important thing to keep in mind is to be gracious and appreciative to them for taking the time to carry out marketing activities. If a partner exhibitor wants to change something or try a different tactic be open to it – they may have an idea that turns out to be effective. At the end of the day, working together will result in a better turnout and more positive event for everyone involved.

Filed Under: An Eye for Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Las Vegas Union Regulations

January 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The New Year speaks to fresh starts and you and your colleagues resolving to work smarter, spend more time with your family and generally better yourselves to achieve that elusive work/life balance your HR Department keeps talking about. In light of this, we’ve chosen one of the biggest trade show and event markets in the country to highlight this month – Vegas baby! If you are thrown into this mix of revolving trade shows, tourists and festivity the information below should help you cut through the chaos and get the details you need for a great show and a good start to your new balanced lifestyle.

Please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly if you have any other questions.

Applicable Facilities: Las Vegas Convention Center and any Casino Ballroom

Material Handling

  • Can exhibitor carry in merchandise/items into hall by themselves? Yes, hand-carry ONLY.
  • Can exhibitor use a hand truck or dolly/wheeled cart to bring exhibit materials into the hall? No. Exhibitors can only hand-carry items or use a 2-wheeled personal cart. Otherwise, this must be handled by the GC.

Work

  • Can shop supervisor or exhibitor work in this city or supervise ONLY? Supervise only.
  • Can the exhibitor install & dismantle their display? Yes, full-time company employees ONLY can do this. However it must require no tools and take no longer than 30 minutes.
  • Can the exhibitor use tools to set up their displays? No.
  • Can the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) set-up steel deck structures? Yes, but the structure must be pre-approved by building engineering. Copies of approval are required on-site during install.

Electrical

  • Electrical service – from overhead or floor? Both are used – it depends on the location of the exhibit in the hall.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords under carpet? No. All cords must be supplied by show electricians and all booth incoming supply cords must be laid by show electricians.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords above carpet? No. All electrical work is handled by show electricians.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC plug lights and/or other devices into booth electrical outlets? No. All electrical work is handled by show electricians.
  • Can exhibitor/shop/EAC place lights? Can exhibitor/shop/EAC insert Duratrans in light boxes? Yes to placing lights and inserting duratrans in light boxes, but no to hanging lights.
  • Can Genie Lifts be used? Yes.

Other

  • Who can vacuum the booth carpet? EACs can SPOT vacuum a given area of a booth’s carpet ONLY. Full booth cleaning is the responsibility of the GC.
  • Can exhibitor/shop have food/beverage brought into facility? No. All food or beverage must be purchased from the center catering service.
  • Is there access to local specialty vendors? Yes.
  • Can EAC assemble hanging signage? No. This is the responsibility of GC rigging. EACs cannot assemble any hanging sign.

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Holidays from Nth Degree!

December 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Content

Time-Lapse Video of Kimberly-Clark Installation at ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2012

December 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Client: Kimberly-Clark Professional
Exhibit House: Expotechnik
Size/Scope: 40’ x 60’ Double-Deck
Show/Location: ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2012/Chicago, IL

Nth Degree provided I&D Labor Management services for this 2-story, 2,400-square-foot exhibit during the ISSA/INTERCLEAN show in Chicago. The Kimberly-Clark team provided us with a rare look at the exhibit installation through a time-lapse video. Take a look at the Nth Degree team in our signature eggplant shirts installing this exhibit by clicking on the picture below!

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , ,

Los Angeles & Anaheim Union Regulations

December 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Navigating California can be daunting, and when it comes to what you can and can’t do on the show floor as an exhibitor, it can be even more intimidating. To lessen the burden on you, Nth Degree’s labor operations team has once again created an easy-to-use guide for the most common questions they are asked.

Please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly if you have any other questions.

Material Handling

  • Can exhibitor carry in merchandise/items into hall? Yes, hand-carry ONLY.
  • Can exhibitor use a hand truck or dolly/wheeled cart to bring exhibit materials into the hall? No, items that cannot be hand carried must be handled by the general contractor.

Work

  • Can shop supervisor or exhibitor work in this city or supervise ONLY? Supervise ONLY.
  • Can the exhibitor install & dismantle their display? Yes, as long as the work requires no tools and takes no longer than 30 minutes.
  • Can the exhibitor’s full-time employees use tools to set up their displays? No – based on union jurisdictions.
  • Can the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) set-up steel deck structures? Yes, but the structure must be pre-approved by building engineering. Copies of the approval are also required on-site during install.

Electrical

  • Electrical service – from overhead or floor? In the Los Angeles Convention Center, electrical service is from the floor, but in Anaheim and Long Beach it is from the ceiling.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords under carpet? No, all floor cords must be supplied by show electricians.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC run electrical cords above carpet? Yes, cords that are run in the booth and above the carpet can be supplied by the shop and/or the exhibitor. Cords must be 14ga wire or lower – no 16ga.
  • Can exhibitor or EAC plug lights and/or other devices into booth electrical outlets? Yes.
  • Can exhibitor/shop/EAC place lights? Can exhibitor/shop/EAC insert Dura trans in light boxes? Yes.
  • Can exhibitor/shop use Genie Lift? Yes, but this varies depending on the general contractor and/or show association. The exhibitor must consult the exhibitor show book regulations.

Other

  • Who can vacuum the booth carpet? The EAC can spot vacuum the booth carpet during the install phase only. On opening morning, the exhibitor can vacuum carpet (with exhibitor-supplied vacuum) or order booth cleaning through the GC.
  • Can exhibitor/shop have food/beverages brought into facility? Food/beverages can be brought into the facility through the install period only. From opening morning until the close of show, these items must be purchased from the house caterer.
  • Is there access to local specialty vendors? Yes. Note – some specialty vendors such as graphic vendors and lighting suppliers are not available on weekends.
  • Can EAC assemble hanging signage? No, this is the responsibility of GC rigging. EACs cannot assemble any hanging sign.

Filed Under: Show Floor Senses Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,