Candy Adams, CTSM, CME, CEM, CMP, CMM, “The Booth Mom,” is an independent exhibit-management consultant, trainer, speaker, writer, and an Exhibitor conference faculty member. CandyAdams @BoothMom.com

very trade show has rules. Although many of these rules clearly benefit you, leveling the playing field for large and small exhibitors, regulating exhibitor and attendee safety, and keeping exhibitors from encroaching on each others’ spaces, some rules can get in the way of your exhibiting plans.

To get around these rules, exhibitors sometimes nudge the boundaries or cross into the gray area of “the rule doesn’t exactly say we can’t … ” Some exhibitors blatantly violate the rules, claiming that their tactics are harmless guerilla marketing. At one show I attended, an entire team of branded rollerbladers zipped through the hall numerous times a day, only to mysteriously disappear into the back of their exhibit before they could be caught and ejected from the show floor.

Other common violations include exhibitors who hire talent to stand on the sidewalk outside the venue and pass out cards or invite attendees to visit their exhibit (violating the common rule against marketing outside the confines of the booth), and exhibitors with presentations that butt up against the aisles (where it’s obvious that anyone stopping to see the presentation will block traffic).

If you break the rules, you could be asking for trouble — anything from finger-wagging warnings to financial penalties to expulsion from the show, depending on your violation and your willingness to work with show management to fix it. And while you might not get caught for breaking a rule here or there, the risk isn’t likely worth the gain. I’ve seen show management turn off the electricity in an exhibit because an exhibitor repeatedly violated decibel-level rules and ignored repeated warnings. I’ve even seen an entire garage-built exhibit, which the local fire marshal deemed a fire hazard, completely removed from the show floor.

The good news is that there is a right way to break the rules: You can ask show management for a variance. By understanding the rules, knowing which of them are commonly negotiable, and asking in advance, you may be able to break the rules without getting in trouble. The following tips and techniques will show you how.

Know the Rules
To get show management or the facility manager to bend the rules, you have to understand the rules already in place. First, reread the back of your booth-space contract. This text, generally written in itty-bitty, almost-indecipherable print, is often referred to as the “terms and conditions” of your booth-space rental. Remember, the large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.

There are a lot of rules here, but the “gotcha” one is a standard clause stating (and I’m paraphrasing here) that you agree to any future changes to the rules for the betterment or efficient management of the show. Bottom line, just because it’s not specifically restricted doesn’t mean it’s allowed. So use your better judgment. If you think something you’re planning to do might be a violation of a show’s regulations, it’s probably worth asking for a variance.

The booth-space contract may also include a clause referring to the show’s adherence to the International Association of Exhibition Management (IAEM) Guidelines for Display Rules and Regulations, a 15-page booklet that sets the exhibition-industry display standards, but that the majority of exhibitors have never seen. (IAEM became the International Association for Exhibitions and Events last December, but its display guidelines have not been updated since 2005.)

Next, read your exhibitor services manual. Yes, this may seem like cruel and unusual punishment, but it’s necessary. You’ll generally find separate sections of rules penned and enforced by the show organizer or show manager, the general services contractor (GSC), and the facility. These rules are usually much more expansive than the terms and conditions on the back of the booth-space contract, pointing out specific no-no’s, including everything from the allowable height of your exhibit to the amount of gas that can be in a vehicle’s tank when you bring it on the show floor to exhibit-hall bans on helium balloons.

Ask in Advance
When you spot rules that you just can’t live with, it’s time to start the variance-request process. Before a show, you can request a variance for any rule or contract term from show management, vendors, or whoever is enforcing the rule in question. The more time you allow, the better your chance of having your variance granted. But by the time you get to the show, it’s usually too late.

I always broach the subject of bending a rule on an informational basis first and ask for further clarification in a non-confrontational way. Once you find out the rationale behind the rule and if it’s really consistently enforced, you’ll know whether a variance is worth pursuing. If the variance you’re requesting doesn’t negatively impact other exhibitors and won’t start a negative trend of behavior, you probably have a good shot at getting your request granted.

I often start the process by talking with the salesperson who sold me space and ask him or her for an introduction to the head of operations for show management. This person hires and manages the floor managers (the people on bicycles or little carts who roam the floor during show setup) who enforce the rules and mediate any problems you may have with neighboring exhibitors. Show management may refer you to another variance-granting contact — possibly a representative from the venue or one of the contractors — depending on your request.

