Please review the many opportunities below to reduce your Show expenses.

What’s New in 2012

To review highlights of what’s new in 2012, please see our Helpful Reminder piece and Labor Reform / Cost Savings McCormick Place piece.

Material Handling/Drayage

  • Be sure to use lighter materials to save on material handling. The weight of your booth and product will impact your overall costs.
  • If you exhibit in multiple shows, use the same freight carrier and negotiate volume discounts.
  • When shipping your freight to the Show, take advantage of the on-site shipment rate, which is substantially less than advance shipping.
  • Ship your freight on your targeted move-in date to avoid off-target surcharges.
  • Avoid shipping crates or boxes that require special handling.
  • Freeman, our official service contractor, offers an all-inclusive shipping and material handing package.  The package price ensures accurate budgeting with no additional handling fees, overtime surcharges or additional pick-up/delivery fees.  For more information, please see tab 4 of the Online Exhibitor Services Manual in early-November.

Installation and Dismantling
To minimize your labor installation and dismantle costs, consider the following:

  • Make sure to check the display labor rates your company is being charged. If you are not usig the Show's General Contractor, Freeman, as your booth installer, please review the rates your company is being charged to see if they are comparable to the rates IHA has negotiated, which are listed below.
    •   Straight Time $90.65
      Time-and-a-Half $141.35
      Double Time $174.05
  • Request that all labor be completed on straight time.
  • Number your crates according to content. 
  • Attach a diagram with instructions for set-up, and always include utility information.
  • Provide repacking information.
  • Consider donating your product to one of IHA’s approved charities.  This will eliminate repacking and shipping your product after the Show.

Working with Exhibitor-Appointed Contractors

  • New - All shipments (display/product) must be in the exhibit space and unpacked with crates ready for storage by Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
  • After the Show, audit all invoices from your Installation + Dismantling company to ensure that you are billed correctly and are receiving the maximum savings.
  • Make sure to check the display labor rates your company is being charged.   If you are not using the Show’s General Contractor, Freeman, as your booth installer, please review the rates your company is being charged to see if they are comparable to the rates IHA has negotiated, which are listed below.
    •   Straight Time $90.65
      Time-and-a-Half $141.35
      Double Time $174.05
  • The labor supervision fee is administered to cover the cost of the person responsible for the overall quality of the setup and dismantle service. In the absence of an exhibitor representative, the labor supervisor may act as a liaison with the general contractor or show management. Always inquire about the availability and fees of supervision.
  • Contractors generally add a percentage to the total cost of any rental or service they order on your behalf. Ordering services yourself may save you money.
  • Know the difference between straight time and overtime. Instruct your contractor to work only on straight time unless otherwise approved. See new work schedule above under “Booth Structures – Installation and Dismantling”.
  • Material costs are items needed to make your exhibit functional. Look for Installation + Dismantling companies that have the most frequently needed items on hand. Pay close attention to materials used and question any items that seem unreasonable.
  • Taxes vary depending on your location. Be sure to ask what taxes will apply to you.

Booth Set-Up

  • Exhibitors may now perform the following work in a booth of any size using ladders, hand tools and power tools designated safe by McCormick Place.  
    •   – Setting-up and dismantling exhibits using ladders, hand tools and power tools (deemed safe by McCormick Place). 
      – Assembling and disassembling materials, machinery or equipment.
      – Installing signs, graphics, props, drapery, and skirting exhibitor tables.
      – Delivering, setting-up, plugging in, interconnecting and operating electrical equipment, computers and audio visual devices.
  • NEW - All shipments (display/product) must be in the exhibit space and unpacked with crates ready for storage by Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
  • The deadline for Advance Warehouse Shipments to be received is Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

Booth Structure Packages

  • For first time exhibitors, a rental booth is more cost effective than purchasing a customized booth.  A complete 10’ x 10’ turn-key booth package is offered for less than $1,300 by IHA’s official service contractor, Freeman.  Additional booth package options are also available. For more information on booth packages, please see Section 3 of the Online Exhibitor Services Manual.
  • Order your booth carpet from Freeman by February 19 and save $5.00 per hour straight time and $7.50 per hour overtime off your display labor. To view the Carpet Order Form or to place an order, please see tab 3 of the Online Exhibitor Services Manual in early-November.
  • New - All shipments (display/product) must be in the exhibit space and unpacked with crates ready for storage by Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

Booth Rates

In order to help reduce exhibitor costs, IHA has frozen the 2011 booth space rates for the 2012 Show.

