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Candy Adams,
CTSM, CME,
CEM, CMP, CMM,
is an independent exhibit-management
consultant, trainer, speaker, writer, and an Exhibitor conference
faculty member.
CandyAdams
@BoothMom.com
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 confess. I'm bored of badging. I've had it with housing. And logoed attire gives me angst. What looks from the outside to be the easiest part of my job can actually be the most time consuming, frustrating, and least appreciated of all the tasks I perform.
Why? Because staff logistics are all about dealing with people - from executives to travel-savvy salesmen to the labor lead who travels with my exhibit - and they all want different things. As a result, unexpected surprises and outlandish requests are the norm, ranging from last-minute additions to the staffing roster (requiring plane tickets, hotel rooms, exhibit-hall badges, staff shirts, etc.) to impossibly specific preferences for housing and air-travel accommodations.
For example, I have clients who won't stay at a hotel that isn't part of their hotel or airline rewards programs. Others request a hotel with a fully decked-out gym, and then complain that the hotel is located two blocks from the convention center and they'll have to walk. I work with universities who send staff to shows on an unlivable per diem and want me to find a hotel with free meals - not just breakfast, but a complimentary happy hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres they can substitute for dinner. And my favorite last-minute request: A client with children wanted a room with a full kitchenette and bonded nannies on staff, within walking distance of the convention at one of the largest international shows in Europe.
You could prepare for such requests by overstocking your room block with an inventory of rooms you may never use, buying excess staff shirts in every imaginable size, and getting an extra staff badge under the pseudonym "Justin Case." But the best way to combat such logistical headaches is straightforward communication. The following two lists, which include the information you need to gather from your staff and the information you need to supply to them, should help you keep last-minute surprises to a minimum.
What You Need From Them
It's no secret that we all get too much e-mail. If you constantly pepper your exhibit staff with questions about their shirt size and airplane-seat preferences, they're going to start tuning you out - or they'll just stop responding to all your requests. Limit the number of noncritical e-mails you send by consolidating your questions ahead of time. Send out one request for information (with a clear deadline when their responses are due back to you), and make sure that you take that single opportunity to ask for all the information you need to book flights, make hotel reservations, purchase staff uniforms, etc. To get you started on developing your own info-request form, here's a list of the most common information I ask staffers to provide.
 Badge information. Request their names and titles, as they want them to appear on their exhibitor badges. Include special titles such as Dr., or the abbreviations from relevant degrees or certifications (if they are important to your exhibit staff and recognized by show attendees) to add credibility to your staff. Also find out if staff members need more than the basic, and usually free, exhibits-only badge. For example, they may need access to the show floor during setup, dismantle, or before and after show hours. They may also need special badges that grant access to conference sessions and networking events.
Preferred airline. Request frequent-flier account numbers for staffers' preferred airlines, and find out their seating preferences on the plane (aisle, window, exit row, bulkhead), to make it easier to book their flights. Granted, you might not be able to satisfy all their requests - especially when booking last-minute flights. But when it comes to travel logistics, it's all about knowing what each person prefers, and doing your best to accommodate as many of their individual requests as possible. A happy exhibit staffer is far better than a crabby one.
Preferred hotel. Ask staff for a list of their preferred hotels and amenities, and accommodate their requests when possible. I don't always get a block in a single hotel, and I like to put my staff where they're most comfortable, if possible. Ask about the preferred size and number of beds (usually either two queens or one king), whether each staff member prefers a smoking or nonsmoking room, or if anyone needs specially equipped or handicap-accessible rooms. Some staffers may have special requests such as a refrigerator required to store medicine. Others may prefer rooms on high or low floors of the hotel. Members of one of my technical exhibit-staff teams, who work outrageous hours during setup, always request to be placed in a hotel with 24-hour room service, so no matter what time they hit their hotel room, they can still get a bite to eat. Another high-tech client requires high-speed wired Internet in all staff members' rooms, not just Wi-Fi.
Hotel arrival and departure dates. Before you make hotel reservations assuming all staffers are flying in the day before (or day of) the show and flying out the evening after it ends, find out if anyone plans to extend their trip by a day or two for meetings or personal vacations. Some companies encourage their employees to stay over a Saturday night now that some airlines are again discounting flight costs if there's a Saturday-night stay. It's much easier to ask for this information up front than it is to try and change individual staffer's hotel reservations after the fact.
Exhibit-staffing availability. Ask your staff members to provide specific dates and times they are not available for booth duty due to other commitments such as client or partner meetings or attendance at the conference's educational sessions. Then do your best to accommodate these requests when setting up their work schedules. If possible, circulate your staffing schedule before leaving for the show so that everyone knows when they are expected to staff the booth, and can alert you to any conflicts or trade time slots with other staffers if needed.
Shirt size. Include multiple checkboxes here for gender, size, and style. If possible, circulate a spec sheet provided by your shirt vendor as an attachment to the information-request sheet so your staff can look at the photo of the shirt and neck, sleeve, and length measurements associated with the various sizes and styles.
Food preferences and allergies. If you're providing food at training or sales meetings while at the show, ask staffers if they have any food restrictions, such as vegetarian preferences or food allergies. Given enough notice, most restaurants and caterers can easily accommodate common preferences and allergies.
