Exhibitor Frequently Asked Questions
Greetings and thank you for supporting the MAEDS organization! Each year, we get a number of questions from exhibitors. These questions vary greatly, but some get asked year after year. Hopefully this document will help alleviate some concerns and answer some questions.
April 15 - Application window opens
June 15 - Application window closes
July 1 - Successful exhibitors notified
July 31 - Exhibitor payment deadline
October 1 - Additional Exhibitor Badge purchase window closes
Becoming an exhibitor at the Fall MAEDS Conference is a simple process.
- Look for the application on MAEDS.org after April 15
- Fill out the application form by June 15
- Wait to be notified!
Exhibitor fees for the 2023 conference are as follows:
- Walking = $1,000
- No booth. Space on shared information tables (approximately 2’ x 2’ available per Walking Exhibitor) will be available for marketing materials outside the Exhibit Hall.
- Comes with two (2) Exhibitor Badges
- Hallway booth = $1,250
- 8’ wide x 8’ deep booth
- Comes with two (2) Exhibitor Badges
- Single booth = $1,500
- 8’ wide x 8’ deep booth
- Comes with two (2) Exhibitor Badges
- Double booth = $4,000
- Corner booth consisting of 2 - 8' x 8’ booths (see map for details)
- Comes with six (6) Exhibitor Badges
- Additional Exhibitor Badges = $450 each
All payments will be made to MAEDS directly through the conference registration system or by check. Exhibitors who have not paid for their booth by July 31 may have their invitation rescinded. Checks must also be received by July 31.
The Exhibitor option selected during the application process does not guarantee that an Exhibitor will be accepted to the conference, nor that they will be granted that specific option.
MAEDS will make every effort to accommodate each Exhibitor’s first preference. Due to limited availability of single and double booths, it may be necessary for MAEDS to award an Exhibitor with their alternate selection. A field is available on the application form to select an alternate option. Exhibitors will be contacted prior to awarding an alternate booth type to confirm selection.
Booth neighbor requests will be accepted during the application process. Requests made after the application is submitted will not be accepted. MAEDS will make every effort to fulfill neighbor requests, however, depending on space and booth layout, neighbor requests are not guaranteed.
Exhibitor Badges come bundled with each booth option and cannot be subtracted. An exhibitor may choose not to utilize all of their Exhibitor Badges, however, that choice will not affect the bundle price.
Additional Exhibitor Badges can be purchased for an additional fee and must be purchased by October 1. See the "What does it cost to attend the conference" question for details.
Exhibitor Badges are no longer tied to an individual name. MAEDS will not request names to go along with Exhibitor Badges.
An Exhibitor may elect to have multiple individuals share one Exhibitor Badge, however, only one of those individuals may be in attendance at the conference at the same time.
Exhibitor Representatives will be required to have their Exhibitor Badges on them at all times while at the conference and at conference events.
Each booth in the Exhibit Hall will include a choice of table options, which will be requested during the application process. Those three options are:
- No table
- 2’ x 6’ table with skirt
- 30” round by 42” high “cocktail” table with skirt
Applicants should not make travel plans or register a hotel room until they have been notified that their application has been accepted. Submitting an application does not constitute acceptance. MAEDS is not responsible for any travel or lodging fees incurred by Applicants, including those who make plans prior to being notified of acceptance.
There are many factors that can affect when you’ll hear from us. The board meets in June, at which time we make almost all of our Exhibitor selections. Those Exhibitors selected at the June meeting are notified by July 1.
The only sponsorship opportunity available at the MAEDS conference is to be accepted as a Exhibitor. There are no additional sponsorship opportunities for Exhibitors.
Only accepted Exhibitors and those reps registered by accepted Exhibitors are allowed to attend the conference. Please do not put us in the position to have to remove anyone from the conference
Standard booths in the Exhibit Hall will be 8’ wide x 8’ deep. Double booths in the Exhibit Hall will be 16’ wide x 8’ deep. Booth space will be defined by a pipe and drape system and displays must fit within the confines of that space.
The following items are included with the booth:
- Exhibitor table choice
- Pipe and drape
- Two (2) chairs
- Wastebasket
- Shared electrical service
- High speed wireless access
Other items like setup assistance and wired network connection are available from Grand Traverse Resorts for an additional fee. A form will be provided at a later date to order these additional items.
Booths will be assigned by MAEDS. Booth numbers will not be available to exhibitors prior to check-in at the conference.
Exhibitor check-in will begin at 8:00 am on Wednesday morning. Check-in will be suspended from 9:00 am to 10:00 am while the board participates in pre-conference meetings.
Exhibitors will need to check-in at registration prior to beginning setup in the Exhibit Hall. Registration will take place at the Tower Desk in the conference area, just around the corner from the Exhibit Hall.
Exhibitors will receive their booth number, Exhibitor Badges, badge holders, and other conference materials at check-in.
Exhibitors may not begin packing equipment or disassembling booths until 6:30 pm on Thursday without prior permission from MAEDS.
