Show managers and service contractors must forge a partnership to produce a successful show. You work so closely with each other -- but do you really know what part the numerous employees of a service contractor play in the success of your show? Experience a "typical" day for four employees of different service contractors to uncover what really happens -- not only on-site, but also behind the scenes.

DIRECTOR OF SALES
Clang! Clang! Clang!

There's a constant chime of steel pipes as Dan Steenstrup, Director of Sales for Freeman Decorating Company, walks through the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. He's been here since 7 a.m. "Two shows are moving out, and three levels of a show are moving in," he says. "My customer is due at noon today, and he'll want to know what's going on. I'll be checking with our foremen so I'll be educated about what's happening in all these areas."

A lot is happening.

The National Boat Show was supposed to be out of the main level by noon but was delayed until 6 p.m. That means the New York International Gift Fair can't move in until 8 p.m. Fortunately, Freeman handles both shows, so much of the necessary equipment is already in the building. By mid-morning, just a few boats remain. Freeman employees are working in the areas that are available, laying carpet and setting up pipe and drape.

The upper level, which will display hardwall booths, is in good shape. Many booths are already in place. On the lower level, two shows are moving out. One, a Freeman client, closed at 5 p.m. yesterday, and the crew worked until 2 a.m. moving it out.

Meanwhile, at 5:30 a.m. yesterday, Steenstrup got a call at home, telling him the cleaning staff wasn't where it was needed. "We needed them on the main level so we could start there this morning on the gift show." But the facility was concerned about cleaning the downstairs area. "I had to call the facility's operations manager and negotiate what we needed done," says Steenstrup. "Javits agreed -- it was just a communications issue."

In a typical business, when a salesperson sells a widget, the customer signs the purchase order, and a production employee fills the order. But an account executive for a general contractor stays with his or her customer long after the sale is closed.Steenstrup and his customer, the show manager, will be on-site until 8 p.m. to see that freight operations are on schedule. "Then we'll have dinner, but I'll carry my beeper. Between working all day and entertaining in the evening, there can be 14- or 16-hour days, five days in a row. And I'm on call 24 hours when a show is moving in."

Still, Steenstrup says that 80 percent of an account executive's work is done before the show opens. The sales presentation alone can stretch over six months for a major show.

"During the presentation, you want to learn all the intricacies of their show so you can bid properly," he says. "Negotiating the contract can take another three months. And once you get the contract, the real work starts. We need three to six months for the production of a show."

Selling continues even while Steenstrup keeps an eye on this show. "I might schedule a presentation -- maybe in Atlanta -- after this show opens next week. But then I'll come back for move-out." Meanwhile, Steenstrup regularly calls his office and follows up on any sales leads. The mail that is sent to the show site every two days also needs attention.

But top priority at the moment is preparing for his customer's arrival. Says Steenstrup, "Both of us are gearing up to be ready for our ultimate customer -- the exhibitor."

GRAPHIC ARTS DIRECTOR
Anita Bota, Graphic Arts Director for Champion Exposition Services Inc. in Boston, isn't where you would expect her to be. She's not at a drawing board or a computer. Bota is on-site trouble-shooting while the Yankee Dental Congress moves into the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston. "I have to make sure everything is put together as it was designed," she explains.

This is Champion's third year with YDC. "The show used to be very conservative," says Bota. "We really jazzed it up. There are lots of balloons, and we're hanging stars and circles and confetti."

Bota, who attends client meetings after the initial sale, says that she and Champion CEO Mark Epstein persuaded show management to make the design changes. "We told them that graphics help attendees remember the show," says Bota.

On this set-up day, there are few problems. One foam prop is missing. But three hours after that is discovered, the person responsible for foam props has built a wooden frame and wrapped it in cloth. Vinyl and foam circles have been added, and the prop is just about ready.

Making last-minute changes is easier now that Champion builds a sign shop on site. "Show management loves it," says Bota. "They can get a turnaround in 15 minutes, rather than two or three days. We can create a banner even if we're a thousand miles from home."

Bota begins her work on a show by studying the promotional literature and discussing the show's focus with the Champion account executive. Then, "I scribble -- my drawings look like a 10-year-old's -- and the illustrator renders them. Next, we scan in photos and produce computer-generated art." All of this develops a "look and feel" for the show. After doing color renderings and floorplans, the department creates what it calls a "Barbie Expo" -- a hand-cut scale model.

One recent afternoon, an account executive requested 10 renderings by the next morning. "I went over it with my illustrator, and she worked until 2 a.m.," says Bota. On another occasion, the staff worked 24 hours straight, 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. And Bota herself got out of bed and went to the warehouse at 1 a.m. to resolve a computer problem.

"When I interview people, I tell them it's not a nine-to-five job," says Bota. "If an account exec says, 'I need this in three hours,' we say, 'No problem.' We never say no, because if he doesn't sell, we don't work."

Bota, who started the graphic arts department five years ago, now has a staff of 22. "I take them all in to see the show when it's set up," she says. "They look so proud. But it's also important for them to see everything in place. In the warehouse, they might think that no one will notice a small problem. But at the show, they realize that everyone will see it."

Bota's staff jokes about her enthusiasm for her work. "They say that when I die, they'll bury me in one of my sign crates."

