Service Contractors in Event Management: Roles and Impact

Tatum Davis Chapter Six Summary and Discussion Questions HB 208: Introduction to Event Management Tim Mehlberg February 21, 2024

The topic for chapter six is service contractors who are people that help event/show managers to produce their event smoothly and efficiently by providing a product or service. The chapter covers the various roles the service contractors engage in during the organization process, their relationship with the organizer, and their relationship with each other. A service contractor can include a florist, electrical company, staffing agency, etc. There is a surplus of roles service contractors can play when being hired for an event or exhibition. A general service contractor is hired by the show manager to handle the general duties necessary to produce the show on-site. General service contractors often engage in services that help set up a room for an event for example laying carpet, instillation, material handling, and providing booths. There is also an official contractor who get appointed by show management to provide services like set up and tear downs, labor, and loading dock procedures. As the MEEC has developed and grown, services contractors have become involved in every aspect of an event which has led to them being a key interface between event organizers and MEEC suppliers. One main act of service contractors engage in is material handling. Material handling is overall handling the delivery and care of supplies from the dock to the event and then returning the supplies after the event. It also includes the price paid for having trucks transport products. In order to add to their services, GSC creates the exhibitor service manual that is specific to the event. It includes important show information like dates, times, and regulations. Considering there are many roles general service contractors offer, they are organized into different functional departments. These departments include: sales, logistics, material handling and warehousing, event technology, event services, production, and accounting and finance. The two largest US GSC companies are Freeman Companies and Global Experience Specialists. Both companies work with international events in addition to domestic ones.

There are two main types of service contractors: specialty service contractors and exhibitor-appointed service contractors. Specialty contractors deal with a specific area of a show/event production. They handle the services to complete production which includes audiovisual, business services, catering, floral, photography, décor, staffing, utilities, and so on. The exhibitor-appointed contractor performs the same duties as a specialty contractor but only for one exhibitor, not show manager. This occurs as companies do more and more shows and take a liking to one service supplier or vendor. The first step in organizing an event is hiring the service contractor. The process of hiring service contracts is through a request for proposal which includes a list of questions and specifications for the show made by the show manager. It is overall a process of figuring out a service contractor that is a good fit for the event and has knowledge of the industry related to the event. Once hired, GSCs become involved immediately and begin suggesting marketing themes and logos. Finally, after the events of COVID-19, service contractors had to begin adjusting to more virtual outputs. Obviously in the beginning of the pandemic everything shut down and no events could occur unless it was online. At the time, instead of searching for the perfect venue planners were searching for the perfect technology contractor who had the knowledge and supplies to provide all elements for a virtual event. Therefore, the biggest thing for service contractors was adapting and learning about technology in order to stay active with virtual events. Luckily, now the world is back in action and so are trade shows and events. However, there are still many virtual events occurring. Overall, service contractors are the backbone for of the event industry as they provide a multitude of services that help complete and produce events and exhibitions.

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Chapter Questions: 1. What types of services do specialty contractors provide? a. Specialty contractors provide an array of services that covers just about every aspect of an event such as floral, photography, catering, technology, labor, internet, décor, cleaning, etc. 2. What are some of the questions that should be asked in an RFP? a. Questions that relate to the contractor’s knowledge of the industry of the industry, facility, and other shows handled in the same industry, as well as size of organization and budget. 3. Describe the difference between general and an exhibitor-appointed contractor. a. General contractor works with multiple events and for the show manager whereas an exhibitor-appointed contractor works with only one and for the exhibitor specifically. 4. How can the GSC assist the show/event organizer as it prepares for the exhibition/event/conference? a. GSC can help in just about every aspect of an event but primarily assist with material handling. GSC tend to specialize in installation, furniture, laying carpet, etc. but can engage in many other areas. 5. You are the event manager of a large conference that includes a trade show component. The trucks are ready to move and the weather sets in. Winter storms are everywhere on the route. Whom do you contact? What alternative plans can you make? What if the trucks can’t get there in time to set up?

I would probably contact the EACA ton put me in touch with a exhibitor contractor to help me better navigate the venue. If the storm halts everything I would probably work with a specialty contractor with technology to move the event online. 6. World pandemic strikes: How can you, the planner, adapt to a virtual trade show? What service contractors will be most important in your change to a virtual trade show? a. I would need a technology contractor to help produce the virtual event. I would need help creating online manuals and ways to mass communicate with guests and other companies involved.

Chapter 6

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