Exhibit managers are a lot like orchestra conductors. But instead of woodwinds and brass, they select and conduct an ensemble of vendors, including everyone from labor crews and transportation providers to exhibit houses and lighting designers. The goal, of course, is for each participant to play its unique part, working together to create an exhibit program that delivers harmonious, yet hard-core, results. However, if even one player hits a sour note – or you compose your orchestra of the wrong players entirely – the conductor (and ultimately the entire brand) suffers a poor performance. Clearly, then, vigilant vendor selection is paramount to your program's success.

Nevertheless, many exhibit managers (particularly those with heavy-handed procurement departments) tend to focus too much attention on bottom-line costs and too little attention on essential soft deliverables. These "soft offerings" – which most often involve service, knowledge, expertise, etc. – can pay huge dividends down the road in the form of expenses cut, time saved, disasters averted, and headaches avoided.

That's why, as the global trade show and event marketing program manager for HP Inc., I assess five key soft criteria when I analyze each potential vendor. Rather than letting mere numbers dictate my vendors and my fate, I employ these standards to determine which one will play in tune with not only my marketing program and its existing team members, but also HP's brand and culture. While your exhibit-marketing plan has its own unique needs, these five criteria apply to almost any program and can help determine if a vendor deserves a spot in your orchestra.

Knowledge of Trends

Effective exhibit managers attempt to stay abreast of industry trends, issues, products, etc. That might mean attending industry conferences, subscribing to various publications and newsletters, enrolling in industry-specific educational courses, or even keeping an ear to the ground via social media. But in our time-strapped yet information-rich world, staying on top of everything from the newest flatscreen developments and fire codes to the latest Wi-Fi legislation and Twitter tactics is nothing short of impossible. However, if you've selected the right vendors, the latest news and trends are only an email or phone call away.

Vendors should be constantly on the lookout for the newest technology, products, and materials. Plus, I expect my vendors to shoot me an email periodically that simply says, "Hey, did you read this article?" or "Have you seen the new screen from Samsung? It might look great in your conference area." A high-quality vendor ensures that we have every opportunity to remain ahead of the curve – and that we're armed with as much knowledge as possible to help our team perform at its best. If vendors aren't staying on top of industry developments, continually educating their employees, and presenting me with cutting-edge solutions, then they're putting me and my program behind the times, providing a minimal bang for my buck, and doing little to earn or keep my business.

Established Partnerships

Exhibit managers wear many hats. One day they're estimating electrical requirements and ordering a scissor lift, and the next they're approving graphic designs and reserving espresso carts. As such, an exhibit manager is often a jack of all trades and the master of none. And that's fine, since exhibit marketers are generally broad-knowledge managers, not specific-knowledge technicians. That's where vendors – or more specifically the vendors' partners – enter the picture.

My exhibit house should have a wide range of partnerships, or at least working agreements, with a variety of specialty providers, including everyone from flooring-system manufacturers and audiovisual experts to caterers and transportation carriers. If they don't, then they need to be willing and able to work with my own list of suppliers. Similarly, if I'm looking for a lighting-design firm, a solid candidate will have equipment-rental contacts in various locales, or perhaps sound, experience-based referrals for international lighting-equipment providers. That way, if I need to add a unique service or product to my exhibit-marketing program, we don't have to spend countless hours locating, researching, and vetting specialty vendors.

If a potential vendor's partnerships are solid, positive relationships, this proves to me that it can both share the spotlight and manage minor conflicts that arise over time.

Ability to Handle Emergencies

Let's face it: As exhibit managers, we have to be prepared for anything and everything. But we shouldn't have to go it alone. When all hell breaks loose, I need able partners who have experienced this same snafu or at least thought through a similar situation, and I expect them to help me survive unscathed – preferably with my sanity (and my exhibit-marketing program) intact. What I don't need is a partner that throws a pity party instead of addressing the problem effectively and expeditiously.

I also need my vendors to be fully capable of stepping in if I am the emergency. What happens if I catch a flu bug, or my plane is stuck in a blizzard? Or what if two critical trade shows are scheduled for the exact same dates? The show must go on, and I need vendors that can pull it off without me if necessary.

In a sense, this criterion is also a matter of trust, and for me, trust is earned, not freely given straight out of the gate. But before I hire any firm, I want to feel like I could very likely develop trust with its members. I'm handing this company a piece of my program (and, in a manner of speaking, my company), and how reps handle it directly impacts my brand and my career. So I need to trust that each vendor will efficiently manage unexpected situations and will ensure the show goes on no matter what, so that at the end of the day my program and my job security aren't in danger.

Attention to Detail

If you drop a moldy orange into a fruit bowl, it doesn't take long before all of the fruit is fuzzy and green. The same theory applies to quality-control measures. If a firm's attention to detail is lax in one area, then typos, errors, and an overall laissez-faire attitude will seep into other areas as well – and likely into your program.

Granted, we all make mistakes, myself included. But if a vendor's formal RFP response is unpolished, its written communication is filled with typos, and its grammatical prowess rivals that of a first-grader, we're going to have issues. We're also going to butt heads if any formal presentation lacks customization, and it's clear that the vendor has merely slapped our company's name on the top and called it a day. That's just plain lazy, and it shows a disregard for our valuable business.

Let me reiterate: Mistakes happen. But continuous errors for which there seem to be no embarrassment, or even acknowledgement, are unacceptable, because at some point they will impact your program. Before you know it, your in-booth signage may proclaim you're a "pubic school" instead of a public school. Worst of all, these types of errors are just the tip of a usually very large iceberg, and a lack of attention to detail often carries over to the trade show floor in the form of mismatched seams, poorly run cabling, and other gaffes that become liabilities when you're courting clients.

Understanding of the Brand

Another aspect I'm especially aware of is a suppliers' understanding of my company, its brand, products, services, and our culture. Sure, most vendors know a thing or two about HP. But shortly after we split into two separate firms, I had several vendors presenting pitches that weren't even aware of the division. They were talking to me in terms of "enterprise this and that," but in fact the enterprise company is a completely separate entity from HP Inc.

If a vendor hasn't taken the time to carefully research my firm, its products and services, the overall market, my target market, and HP's place within the industry, then that's not only a strike against them in terms of attention to detail, but also a big red flag regarding HP's importance – or lack thereof – to their firm. And if they are unwilling to take a little time to research my company in an effort to win my business, they're probably not going to put any more effort into my account once I've forked over the cash. Granted, an audiovisual provider doesn't need to fully grasp every nuance of our firm. But a company that's deeply involved in our trade show program can't serve the brand when it doesn't understand it.

I want to know if a vendor perceives my business as a transaction or a long-term partnership. Sometimes a transaction is fine. But if you're looking for a partner, be sure any suitors are as committed to the relationship as you are.