Trade Shows are big business and that always brings the scams out. People looking to make a quick buck can ruin your show and have a negative impact on your business cash flow. Here are the top 3 scams you need to watch for.
1. Housing / Hotels Scams
This is the most common scams that I have seen and have personally had hundreds of calls about “special deals” for hotels at trade shows. They will attempt to scare you by saying that the room blocks are filling up fast and you need to book and pay now. They request full payment (rather than the normal one night) and when you arrive at the hotel you will not have a reservation. These people scrape the companies that are listed as vendors on the show website and you will most likely receive 2 – 4 calls per show. Tell them what they are doing is illegal (they hang up very quickly), track the number, and pass it on to show management. There is not much that they can do but it does help.
Where do you find the legitimate room blocks for the show? In the Exhibitor Package that is sent to you. This will most likely be an email. You can often find it on the show website, under an Exhibitor tab. Some shows do have a housing authority that they ask you to book through but again, that information will be listed in the Exhibitor packet.
If you go outside of the show housing authority or with a third party vendor, please make sure it is one that you know and trust. The good part about going through the show housing authority is that they make deals with the hotels that any booking through them cannot be moved to another hotel if the hotel is oversold. They can also act as liaisons between you and the hotels for any issues.
2. Fake Shows Scams
This is harder to pull off but can be more lucrative for the scammers. They will create a website and information that looks legit and then ask you to come. There may be a “discounted rate” because it is the first year the show is running or they are looking for companies just like yours to be a part of it. Sadly, when you arrive at the venue to set up, there is no show and you are out the money. Always do you research on the show before signing up. I am wary if a show is a first year show, is not on the venue website, and it seems like too good of a deal.
If anything seems off to you, call the venue to confirm that the show is happening. (Please get the number for the venue from the venue website and not the person trying to sell you on the show.)
3. Outside Vendors Scams
When you are shopping around for show vendors, especially for an out of town show, please do your research. There are plenty of people out there who are willing to take your money and never show up. This can happen for print items, rentals, and even services.
If someone calls you up offering the deal of a lifetime for the show, be wary.
One other note on outside vendors, many shows require you to get special permission if the vendors will be on the trade show floor at all. Read through your rules so you know what you can and cannot do.
Trade shows are expensive but you need to be wary of people offering you ways to cut costs and corners. Do you research before signing any contracts and be wary of the people who require full payment upfront that are not a part of the show itself.
Looking to save some money on your shows? Check out this blog post.
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