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 Week after week, the skilled tradeshow workers from Local 831 transform
the barren halls of Southern California’s convention centers into a
hi-tech city of flashing lights, elaborate structures, and sometimes
even waterfalls for the region’s vast tradeshow industry. Then, days
later, they return to tear down the exhibits and prepare for the next
show.
Local 831’s tradeshow workers are experienced builders and fabricators. Some are highly skilled riggers hanging elaborate lighting systems in the exhibit halls, others are skilled at generating custom computer graphics and banners for exhibitors. And like other craftsmen and women in the building and construction trades, they are problem solvers.
“I like solving problems,” said 11-year, 831-member Matt Cornell. “When the client gets stressed because something is not going as they had planned – that’s where I like to shine.” Cornell said the exhibits designed and built in a shop encounter unforeseen problems on the showroom floor. It is then up the skill and experience of the Local 831 members to make it work. “I like to get in there, calm them down and find a solution to the problem and then you move on to the next one,” he said.
Building Trades News toured the Los Angeles Convention Center as Local 831 members working for several of their signatory contracts were erecting exhibits for the E3 Expo, the world’s premiere tradeshow for computer and video games and related products.
 E3 is making its return to the Los Angeles Convention Center after scaling down and holding it at smaller venues the past several years. Over its 14-year history, E3 has seen the introduction of every console from the Nintendo 64 to the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360, along with countless video games. The show hit a record attendance of 70,000 in 2005, but two years later it was downgraded to a shadow of itself, limited attendance to about 5,000 and nearly killed the spectacle of the annual event.
This year some of that spectacle returns, as the show expects 200 exhibitors and 40,000 people to pack into the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Local 831 will have approximately 1,200 members working to set up the tradeshow over five days according to Dave Henderson, Business Representative for Local 831. Several of the large exhibits will have crews working around the clock in several shifts in order to get the booths up and running by the time the show opens of June 2. “Many of the exhibits had to be scaled down from recent years because of a shorter move-in time,” Henderson said. “The largest booth size allowed this year will be 15,000 square feet. In recent years, some booths have been as large as a football field.”
GES foreman Bob Wilson said that Southern California is a great location for E3 because of the region’s skilled tradeshow workers.
“This is a great town to work in, I’ve worked all across the country and this is by far the best place,” said Wilson who has been an 831 member for 11 years. “When it comes to talent and skill, pound for pound, we’re the best in the nation. When I show up here, I know you’re going to have a quality crew to help me. The customers also love coming here. When customers come up to me and say ‘I love coming to Southern California, we like what you guys do for us here,’ it makes my job a lot easier,” said Wilson.
Photos by Slobodan Dimitrov
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 Bob Masse
National Convetion Services, 35 Years
Service is important in this industry. When you do the job you want to make sure you do it right the first time. You want an “atta boy” as they say. You want to make sure the customer is happy.
The industry has improved dramatically since the time I first started. The training program that we have is fantastic. It used to be that one company would teach you how to do things one way, and another company would do it totally different. Now everyone is on the same page.
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 Steve Miller
20 Years, Nth Degree
I had never envisioned myself in this line of work, but it has turned out to be something great. I love everything about this job, the people I work with, the challenges it presents, the variety – it’s a great career.
When I started, the company I worked for had their own in-house program but nothing like the program 831 has now. The guys coming out of the union hall are well-prepared and well-trained.
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 Skip Kalal
18 Years, Coastal International
I like the time factor that comes with this job – the fact that we have to get the project done in such a fast time. I like that pressure. I like that it’s not an ongoing project, but something you have to get in there and get it done quickly.
Until I joined 831 I didn’t have any kind of benefits – the retirement and health benefits are great. My daughter graduates high school in three years and I’m hoping to be able to retire and finally get to do some traveling.
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 Matt Cornell
11 years, GES
It’s great to have this show back here. Right now we’ve got two crews of 15 men working 12-hour shifts on this exhibit. Things are going smoothly; the builders did a great job.
I think the 831 training program does a helluva job. The new guys come in and they already have the skills for basic booth building. That makes it easier for any lead-man because you’re not babysitting guys. You tell them to go and build a section and they already have the skills to get the job done.
This job keeps you on your toes. We’ve got a great crew of guys out here through 831.
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 Pete Daumen
1985, Renaissance Management
Being an 831 member I know that there are people looking out for you. If you have any problems or issues that come up, you can call a Rep to come out and help solve the problem. It’s good to know that you have people behind you.
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 Bob Wilson
11 Years, GES
I’ve always been a builder. I was just on the cusp of becoming a general contractor when I was introduced to the tradeshow business by a friend of mine. I took a shot at it and realized it was a real clean business. It has union representation which means opportunities and security not just for myself but for my family with insurance and pension benefits.
Some days the exhibits are pretty straightforward and mundane, other shows like E3 they are pretty elaborate. That’s when you get to showcase your skills and you feel like you’re actually building something. The double deck structures are always challenging. They bring a lot to the floor and present a challenge which we always look for.
When it comes to being a foreman the important thing is to treat everyone with respect. That starts with the last person hired on your crew to the top of the line which is your customer. If someone has those skills I think they have potential to be a good foreman or lead man because they have to communicate with a variety of different people.
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Just when working families were gearing up to challenge another California ballot initiative to muzzle their and their union’s ability to affect policymaking in the state, the U.S. Supreme Court came out with a stunning blow to the individual having any impact on elections. Last Jan. 10, the Court issued its decision in “Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission,” and declared that business profits, with no limit on the amount, can be used to fund political campaigns.
