You Deserve a Refund on Show Labor When....

Because I've spent so much of my clients money this summer on show labor, several realities of the industry have been thrust upon me and have evoked me to share a few of what I now consider 5 "Immutable" truths of working with larger crews on trade show exhibit set ups. 

Immutable Truth #1) Get What You Pay For - the Team

Show labor companies appear to work on the basis of supplying one experienced and talented worker per booth, plus a handful of followers who do what the leader says. Now if you're providing the supervision, or even if you're not, shouldn't all the labor be equally as good and be equally as talented as the number one guy? You pay the exact same amount per man, so why shouldn't they all be of equal skill level? Isn't that's what you're paying for?

Immutable Truth #2) Get What You Pay For - the Individual

If you're paying $190 per hour per man, shouldn't he look like a $190 per hour man; complete with tools and a skill set to complete the job within what you have determined as a reasonable amount of time based on past jobs? Just by looking at his tools and asking a few questions, you'll know if you've got a veteran or a ringer.

Immutable Truth #3) Now We Get Personal

If any of the personnel assigned to your booth has a weight problem, the chances of him being able to bound up and down a 14 foot ladder are slim and none. You'll have to make the decision on what constitutes a weight problem, but a good rule of thumb suggests that if any part of his midriff touches the zipper of his pants on the outside, you've got your answer.  

Immutable Trust #4) Tools

If any man shows up without a full complement of tools, it's a definite NO! Why? Because if doesn't have his own tools, he either doesn't get much work from the union because they don't like him, or he doesn't care enough about his job to buy them; either of which means that you dump him ASAP! 

Immutable Truth #5) You've Got a Genius

Crew members that know what they're doing, don't need to tell you what they're doing, and don't take every opportunity to give you the WIKI version of every utterance that comes out of their mouth. Never a good sign when this guy shows up at your booth, so recognize it early and act accordingly.  

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by Lowell Nickens, ShopForExhibits.com, Linked In Profile