The United States is one of the largest and most successful markets in the world. If you are going to participate in a exhibition with a stand in this country, you will enter a giant and also very competitive market. But be careful, the exhibitions in the USA they are different and we explain why in this post.
When we talk about setting up stands on the other side of the Atlantic, we must bear in mind that we are going to work with companies that are very different from those we are used to in Spain and Europe.
Setting up stands in the United States is an activity that is over 100 years old and is becoming more and more important due to the growth of this country and the importance of face-to-face communication in this country.
In the United States there is a great variety of unions that operate and control its market.
No non-union worker at a exhibitionground may work there. Professionals who want to work on a campus must be qualified and licensed by the local union and thus a unionized worker in Chicago may not be able to work on a campus in Las Vegas.
Nor can you ask a carpenter to tighten a screw for example to place the support of a television, he will tell you that he cannot do it because the union would complain. European or foreign booth providers have to rely on local partners to be able to work there, otherwise they would not be able to work.
In addition, the costs to manufacture and set up a stand in the United States are among the highest in the world. A stand there can cost between 3 and 5 times more than a stand in Spain, depending on the type of stand chosen.
Stand mounting providers in the USA offer two types of stands. On the one hand, the “custom” or custom-made stands are the ones with the highest cost. On the other hand, the stands for rent or “rental” which are reused systems or modular and personalized (refurbishment) for the exhibitor who contracts them.
The measurements of the spaces are made in “feet” (remember that one foot is approx. 0.30 m.). The most common spaces are 10´x 10´, 10´x 20´, 20´x 20´… The denomination according to the sides they have open is as follows or the distribution is as follows:
The hiring of exhibition services is done much more in advance than in Europe and high penalties apply for hiring exhibition services at the last minute, as we are more used to in Spain.
Better planning is required and you must also take into account customs procedures or controls if you send samples or products there, in addition to requesting the usual visas to enter the country as a visitor or make inquiries with the authorities.
A peculiarity in the stands of the United States is that there they use more direct-to-floor carpeting than the flooring, when in Europe it is just the opposite. In addition, the carpet they usually use is the velor type or pile that is rare in Europe.
In the USA you cannot move a box in your Stand. Once at the exhibition, you will have to negotiate with the “Drayage” who are the agents who handle the merchandise and the costs of these services are also exorbitant for Europeans.
You can take packages to your Stand whenever it is not necessary to use a cart, although sometimes, with a written authorization, you can use a 2-wheeled cart, be sure to use a cart with 3 or more wheels is an essential requirement to be unionized and the price / hour of a person with the necessary quantification to use a 3-wheeled cart does not drop below € 60 / hour.
Also note that the voltage in the USA is 110-120V and that you will need adapters if you are going to connect electronic equipment that you take there. Also the videos that you take must be compatible with the NTSC system.
Already during the exhibition, the average duration of the exhibitions is 2 or 3 days, somewhat less than the exhibitions in Europe. A more informal and direct treatment is usual, with a less rigid dress style, fewer ties than at exhibitions in Europe and more shirts with company logos. They give more importance to merchandising and the sale is more aggressive, bluntly.
At Expomedia we will help you plan your next exhibition in the United States to make your stand a success.
share:
