Exhibit Rules & Regulations

The Office of Continuing Education, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia (called “the Office” in the rest of this document) reserves the right to accept or reject any application for exhibit space at the Annual Dialysis Conference (ADC). The Office also reserves the right to establish rules regarding the assignment of booth space, the right to make final space assignments, and the right to determine the limits of acceptable activities by exhibitors and their staff members with regard to any aspect of the conference and its exhibits.

It is the obligation of each exhibitor to familiarize exhibit staff with rules established by the Office. Exhibit staff sometimes receive memos at registration emphasizing relevant regulations. It is the responsibility of each exhibitor’s on-site exhibit manager to assure that staff members read these memos.

The Office reserves the right to exclude from the conference and exhibit area any exhibit staff member who does not comply with established guidelines. Fortunately this has never yet been necessary. We suggest that the open communications and mutual respect we have developed with our exhibitors explain this good record. We urge any exhibitor with questions or concerns about an activity at the conference to raise the issue with Office staff. We greatly prefer mutual problem solving to invoking regulations and sanctions.

Registration

All participants affiliated with Exhibits must be pre-registered.
All exhibit staff must be registered. 4 complimentary conference exhibitor registrations are provided for every 10’X10’ space, up to a limit of 12 per exhibitor. Additional exhibit staff must be registered at a fee of $200 each.

Please be sure you understand the following:
What you do get as an exhibit staff registrant:
• Access to all educational sessions.
• Access to the Exhibit Hall at all times.
• Access to catering in the Exhibit Hall.
What you do not get as an exhibit staff registrant:
• CME or nursing credit
• Syllabus/CD
• Abstract books
• Meals

Note that: If any of your staff wants continuing education credit they must be registered at the usual conference registration rate, using a conference registration form.

Booth Design and Use of Exhibit Space

Drapes will not be provided in Island Displays.

Display material is restricted to 8’ in height (48’’ in height for the side walls of perimeter exhibits) unless specifically approved by the Office. Sufficient see-through and/or walk through area must be provided so as not to excessively block the view of adjacent Exhibits.

No Exhibit may span an aisle by roofing or floor covering. Exposed, unfinished sides of exhibit backgrounds must be draped to present an attractive appearance. In the event the Exhibitor does not drape unfinished sides of an Exhibit, the Decorator, with the approval of the Office, will provide draping deemed necessary and charge the Exhibitor accordingly.

The aisles are the property of the Office. Therefore, each Exhibitor has the responsibility to assure proper flow of traffic through the entire show. Do not place your demonstration areas on the aisle line of your Exhibit if you expect many people to congregate at one time. Leave space within your Exhibit Area to absorb the majority of your crowd.

No surveys or similar activities may be conducted by exhibit staff outside their company’s exhibit area without specific prior approval by the Office.

Policy on Commercial Exhibits

The character of the Exhibits is subject to the approval of the Office. The right is reserved to refuse the Application of concerns not meeting the Office’s standards, as well as the right to curtail exhibits or parts of Exhibits which reflect unfavorably upon the character of the Conference. Non-professional products or services are not to be displayed. This applies to displays, literature, novelties, souvenirs, conduct of persons, etc.

The following practices are prohibited at the Dialysis Conference:

Noisy devices.
Canvassing/distribution of advertising matter by an exhibitor outside of the Exhibitor’s Booth.
The distribution of material that in any way implies or suggests, in words or through the use of images, that the University of Missouri or the Annual Dialysis Conference makes any assertion whatsoever regarding a product, service or company, unless such assertion is documented in writing by the Office and the material is approved in advance by the Office.
Distribution of promotional material to guest rooms in hotels that are part of the Conference hotel group, without the prior knowledge and approval of Hotel Management and the Office. All such material must be reviewed by the Office before distribution to assure that there is no implication of endorsement by the University of Missouri or the Conference.
Entry into another Exhibitor’s Booth without permission.
Photographing or examining another Exhibitor’s equipment without permission. (The Office does reserve the right to photograph the Exhibit area for its own noncommercial use.)
The use of billboard advertisement and/or display of signs outside of an exhibitor’s space without prior approval from the Office.
Exhibit hours will be: Saturday, March 1, 8:00-11:00pm; Sunday, March 2, 9:30-11:00am and 3:30-5:00pm; Monday, March 3, 7:00- 8:30am, 9:30-11:00am and 3:3 -5:00pm; Tuesday, February 20, 7:00-8:30am, 9:30-11:00am. No other activities involvingprogram registrants, such as focus groups or product demonstrations,may be conducted by exhibiting companies during educational sessions,regardless of where these activities occur, without prior approvalby the Office.
Although exhibit staff are welcome to attend all sessions, it is important to note that accreditation rules and PMA guidelines state that no promotional activities are permitted in educational sessions. For example, it is unacceptable for an exhibit staff person to ask questions or make comments that tend to stimulate positive discussion of his or her company’s products. It is equally unacceptable to approach a customer individually to discuss business during an educational session. We recognize, however, that some exhibit staff members are health professionals and scientists and they are welcome to participate in product-neutral discussions of the scientific and clinical issues addressed in an educational session.

Giveaways and Contests

Exhibitors may distribute promotional literature and related small items. Any food items require the prior approval of the Office. (The Office must in turn get permission from the Hotel ’s management.) Any exhibitor sponsoring a contest or raffle must have prior permission from the office regarding the way the contest will be conducted and the manner in which winners will be notified or announced.