Vendor Services

  • All IHA negotiated vendor service rates have been frozen for the 2012 Show. This includes Drayage, Labor Rates (excluding Plumbing), Furniture, Audio Visual, Photography, Floral, Water Coolers and so much more!
  • Order your in-booth services from IHA’s recommended vendors.  Many times, rates for these services are lower than those offered by competing, non-official vendors.  Go to our Vendor List of recommended providers in our Online Exhibitor Services Manual.
  • Pay close attention to the Exhibitor Action Checklist in the Online Exhibitor Services Manual.  Adhering to deadlines can save your company both time and money.
  • New - All shipments (display/product) must be in the exhibit space and unpacked with crates ready for storage by Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
  • Make sure to check the display labor rates your company is being charged.   If you are not using the Show’s General Contractor, Freeman, as your booth installer, please review the rates your company is being charged to see if they are comparable to the rates IHA has negotiated, which are listed below.
  Straight Time $90.65
  Time-and-a-Half $141.35
  Double Time $174.05

Food Service

  • SAVOR... was recently selected as the new food and beverage service provider after a competitive bid process, which was part of the privatization of McCormick Place.  SAVOR... promises to improve the quality and variety of food offerings and the speed of delivery at McCormick Place.  SAVOR’s... pricing will remain the same, if not lower than, the 2011 pricing.  For more information about SAVOR... please go to our Food Service webpage.
  • McCormick Place has made several changes to its catering program. Exhibitors now have more cost effective choices available to them, which include:
    •   – Exhibitors can now bring their own food and beverage into McCormick Place for personal consumption at their booth or in their meeting room.  However, any food and beverage brought in from the outside must be for the exhibitors’ personal consumption only.
      – Exhibitors will no longer pay an extra delivery charge for in-booth food and beverage orders less than $250. 
Housing
  • IHA has negotiated the lowest hotel rates in the city during the convention period.  New for this year, over 20 of the 51 official convention hotels are offering early-bird rates, which are lower than their standard rates.  Simply book prior to January 1, 2012 and receive discounts as much as $20 off the standard rate. To book your housing, either go to the Travel + Housing Form or go directly to the 2012 Housing Website.
  • Be sure to book your housing arrangements through IHA’s official housing provider, onPeak.  By doing so, you will be offered thelowest rates in the city during our convention period, have more flexibility with reservation changes and have additional services available to you.
  • Booking through the official housing provider helps IHA leverage during contract negotiations, which ultimately brings cost savings back to you.

Airfare

  • IHA has partnered with American Airlines to offer discounts up to 7% on any eligible, applicable published fare and discounts up to 10% off any eligible, applicable business or first class fare booked in F and J inventories.  Please go to our Travel Information webpage on how to reserve your discounted airfare today.
  • Reserve your airfare at least 90 days before the Show.  Airfare rates increase closer to the Show.
  • For all domestic travel and most international points of origin, a ticketing fee can be avoided when making your reservations online at www.aa.com. If not booking online, a ticketing charge of up to $30.00 can apply when reservations are made by the phone through a reservation’s desk or once at the airport.

Car Rental

  • AVIS car rental company is offering discounts on rental rates during the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show. Discounted rates apply a week prior and a week after the actual show dates. For more information, click here.

FREE Services Provided by IHA
Below lists our FREE Show Services:

  • Reserve a complimentary exhibit floor meeting room through IHA rather than renting a meeting room or adding on to your booth.
  • Free shuttle bus service is provided to and from McCormick Place and our official hotels.
  • Complimentary Metra train tickets are also provided and available at all information counters.
  • Our transportation website, that includes all your show transportation needs, will be available in mid-November.

Below lists the FREE Marketing Opportunities available to you.  More information will be available within the Marketing Kit in mid-November

  • BuyerConnect / Lead Retrieval System
  • Pantone ColorWatch Display
  • Specialty Retailer Program
  • Buyer Invitation Postcards
  • Design Directions: Going Green
  • Design Defined
  • 2011 Buyers List
  • New Product Information for News Media
  • New for the Home Signs
  • Special Event / Product Demonstration Form
  • Press Kit to the Show News enter
  • 2011 Show Media Registration List