An organizer is planning its first exhibition at a new convention center. It already has a venue quote, a booth contractor quote and a power and water supplier it has used before. At the technical meeting, the venue's representative says calmly, "Electricity and internet are supplied by us. You order through our service department." The familiar supplier's quote is now useless, and the budget estimate is off.
What exclusive services are
The operations material in the exhibition management training program says organizers usually need to bring outside providers onto the team, such as service providers, contractors or subcontractors. But in some cases, either because of union jurisdiction (mainly in the US) or because of an agreement with the venue, the organizer must use exclusive services supplied by the facility in these areas.
- Food and beverage and catering
- Electricity, water and internet
- Cleaning
- Rigging and lifting equipment
- Security
For services outside the exclusive list, the organizer finds its own providers.
Exclusive venue services aren't only a restriction. They are part of the rental price, and many organizers only discover that after signing.
How unions and labor rules affect things
The venue contract material says it plainly: some places have no unions, and some hire union labor by regulation or by choice. Union work rules in the US and other countries can have a big effect on the build and dismantle schedule, on who may do what work and on the costs that come with it.
The organizer needs to know three things: the rules of the unions with jurisdiction at the venue (such as transport, electricians, rigging crews, carpenters, decorators and stagehands), when the union contracts expire, and whether the venue is required to use union labor for every position (such as security or ticket sellers).
In Vietnam the arrangements usually differ, and American-style trade unions are rare. But the principle holds: ask the venue in writing who is allowed to do which work and whether anyone holds an exclusive. Many centers have their own rules about who may install electricity, hang rigging or clean on the premises.
Why this affects the budget
An exclusive service has no competition, so the price is usually hard to negotiate. You can't ask for three quotes to compare, and last year's price list is a weak basis for planning. That's why exclusive services have to be in the estimate from the moment you choose the venue.
The article on exhibition venue selection criteria and the article on the Site Visit both recommend asking for the venue's service price list early, right when you compare options.
Physical limits are conditions too
The same group of questions covers physical limits. The contract material lists floor load, receiving dock positions, truck door dimensions, vehicle marshalling areas, storage capacity and trash collection. These limits affect how efficiently build day, show days and dismantling go, so write them into the contract.
If your exhibition has large machinery, the floor load limit and door height decide whether the machines can be brought in at all. You don't want to find that out on move-in day.
A checklist before you sign the venue contract
Send the venue a questionnaire with the questions below and ask for written answers.
- Which services are exclusive to the venue, and who provides them?
- What is the price list for each exclusive service for the exhibition, and does it vary by season?
- For services that aren't exclusive, may you and your exhibitors use your own providers, and is there a permission fee?
- What are the rules on who may do electrical work, rigging and stage building?
- What are the load limits, door dimensions and receiving hours?
- What are the rules on security staff from the organizer or exhibitors? Some venues don't allow separate security, so discuss this with the venue's security team.
Attach the answers to the contract as an appendix. The article on the Official Service Contractor explains how to divide roles among the venue, the main contractor and exhibitors.
Asking early is cheaper than asking late
Most trouble starts when exclusive services are discovered after the estimate is done. Ask early, and the price list becomes one of the factors in choosing a venue. Ask late, and it becomes an over-budget item.
If you'd like someone to go through the questionnaire and the venue contract with you before you commit, you can send a request through the quote page.
A beautiful venue whose mandatory services cost twice as much is still not a cheap venue.