Subletting Space

Subletting assignment or apportionment of the whole or any part of an Exhibit Booth or Island Display by an Exhibiting company is prohibited. No Exhibiting Company may permit any other party to exhibit in their space(s) any goods other than those manufactured or handled by the Contracting Exhibitor. Exhibitors may not permit the solicitation of business by others within your space. This rule is not meant to prevent exhibitors from exhibiting products of other companies for which they are formal sales representatives.

Downsizing of Booth Space

All requests for downsizing of booth space must be submitted to the Office in writing by January 21. All requests received on or prior to Monday, January 21, will receive a refund for the difference in booth fees, less a 20% administrative fee. Any requests received after Monday, January 21, will not be eligible for a refund.

Sales and/or Order Taking

Neither the Exhibitor nor its agents, employees, contractor or anyone connected with or authorized by the Exhibitors, shall conduct or permit any sales or order taking of machinery, equipment, goods or service of any kind in the Exhibit Hall or in any other facility provided or controlled by the Office in connection with the Annual Dialysis Conference meeting, unless Exhibitor or his agents has the necessary licenses and pays all necessary taxes in accord with local governments and the State of Florida.

Music and Other Copyrighted Material

It is the sole responsibility of exhibitors to assure that they have acquired the necessary permissions and licenses for any use of music or other copyrighted materials. It is strictly against show rules for an exhibitor to use music or other copyrighted materials without the necessary licenses and permissions.

Liability and Center Rules

Exhibitors are responsible for any damage or loss they may suffer in relation to participation in the Annual Dialysis Conference, unless such damage or loss is caused by the negligence of the Hotel, Freeman Decorating Company, the Office, or the employees and agents of these organizations.
Neither the Office, Freeman Decorating Company, nor the Center maintain insurance covering exhibitors’ property. It is the sole responsibility of the exhibitor to obtain business interruption and property damage insurance covering such losses by the exhibitor. Although the Office provides watchmen service, the Office in no way suggests that the exhibit hall is a fully secure area and advises exhibitors not to leave valuable portable items unattended.
All packing containers, excelsior and wrapping paper, must be flameproof, are to be removed from the floor, and must not be stored under tables or behind displays. All muslin, velvet, silken and any other decoration must stand a flameproof test as prescribed by the fire ordinance of the city of Orlando. All materials and fluids which are inflammable are to be kept in safety containers. Open flames, butane gas, oxygen tanks, etc. are not permitted without the permission of the Hotel and the Fire Prevention Bureau.
It is the responsibility of each Exhibitor to install its Exhibit before the opening of the Exhibition and to dismantle its Exhibit as soon as practicable but no later than 12:00 midnight Tuesday, March 3, 2008. All property is to be shipped to and from the drayage company by each Exhibitor.
Nothing shall by posted on, tacked, nailed, screwed or otherwise attached to columns, walls floors and other parts of the building or furniture. Distribution of promotional gummed stickers or labels is strictly prohibited. Damage repairs in connection therewith for the protection of the building, equipment or furniture will be at the expense of the Exhibitor.

Insurance and Security

Exhibitors wishing to insure their Exhibit materials, goods and/or wares of Exhibits against theft, damage by fire, accident or loss of any kind, must do so at their own expense. As a courtesy to Exhibitors, watchman service for the Exhibitor Hall will be furnished by the Office during the hours deemed necessary. The furnishing of such service is in no case to be understood or interpreted by the exhibitors as any guarantee to them against theft or loss of any kind. Therefore, Exhibitors are urged by the University to take out a portal-to-portal rider, available at a nominal cost on their own insurance policy, protecting them against loss through theft, fire, damage, etc. They are further advised that easily stolen, valuable objects should be secured during non-exhibit hours, especially overnight.

Violations

Violations of any of these Exhibit Guidelines and Regulations on the part of an Exhibitor, its employees or agents, shall annul the right to occupy space and such exhibitor will forfeit to the Office all monies which may have been paid. Upon violation of any of these regulations on the part of the Exhibitor, his employees or agents, the Office has the right to terminate the right to occupy space and the University may re-enter and take possession of the space and remove all persons and goods at the Exhibitor’s expense. The Exhibitor will reimburse the Office for all damage which the Office may incur and forfeit all monies paid or due. By accepting these rules the Exhibitor expressly waives the service of written notice to re-enter and terminate.

Fire Regulations

All Exhibitors are required by the Orlando Fire Department and/or the Center to conform to the following regulations:

Smoking is prohibited in Exhibit Areas at all times.
All materials used in the Exhibit Hall must be flameproofed to meet test for scenery and decorations in the Municipal Code of Orlando. This flame test stipulates that if the flame from an ordinary wood match does not ignite a substance or material or cause it to burn or to carry a flame or glow on removal of the lighted match, the substance or material shall be construed as having been treated with a flame retardant solution in a satisfactory manner and as meeting the regulations of the Orlando Fire Department.
Empty cartons, boxes and crates must be removed from the Center prior to the opening of the show and returned at the close of the show. (Removal, storage and return of cartons included in the drayage service provided by Freeman Decorating Company.)
Excelsior or shredded paper should not be used in crating merchandise.
Aisles must be kept completely clear and unobstructed during show hours. They must be kept as clear and uncluttered as possible during set-up and dismantle hours.
Fire exits and fire hose cabinets must be kept clear at all times.

Cancellation of Conference

Should any situation beyond the control of the Office arise to prevent the Annual Dialysis Conference, the Office will not be held liable for any expenses incurred by the Exhibitor except the rental cost of booth space, which will be refunded.

Back to exhibitor contents page