Looking for a New Exhibit House?
Ask These 8 Questions First
Choosing an exhibit house is a big decision. We know which questions separate a true partner from a vendor. Here are the eight we’d ask, and how we answer them ourselves.
1. What is the average tenure of your employees?
Exhibits are high-stakes, deadline-driven projects with no second chances. Experienced, long-tenured staff have already solved the problems your show will throw at them. High turnover puts your program at risk:
- Your assets go underused. New staff don’t know your inventory or how to get the most from it.
- Communication and trust slip. Changing contacts means lapses on every project.
- You lose your advocate. Clients buy the Account Executive first. When that person leaves, the relationship often goes with them.
- Handoffs break down. Gaps open between sales, design, and production.
- Fresh ideas stall. New sales and design staff spend their time catching up instead of innovating.
- Multi-show programs lose consistency. Past show issues get repeated instead of fixed.
- Details and deadlines get missed. Discount deadlines, advance warehouse cutoffs, and the fine details attendees notice.
At Nimlok Chicago, our veteran team averages 7 years of tenure. That comes from a family culture built on teamwork and one of our core values: we succeed together. The result is exhibits delivered on time, on brand, and consistently.
2. What problem have you solved that others in the industry haven’t?
The right exhibit house gives your brand an edge with products and services others can’t offer.
- Modular exhibit system. Our exhibits reconfigure easily, pack and ship tightly, and are built to be rentable.
- NimConnect asset management. Real-time visibility into your exhibit and portable inventory, something most exhibit houses simply don’t offer.
- Dedicated product development. A team devoted to advancing our modular system, so your exhibit keeps getting better.
- In-house fabrication and engineering. Our metal and wood shops let us design, engineer, and build custom solutions under one roof.
It all comes back to one of our core values: we outthink the problem.
3. What happens when something breaks or goes missing on-site at 7 PM the night before show open?
- Your Account Manager takes charge, coordinating with the install and dismantle crew and the general contractor to resolve the issue.
- Nationwide venue expertise. We know convention centers across the country in detail, from loading docks to local rules.
- Deep union partnerships mean we can get the right people moving fast.
- Creative problem-solving. We’re experienced at sourcing replacement hardware and graphics on short notice.
- Supervisors stay until show open on complex builds.
- 24/7 emergency line as a final failsafe.
When something goes wrong, we own the outcome.
4. Who are the actual humans on my account?
A strong exhibit house has clear roles and the systems to keep sales and production running in sync. Here’s who touches your booth at Nimlok Chicago:
- Account Executive: Your strategic partner who learns your goals, budget, and show schedule, then crafts an exhibit solution that makes your brand stand out.
- Account Manager: Your go-to contact for booth production and show services.
- Designer: Turns your goals into a booth concept and 3D renderings that bring your brand to life.
- Detailer: Converts the approved design into precise shop drawings and specs so it’s built exactly as designed.
- Exhibit Builder: Our in-house craftsmen who build and stage your exhibit before every show.
- Install Supervisor: Leads the on-site crew to make sure your booth goes up smoothly and on schedule.
Our size and structure keep our management team engaged in every build, so every detail is considered from top to bottom.
5. Can you service the portable displays and swag at my smaller shows?
Your big booth is only part of your event program. Regional shows, sales meetings, and giveaways need support too. The right exhibit house handles all of it, so you’re not juggling extra vendors.
How Nimlok Chicago does it:
- Full range of portables including banner stands, table throws, collapsible backwalls, light boxes, and tabletop displays
- Dedicated Fulfillment Account Managers who keep the process human
- NimConnect asset management for tracking and real-time availability
- Transparent, matrix-based pricing so there are no surprises
- Monthly automated reports on onboarding, damages, and low inventory
- Stored and shipped together with your exhibit
- Repair and refresh for portable displays, not just replacement
Big show or small, we take the weight off your shoulders.
6. How do you keep a long-running program from going stale?
Repeat attendees notice when nothing changes. A fresh look doesn’t have to mean a new booth.
- Reconfigure what you own. Our modular system turns existing structures into brand new layouts.
- Supplement with rentals. Add new looks without new purchases.
- Add curves to a straight build. Curved frames completely change the architecture of an existing modular booth.
- Change the lighting. New backlighting, color temperature, or accent lighting shifts the whole mood.
- Add height. A hanging sign or tall tower increases visibility from across the hall.
- Scent branding that makes your booth memorable before attendees even see it.
- Multi-show gamification. A leaderboard or challenge that carries across every show in your program.
- Live co-creation. Live illustrators, collaborative murals, or custom product personalization on site.
7. What would you tell me not to buy?
A good exhibit partner protects your budget, not just their sale. Here’s what we often tell clients to skip:
- A booth for your biggest show. Buy for the size you exhibit most often, then scale up with rentals for the big one.
- An owned exhibit if you only do a few shows a year. Renting gives you flexibility and a fresh look every time, without storage and maintenance costs.
- Custom when modular does the job. Modular systems deliver a custom look while reconfiguring for future shows.
- AV equipment. Screens and tech go out of date fast. Rent and get the latest every show.
- Furniture. Rentals stay fresh and don’t take up storage.
- Show-specific messaging on permanent pieces. Keep dates, taglines, and campaign messaging on swappable fabric graphics.
- A replacement when a repair will do. Many worn displays can be refreshed for a fraction of the cost.
- Swag nobody keeps. Fewer, higher-quality giveaways beat piles of forgettable ones.
- Rush fees and late show services. Planning ahead means hitting discount deadlines and advance warehouse dates.
At Nimlok Chicago, our Account Executives help you decide when to rent, when to buy, and when to skip it entirely. We choose right over easy, even when it means a smaller sale.
8. When you say “full service,” what’s not included?
“Full service” can mean anything from design-only to true end-to-end support. Ask for specifics, because the gaps usually show up as surprise invoices after the show. Common exclusions include renderings, pre-show staging, I&D labor, on-site supervision, and post-show repairs.
How Nimlok Chicago does it:
- Design, engineering, and fabrication in-house, with craftsmen specialized in metal, wood, and electrical
- Pre-show staging of every booth before it ships
- Rentals and swag fulfillment alongside storage, logistics, and show services, all managed end to end
- I&D supervision plus post-show inspection, repair, and refresh
Billed directly by the show: Booth space, electrical, internet, drayage, rigging, cleaning, and venue labor. We coordinate it all for you.
What stays with you: Booth staffing, travel, and lead retrieval.
The bottom line: A real full-service partner tells you exactly what’s covered upfront. That’s how we take the weight off your shoulders.
Ask Us Anything
We wrote these questions because we’re proud of our answers. Whoever you hire, ask them all. Our promise is simple: we put your brand in the spotlight and handle the rest.
