i&d labor
 I need to hire labor for my next trade show, and I'm not sure whether to go with an exhibitor-appointed contractor or the show's general contractor. What are the differences between these two labor providers?
 While I'm currently an event-marketing consultant providing logistical, planning, and project-management services, I've worked on both sides of the labor fence. At one time I was a carpenter for an exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC), and at another point I worked for a general contractor (GC). And from my perspective, the main differences between EACs and GCs involve price and service quality - variables that are typically caused by the business situations surrounding each type of provider. To help you make your own conclusions about the pros and cons of these two provider types, let's take a 30,000-foot look at their individual business models.
First, let's talk about GCs. As you know, the GC is hired by show management to provide setup labor for exhibitors as well as for the show itself. But the amount of labor used by each show varies, as does the number of exhibitors who opt for GC labor for I&D. What's more, the number of shows in each city varies year after year. The point is, given the considerable variation in the amount of business the GC receives, many of its laborers are hired on a part-time basis.
EACs, however, typically have regular customers that hire them to work multiple shows throughout the year, no matter where they're held. Granted, business fluctuates at various times of the year, but generally speaking, EACs can plan ahead for these fluctuations. As such, they can typically provide regular work for laborers and offer many of them full-time positions.
Logically, then, laborers want to work for whatever company can guarantee them the most steady work. And these steady EAC jobs are typically doled out to laborers with the most experience. Thus, the most experienced and highest skilled
installers are generally more likely to work for the EAC where there is an increased likelihood of regular,
consistent work.
What's more, an EAC will often pay an experienced laborer what is called an "over-scale hourly rate." This pay rate is typically $2 or $3 more per hour than the going union rate, which draws even more skilled laborers in the direction of the EAC. That's not to say that GC labor is unskilled - most probably meet the recommended union certification to do their job. But based on my experience, you're more likely to get a highly skilled laborer from an EAC than you are from a GC, simply given the way the two business models are set up.
Furthermore, the GC stretches its labor pool across the show floor and beyond. And the person that installed your booth may also have to install three other exhibits, erect graphics in the registration area, and set up tables for the opening-night gala. Point is, once your GC laborer leaves the booth, it can prove difficult to find him or her to ask a question, such as the condition of a piece of equipment when it arrived. It's not that these laborers don't want to be helpful, but the system just isn't set up to allow that kind of personal interaction on a busy show floor.
On the other hand, your EAC will typically provide you with a labor lead and a direct phone number for that person. You can contact your lead at any time, and that lead will be able to contact all laborers for you throughout the show. On top of that, if the EAC was contracted through your exhibit house, chances are the laborers will be well versed in your type of exhibitry, and will be able to install it efficiently. GC laborers may or may not be familiar with your particular exhibit system, and as such, may not be as fast, nor as careful with delicate exhibitry, as EAC labor.
Having said that, GC labor comes with its own set of perks, namely cost and convenience. GC labor can be arranged directly through show management (as opposed to taking the extra step of having your EAC approved by show management prior to installation). Plus, since GCs usually don't have employee-related costs such as benefits packages, GC labor costs roughly 5 to 10 percent less than an EAC. And the GC already has a signed contract from show management for overall show setup, so it's getting a considerable amount of money over and above whatever business it gets from individual exhibitors, again enabling a GC to charge less for its services than an EAC.
GCs can also be a great choice if you have a relatively large exhibit that needs a significant amount of equipment and labor, such as extensive rigging and forklift use. Often, the GC is a more efficient and cost-effective option because it can make the required equipment and personnel available as soon as you need it. With an EAC, your laborers are often forced to stand around and wait for a forklift or rigging operator, for example, to become available through the GC - a process that wastes valuable time and money.
As you can see, EACs and GCs have their unique benefits and drawbacks. Hopefully, by having a better grasp of the business models involved with each, you can determine which service provider best fits your needs.
- Stephen Wooldridge, project manager, Sunshine Tradeshows, Cape Canaveral, FL
|
