Exhibitor Rules and Regulations

The American College of Gastroenterology must approve any use of the ACG logo, ACG 2024 meeting logo, taglines, trademarks, or trade names prior to any exhibitor use. The ACG must approve the language in any advertisement which mentions the American College of Gastroenterology. Please contact Elaine McCubbin at emccubbin@gi.org for additional information.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ACG will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please contact ACG’s VP, Meetings & Exhibitions, Elaine McCubbin at emccubbin@gi.org, no later than August 16, 2024, to make arrangements. Exhibitors are responsible for complying with the ADA requirements within their assigned booth space.

Booth space will be assigned on a point system to establish priority as follows: 3 points for exhibiting plus 1 point for each additional 100 square feet over the initial 100 square feet up to a maximum of 6 points per year. Additional points may be earned by exhibiting at ACG Regional Courses. An exhibitor’s point standing, and the complete priority point policy are available upon request. Space assignments will be made starting in March 2024.

The College reserves the right to make variations in the established priority system and/or relocate previously assigned space. If previously assigned space is relocated, the exhibitor is given 15 days to accept the relocation or request a refund. The Management of the American College of Gastroenterology also reserves the right to alter the exhibit layout at any time.

Exhibitors may request an unlimited number of Exhibit Hall passes at no charge to their company. These badges will only allow company representatives onto the trade show floor. Any exhibitor who wants to attend the scientific sessions must register for the meeting separately.

Set-up badges are available at the meeting registration prior to the Exhibit Hall opening for appointed contractors and staff entering the Exhibit Hall during set-up and dismantling times.

The use of balloons as part of the exhibit display or as a giveaway is prohibited.

Inline and corner spaces

Standard in-line and corner booth spaces are 10 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and 8 feet high. Side rails and counters are limited to 4 feet in height. Any obstructions in the front half of the booth cannot exceed the 4-foot height limit. The height for rear wall displays is 8 feet, which is allowed in the back half of the booth space. Corner booths are permitted to eliminate the outside draped side rail.

Island spaces

Each exhibit shall be installed as to not obstruct the view of or interfere with the exhibits of others. The visual disadvantage created by an island should be no greater than that which would be caused by an in-line space. All display material, including hanging signs, is restricted to 20’ in height and a sufficient “see-through” or “walk-through” area with at least 40% visibility per side must be provided to avoid blocking the view of adjacent exhibits. Should a company’s booth be designed in such a way that neighboring spaces are obstructed, the company will be asked to redesign their booth or relocate. All associated fees will be the responsibility of the exhibitor.

All island exhibit spaces 20’ x 20’ or larger must submit a booth layout for management and Fire Marshall approval by August 16, 2024. Plans can be submitted to Elaine McCubbin, VP, Meetings & Exhibitions at emccubbin@gi.org.

The Management of the American College of Gastroenterology reserves the right to alter the Exhibit Hall layout at any time. If previously assigned space is relocated, the exhibitor is given 15 days in which to accept the relocation or request a refund.

Notice of cancellation or reduction must be received in writing. A service fee of 25% of the total booth cost will apply to any cancellation or space reduction. No refunds will be issued to firms canceling if space cannot be resold or if the trade show floor does not sell out. There will be no refunds whatsoever for space canceled after March 15, 2024. Reductions and cancellations will result in a loss of priority points.

Carpeting is required and is the responsibility of the exhibiting company. The exhibitor may provide carpeting or rent carpeting through the Official Decorator. At 12:00 noon on Sunday, October 27, an inspection will be made of the Exhibit Hall and exhibits that do not have carpeting will be assigned to the Official Decorator for installation and cleaning prior to opening. Charges will be billed to the exhibitor.

Exhibitors are not permitted to carpet outside their booth area without prior permission from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Furniture is not provided with the booth space and is the sole responsibility of the exhibitor.

Exhibitors are permitted to distribute food and beverages within their booth space. All catering items must be ordered through the Pennsylvania Convention Center. A menu selection and order form will be included in the Official Exhibitor Service Manual.

