We have no strict guideline for Producer tier levels and allow Producers to decide this level for themselves.  The way we see it, some Producers in our industry are better equipped to handle large projects than others, and some Producers are better equipped to handle smaller projects.  Event Managers are aware of this, and when searching for partners, it helps greatly to understand the type of Producer they’re considering working with.  For example, if a company’s next event is a 10,000 square foot CES custom buildout with a $2 million dollar budget, then consulting with a Tier 3 company that only has four employees and typically handles projects in the $50,000 range may not be the best use of time for the Event Manager or the Producer.  In contrast, if an event calls for a 200 square foot rental exhibit at a small venue, engaging a Producer with hundreds of employees who typically works on $500,000 projects may also not be the best use of time.  Certainly this isn’t always going to be true as many Tier 1 Producers handle smaller accounts and plenty of Tier 3 Producers also have large accounts, but our feeling is that indicating tier levels can greatly help Event Managers and Producers best manage response expectations for new projects.