^{October 2001}

More than 85 facilities in the United States are building new exhibit space, so show managers face a challenge – planning shows in spaces under construction, or that exist only in the minds of architects. 

By Heather Kirkwood

With about 85 convention centers and hotels across the country building or planning to build new exhibit space, according to a recent survey by EXPO magazine, doing business with a facility under construction is becoming increasingly common for show managers. In fact, according to our survey, there are nearly 9 million square feet of space under construction in North America.

These projects run the gamut, from minor expansions to entirely new buildings. And no matter when a show comes into the project, whether the facility is raising walls or putting the finishing coat of paint on completed space, you’ll learn the universal rule of construction: Nothing goes according to plan.

So how do you prepare for the unknown? “You’ve just got to be flexible,” says Karen Siegle, President of Portland-based M&M Productions Inc. Her company’s Home Improvement and Remodeling Show will be held Oct. 18-21, 2001, at the Oregon Convention Center, which is currently doubling its size and adding 105,000 square feet of exhibit space. 

That’s good news for the facility, but Siegle must deal with an exhibit hall reduced by 4,000 square feet to put in a false wall to hide construction, half as many loading doors, and no parking lot at the center for this consumer event. But she isn’t worried. “The key is constant communication with the facility,” Siegle says. 

The Oregon Convention Center, like many others across the country, is eager to retain shows, especially during construction. As a result, they’ve taken these steps to minimize the impact on Siegle’s show:

• Secured parking at four nearby garages and paid to shuttle attendees to and from the show;

• Advertised alternative parking space to the local community;

• Extended move-in and move-out times to accommodate the shortage of loading doors; and

• Opened lobby space between the exhibition hall and nearby seminar rooms to accommodate overflow exhibitors. 

While construction is inconvenient for everyone involved, facilities are generally willing to go the extra mile to ensure events take place with a minimum of fuss and confusion. After all, construction is expensive, and facilities want happy customers who will return and use the new space. 


Consider your options

When considering a building under construction, take a step back and decide whether the show is really up to the task of dealing with the extra hassles. Because Siegle was planning a consumer event, she couldn’t move far, and she needed the space available at the Oregon Convention Center, even if that meant dealing with construction and parking problems. 

There are a couple of advantages to holding a show in a facility under construction: Cheaper building rent and the ability to capitalize on a city’s excitement about showing off its new space. But the trade off is making time for extra site visits or troubleshooting. If that isn’t possible, most show managers who’ve held events in new or unbuilt spaces advise looking elsewhere.

Also consider extra expenses that may result from the construction, such as extra security, shuttle buses or signage. Some facilities are more willing than others to help with these expenses.


Knowledge is power

Once the decision is made to go ahead with a facility under construction, carefully review the construction schedule against the show’s planning cycle. Then ask these questions: How much information will the facility give you about its plans? Will a reasonably finalized floor plan be available in time to start selling booth space? Will the necessary hotels or parking spaces be ready? Will access roads, loading docks and utilities be available when your show arrives? Can the facility adjust construction to minimize noise and mess during your show? 

“Show managers should have a clear understanding of what they need vs. what they want,” says Aran Rush, Assistant General Manager of the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, TX. The facility is adding 20,000 square feet of exhibition space. “For example, we’ve always had lots of loading dock space. A show manager might want all that space, but they can get by with half as much if we give them more time to move in,” he says. His facility also paid for extra labor and motorized carts to help shows use fewer access doors. 

Rush knows it takes quick problem solving when things aren’t going according to plan. For example, when a construction worker accidentally cut the wrong line and killed a set of lights in the exhibit hall, the facility secured temporary lights and the show opened on time. At another show, the building’s air conditioning was escaping through openings in the unfinished walls. So the center staff brought in special fans that emit cool damp air (called swamp fans) to keep temperatures down. 

It’s important to gather information well in advance. Put facilities on the line if necessary. Ask: How will I be informed about construction progress, and by what date can the show be pulled should construction not live up to promised expectations? How closely will my show follow the completion of the building? How will the facility test its new space if I’m the first show to use it? How are maintenance crews being trained to ensure they know exactly where fuse boxes, fire alarms or lighting control panels are located? 

With detailed knowledge about the facility’s plans, show management can feel more comfortable that things will go smoothly. Jelynne Burley, Director of the Convention Center Expansion Office at the San Antonio Convention Center, says her building lost six months of construction time after a flood ruined work. “We gained back three months, and we still had three months to test everything before hosting our first big event,” she says. “We planned it that way. We didn’t want to have a show in the space before we knew everything worked.” 

Finally, complete as many in-house tasks as possible in advance, such as decorating decisions or the design of marketing pieces, so management is free to respond to any problems that develop. And make sure contracts clearly outline expectations. (For more on what to include in facility contracts, see the sidebar.) 


Plan, plan, plan

Hire a contractor immediately. Contractors who work in facilities across the country have encountered construction before and can share their experience and wisdom. For example, Paul Cunniffe, Vice President of Sales for Boston-based general service contractor Brede Exposition Services, is working with several buildings under construction and recently completed a show in the San Antonio Convention Center, which now offers 1.3 million square feet of space. He recommends extra site visits and arriving on site a few days early. 

Or find someone locally to provide updates. “For one show, I was lucky to have a good contact in the city who could go down to the site and tell us how things were really proceeding,” says Cunniffe. “It isn’t that the facility is necessarily trying to be dishonest about progress. It’s that the facility staff are telling you what they’ve been told.” 

Lacking a local contact, some show managers have been successful getting cities to help pay the expense of extra site visits. Cunniffe also suggests insisting show management be added to the builder’s monthly report on construction progress. If possible, get to know the builder and architect, and seek answers from them when things get murky. 

Liz Crawford, Group Show Manager for Boston-based Advanstar, can attest to the importance of information. When planning for a show later this fall, her staff did their best to construct a floor plan from architectural renderings, guessing the size and location of columns and exits. She was relieved to discover reality is close to the plan they created but dismayed to learn that air walls depicted on the architect’s drawings aren’t movable. As a result, the largest room for her general session only accommodates 200 people. “We’re looking for alternative locations for the keynote and considering building a space for it on the show floor,” she says. “Lesson learned – never assume, and insist on information when you need it.” 

Utility and Internet hookups are also frequently moved in existing halls during construction. Don’t rely on last year’s floor plan, even if the hall appears unaffected. 

It also helps to make a list of everything that can be completed without detailed knowledge of the facility. Select colors and themes early so at least some of the signage can be completed. Cunniffe recalls building an entranceway that could be made smaller by removing sections. “We didn’t know exactly how much space we’d have for the entrance, so we made the entrance flexible, and that was one less thing to worry about when we arrived on site,” he says. 


A matter of trust

Show managers and facility staffs agree, the most important ingredient to staging a successful show amid construction is a good working relationship. When all other planning and operational issues are put aside, show management and building staff must be able to trust one another’s judgment. After all, everyone involved has a stake in the success of the event. “Every project is different, and every show is different,” says Rush. “There’s no way to make a definitive list of everything to expect. But if I know a show’s needs and I know the show manager will work with us to get around issues that come up, we can be frank with one another and everything still runs pretty smoothly.” 



Heather Kirkwood is Senior Editor of EXPO Magazine.