Exhibits and all materials must be removed from the Exhibit Hall no later than 11:00 pm on Thursday.
Member registration begins at 12:00 pm on Wednesday. The installation of exhibits and removal of all boxes and crating must be completed by this time.
Members will begin entering the Exhibit Hall immediately after registering.
Exhibit hall hours for the 2023 conference are as follows:
- Wednesday: exhibits open 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm, reception 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
- Thursday: exhibits open 1:00 pm to 5:15 pm, reception 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm
Yes, however understand that you must first make arrangements with the resort. Your shipment must also not arrive more than a few days in advance of your reps. Please contact the resort for shipping address/information.
The only option left to attend the conference is to team up with an Exhibitor who was awarded a table. Many times, resellers will bring up representatives from companies they work with to share their table. To attend the conference with another Exhibitor, a representative of the accepted Exhibitor should contact MAEDS to register any new Exhibitor Reps for the conference.
There are a few things to consider when deciding to present. Be sure you consider our audience, MAEDS members are very techie and expect technical content and not sales pitches. Sessions are only 1 hour in length. Sessions are selected based on the description given / timeliness of session. To start the process, just fill out a Call For Presenters form available on our website.
Yes. The space on the Exhibitor application is for us to use when selecting Exhibitors. We require much more information for the applications. Exhibitors should not complete a Call for Presenters (CFP) form until after being notified that they have been accepted as Exhibitors.
Exhibitors who present need to recognize that MAEDS members are true technology professionals. They expect technical content, instruction, and demonstrations. Sales pitches are not allowed. Exhibitors are welcome to be product specific to ensure the best possible content for our members.
We can only partially answer this question. Exhibitor sessions are generally limited to Wednesday or Thursday. We know that most Exhibitors like to get back to work on Friday since the Exhibitor area is closed. More specific times will not be available until very close to the conference date. The Conference chairperson will contact all presenters with specific information as soon as it is ready.
Cherry Capital Airport http://www.tvcairport.com is the closest at only a short drive from the resort. The Gerald R Ford Airport in Grand Rapids http://www.grr.org is the next closest, but is a 3 hour drive from the resort.
Exhibitor Badges are no longer tied to an individual name. MAEDS will not request names to go along with Exhibitor Badges.
An Exhibitor may elect to have multiple individuals share one Exhibitor Badge, however, only one of those individuals may be in attendance at the conference at the same time.
Exhibitor Representatives will be required to have their Exhibitor Badges on them at all times while at the conference and at conference events.
Cancellation of additional Exhibitor Badges will follow the same policy as the Exhibitor Cancellation policy in the Exhibitor Agreement.
The MAEDS conference is jam packed, including the night-life. With the change in venue, we are not sure what entertainment options will be available and any plans are subject to change as we adapt to the new host. Stay tuned for the release of our conference agenda for more information.
Each year, we finish up the conference by drawing for door prizes on Friday just after lunch at our annual meeting. Due to state and/or federal school gifting rules, gifts from Exhibitors are not accepted by the MAEDS board for giveaway on Friday.
In short, no. We used to give away membership information to Exhibitors, but we kept getting complaints about unsolicited phone calls and mailings. To respect our member’s privacy, we no longer offer an attendee list.
Exhibitors are welcome to put out a “fish bowl” to collect member business cards and may draw for a prize from their table if they wish. Prizes drawn by vendors will not be publicized by or given out by the MAEDS board.
We expect 350 members on average. Some years are higher, but we generally stay right around the 350 mark.
As it says in the MAEDS tagline, networking is a huge part of the MAEDS conference experience. Much of the networking between members, and between members and Exhibitors takes place at our after-hours activities. Having outside events during this time splits up our members and Exhibitors into small pockets of people, which lessens the impact of that networking time. We ask that you consider this when planning outside events.
For the purposes of this document, MAEDS defines “events” as outings, receptions, or any other functions hosted or sponsored by an exhibitor that might potentially detract from the planned activities at the conference.
During the application process, Exhibitors must accept the MAEDS Fall Conference Exhibitor Agreement. Item 2 on this agreement states that Exhibitors may not host any kind of event during official MAEDS event hours.
The following are the times that are considered “official MAEDS event hours” for the MAEDS Fall Conference.
- Wednesday official MAEDS event hours - 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
- Thursday official MAEDS event hours - 8:00 am and 6:15 pm
- Friday official MAEDS event hours - 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Failure to adhere to any part of the MAEDS Fall Conference Exhibitor Agreement will be documented and used to determine eligibility to attend future MAEDS conferences.
Each year, a new chairman is named for the conference. The board member responsible for working with vendors may also change from year to year. For the this year’s conference, any vendor-related questions can be directed to Merri Lynn Colligan.
The Exhibitor cancellation policy may change from year to year depending on many factors, including host facility policies. Please check the Exhibitor Agreement for the most updated information.
The 2023 MAEDS Exhibitor Agreement can be found here.