Interviews, demonstrations and the distribution of literature or samples must be made within the booth area assigned to the exhibitor. Canvassing or distributing of advertising matter outside the exhibitor’s own booth will not be permitted. Electrical or other mechanical apparatus must be muffled so noise does not interfere with other exhibitors. Use of microphones, television or other sound aspects of displays, compressed air, gases, or other similar media must be confined to the booth area, may not interfere with other exhibitors and are subject to being prohibited by Management, which shall have absolute discretion in its judgment on such matters. Character of the exhibits is subject to approval of the College.

ACG reserves the right to determine the acceptability of applications for exhibit space. The products or services to be exhibited must be of professional or educational interest and related to the field of gastroenterology. The right is reserved to refuse applications of concerns not meeting standards required or expected, as well as the right to curtail exhibits or parts of exhibits that reflect against the character of the meeting. This applies to displays, literature, advertising novelties, souvenirs, conduct of persons, etc. The Management of the American College of Gastroenterology reserves the right to remove at any time any exhibit deemed undesirable without refund. Management’s decision must be accepted as final in any disagreement between exhibitors.

The College and Exhibit Management (including exhibit managers, decorators, etc.) make every effort to accommodate exhibitors who prefer to use the services of subcontractors with whom the exhibitor contracts or assigns certain duties. However, it is the Exhibit Management’s responsibility to ensure that the Exhibit Hall opens on time and that all regulations are observed. Therefore, the exhibitor acknowledges and assigns to the Exhibit Management the right and discretion to undertake any activities or services, on behalf of the exhibitor and at the exhibitor’s expense, which the Exhibit Management believes are needed to meet these requirements, if those activities or services have not been timely provided by the exhibitor or by any subcontractor designated by the exhibitor.

Exhibitor agrees to be financially responsible for any debts incurred either by himself, by his subcontractor(s), or by Exhibit Management on his behalf, both generally and under the specific circumstances noted above. The exhibitor specifically agrees to indemnify the College, exhibition management and their agents and to hold them harmless in any dispute over fees. If a subcontractor fails to make payment to the College, Exhibit Management, or any agent of either for any costs incurred on the exhibitor’s behalf, for whatever reason—including bankruptcy of the subcontractor, or payment dispute—exhibitor agrees that such fees are his direct responsibility. Nothing included above shall constitute an obligation upon the College, or Exhibit Management or their agents to arrange for or otherwise provide any activities and services normally the obligation of the exhibitor, and not specifically provided for elsewhere in this Agreement.

Exhibitor designated contractors must carry their own insurance to cover exhibit material against damage and loss, as well as public liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate against injury to the person and property of others. A certificate of insurance naming the American College of Gastroenterology as additional insured must be received at least 30 days prior to the Exhibit Hall opening.

A complete Official Exhibitor Service Kit from the Official Decorator will be available in June 2024. A link to the Kit will be available on the ACG 2024 meeting website and will be emailed to each exhibitor.

The FDA imposes rules and regulations on some of the products exhibited at healthcare meetings. It is the exhibitor’s responsibility to understand and follow the FDA rules and regulations. Specific information may be obtained from the FDA.

All materials used in the Exhibit Hall must be flame proofed and fire resistant to conform to the local fire ordinances and in accordance with regulations established by the local Fire Department. Crepe paper or corrugated paper, flame proofed or otherwise, will not be permitted. Excelsior or other paper is not to be used in crating merchandise.

Display racks, signs, spotlights, and special equipment must be approved before usage, and all displays are subject to inspection by the Fire Prevention Bureau. Any exhibits or parts thereof found not to be fireproof may be dismantled.

All aisles and exits must always be kept clear, and fire stations and fire extinguisher equipment are not to be covered or obstructed.

Only those companies participating in the commercial exhibit program will be allowed to conduct hospitality suites in Philadelphia. Suites are limited to hospitality and may not be used to display products or services. These hospitality suites may not be open or advertised to be open at times that conflict with official functions of the College such as scientific sessions or College sponsored social functions (including exhibits).

