Exhibit Standards and Guidelines

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has standards and guidelines for designing and displaying exhibits for conferences, trade shows, and other events.

The EERE Communications Office also manages and stores corporate exhibits, which are available for loan to other EERE offices.

Graphic Guidelines

Follow DOE and EERE's Brand Guidelines for your exhibit.

Exhibit Approval 

The design of all new EERE exhibits must be approved by EERE Communications. To receive approval of a new exhibit, please send a JPEG image or PDF to EERE Communications. EERE Communications will provide any necessary feedback to ensure conformance with the design guidelines.

Requesting Corporate Exhibits

If you want to use one of EERE's existing corporate exhibits in your event, you can request them from the EERE Communications Office.

The corporate exhibits vary in size and scalability and are used for general EERE events. EERE offices may request to use these exhibits, but they are not meant to represent any one program or technology office. Borrowers will be asked to cover any shipping or drayage costs associated with their event.

Contact EERE Communications to request the use of corporate exhibits and for help in planning your event.

Exhibiting Guidelines

To prepare for events, EERE provides these recommendations and guidelines for exhibiting:

Pre-Show

• Make sure exhibit space is reserved as soon as possible and paid for; a 10' x 10' exhibit space is typically recommended. Payments for exhibit spaces can be made by a subcontractor or authorized credit card.  
• Finalize pre-show publicity in coordination with EERE Communications.
• Make sure all equipment and services for your exhibit are ordered and paid for, either by a subcontractor or with an authorized credit card.
  • When considering what equipment to order, remember that basic items like chairs, tables, carpet, and power are usually not included with the cost of the exhibit.
• Determine who will attend the show, develop a staffing plan, and make sure all staff are pre-registered. At least one person should be in the booth at all times, and at least two people should staff the booth for any event.
• Get travel approved early, as travel to all shows and conferences needs to be pre-approved by Dorothy Wormley at EERE. For international conferences, a government passport must be issued very early in the process; contact Dorothy for more information on the timeframe for this.
• Ship publications and exhibit supplies—including service orders, mailing labels and equipment you'll need for the show—with the display and other materials. In most cases, there are two options regarding shipping destinations: shipping to a warehouse a few weeks before the show, or shipping directly to the show site.

During the Show

• Make sure to have your badges and any other requirements taken care of before the show opens.
• Check that all items shipped to and ordered for the show have arrived and review service orders.
• Carefully set up the display and keep it well maintained during the event.
• Wear business-like, comfortable attire, and don't forget your nametag. 
• Get plenty of rest before the show, schedule breaks, and pace yourself during the event.
• Make sure the booth is always staffed during event hours; keep the booth presentable and free of clutter, food and noisy distractions.
• Be approachable. Hosts are encouraged to stand and be interactive, and to not spend the event sitting down.
• Listen carefully to visitors' needs and interests and focus conversation around them. Avoid overwhelming the visitors with more information or literature than they need or want.
• Be knowledgeable about EERE and its programs; offer to find answers to questions if unsure, and follow up. Be able to explain what you do in three to five seconds.
• Take notes. Ask for business cards with accurate mail or contact information. Write down any specific questions or other important information to help you remember your conversations with the people you meet.

Post-Show

• Make sure to disassemble the exhibit carefully, as not to damage the display. Take down the display, roll up display graphics with image-side out, and use sheet spacers to separate graphics.
  • Note any repairs needed for corporate exhibits and report them after the event.
  • Mail unused literature and other materials back to your office or contractor directly, not inside the container with the exhibit.
• Acquire a bill of lading from the service desk for every shipping destination.
  • If the exhibit is going to another show, write the date that it must arrive on the bill of lading.
  • If using UPS/FedEx, write the shipment number on the bill of lading. 
• Call your shipping company to arrange or confirm shipments. Fill out shipping labels with account numbers for each case and box.
• Collect bills if the show personnel have them ready in time. Send the bills to the contractor responsible for payment of services and equipment.
• Follow up with post-event requests for literature, calls, and referrals.