UniForum '96:
A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Producing A Trade Show

By Erni Wade

Ever wondered how much time it takes to plan a trade show or how many brochures are mailed? Here's the inside scoop on the production of the UniForum '96 Trade Show and Conference in San Francisco, California, February 14-16.

Preparation for those three days begins eleven months prior to the show opening. UniForum Association staff and the show's producer, Softbank Comdex, Inc., work together to create a unique show each year. UniForum has a long standing reputation for providing attendees with the highest quality conference and offering exposure to the very latest in technical advancements.

With a dedicated professional staff of 250 employees, Softbank Comdex is responsible for every aspect of show management. Over the course of the year, UniForum '96 progresses from conceptual ideas to a finished product ready to take form. Every department at Softbank Comdex is involved with the show. Once the show theme is determined, the marketing communications team creates the brochures for exhibit managers, show, and conference attendees. A million and a half brochures will be mailed over the course of five months prior to the show.

Rich Feeley, senior operations manager for Softbank Comdex and manager of UniForum '96 show operations, arrives at Moscone Center with the operations team a week prior to the show opening. Preparation for UniForum '96 starts with 442,000 square feet of empty concrete floor. Every detail is monitored--from the measuring, taping and numbering of each booth space to the 23,000 square yards of aisle carpet installed the night before the show opens.

For three days, teamsters will move 850-plus tons of exhibitor freight into the halls. As the crates are unpacked and the booths begin to take shape, the show floor becomes a whirl of activity. The clear order of booths and aisles is quickly covered in a sea of wooden crates, rolls of carpet, and pallets of equipment. The work of the exhibit manager starts with the supervising of skilled laborers installing electrical and telephone lines, pad and carpet and finally the booth and equipment.

While the booths are being set up, the registration area is being prepared for more than 25,000 expected attendees. Crates of computers and badge-making equipment are unpacked and tested. The temporary staff is trained. Thousands of pounds of show directories and show dailies are stacked and readied for distribution.

In addition to show operations, the conference management team arrives early to prepare for five days of tutorial and conference sessions for the attendees. While the show is being developed and exhibit space sold, the conference team determines session topics, selects speakers, and turns the individual speaker handouts into a concise conference manual.

Finally it's opening day! The show floor that was chaotic and messy is now spotless. The ribbon is cut, the welcome announcement is made, and for the next three days it's non-stop activity. When the show closes on February 16th, we all take a deep breath, and then we start planning for UniForum '97.

Erni Wade is manager for trade shows and events for UniForum.

For more information about attending or exhibiting at UniForum'96, please contact Softbank Comdex, Inc. Telephone: (617) 433-1500 or click here for additional WWW information.