Exhibitor Logistics

Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC): Rules, Insurance and Copy-Ready EAC Form

What an exhibitor appointed contractor is, the rules organizers publish, the certificate of insurance checks, a copy-ready EAC notification form and a deadline timeline for trade shows and expos.

See Map D in Action Build a Floor Plan Free

What an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Is

Exhibitors with custom booths often have an exhibit house or installation company they trust. Letting them bring that company is normal at most trade shows, but you need to know who is coming, what they will do and that they are insured before they arrive at the dock.

Who does what on the show floor
Role	Hired by	Typical work
General service contractor (GSC)	Organizer	Aisle carpet, drape, signs, freight and drayage, service desk, booth labor ordered from the service kit
Exhibitor appointed contractor (EAC)	Exhibitor	Installation and dismantle of the exhibitor's booth, labor supervision
Exhibit house	Exhibitor	Designs, builds and stores the booth; may act as the EAC onsite
Official specialty contractors	Organizer or venue	Electrical, rigging, plumbing, internet, catering, security

Who does what on the show floor

Which services are exclusive is set by your venue contract and your contract with the GSC, not by the exhibitor. Confirm the list before you write the rules; the questions to ask a general service contractor include the ones that cover EAC access and supervision fees.

Organizer Rules for EACs

Exhibitors must submit the EAC notification form by [DATE]; EACs not on file may be refused access
Each EAC must provide a certificate of insurance meeting the show's requirements by the same date
EACs may provide installation, dismantle and supervision only; [freight handling, electrical, rigging, plumbing and catering] are exclusive to official contractors
EAC staff must check in at the service desk, wear show-issued contractor badges and follow move-in and move-out times
EACs must follow the exhibitor manual, venue rules, fire code and any labor rules that apply in the venue
No EAC desks, signs or solicitation of other exhibitors on the show floor
EACs remove all their materials and waste at move-out; cleanup left behind is billed to the exhibitor
The exhibitor is responsible for its EAC's work, conduct and damage

Publish these rules in the exhibitor manual and the service kit with the same deadline. The exhibitor service kit guide shows where the EAC form usually sits among the order forms.

Certificate of Insurance Requirements

Insurance is the part of the EAC process that most often stops a contractor at the door. Ask for the certificate early, check it against a written list and send back problems in time to fix them.

EAC certificate of insurance checklist (confirm types and limits with your venue and insurance adviser)
Item	What to check	Placeholder
Commercial general liability	Per-occurrence and aggregate limits meet your requirement	$[AMOUNT] per occurrence, $[AMOUNT] aggregate
Workers' compensation	Statutory coverage for the EAC's own employees	As required in [STATE]
Automobile liability	If the EAC drives vehicles to the venue	$[AMOUNT] combined single limit
Additional insureds	Organizer, venue and GSC named exactly as you specify	[ORGANIZER LEGAL NAME], [VENUE], [GSC]
Policy dates	Cover move-in through move-out	[FIRST MOVE-IN DATE] to [LAST MOVE-OUT DATE]
Certificate holder	Your organization and address	[LEGAL NAME, ADDRESS]

EAC certificate of insurance checklist (confirm types and limits with your venue and insurance adviser)

The same checks apply to exhibitor and vendor certificates; the vendor certificate of insurance guide covers common rejection reasons and how to collect certificates without an inbox full of PDFs.

Copy-Ready EAC Notification Form

EXHIBITOR APPOINTED CONTRACTOR (EAC) NOTIFICATION FORM
[SHOW NAME], [DATES], [VENUE]
Due: [DATE]. Return to [EMAIL] or upload in your exhibitor portal.

EXHIBITOR
Company: [ ]
Booth number: [ ]  Booth size: [ ]
Contact name, email, phone: [ ]

CONTRACTOR (EAC)
Company name: [ ]
Address: [ ]
Onsite supervisor name and mobile: [ ]
Office contact, email, phone: [ ]
Number of workers onsite: [ ]

SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED (check all)
[ ] Booth installation
[ ] Booth dismantle
[ ] Labor supervision
[ ] Other (describe): [ ]
Services exclusive to official contractors may not be provided by an EAC: [LIST].

