Service focus
Double-Deck Exhibit Management
Double Deck Exhibit Management is one of the service lines buyers in Fort Worth and DFW use to get a show from concept to close-out. Double-deck booths add a second story — meeting rooms, VIP hospitality, or demo zones — and come with structural engineering, permit filings, and heavier freight than single-story builds.
Budget, Scope, And Change Orders
Double Deck Exhibit Management costs move on three axes: hardware or fabrication, labor hours, and show-services orders (electrical, rigging, drayage). A clean quote names each so the client can see where a late change lands on the invoice.
The most common budget leak is floor-rate utility orders — electrical ordered at the show is typically 40-60% more than the advance rate. The scope should protect that deadline aggressively.
What To Confirm Before Approval
Confirm the show's double-deck policy (some venues restrict heights), the permit lead time (often 60+ days), and the dismantle window — double-decks don't come down fast.
Most scope problems come from late approvals on items that affect freight ship dates. The drawing set, the graphics files, and the show-services order forms usually have the tightest deadlines — everything else moves around them.
How The Work Moves On The Floor
On install day, double deck exhibit management runs against a sequence: crate unload, carpet down, frame up, graphics, electrical drops, AV integration, lighting focus, client walkthrough. Each step unlocks the next. Out-of-order work costs hours.
A good on-site supervisor has decision authority up to a defined dollar number, a direct cell line to the client, and a printed run-of-show on a clipboard — because Wi-Fi at the show floor is rarely reliable during install.
After The Show
A double-deck only makes sense for brands that need the hospitality or meeting footage at shows with 10,000+ attendees — otherwise the cost and complexity outrun the benefit.
Dismantle paperwork — empty labels, bill of lading, damage photos — is also the insurance-claim file. Skipping it costs money three weeks later when a cracked panel surfaces during unpack.
What Double Deck Exhibit Management Actually Covers
Double-deck booths add a second story — meeting rooms, VIP hospitality, or demo zones — and come with structural engineering, permit filings, and heavier freight than single-story builds.
Every show requires engineered drawings, weight limits, and safety inspections. The install takes longer, the labor call is larger, and the crate count roughly doubles.
Venue And Schedule Realities
Venue rules drive the operational side of double deck exhibit management in Fort Worth and DFW. Fort Worth Convention Center requires Edlen for electrical and Inspire Solutions for rigging; Kay Bailey Hutchison uses Freeman AV for exclusive rigging and Sodexo Live for food and beverage. Scopes that assume the wrong provider get rejected at move-in.
Dock schedules and move-in windows vary by show. A 4 a.m. Kay Bailey dock call is not the same job as a 10 a.m. Arlington Convention Center start — the labor call, the freight staging, and the on-site decision speed all change.