OPERATIONS MANAGER
The battery in Michael Birdsong's cellular phone died this afternoon. No surprise, considering the workout the phone was getting. One show opened at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta yesterday. Today is turnaround day at the Atlanta Market Center, where one show is closing and another opening. And in nearby College Park, GA, one show began moving in and another just closed. Birdsong, who is Operations Manager for Shepard Convention Services in Atlanta, can be in only one place at a time. But he needs to be in constant contact with all the others.

"I move around, trouble-shooting," Birdsong explains. "I might need to transfer labor or move some inventory." Birdsong's department is responsible for marking the floor, laying the carpet, putting up pipe and drape, and delivering furniture. Hardwall booths and freight are handled by other departments.

Before Birdsong returned home last night around 11 p.m., "I sat down with my supervisors and the salespeople and discussed our expectations for the next morning," he says. "Some vendors were coming in at 6 a.m. today, and we had to have that area ready. We told the cleaning people to focus on that area, and our freight department had to ship that freight first."

Although a schedule had been set up well in advance, Birdsong must quickly adapt. "As things change, you regroup and do the daily plan."

However, even daily plans change. An exhibitor who is not in the targeted area arrived early and wanted to set up. Birdsong pulled one employee out of the targeted area and had him work with the exhibitor while Birdsong marked the floor to accommodate the unexpected exhibitor.

"The customer will change your priorities," says Birdsong. "You have to adjust to that. And if something pulls us off schedule, I jump in and help out."

Birdsong explains that service orders are used to compile two lists for each show. The delivery list is a booth-by-booth breakdown of every item ordered -- tables, chairs, water coolers and so on. There's also a "lump-sum load list," indicating the required total of each item.

After deliveries are made, "Quality Management people go to each booth to be sure that everything is in the booth and that the quality of the furniture meets our standards." They check, for example, to be sure that there aren't any loose joints. "Our goal is to have all the pre-ordered furniture, carpet and pipe and drape in place before exhibitors move in."

When asked what is the toughest part of his job, Birdsong brushes off the question. "If you enjoy what you're doing, it's hard to say anything is tough." Then he scolds, "You didn't ask me what's my favorite thing. That's being able to satisfy customers and knowing that they're satisfied 100 percent."

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Customer service is a nerve center at GES Exposition Services. This is the department that does everything from taking orders for tables and chairs to tracking freight shipments. The department also, ultimately, presents the invoices for services rendered.

It starts as a neat, orderly system. Customer service representatives, or CSRs, maintain both computerized records and customer folders -- one folder per exhibitor -- for the shows to which they're assigned. "We keep the files in booth order," says GES Customer Service Manager Maria Feliciano. "When we deliver furniture, freight and invoices, we do it in that sequence." Most times, that works. But recently, three days before move-in, "We were already preparing slips for the workers to deliver tables and chairs, and the show manager sent a list of booth-assignment changes." That meant some quick shuffling of files to be sure all the furniture ended up in the right place.

Computer tracking sometimes reveals other interesting glitches. "We review the floorplan to be sure it agrees with the exhibitor list," says Feliciano. "We check to be sure that two customers haven't been assigned to the same booth -- which has occasionally happened."

Of course, when service orders come in, they're not in any sequence. So customer service performs a kind of triage. A designated CSR separates orders by show to be sure that deadlines are met.

To maintain these records, customer service needs an exhibitor list about three months before show date. Yet show managers, especially first-timers, sometimes are reluctant to provide those lists because they don't want their exhibitors' names and addresses to end up on mailing lists for promotional and marketing materials. But Feliciano explains: "The lists are a tool to better service a customer. We need the lists early because freight comes in early."

Show managers probably view CSRs mainly as problem solvers, and that certainly is one of their specialties. Lost or delayed freight is a common problem. "Last year, when there was a national strike against common carriers, I spent a lot of time on the phone with exhibitors," Feliciano recalls. She tracked which exhibitors were sending freight directly to the hall and also helped with booth rentals or reshipments when freight didn't make it.

With increasing international participation in shows, "There are more exhibitors who don't know who's clearing their shipments through customs, or who don't know if the show has a trade-fair bond," Feliciano says. Customer service unravels all of this, finding out, for example, if there is a customs broker for the show, and if there isn't, telling the exhibitor how to find one.

CSRs also have the thankless job of bill collector. Sometimes, an end-of-show balance exceeds the limit of the exhibitor's credit card. That's when the CSR works with the exhibitor's accounts payable department to resolve the problem. "They might send a check overnight," says Feliciano. "Or they might give us another credit card number -- for example, the CEO's." Sounds as though customer service knows how to get good service, as well as provide it.

Sidebar: IAEM Service Contractor Intern Programs

Would you like to get first-hand, on-the-job experience with a service contractor? Sign up for the International Association for Exposition Management's Service Contractor Intern Programs. These 3-day programs are an opportunity to get hands-on training with a service contractor. You will get an overview of all service contractor departments including sales, design, administration, customer service and operations. From move-in to show opening, follow the course of a show behind the scenes with a service contractor.

There are seven programs available in 1995. Registration fees are $325 for IAEM members and $465 for non-members. Fees include course materials and a welcome luncheon and dinner. Hotel and transportation are not included. For more information about registration and dates of availability, contact Gia Carunchio at (214) 458-8002.