CLIENT GUIDE TO EAC PROCESSES
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Dear Client:
Thank you for allowing Coastal International the opportunity to work with your company! My name is Amy Johnson, and I work alongside your Account Executive ("AE") to help ensure all pre-show planning goes smoothly.
Below are answers to common questions concerning the EAC process.
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What is an EAC Company? An independent labor company, like Coastal International, is known in the event industry as an “EAC”, which stands for “Exhibitor Appointed Contractor”.
What is an EAC Form? As you know, there are many forms to be filled out when planning for a tradeshow. When using an EAC company, one very critical form is the “EAC Form”. This might also be referred to as “NOI (Notification of Intent) to use an EAC”, “EAC Designation Form”, or "Non-Official Contractor Form". It is essentially a form allowing the exhibitor to designate an EAC company to perform installation and dismantling (“I&D”) services in the exhibit area before, during, or after the show, rather than using the general contractor. This form is usually included in the show manual (or show “kit”) and is produced by the show management company and/or the general contractor company. Occasionally both parties have their own individual form, so two forms will need to be submitted in those cases.
The EAC Form may be a PDF document which needs to be emailed to show management and/or the general contractor. Or it may be an electronic form to be filled out on a website and submitted online. It will often include a deadline, typically 30 days or more before the first day of the show.
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WHAT DO I ENTER ON THE EAC FORM? When filling out the EAC form you will be asked to include the exhibitor’s company name, booth # and contact information. You will also be asked to enter any/all of the below information:
EAC COMPANY CONTACT INFO:
(Important: Please do not enter your AE's name/info. This is to ensure our AEs focus exclusively on your job details rather than managing any EAC related processes. Additionally, please do not enter the display house contact info. If the display house will be onsite, a separate EAC Form should be submitted for that company.)
COMPANY NAME: Coastal International
"PRIMARY CONTACT" (aka "Main Contact"; "Pre-Show Contact"): Amy Johnson - Tradeshow Services Manager
Primary Contact Phone (Main): 415-339-1700
Primary Contact Phone (Direct/Cell): 415-339-3482
Primary Contact Fax: 415-339-1710
Primary Contact Email: amy.johnson@coastalintl.com
Primary Contact Address: 3 Harbor Drive, Suite 108, Sausalito, CA 94965
ONSITE CONTACT: Our Onsite Operations Contact list can be seen HERE. The Onsite Contact should only be listed if specifically required on the form.
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EAC's INSURANCE COMPANY CONTACT INFO:
Insurance Company: Mill Valley Insurance Services
Broker/Agent Name: Dudley Fournier
Address: 10 S. Knoll Rd., Ste. 4, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Email: dudley@millvalleyinsurance.com
Phone: 415-389-7140
Fax: 415-389-7145
License #: 0642518
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TYPE OF SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED: "I&D Labor" (Install & Dismantle Labor)
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How do I submit the EAC Form? Submit the form according to the instructions on the form (email or online). It is advisable to always keep a copy of this form – If possible, please share a copy of the EAC Form with me and your AE,
or simply copy us on the email when submitting it (if the form is being emailed).
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Can Coastal submit the EAC Form for me? 99% of the time, the answer is no. Most forms explicitly state that they will only be accepted when submitted by the exhibitor. In very rare cases, a "Reverse EAC" process will be in effect, where Coastal "designates" the exhibitor via a form or portal. If there is any confusion about who is responsible for what, please contact me. Coastal maintains a positive, professional relationship with all general contractor and show management companies, and it is our goal to respect any rules set forth by either of these parties.
What if we are past the deadline? It happens. It may be wise to contact the person named on the EAC form to request that the EAC form be accepted at the later date – Check with your AE or me first. If Coastal International’s insurance (“COI”) has already been submitted for that show it may be easier to gain acceptance of the late form.
How is the insurance ("COI") handled? The EAC Form will usually indicate that the EAC company needs to submit their certificate of insurance (“COI”). We typically send our COI in upon first receiving a labor order and/or an EAC Form for any show, and we are happy to provide a copy of the COI to any client requesting it. We do not expect our client to submit it on our behalf, and in many cases doing so can complicate matters.
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** If the EAC Form requires that our COI be uploaded during the online EAC Form submission,
please contact me so that I may provide you with a copy of our COI. If our COI has not yet been issued,
I will need to see the COI requirements that may only be visible to you in the exhibitor portal.
We can discuss this on a case by case basis **
Please always find out if exhibitor insurance is ALSO required by the show – This info is usually in a special exhibitor requirements section of the manual. Our COI covers our services only, not the exhibitor.
EAC Fee Policy: A handful of show management companies impose "EAC Fees", ranging on average from $100-$300 per job. Coastal International aims to provide superior quality labor at a reasonable rate to each of our clients - Our service not only includes onsite labor, but extensive administrative planning for any job. For this reason, we cannot absorb the additional cost of these fees - Doing so would lead to higher costs passed onto all clients. We will alert our clients up front if there will be an EAC Fee applied to their job as a straight passthrough charge (no markup).
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- A current, running list of events with EAC Fees can be seen here: Events with EAC Fees
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- For more information about EAC Fees, and current industry advocacy against them, please read the following Exhibit City News article (page 47): It's Time for a Freeze on Fees
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On behalf of the entire Coastal International team, I would like to thank you for your business and cooperation in creating a successful partnership.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at all!
Respectfully,
Amy Johnson
Tradeshow Services Manager
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Coastal International
3 Harbor Drive, Suite 108
Sausalito, CA 94965 USA
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Toll-Free: 1-800-235-9200
Main Office: 415-339-1700
Direct/Cell: 415-339-3482
Fax: 415-339-1710
Email: amy.johnson@coastalintl.com
Web: www.coastalintl.com