When making your request, state your case clearly, and then back it up with an e-mail reiterating your request and thanking your contact for his or her consideration.

Negotiate the Negotiable
Here are some rules that are often negotiable with show management:

Payment Schedules. If the payment schedule outlined by the exhibit-space contract doesn’t work with your current cash flow or coincide with your fiscal-year budget, ask for other options. Make sure your accounting department pays on time based on your revised payment schedule so you won’t lose your exhibit space.

Terms and Conditions Clauses. Since many shows provide a copy of the space application/contract before on-site space selection, have your legal department review the contract and submit requested changes before the contract is signed.

For example, one of my clients is an association that displays its members’ products at the largest show in their industry. The booth-space contract for this show states that any product displayed in an exhibit must be the intellectual property of the exhibitor. But show management understands that one of our show goals is to showcase our members’ products and agrees to void that clause in our terms and conditions.

Booth-Space Contracts. When I was the events manager of a large company, I was told I didn’t have the authority to sign the booth-space contract and commit the company to the agreement. But to secure a space for the next year’s show, I needed to be able to sign up on site. When I shared this challenge with my space-sales representative and my corporate “rule-makers,” they let me sign the contract for space during the on-site space selection by writing under my signature, “Pending approval by legal or purchasing department within two weeks of this date.” That gave me a window of time to get the contract back to the office and have it reviewed without missing the premium space-selection deadline at the show.

Late Signups. If your company signs up for a show after the deadline, stipulate in your contract that you receive an extension of a week or two to submit your show forms for services such as electrical, carpeting, and AV. You should still be able to get the contractor’s early-bird discount pricing and have all service options, including selecting your own exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC).

Exhibit-Height Variances. If the show’s exhibit-height limitations don’t work with your exhibit properties, ask the show manager for a height variance. You’re much better off to ask before the show than to be called on your excessive height on site and be forced to take a chainsaw and cut off the top of your exhibit.

Inbound Target Dates and Times. If you’re shipping your exhibit from another trade show, you may be able to get a variance from your assigned target date and time without incurring the usual financial penalty for missing your deadline. Negotiate this with show management, who will work with the GSC to accommodate your shipping and I&D schedule.

Blended Drayage Rates. You can request a blended drayage rate if you are shipping materials that will be distributed at the show and not handled as outbound freight. Your best chance at being granted this variance is if the shipment in question is coming in on a separate bill of lading, its weight is recorded on a separate certified weight slip, and it can be segmented from the rest of your shipment for billing purposes.

Special-Handling Drayage Fees. Depending on how your freight is loaded, you may be able to negotiate away the special-handling drayage fees that most GSCs charge for unloading any type of vehicle other than common-carrier loads. Many van-line shipments of crates and pallets are floor loaded (not stacked) and are unloaded through the rear trailer doors, which means no additional labor is incurred during unloading and reloading.

Setup Hours. Some shows restrict the number of setup and tear down hours. If these restrictions cause scheduling problems for you, ask show management for additional hours after the floor would normally be closed. You might be required to make a list of the staff members working in your exhibit after hours for the show’s roving security guards, or they may give you special stickers for your after-hours staff to wear.

Light Levels. If you ever need to tone down the ceiling lighting above your exhibit, ask the facility’s electrical contractor if you can temporarily turn off or remove the hall lighting. You’ll have to pay for both labor and equipment to remove and replace the bulbs after the show, but if your exhibit has a lot of specialized lighting or theater presentations, you don’t want the hall lighting to interfere with the effect you’re trying to create.

Billing Procedures. Being billed on the show floor is negotiable. If you are a national account with the GSC, a government affiliate, or have a record of paying your bills on time, you may be able to defer billing until after the show. Terms are usually 30 days after the show or whenever the final invoice is presented, and service providers will usually hold your credit card hostage until the bill is paid.

Get It in Writing
Being able to prove that you have been granted a variance when you’re at the show site is imperative. Always ask for a letter or e-mail that clearly states the variance granted and is signed by the appropriate decision maker. Make multiple copies of the documents and keep them with you at the show, just in case someone questions you.

Remember, it’s much easier to ask permission before the show than to beg forgiveness at the show. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.” So don’t be shy. The worst they can tell you is “No.” e