For the most part, facility rules and regulations are considered negotiable items unless they cover a fire or safety issue. The key to successfully altering these regulations is to recognize which clauses the facility managers can control. Municipal codes and state regulations are rarely changed, while in-house rules and special surcharges can often be eliminated completely. Any ambiguities or unclear clauses should be reviewed by an attorney. Dobson notes that it's important to him that his legal counsel understand the trade show industry.
Most attorneys understand contracts.
They can determine whether a clause is reasonable. But there are specific trade show items that might look fine to an attorney who doesn't know our business. Having someone who understands trade shows is really important. Facility contract negotiations need not be considered an adversarial process. If show management comes across a bump in the road, we'll sit down and talk about it.