Show-day emergency plan: when things go wrong on the stand

Why every stand needs a show-day emergency plan

Months of planning come down to a few hours of bump-in, and the doors open on time whether you're ready or not. Most show-day problems are small: a scuffed panel, a missing carton, a dead power board. They become expensive when nobody knows who to call.

The plan below fits on two printed pages. Keep one copy in the stand's storage cupboard and another on the stand manager's phone.

The contact sheet: who to call for what

Fill in a name and mobile number for every row before you leave the office. Venues publish the key numbers on their websites. MCEC's emergency procedures page, for example, tells you to notify event security or call its Security Control Centre, and gives a number that works from any phone. ICC Sydney's exhibitor FAQs give a phone number and email for its Exhibitor Services team.

Know where the desk is, too. At ICC Sydney, exhibitors can order only a limited number of services on-site, the venue says it can't guarantee availability, and on-site orders go through the Exhibitor Services Desk on Level 2 of the Exhibition Centre. Pre-ordering is the real fix: ICC Sydney asks for all exhibitor orders and permit forms at least 14 days before the first move-in day.

Stand doesn't fit the space: the flooring gap

Here's the scenario. You booked a 6m x 6m space and ordered a 6m x 6m floor to match. On installation day there's an unsightly gap between the edge of your stand floor and the hall carpet. At that point it doesn't matter whose measurement was out. It needs fixing before the doors open.

1. Measure and photograph first. Run a tape along the marked space and compare it with the floor plan. Take photos with the tape in shot. That is your evidence if the space was marked short or long.
2. Call the organiser's floor manager. They control the space marking and can tell you whether the stand can shift.
3. Call your stand builder. Ask what can be done on the day, such as moving the floor so the gap sits along a back wall instead of the aisle.
4. Keep the fix inside your space. Don't let flooring, furniture or stock spill into the aisle, and agree any change to the stand's position with the floor manager before you make it.

To prevent it next time, confirm the measurements against the organiser's floor plan, not the booking form alone. Ask your builder whether the ramp edge sits inside or outside the booked footprint. Our raised exhibition flooring has a standard height of 32mm with a 16mm cable void, and in Australia an angled ramp edge is part of the standard specification, so the ramp has to be planned in. The flooring also needs professional installation.

The quickest fixes come from a supplier who has been involved from the first concept to the final install. They already have the drawings, the floor plan and the parts list, and they know what will and won't fit.

Damaged or wrong graphics

• Unpack and check every graphic against the signed-off proof as soon as it arrives. Photograph any damage before you touch it.
• If a panel is wrong (an old logo, an expired offer or a typo), cover it or take it down. A plain wall looks better than a mistake.
• For touring stands, carry a spare of the main graphic and a few spare clips and fixings.
• If a reprint is needed, call your graphics supplier the moment you spot the problem. Reprints take time, so a cover-up plan for the first day is worth having.

Missing or late freight

Don't count on the venue holding freight. At ICC Sydney, self-delivered materials come in a pre-booked vehicle slot on your move-in day, and there is no on-site storage unless your organiser has arranged it. At MCEC, deliveries must be received on-site by an exhibitor stand representative, the venue can't sign for goods on your behalf, and each item needs the delivery label your organiser supplies.

• Put someone on the stand for the whole delivery window.
• Keep consignment numbers and the carrier's contact on the contact sheet.
• Send freight questions to the organiser or freight forwarder, which is where ICC Sydney directs them.
• Pack an "open anyway" box that travels with your team: a laptop or tablet with your content, a small pull-up banner and sample collateral.

Our logistics and storage service can manage freight to the venue, and store your stand between shows. Each item is inspected for wear and cleaned before it goes out again.

Power failure and AV problems

• Leave the venue's power alone. Anything connected to the hall supply is a job for exhibitor services or the event's appointed electrical contractor, not your stand team.
• Test and tag everything before it ships, including spare leads and power boards. MCEC's exhibitor checklist, for example, asks you to test and tag every piece of electrical equipment before coming on-site.
• When power drops, unplug anything you added since it last worked, then call exhibitor services. Don't open the stand's distribution box yourself.
• For AV, run the full content loop at bump-in, keep a copy on a USB stick and a laptop, and have a still image ready if the screen fails.

Staff no-shows

• Name a backup for every shift and send them the briefing pack before the show.
• Check how your organiser handles exhibitor pass changes, so a replacement can get in.
• Replacements arriving during bump-in may need a venue induction first. MCEC requires every exhibitor on site during bump-in and bump-out to complete its site induction, and asks for it to be done 72 hours before arriving. Induct a backup in advance, not on the morning.
• Send replacements with hi-vis and enclosed shoes for bump-in and pack-down.
• If you serve alcohol at ICC Sydney, a NSW RSA-certified person must serve it. The venue also offers its own team members for hire, so ask exhibitor services if your server can't make it.

Emergency kit list

Check the venue manual before using any adhesive on hall floors or walls. For injuries, call event security or the venue's first aid provider straight away. At MCEC, that is the first step in any medical emergency.

Let your stand team handle it

The easiest emergency plan is one where the people who built your stand are also the people who install it. Our installation and pack-down service deals with the organiser for you, builds the stand before your team arrives and comes back for pack-down. Whether you exhibit with a portable system or a custom build (see our exhibition stands), bring us in from the first concept so we have everything on file if something goes wrong.

Next step

Put our number on your contact sheet: 1300 240 250, or sales@displays2go.com.au. If you're using equipment we supplied, we can help on site or after hours on show day, so agree with your account manager beforehand who to call. To plan your next stand, contact us.