Looking at an exhibition floor fully built in a few days, few people picture how many parties work behind it. Most of that physical workload isn't done directly by the organizer. A single contractor is responsible for coordinating it: the official service contractor.
What an official service contractor is
What is an official service contractor? Simply put, it is the main contractor signed by the exhibition organizer to handle the whole setup and dismantling of the show floor and supporting areas. The OSC is also called the general service contractor. The contract between the organizer and the OSC states the scope of services and related costs, and then the OSC is responsible for both installation and dismantling.
The list of work the OSC takes on
The OSC's scope of work is much broader than the usual picture of a "booth building crew." Specifically, an OSC typically takes on:
- Site surveys to plan the build
- Preparing several versions of the floor plan and booth layout
- Getting the plan approved by the fire authority, and also compiling and running the exhibitor manual under the organizer's direction
- Managing goods passing through staging areas, marshalling yards and receiving doors during setup and dismantling
- Storing empty crates and boxes for the duration of the event
- Hiring and managing construction labor
- Printing and installing information signs and sponsor signs throughout the venue
- Hanging drapes, building aluminum frames or constructing shell scheme booths
- Supplying tables, chairs and accessories ordered by exhibitors
The jobs only the OSC may do
Some items in the list above are exclusive: only the OSC may do them for exhibitors, most commonly moving goods (material handling) and hanging rigging overhead. This rule exists to avoid several companies operating heavy equipment on the same floor, which creates safety risk and makes schedule control difficult.
Even so, the OSC has its own limits. Many venues keep exclusive contracts with other providers for some services, for example security or computer equipment rental. Where the venue has such an exclusive clause, exhibitors must order that service directly through the venue and not through the OSC, though the OSC remains the main contact for everything else.
Why exhibitors need to understand the OSC's role
For a company exhibiting for the first time, failing to tell the organizer and the OSC apart easily leads to contacting the wrong party when ordering extra services. Orders for power, network, cleaning or extra tables and chairs usually have to go through the OSC on the form in the exhibitor manual, with an advance deadline to get the discounted rate. Ordering late or mistakenly through the organizer often means the order is processed slowly or incurs on-site surcharges.
First, read the exhibitor manual issued by the OSC as soon as you receive it, because it lists all the extras you can order and the advance-order deadlines. Second, any request involving the shipment of sample goods should be asked of the OSC directly first, as this falls under exclusive services you can't hire elsewhere. Third, if you have special needs for security or equipment at the venue, ask the organizer whether the venue holds exclusivity for that item before contacting the OSC.
The relationship between the OSC and the organizer's on-site operations team
The OSC doesn't work independently. Throughout setup and dismantling, the organizer's on-site operations team is always present to coordinate progress, handle cases that arise outside the contract, and act as the point of contact when there is a dispute between the OSC and an exhibitor. The account executive on the OSC side is usually the organizer's direct contact throughout preparation, helping to handle the surprises that always appear when a large-scale event is built in a few short days.
Knowing the OSC's role helps exhibitors order the right service in the right place. It also speeds up fixing problems on the floor, when the time left before opening is worth more than anything you'd save by finding another supplier yourself.