The design sits in the heart of every memorable event, but in the world of exhibitions, it is often evaluated – and, rapidly, exploited. Noel Reeves, Board Members Event supplier and service union (Essa) and CEOs in rocket exhibition services explain why the issue requires more awareness and how we can collectively face design theft.
Picture to the scene. You and your design team have tried only weeks to designing the Bispok Exhibition Stand for a potential customer. A fully developed proposal, between the detailed visual and several rounds of modification, this work has taken an incredible amount of time, creativity and wealth.
On the final amendment, proud pride on the proposed design, it is sent to the customer for the next steps. Then comes silence.
No response. No update. Just radio silence.
Month later, while attending a trade show, you do some spots on the show floor that holds your eye – an exhibition stand you and your team designed a few months ago, which looks familiar for a few months.
Deep digging, you find out what happened. Your design was taken, all copyright was taken away, and passed on a contractor, which made it in good faith, but of course, without your knowledge.
Sound inappropriate? What happened to us in the beginning of this year actually. At least a painful experience to say, but also a big waking call.
Unfortunately, I am not alone in it. In fact, hundreds of incredible phenomena businesses that are for design stands and exhibitions such as have been used in recent years have designed their own designs without permission or payment, and this is something that becomes largely unwanted or talks about it.
This invisible theft of creative work in the event industry is a growing issue, but why is this happening, and what can we all do to help stop it?
To understand why the problem is happening, the first thing is that we need to understand that when it comes to working, the event industry works very differently for other industries.
Unlike other industries, where a design or concept development is considered as a bill worthy service, the exhibition design comes with expectation that the cost is not an obstruction to ask for the work.
We produce design for customers for customers, designs for specializations, which are no financial commitment from customers, which is unheard of other industries. You will not be able to appoint an architect or interior designer to go to your home and complete an assessment and provide recommendations, so why do we allow it to be so different in our industry?
Not only does it create a culture where there is no consequence to steal, but it not only creates a ‘approach to a’ bottom of the race ‘in terms of pricing, but also how the design work is given importance. The idea that deigns in twenty minutes are just ‘knocked’, not only harmful, but also reduces dozens of hours of efficient work, which the incident professionals did not promise to work later.
Collective commitment
With that, this ‘free pitch model’ is only prominent because we see it as an ideal in our industry. To move this culture and discourage the theft within the industry, we need to start looking at collective commitment, honest interactions with all in the supply chain, and most of them, provide education at the right cost and price of the design for customers.
The collective commitment begins with all of us acting as a community and we all have more integrity as businesses to verify where the design has come from.
Contractors should not be afraid to challenge and ask questions about the origin of designs provided by them. Customers should be more transparent about the creative material supplied they supplied. Suppliers should refuse to repeat designs that clearly come from other suppliers. And we all should be ready to call the theft designs when to designed in events and not acceptable, it is seen to strengthen it.
Education and guidance
Education is also a very important part of it, and why it is that business associations like ESSA play an important role. Not only can they help raise awareness about this issue, but they can also provide the design ownership, proposals and more guidance to help in conversation around -with the guidance.
‘Design Matters’ campaign There is something that is embedded in Essa’s code of conduct, and through cooperation with anti -copy in design (acid), hundreds of essa members have helped to navigate their designs and navigate the conditions where it is challenged.
This is an important work. However, as long as the risk of theft designs persists, we should change if we want change.
This change will not come from a company or association alone. It demands a common commitment throughout the region. If the event community wants to protect creativity, encourage innovation and create a fair, more sustainable future, everyone – customers, contractors, industry bodies – should move and play their share. It begins with speaking, determining the clear boundaries and refuses to remain calm when creativity is stolen without credit.
