The need to understand and work with a host of different entities has become increasingly important in the event, trade show and meeting industry — from establishing a good relationship with the fire marshal and security to electricians, stage hands, camera operators and drayage personnel. Drayage refers to the work or cost of hauling goods. And many venues, including most convention centers, as well as some hotels, motion picture studios and other off-premise sites are operated by either union personnel or exclusive facility contractors. Exclusive contractor refers to suppliers and vendors that planners are mandated to use at specific venues. The labor structure and policies for event production vary from venue to venue and city to city. What works in Chicago and Boston may not work in Las Vegas and Seattle.
Staging events in union facilities and towns can either be a painful process — possibly an event industry war story, or the experience can be a relatively easy journey. In most cases, it will largely depend on the event planner. The better prepared and more savvy the planner is about the venue’s union policies, the more trouble-free the event installation and tear-down will be.
Following are twelve steps to enhance the working relationship between the planner and facility contractor personnel, thereby optimizing the chances for a successful event:
1. As part of your event plan, anticipate the number of hours it may take for a laborer to perform any given tasks — from stage managers to a forklift operator. And in the case of drayage, attempt to accurately estimate the weight of all goods that have to be delivered to the venue. The planner also should be aware of the minimum hourly rates for various job tasks, as well as penalties, starting times and meal options. For example, some labor categories require a 2-hour minimum, others may be 4-hours. The meal options might be a half hour dinner break, provided by the client on the clock or a 1 hour break off the clock. Whatever the venue’s pricing structure and labor policies, budget accordingly. One also should allow extra time for set-up. Many contractors are required to take scheduled breaks, which may fall in the midst of your installation. The key is to develop a well-organized production plan.
2. Ascertain which trade show exhibit company and third party contractors have overall responsibility for the convention, event or conference. While last year you may have staged the same event at the same venue and worked with Decorating Company ABC, this year the contractor may be Company XYZ. And each company has it’s distinct operating style. The event planner must develop a logistical strategy and concisely communicate their plans and needs to the contractor based on the event design and venue’s layout. When installation begins, the planners needs to provide adequate supervision and personnel who are familiar with technical aspects, operations and the overall event layout. For example, the number of electrical drops and their placement can be pre-determined and coordinated with the electricians. The planner’s supervisors can ensure that all electrical drops will be placed in the appropriate areas. This person should be aware of any final changes to the event plan.
3. Understand the difference in terminology and job descriptions used by various unions and facility contractors. For example, the event industry refers to decorators as simply a person who helps install decor and is generally viewed as a non-union function. In contrast, many facilities refer to decorators as people who assemble props and erect scenery, but may lack certain skills to create the nuances commonly found in most events. In this case, the role of the planner is to provide supervision and materials only. The planner’s in-house decorators will only be allowed to perform tasks that do not fall within the union personnel’s job description.
4. At the onset of the event, establish ground rules with exclusive contractors and union personnel. For example, you may want to ask that all communication be directed to you and not your client. As the planner, your client has given you the responsibility to oversee and coordinate all activities in conjunction with the event. If there are problems, you might suggest that contractors talk with you discretely, but again not in front of your client.
5. Create a production delivery schedule and provide this information to all suppliers and members of your event team. And communicate with all suppliers about logistical procedures and labor and facility policies that might impact the delivery and pick-up of goods and services to the venue. Provide the suppliers with directions, maps, contacts, layouts, and other information that will assist them with your installation. The planner and supplier should also exchange cellular and pager numbers as a means of keeping everyone abreast at all times. There’s nothing worse than a supplier truck pulling up to the venue, completely unknowledgeable about the facility’s operating procedures and labor policies. For instance, your supplier may have other scheduled deliveries on that day, but because he was not informed by your organization of the 2-hour delay that it might take to get through the marshaling yard or that workers might be on break upon his arrival, additional delivery costs are likely to be incurred. The delay also sets off a domino affect, and those colleagues who might also be staging an event on the same day and are expecting goods from the same supplier, will be impacted. Their set-up time will be cut short. This scenario could easily be avoided with better organization and communication.
6. In addition to the site inspections, send an advance person to the venue, prior to the event installation to cut through any red tape. This could vary from a couple of hours to several days, all depending on the nature and scope of the event, as well as the specific venue. The advance person’s responsibility is to trouble shoot on your behalf and pave the way for a smooth event set-up. The advance person must be a team player, possess excellent communication skills, and be willing to establish a good relationship with the fire marshall, electricians, drayage workers, etc. This person is also personable, tireless, relentless and have that unique gift to quickly remember names and faces. The advance person can also provide you with the on-site location offices of contractors, laborers and business services. Planners should provide their advance personnel with a list of your vendors and their anticipated arrival times. This individual can then in turn share this information with the labor and contractor department heads and supervisors.
7. Flame retardant everything and have certificates on hand to prove it. And like any event, proof of workers compensation and certificates of insurance are mandatory and should be readily available and provided by your company, as well as all vendors and suppliers. In some cases, event, transportation and other types of permits will be needed. These documents also should be at your immediate access.
8. Upon your arrival to the venue, ask your advance person to make all introductions between union department workers, exclusive contractors and your key staff. Because the advance person has become acquainted with the union laborers and the pre-event operation prior to your arrival, this individual is in a better position to pass the torch on to you. It will then be the responsibility of the event planner to continue the relationship throughout the duration of the event.
9. Don’t lose your temper, make threats or act like a prima donna. The laborers and contractors are also there to get a job done, and should be viewed as an integral team participant or partner. Actions that are counter productive only create tension and serve as a detriment to the overall function.
10. While most labor costs and services can be pre-determined and budgeted for prior to the event, there may be some elements that cannot be accurately configured. As the planner, you are probably aware of these potential budget line items, but realize that they cannot be priced until completion of the tasks. Be honest and communicate these unknowns to your client before they solidify a final budget. The client can then take steps to allocate a contingency fund for these expenses and have the costs billed directly to their master account. You also might suggest to your client that they assign one of their employees to be available at the venue during installation to immediately approve any additional expenses.
11. Assuming that the union laborers and contractors have performed to your satisfaction, you might opt to send a thank-you letter to their company. If key workers served to the overall event’s success, the letter should include their names. Not only can the document be placed in a worker’s personnel file, a letter can serve as a testimonial for that contracting company — an endorsement that can be shared with their future and potential clients. You can also reward the key union personnel and contacts at the end of the event with a small token of appreciation such as a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates or a gift certificate at a local restaurant. Under no circumstances, should an event planner exchange or give union personnel money. Thank you letters and small tokens of appreciation speak well about your company. And contractors and laborers will remember you and welcome the opportunity to work with your firm again.
12. Conduct a post-show or event evaluation, including a critique about the union labor, services and event show contractors. The lessons learned are invaluable and can only thrust you forward in the event and meeting industry.
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Posted on March 1st, 2010 by roy
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