TRADESHOW WEEK BUYER'S GUIDE
Category Definitions
Airlines: Airlines which service most major tradeshow cities.
Audio-Visual Production: Firms which create, design and produce audio-visual and multimedia presentations for corporate/association meetings, conventions, tradeshows, exhibit booths.
Audio-Visual Rentals & Services: Firms which rent projectors, screens, sound systems, video equipment, etc.
Booth Attractions: Companies which provide a product or service to assist exhibitors in drawing traffic to their booth.
Booth Equipment & Fixtures: Firms which manufacture or distribute booth-compatible components for displaying products such as display grids, light boxes, fixtures or literature racks.
Booth Staffing: Companies which provide exhibit personnel and models for tradeshows, conventions and meetings.
Car Rental Agencies: Companies which rent cars nationwide.
Communications Equipment: Companies which rent or sell communications equipment such as portable telephones, walkie-talkies, fax machines, etc.
Computer Hardware & Software Rentals & Sales: Companies which rent or sell computer hardware/software and provide computer services for tradeshow managers and exhibitors.
Computer Software Developers: Companies which develop software programs for tradeshow related companies.
Consultants: Companies which advise exhibitors and/or show producers about their programs. Firms in this category specialize in a variety of services such as training and coaching exhibit personnel, customizing marketing plans, logistical planning and execution, tradeshow management, pre- and post-show promotions and analysis, strategy consulting, market research and public relations.
Convention & Visitors Bureaus: Organizations within a given city or community organized to solicit and service tradeshow and convention business, promote tourism and provide related services.
Customs Brokers: Firms which provide international shipping assistance clearing goods through customs.
Decorator Equipment & Hardware: Firms which supply exhibit booth components, such as pipes, drapes, panels, shelves or fixtures, or provide show floor moving equipment such as dollies or forklifts.
Destination Management Companies: Companies specializing in management of meetings and conventions including site selection, housing, transportation, speakers, spouse programs, entertainment and publicity.
Electrical & Plumbing Contractors: Firms which provide temporary electrical and plumbing service for tradeshows.
Event Entertainment: Firms that provide entertainment at events.
Exhibit Brokers: Companies which maintain a registry of exhibits for sale.
Exhibit Brokers - Used: Companies which maintain a registry of used exhibits for sale.
Exhibit Designers & Producers: Full service houses offering services such as designing, constructing, installing/dismantling, shipping coordination, refurbishing, warehousing, etc. for exhibits.
Exhibit Halls: Facilities such as convention centers which offer at least 25,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space for tradeshows and conventions.
Exhibit Installation & Dismantling: Firms which specialize in set-up/tear-down of exhibits. (Note: Many Exhibit Designers/Producers and General Service Contractors also provide this service. However, we list under this category only those companies with I&D divisions or those whose primary service is I&D.)
Exhibit Manufacturers - Outsource: Companies that are subcontracted to build exhibits.
Exhibit Shipping Cases: Firms which provide packing or carrying cases for portable exhibits.
Exhibit Transportation: Firms which specialize in ground, air or sea transportation of exhibits, products, equipment and show materials.
Facility Management: Firms which provide management services for convention centers.
Floor Coverings: Companies which provide standard and custom floor coverings for individual exhibitors and/or the entire show.
Florists & Plant Rentals: Companies which specialize in plant rentals and floral arrangements for individual exhibitors and/or the entire show.
Furniture Rentals: Companies which provide furniture and accessories for tradeshow booths only.
General Service Contractors: Firms contracted by show management which provide a wide range of services to show management and exhibitors: exhibit & material handling and storage, drayage, move-in/out, furniture, carpet, booth rental, signage, etc.
Ground Transportation & Shuttles: Companies which provide short range ground transportation. Routes include show site, hotel and airport.
Holography: Companies which provide photographic effects to obtain a three-dimensional image.
Hotels/Hotel Exhibit Halls: Properties within major tradeshow cities with a minimum of 150 rooms and hotels which offer at least 25,000 sq. ft. of prime exhibit space for tradeshows.
Housing Services: Independent companies which assist show organizers in arranging group reservations and discounts at various hotels for attendees and exhibitors. (Note: This category excludes convention bureaus as well as show management firms which offer housing services for only their own shows.)
Independent Exhibit Designers: Firms and individuals which provide exhibit design services only.
Industry Associations: Tradeshow industry organizations.
Insurance Firms: Firms which offer specialized insurance policies for tradeshow exhibitors and show management companies.
Investment Banking Firms: Firms that advise and assist companies with mergers and acquisitions.
Lead Retrieval & Management: Companies which provide inquiry handling systems including lead follow-up programs, tradeshow lead tracking and measurement systems, literature fulfillment and mailing labels.
Lighting & Special Effects: Firms which supply lighting and special effects for exhibitors and show organizers.
Miscellaneous
Modular/Portable Exhibits: Manufacturers or distributors of exhibits constructed from prefabricated interchangeable components and/or lightweight hand-carriable displays which are easily assembled into tabletop to full backwall units. (Note: Many Exhibit Designers/Producers offer m/p displays. However, we list under this category only those companies whose primary service is m/p displays, have special m/p divisions or manufacture the interchangeable components.)
Off-Site Meeting Space: Off-site multimedia centers for conferences, events and training.
Office Services - Show Site: Companies which set-up a mini-office at the show site. Services include temporary personnel and office equipment.
On-Site Child Care: Firms that provide professional child care at conventions and tradeshows.
Photographers: Companies or individuals which specialize in photography for tradeshows.
Photographic Labs & Supplies: Companies specializing in black & white/color prints, photo enlargements, transparencies, photo murals, photographic supplies, etc.
Promotional Products: Firms which provide novelties, souvenirs, business gifts and other promotional premiums.
Registration Supplies & Badges: Firms which provide badges, badge holders, ribbons, clips, pins and other products associated with attendance identification.
Registration Systems: Firms which provide computerized and/or manual attendance registration services.
Security Services: Companies which provide security services and consulting for the tradeshow industry.
Show Audit/Survey Organizations: Firms which conduct audits and/or research for a tradeshow or exhibitor.
Show Daily Publishers: Companies which publish a newspaper or magazine each day of a show specifically for the show attendees and exhibitors.
Show Management: Includes single-show and multi-show management firms and publishing companies which produce conventions and tradeshows.
Signage/Tradeshow Graphics: Companies which provide custom signs and graphics to show management and exhibitors.
Special Event Coordinators: Companies specializing in management of meetings and conventions with a focus on the event itself.
Telecommunications Services: Firms that offer a variety of telecommunications services to show organizers and convention centers.
Tents & Temporary Structures: Companies which sell or lease temporary and permanent outdoor structures to tradeshows and convention centers.
Tradeshow Floor Management: Firms hired as an extension to show management to manage and assist with on-site floor logistics.
Tradeshow Marketing & Public Relations: Companies specializing in design/production of show brochures, direct mail pieces, public relations and, in some cases, exhibit space sales.
Tradeshow Payroll Service: Firms that provide payroll services for casual employees such as union labor for tradeshows or entertainment productions. Services may include check preparation, benefit payments, state and federal tax remittances and workers compensation insurance.
Translators/Translating Equipment: Companies which provide interpreters and/or equipment to translate for foreign attendees and exhibitors.
U.S. Representatives of Foreign Tradeshows: U.S. based contacts for tradeshows held outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Video Walls: Companies which rent or sell multi-screen video displays to exhibitors.
Web Services: Firms that design Web sites and virtual tradeshows.