Frequently Asked Questions
Can I exhibit at The Exchange if I am not NMSDC-certified?
While we value all minority-owned businesses, The Exchange is a chance for NMSDC-certified minority-owned businesses to showcase their services and connect with NMSDC corporate members. Therefore, exhibitors at The Exchange must be NMSDC-certified or an NMSDC corporate member.
Can booth personnel attend sessions?
Booth fees do not include conference registration, meal, or event tickets, which are available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis.
What is “Material Handling/Drayage”?
The term drayage is the moving of exhibit material from one location to another. Whether you ship to the warehouse or directly to show, your materials still need to get to your booth location. Drayage services include the accepting of your material either at our warehouse or on the show site, delivery to your booth, storage of empty containers during the show, returning empty containers at the close of the show, picking up your packaged materials, returning them to the dock, and loading to the carrier of your choice.
Can I carry my own materials to my booth?
Any exhibitor may bring in his own materials providing that they can be hand carried by on person in one trip without the use of dollies; hand trucks or any other equipment. If you choose to hand carry your exhibit you will not be permitted access to the loading dock area.
What is the difference between small shipments and large shipments?
Most service contractors have a minimum of 200 lbs per shipment. It is best to send your freight as one large shipment versus several small shipments. For example, if you send on 45 lbs and one 55 lbs package separately, you are charged the minimum on each shipment. If you are planning to ship items from various locations, you may want to ship them all to a central location and then forward them to the Service Contactor’s warehouse and/or show site.
What are the advantages of advanced shipments versus direct shipments?
In general, it is best to ship your materials in advance to the “advance shipment” address. You can (and should) confirm that we have received your materials well in advance of the show installation. If there is an issue, it can be resolved prior to the show. In addition, another advantage to advance shipment is that your materials will be in your booth when you arrive and can begin installation immediately, thus saving you time and frustration at the show site. When shipping direct, if there is a problem, there is time to resolve the problem prior to the show opening.
To update your online booth profile:
- Log in to the Exhibitor Console using the password found in your welcome email.
- Then select "Edit Booth Info".
- Fill in your company contact information.
- Scroll to the section where you are asked for "Website Url" and enter the web address that you would like attendees to visit for more information about your company.
- Select the categories for your products and services.
- To add your social media links, scroll to the bottom of the profile form and enter your links in the specified fields. Once these fields are complete the icons for social media outlets will be displayed on your eBooth profile.
- Be sure to scroll down and complete all sections. Click on the "Save" button.
In the Exhibitor Console, click on "Press Releases".
Enter the Press Release name and details.
If you are not able to add Press Releases then an online booth upgrade is required. Visit Digital Promotion Packages tab to view your options.
In the Exhibitor Console, click on "Show Specials".
Enter the title and show special description in the appropriate fields.
Click on the "Add New Show Special" button to save and exit.
If you are not able to add Show Specials then an online booth upgrade is required. Visit Digital Promotion Packages tab to view your options.
In the Exhibitor Console, click on "Products".
Enter the product name, description, and upload an image.
If you are not able to add Products then an online booth upgrade is required. Visit Digital Promotion Packages tab to view your options.
In the Exhibitor Console, click on "Videos".
Enter the Video name, description, and upload the video file.
If you are not able to add Videos then an online booth upgrade is required. Visit Digital Promotion Packages tab to view your options.
You can quickly preview any updates you make to your online profile by navigating to clicking on the computer screen icon beside your booth number in the Exhibitor Console.
If you have any other questions about your 2017 NMSDC online booth, send an email to support@a2zinc.net.
A member of the a2z Support Team will respond to your email within one business day.
Get The Official NMSDC 2017 Mobile App for an Enhanced Show Experience!
From the app menu dashboard, select Planner app icon. From here you can manage the lists of exhibitors, sessions and personal meetings that you have added to your Personalized Planner.
Saved Exhibitors
Click on "My Exhibitors" to see your list of saved exhibitors.
Saved Sessions & Meetings
Click on "My Itinerary" to see your schedule by day. This section will include all of your saved sessions and the personal meetings you created in the mobile app.
Add Session to Mobile Device's Calendar
From the session screen, select "Add to Device Calendar" to save the session in your device's calendar.
Add a Personal Meeting
From the Planner section, tap on the calendar icon at the bottom of the screen. Select your desired day and time
and add any notes.
Remove a Saved Exhibitor or Session
Tap on the star next to the Exhibitor's Name or Session title to remove the listing from your planner.
Select the Speakers app icon from the menu dashboard. The speakers are listed in alphabetical order, by their last name.
