- 01. Who books the labor
- 02. Union jurisdictions
- 03. Overtime and the install window
- 04. Supervision matters
I&D is where booth budgets die. Union jurisdictions, overtime, rigging, electrical — all separate trades, all separate bills. Here's the practical guide.
Who books the labor
Three options: (1) Show's general contractor (Freeman, GES, etc.) — convenient but expensive. (2) Exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC) — your own I&D crew, typically 20–30% cheaper. (3) Self-install — only in right-to-work cities, and only for booths you can carry by hand.
Union jurisdictions
Union cities (Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco) have strict jurisdictions: carpenters install booth structure, electricians do power, riggers do hanging signs. Crossing jurisdictions triggers grievances and stop-work orders.
Right-to-work cities (Las Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta, Dallas) allow more flexibility — exhibitors can self-install smaller booths and use a single contractor for more scopes.
Overtime and the install window
Straight time is generally Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm. Outside that window: 1.5x or 2x. Sundays and holidays: 2x. A 20×20 install that needs 2 days of straight time costs roughly 60% of the same install done over a weekend.
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Get matched with buildersSupervision matters
A supervisor (booth specialist who's seen the design) saves 20–40% of labor time vs unsupervised crews working from drawings. Always send a supervisor or pay your builder to send one. Skipping is false economy.
- Exhibitor-appointed contractors are usually 20–30% cheaper than the show GC
- Union jurisdictions matter — crossing them stops work
- Weekend installs cost ~60% more than weekday
- Always have a supervisor — it pays back 20–40% on labor
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