Contact information. At most shows, my clients ask me to create a card that fits behind the exhibitor badge and lists staff cell-phone numbers. This has been a lifesaver when staffing issues arise or a staff member comes up missing. I've had staffers that were hospitalized, jailed, and called home for family emergencies, so having their cell-phone numbers is critical to keeping everything under control. Getting on-site cell-phone numbers for international shows may be more difficult and last minute, as staff members may rent local phones in the show city for use during their stay. At my last international show, I passed around a pad during exhibit-staff training and asked everyone to write down their working cell-phone numbers. Then I posted it inside the storage closet, which facilitated staff contact during the show.
Emergency contact information. Find out who to contact if anything happens to your staffers at the show. For example, in the event a staffer needs emergency medical assistance, you will want to have a contact name and phone number on hand.
What They Need From You
Sharing information is a two-way street. What information can you provide to your exhibit staff before the trade show to make their participation during the show easier, better, or less expensive? Keep your staff in the communication loop by putting together a tool, such as an informational brief or show plan that will tell them what they need to know. Here is a list of key information to include.
Staff-meeting details. To make sure your staff arrives in time to participate in your exhibit-staff training, pre-show meeting, and in-booth orientation, be sure to publish, far in advance, when and where those meetings will be held. Also be sure to let staffers know that attendance at these meetings is mandatory, or you're likely to have a high percentage of no-shows.
Hotel confirmation number. If you're not familiar with trade show housing, the numbers provided to the exhibit manager handling the housing block that identifies your staffers' hotel reservations are not the hotel's actual confirmation numbers. You can request the real confirmation numbers from the hotel about a week or so before check-in, based on when the housing bureau passes on guest names and arrival/departure dates. At hotel check-in, the housing block numbers are virtually useless, since the hotel desk clerk can't pull up your staff members' hotel reservations with those numbers. So if any problems arise with the reservation, your staffers are up a creek without a reservation number. It also doesn't hurt to confirm any special room requests at the same time you contact the hotel for the confirmation numbers.
Hotel check-in and checkout times. Make sure your staff members know when their rooms will be available. For international shows, when I have staff arriving after long international flights, I try to book their rooms a day early with very late guaranteed check-in so they don't have to wander around a strange city, waiting to relax and recuperate in their rooms. Also be sure they know when the checkout times are, so they're able to plan accordingly, and can pack up and check out of their rooms before heading to the convention center in the morning if they're flying out that night. Otherwise, you'll need to allow them to take a break from booth duty to return to their hotels, pack up, check out, and leave their luggage with the bell desk. If possible, you can also ask the hotel for guaranteed late checkout times.
Hotel information. Your staff will likely want to find out about the hotel's location and amenities, such as restaurants, parking, whether or not it has a gym or pool, what services are provided in the business-center facilities, whether there are any nearby tourist attractions, etc. So rather than making them hunt this information down, simply provide the URL to the hotel's main web page.
Hotel cancellation policy. If staff members need to cancel or change their room reservations, how is this best accomplished? Should they contact you or the hotel directly to make changes? When is the last date and time they can cancel a room without forfeiting the deposit?
Hotel payment policy. Does your company prepay for staff hotel rooms, or do you require your staff members' corporate or personal credit cards to guarantee and pay for their hotel room? Oftentimes, even if the rooms are prepaid, the hotel will request a credit card for each guest to have on file for room-service charges and/or incidental expenses. So make sure your staffers know to have a credit card available, and inform them of your company's reimbursement policies.
Transportation information. Let your staff know the best way to get from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the convention center. Hotels often provide complimentary or discounted shuttle service to and from the airport. If not, a hotel concierge can usually help you find out the average cost of taxis from the airport to the hotel or convention center and the particulars of other local transportation such as trains, trolleys, and buses. Trade shows usually also provide shuttle buses from preferred hotels to the convention center, but make sure you read the fine print. At a recent show, show management gave wrist- bands to exhibit staff and attendees who booked hotels within the official show block. Exhibitors and attendees who booked outside the official block could only get the shuttle passes by purchasing them for $75 from the show's bookstore.
Local shopping info. At some time during their stay at the show, most exhibit staff will need to find a drug store, office-supply store, grocery store, computer shop, or restaurant. It's great to provide a map of the area between your hotel and the convention center that identifies these locales. The hotel concierge can usually provide this information or give you a map that you can distribute to your staff.
Map of exhibit hall. This map is especially important when a venue has numerous lettered halls spread out over a large area. On the map, point out all company exhibits, partners on the show floor, press rooms, the show management office, the general service contractor's service desk, hotel shuttle drop-off and pick-up points, taxi stands, restaurants, and restrooms in close proximity to your exhibit.
Exhibitor badge pick-up. Explain the procedure for picking up badges, identifying where and when they will be distributed and any identification your staffers will need to have on hand, such as a photo ID, a business card, registration confirmation, etc.
Staff logistics may seem like "small stuff," but ignoring the details or saving them for the last minute can quickly and easily turn them into monumental hassles. If you communicate well with your staff members, and manage many of the details for them, they - and you - will be free to focus on more important things at the show.e
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