Tap on the speaker's name to view their profile for details on the session(s) where they are presenting at the event.
You can also find out the Speaker(s) for a particular session by viewing the session's page.
From the app menu dashboard, tap on the Facebook app icon to go to the event's Facebook page or tap on the Twitter app icon to go to the event's Twitter page so that you can easily track their activity.
You can follow a post, reply to a post, retweet a post, and mark a tweet as a favorite - all within the mobile app.
This event's hashtag is #FRAUD15.
Tap on the LinkedIn app icon to connect & network with other event attendees.
View the Event Description
From the app menu dashboard, tap on the Event Info app icon. You will be shown general information such as event theme, dates, location, and more.
View Local Area Information
From the app menu dashboard, tap on the Local Info app icon. You will see information about hotels, airports, car rental and more.
View Event Updates or "Buzz" Notifications
From the app menu dashboard, tap on the Buzz app icon. You will see a list of announcements from event management with the most recent first. Tap on any Buzz title for more details.
View Blog Posts from Event Management (if available)
From the app menu dashboard, tap on the Blog app icon. This will take you to the event's blog page so that you can quickly and easily read their articles.
If you have any other questions about this event's mobile app, please click here to reach support.
A member of the a2z support team will respond to your email within one business day.
From the exhibitor's eBooth click on the "Booth Visited" box to record that you have visited this exhibitor's booth. This exhibitor will also be added to your Planner and flagged as having been visited.
From the exhibitor's eBooth click on the "Add Meeting" button. You will then be asked to choose a date and time and add a personal message. Click "Save" and your email requesting a meeting will be sent to the exhibitor.
You can access the Walking Map from the home screen which is provided in a PDF format. The walking map includes a numbered list of your favorite exhibitors and color coded booths on the floor plan maps. This is a great option for referencing while you are on show floor attending the event.
You can view the Interactive Floor Plan by clicking on the Maps icon in the app dashboard.
Each map will highlight booths belonging to the exhibitors that you have added to your Personalized Planner. You can also view an exhibitor’s profile from the map view by clicking on their booth.
Click the “Meeting Groups” icon in the app dashboard. In this section, the sessions are grouped into categories by specific keywords, industry functions, or product type and then sorted by day and time. Click on a category name to view the list of sessions in that category.
Search for Exhibitors by Company Name
Exhibitors are shown in two lists: “All Exhibitors” and “By Product Category”. Click on a product category to view a list of the exhibitors in that group.
The “All Exhibitors” tab lists all the current exhibitors in alphabetical order. The “By Product Category” tab lists the product categories and the number of exhibitors who have selected each of these.
Search Exhibitors by Keyword
You can search for exhibitors by typing a keyword in the search box at the top of the Exhibitor list screen. The results will include all exhibitors that have this keyword in their company name, profile, brands or product categories.
Each exhibitor listing has their booth number(s) displayed below their name. An exhibitor listing may have a video icon which indicates that they have uploaded multimedia content.
Save an Exhibitor to Favorites
From the Exhibitor list or any exhibitor's eBooth profile, you can add the exhibitor as a favorite to your personalized planner by clicking on the star icon.
Exhibitor eBooth Profile
You can visit the eBooth for any company by clicking on their name in the Exhibitor list. You will see the company’s contact information, description, product categories and videos they have uploaded. To play the video on your device, just click on the video. From this screen you can add the exhibitor as a favorite to your Personalized Planner by clicking on the star icon. You can also view the location of their booth on the floor plan by clicking on the “Map it” button. The exhibitor’s booth will be highlighted on the floor plan.
From the dashboard, click the "Buzz" icon. You will see a list of announcements from event management with the most recent first.
From the app menu dashboard, select the My Notes app icon. You will see a list of of your session and meeting notes.
To add a note, tap on the "pencil" icon on the bottom of the screen.
To edit one of your notes, tap on the "folder" icon on the bottom of the screen to see more details.
To email the notes to yourself or a contact, tap on the arrow in the bottom left corner.
You can search for Exhibitors on the Interactive Event Map page or the Exhibitor List page.
To perform a more extensive search, go to the Advanced Search page. Search for exhibitors by keyword, product category, country and state.
The My Exhibitors list contains the names of all the exhibitors you have tagged as favorites.
Tutorial Video:
Visit the
Product Showcase and click on the search box at the top to search by keyword, category or subcategory.
Visit the
Show Specials page to see what special events exhibitors are planning in their booths.
Visit the exhibitor
Press Release gallery to read the latest press releases posted by exhibitors.