How Exhibit Program Management fits the show calendar
The management starts with the show contract and the venue rules. Once those are clear, the scope of the engagement is written down so the build, freight, and install plans share one set of assumptions.
The schedule is mapped against move-in windows and labor categories. The management runs cleaner when the dock time, the rigging slot, and the strike window are all on one page from week one.
the city has a 35,000-square-foot convention center, roughly 300,000 square feet of meeting space throughout the city, and 8,000 guest rooms, which makes Durham a meaningful overflow and multi-venue support market rather than a fringe add-on.
Crew and labor for Exhibit Program Management
The crew handling the management is sized to the booth scope and the venue's posted labor categories. Calls are placed against those categories rather than negotiated around them on show day.
On-site, one named lead carries the punch list from move-in through strike. That lead is the same voice on the radio during live hours and the same name on the closeout report.
Closeout is tight: strike, crate, manifest, storage designation, and a written post-show report delivered within a day. That document drives the next booking.
Freight and timing for Exhibit Program Management
Freight for the management is keyed to the truck cube, the dock window, and the carrier's documented transit. Late freight is the most common reason a clean plan turns into overtime.
Material handling, drayage, and storage all live inside the management engagement. The lines between exhibitor freight and venue freight are documented before the truck leaves the shop.
Closeout for Exhibit Program Management
Strike on the management works to a written sequence: graphics off, structure broken down, crates labeled, manifest signed, storage tag attached, post-show report drafted.
Closeout doc lands within a day. The next booking starts from that document so the second show is shorter than the first.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Exhibit Program Management engagement actually include?
The management covers the items the brief calls out: scope review, crew planning, vendor coordination, and the show-day supervision tied to the venue rules. Anything outside that scope is either added in writing or stays with the client team.
How early should we start this work planning?
For custom work, 16 to 20 weeks before move-in is the comfortable window. Rentals can land in 8 to 12. Inside 4 weeks the option set shrinks fast and unit costs climb.
Who runs the program on the show floor?
One named lead from the Raleigh team carries the punch list from the dock through strike. They report up daily and are the same person on the radio during live hours.
Can this service carry over to the next show?
Yes. The build, graphics, and freight plan are written so the next city is a re-kit, not a redesign. Storage and refurbishment are scoped at the start, not bolted on later.