DATES AND TIMES ONSITE
Move-in: [DATE, TIME] to [DATE, TIME]
Move-out: [DATE, TIME] to [DATE, TIME]

INSURANCE
A certificate of insurance listing [ADDITIONAL INSUREDS] as additional insureds, with the coverage and limits in the exhibitor manual, is attached [ ] / will be sent by [DATE] [ ].

AGREEMENT
The exhibitor and contractor agree that the contractor will follow the exhibitor manual, venue rules and show schedule, and that the exhibitor is responsible for the contractor's work, conduct and any damage.

Exhibitor signature, name and date: [ ]
Contractor signature, name and date: [ ]

FOR SHOW USE: Form received [ ]  COI approved [ ]  Badges issued [ ]  Sent to GSC and venue [ ]

EAC Deadlines and Timeline

Example EAC timeline (adjust to your show)
When	Organizer	Exhibitor and EAC
With the exhibitor manual	Publish EAC rules, form and insurance requirements	Decide whether to use an EAC
45 days before move-in	Reminder to exhibitors who haven't submitted	Book the EAC; request the certificate
30 days before move-in	Form and certificate deadline	Submit form and certificate
21 days before move-in	Return rejected certificates with reasons; send the EAC list to the GSC and venue	Fix certificate problems
Move-in	EAC check-in at the service desk; issue contractor badges	Check in, wear badges, work within move-in times
Move-out	Floor walk for EAC waste and damage	Dismantle after close only; remove all materials

Example EAC timeline (adjust to your show)

Put the EAC deadline beside the other exhibitor deadlines in your exhibitor manual template, and collect the form and certificate in an exhibitor portal so you can see which booths are still missing them a week before the deadline instead of on move-in morning.

How Map D Helps

Collect EAC Forms and Certificates Before Move-In

Map D doesn't vet contractors or check insurance limits for you. It gives your EAC rules and form a home in the exhibitor portal, lets you collect the completed form and certificate as onboarding tasks, and shows who is still missing before move-in. You can build the floor plan for one event free; publishing, sharing the map and selling booths need a paid plan (from $1,500 per event).

Request a Demo View Pricing

A Documents page for the EAC rules, notification form and exhibitor manual, shown in each exhibitor's portal
Onboarding tasks with document uploads and due dates, with your approval, for the EAC form and the contractor's certificate
Email Center filters for Onboarding not complete, to chase exhibitors before the EAC deadline
If your show includes Insurance, COI Compliance tiles for Compliant, In progress, Declined or rejected and Not started
High-resolution PNG export of the floor plan for the contractor and venue

See it on your own floor plan

Stop reading about it. Build one.

Upload the floor plan you already have and place your booths on it yourself, in Map D’s editor. Free to build, no contract, and nothing to install.

Build your floor plan free Request a demo

900+
Organizers who have run shows on Map D: 9,000+
Events powered since 2011: 1.8M+
Booths drawn to date

“I am really excited about this. The staff met with me this morning and we all LOVE the platform. People are already filling out their booths.”

· Director, International Trade and Development @ Maine Insurance Agents Association

FAQ

Questions Organizers Ask

What does EAC mean at a trade show?

EAC stands for exhibitor appointed contractor: an installation and dismantle company, exhibit house or supervisor the exhibitor hires directly, rather than ordering that labor from the show's official contractor.

When is the EAC form due?

A common deadline is 30 days before move-in, so you have time to check insurance and give the list to the venue and the general service contractor. Some shows set 45 or 60 days. Pick a date and put it in the manual, the service kit and the form.

What insurance does an exhibitor appointed contractor need?

Usually commercial general liability, workers' compensation, and often automobile liability, with the show organizer, the venue and the general service contractor named as additional insureds. The exact coverage types and limits should come from your venue contract and your insurance adviser.

What can an EAC do, and what is exclusive to the official contractor?

Typically installation and dismantle of the booth, and sometimes supervision of labor. Exclusive services set by the venue or the show, often freight handling and drayage, electrical, rigging, plumbing and catering, usually stay with the official provider. Your venue contract decides which services are exclusive.

Can an EAC be turned away at move-in?

They can be, if the rule is in your exhibitor manual and agreement. Common reasons are a missing form, no certificate of insurance or a certificate that doesn't name the required additional insureds. Tell exhibitors early so they aren't surprised at the door.

Keep Exploring

Related Guides & Solutions

Browse all organizer guides →