EXHIBIT RENTAL
 My company plans to rent our next exhibit property, but as a renting rookie, I’m nervous about signing the contract. What’s the least I need to know before I sign my rental agreement?
 When it comes to exhibit-rental fees and contracts, there are no clearly defined industry standards, which means each contract is a little different. So you’ll need to read the fine print carefully, and you might need to amend the contract several times to make sure it fits your needs. However, before you can even begin to examine a rental contract, you need to understand the three basic types of rental agreements.
Here’s a quick rundown.
1. One-time use agreements. One-time use agreements are typically offered for exhibit properties that already exist in the rental company’s inventory. The properties are usually rented for a base price, plus any optional customizations, such as graphics, reception desks, specialized lighting, etc. Payment terms normally require a nonrefundable deposit of a portion of the rental fee to reserve the booth for your exclusive use at the specified time, with the balance due at deployment. Sometimes, exhibit houses also require that these rentals be deployed under their supervision and with their labor and transportation.
2. Multiple-use agreements. With these agreements, the exhibitor contracts to rent the property multiple times, as the more you rent a specific booth, the less it usually costs per use. Canceling such an agreement can result in stiff penalties, and exclusive use of the property usually isn’t guaranteed, although most reputable exhibit companies will not rent the property to other exhibitors within your industry. These agreements are usually structured over a specific period of time: One year, 18 months, and two years are the most common.
3. Build-to-suit agreements. Each build-to-suit agreement produces a highly individualized, custom exhibit and requires a multiple-use agreement, usually for one to three years. Often, these exhibits are designed for the exclusive use of the renter, which means exhibit houses can’t recoup their costs from other renters, and strong penalties apply if you breach the contract.
Build-to-suit agreements are usually front loaded so the design and construction costs are recouped early in the contract. Sometimes these upfront costs are carried by the exhibit house and recovered over the term of the agreement. Other times, the agreement includes third-party financing.
Once you’ve determined which type of exhibit and agreement suits your needs, it’s time to examine the rental contract. Once again, every contract is different, so consider asking the rental company or even your company’s attorney to walk you through it. But no matter how you
examine your contract, make sure it not only answers the following four questions but that the answers provide a black-and-white level of clarity, rather than a lot of grey areas.
 What, exactly, is included in the rental fee? Before you examine your contract, make a list of everything you need from the rental company, including pre-, at-, and post-show services and products. Then read your contract to determine if all of your needs are clearly addressed. For example, does your rental agreement include refurbishments? Does it include lighting — or light bulbs for that matter? Will you need to purchase carpet? Will someone walk you through the process of setting up the structure the first time out? Is installation and dismantle included? What types and level of services are included, and what length of time or quality of service can you expect?
If any of your needs aren’t clearly identified, now’s the time to add them to the contract. And be as clear as possible, as you don’t want any grey areas popping up a week into your three-year contract.
Who’s responsible for loss or damages? What happens if a forklift skewers the back wall? Or what if the booth disappears into the missing-freight vortex never to be seen again? The rental company owns the exhibit and as such, it’s usually responsible for loss or damage. But it’s better to have these uncertainties clearly spelled out in the contract than to risk your program’s budget — or your job — on assumptions.
Is an installation/dismantle supervisor included? If you’ve carefully investigated the previous question, you might already have the answer to this one. However, if I&D is included in your rental fees, that doesn’t automatically mean that an on-site I&D supervisor is on board as well. So be sure to verify what, exactly, is included with any I&D services.
Can we use our shipping company, or must we use the rental company’s preferred shipper? Since the property belongs to the rental company, you’re often required to use its preferred shipper. However, be sure to investigate your options and how much any preferred shippers typically charge.
To the uninitiated, rental contracts can be daunting. But armed with a bit of information and some key questions, you can make sure every “I” is dotted and every “T” crossed before you sign on the dotted line.
— Sean Combs, president, Steelhead Productions Inc., Las Vegas
LEAD-RETRIEVAL COMPATIBILITY
I’m thinking about purchasing a lead-retrieval system, and I’m sure it will be a cost savings to me over the long haul, but only if it’s compatible with the majority of my shows. How can I find out if the system I’m considering is compatible with my shows, and what should I do if I get to a show and the reader doesn’t work?
Most companies that sell lead-retrieval systems have some sort of compatibility chart that will tell you which programs its system can read. Some will even give you a list of shows using a compatible system. However, if there’s any uncertainty about the lead-retrieval system’s compatibility, better to do your research before your purchase, rather than after. Or better yet, have the system supplier do the research and compile that information for you.
Provide the lead-system company with a list of shows your company plans to attend and ask it to do the legwork to determine whether or not each show’s individual system will work with the system you’re considering purchasing. If the two systems are compatible, get the company’s claim in writing and hold the company accountable. The company should be able to tell you which shows its system will work at — and to provide you with some kind of guarantee regarding those shows. If it can’t, consider shopping around for a company that can. After all, if the supplier’s machine doesn’t work, it should be its problem, not yours.
Keep in mind, even the best technology in the world has a hiccup now and then. So even if you decide to purchase a system, you’re bound to run into a snafu now and again with either your system or that of show management’s.
So get a business-card reader and a good paper lead form. If your purchased lead system goes down for some reason, you’ve got a backup. While the card scanner won’t gather every detail encoded in the badges, you can gather basic contact information with the scanner and use the lead form to record pertinent details.
— EXHIBITOR Staff
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