“We’re the show’s official partner”: the calls selling AV, furniture and graphics

The phone goes a few weeks before the show. The caller is polite, persistent and sounds busy. They’re calling from the show’s “official partner”, they say, and they’re just checking you’ve sorted your screens, your furniture and your stand graphics, because the deadline for official orders is coming up. They’ll send over a quote today. They can even match the price.

If you exhibit regularly, you’ll know this call. We’ve taken plenty of them ourselves, often from overseas numbers, and they’re very good at sounding like part of the show. Some of these companies will deliver what you order. Some won’t. But almost all of them start with the same claim, and that claim is the problem: they are not the show’s official supplier.

Is it a scam?

Sometimes it’s an outright scam: you pay a deposit and nothing turns up. Sometimes it’s a real company that delivers real televisions and real furniture, but has won your business by pretending to be something it isn’t. Either way, you’ve been misled, and it can still cost you.

Organisers take it seriously enough to warn exhibitors in writing. Hyve, which runs Bett, tells exhibitors that companies selling hotel rooms, show guides, AV, stand building and graphics are not official suppliers (Bett). Its Breakbulk shows warn about suppliers who scrape exhibitor details from show websites and contact them “falsely posing as official contractors” (Breakbulk Americas). RX’s Airport Show says every appointed contractor is named in the Exhibitor Manual, and that it has no link to companies outside it who claim to be official (The Airport Show).

It’s the same story elsewhere. Messe Frankfurt warns Automechanika Birmingham exhibitors about unaffiliated suppliers posing as official contractors, and advises not to respond, because doing so can lead to a financial commitment (Automechanika Birmingham). International Confex at ExCeL London warns about stand builders and others claiming to work on its behalf (International Confex). In the United States, the SEMA Show has warned about unofficial solicitors offering carpet, AV, computer equipment and stand design, some claiming to be official affiliates (SEMA).

Why “official” matters more than you might think

It’s tempting to think that if the screen turns up and works, it doesn’t matter who supplied it. Unfortunately, at an exhibition it often does.

Some services can only come from the venue or its appointed contractor. At ExCeL London, for example, primary mains electricity and primary rigging are exclusive to the venue’s own teams (ExCeL). If someone sells you a lighting rig or power that has to be installed by the official contractor anyway, you may pay twice, or not get it at all.

Outside contractors have to be registered to get in. Many shows only let an outside contractor onto the floor if they’ve registered, shown proof of insurance and paid for passes. IAAPA’s European expo, for example, says no exhibitor-appointed contractor will be allowed to work on the show floor without submitting the paperwork, and that unregistered contractors working on stands are removed (IAAPA Expo Europe). A supplier who isn’t on the list, and doesn’t tell you any of this, can leave you with a delivery stuck at the gate on build-up day.

The organiser can’t help you if it goes wrong. Official suppliers are bound by the organiser’s terms, and the organiser can step in if there’s a problem. With anyone else, you’re on your own.

The tell-tale signs

• They called you. Official contractors are named in your exhibitor manual and usually wait for you to order through the show’s own system.
• They say “official”, “approved” or “appointed” but aren’t listed in the manual.
• They know a lot about you: your stand number, your stand size, your show. Your details are published on the exhibitor list, which is where they get them.
• There’s a deadline: official orders close soon, prices go up next week, stock is running out.
• The price seems to undercut the manual, often because delivery, installation or collection aren’t included.
• They want payment up front, by bank transfer, or card details over the phone.
• The email address or website is close to, but not quite, the organiser’s. Several organisers point out that genuine emails come only from their own named domains.

How to check in two minutes

1. Open your exhibitor manual. It lists the official contractors for each service. If the company isn’t there, it isn’t official.
2. Ask the organiser. Forward the email, or note the caller’s company name and number, and ask your exhibitor services contact. They’ll know straight away.
3. Check the domain. Compare the sender’s email address and website with the organiser’s own. A lookalike is a red flag.
4. If you do want to use an outside supplier, that can be fine. Just check the show’s rules first, make sure they’ll register as your contractor, and confirm exactly what’s included.

What to do about the calls

The advice organisers pass on from the Association of Event Organisers is refreshingly simple: don’t engage, don’t pay, keep a log, and report it to your local Trading Standards service. You don’t owe a cold caller a conversation. “We only use the suppliers in the exhibitor manual, thanks” is a perfectly good answer, and you can hang up.

In the UK, misleading marketing aimed at businesses is covered by the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008, which Trading Standards enforces (legislation.gov.uk, Business Companion). A company falsely claiming to be a show’s official supplier is exactly the kind of thing to report. This isn’t legal advice, but Trading Standards can only act on what it hears about.

If you’ve paid and something has gone wrong:

1. Contact your bank or card provider straight away. Business card payments don’t usually have the same Section 75 protection as personal ones, but your provider may still be able to raise a chargeback.
2. Report fraud to Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.
3. Tell the organiser. They’ll want to warn other exhibitors, and they may be able to help you get what you need through the official contractor before the show.

If you organise events

Every one of these calls starts with information you published: the exhibitor list, stand numbers, sometimes the floorplan. You can’t hide all of that, but you can make the truth easy to find. Name your official suppliers clearly, in your exhibitor manual, on your website and in your welcome emails. Tell exhibitors early that you will never cold-call them to sell services. And give them a quick way to check any company, phone number or email address against your official list before they agree to anything.

When your exhibitors can check in seconds, the “official partner” line stops working, and the honest suppliers you actually chose get the business they’ve earned.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. If you have lost money, contact your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101).