Accredited continuing education must protect learners from commercial bias and marketing. ACG and the exhibiting company agree to the following conditions, as well as all requirements of ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education:

• ACG must not share the names or contact information of learners with any ineligible company or its agents without the explicit consent of the individual learner.
• ACG is responsible for ensuring that education is separate from marketing by ineligible companies*—including advertising, sales, exhibits, and promotion—and from nonaccredited education offered in conjunction with accredited continuing education.
• Arrangements to allow ineligible companies to market or exhibit in association with accredited education must not:
  • Influence any decisions related to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the education.
  • Interfere with the presentation of the education.
  • Be a condition of the provision of financial or in-kind support from ineligible companies for the education.
• ACG must ensure that learners can easily distinguish between accredited education and other activities.
  • Live continuing education activities: Marketing, exhibits, and nonaccredited education developed by or with influence from an ineligible company or with planners or faculty with unmitigated financial relationships must not occur in the educational space within 30 minutes before or after an accredited education activity. Activities that are part of the event but are not accredited for continuing education must be clearly labeled and communicated as such.
  • Print, online, or digital continuing education activities: Learners must not be presented with marketing while engaged in the accredited education activity. Learners must be able to engage with the accredited education without having to click through, watch, listen to, or be presented with product promotion or product-specific advertisement.
  • Information distributed about accredited education that does not include educational content, such as schedules and logistical information, may include marketing by or for an ineligible company.
• Ineligible companies may not provide access to, or distribute, accredited education to learners.

*Ineligible companies (formerly, “commercial interests”) are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

All matters and questions not specifically covered by these Rules and Regulations are subject to the decision of the American College of Gastroenterology. Exhibitors agree to comply with all subsequent reasonable rules adopted or changed by the College. Any changes will be provided to exhibitors in writing.

Exhibitor assumes entire responsibility and hereby agrees to protect, indemnify, defend and hold the American College of Gastroenterology, and their employees and agents harmless against all claims or fines and attorney’s fees arising out of or caused by Exhibitor’s installation, removal, maintenance, occupancy or use of the exhibition premises or a part thereof, excluding any such liability caused by the sole negligence of the American College of Gastroenterology, Pennsylvania Convention Center, their employees and agents.

In addition, Exhibitor acknowledges that the American College of Gastroenterology and the Pennsylvania Convention Center do not maintain insurance covering Exhibitor’s property and that it is the sole responsibility of the Exhibitor to obtain business interruption and property loss/damage insurance covering such losses by the Exhibitor.

Labor must be used in accordance with local union requirements in the erection and dismantling of exhibits. Exhibitors utilizing firms other than the Official Decorator are requested to notify the American College of Gastroenterology in writing with the name of the contractor. Those exhibitors will be required to present a Certificate of Insurance from such outside contractors to protect the American College of Gastroenterology against disputes arising from services not performed. The exhibitor agrees that if outside contractors do not perform labor services in a reasonable period of time, the Official Contractor will provide for labor services and the exhibitor will be invoiced accordingly.

Exhibitor designated contractors must carry their own insurance to cover exhibit material against damage and loss, as well as public liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate against injury to the person and property of others. A Certificate of Insurance naming the American College of Gastroenterology as additional insured must be received at least 30 days prior to the Exhibit Hall opening.

Lead retrieval services are available at ACG 2024. Information will be included in the Official Exhibitor Service Kit and at acgmeetings.gi.org.

Companies that have merged with or purchased another company may use the priority points from either company, whichever is higher, but may not combine the priority point totals. The ACG must be notified by both companies that the acquisition or merger is complete. Request for transfer of points must also be submitted in writing to the ACG by the parent company.

Please contact ACG at emccubbin@gi.org or kthorne@gi.org for details on out of home advertising.

Firms or organizations not assigned space in the Exhibit Hall will not be permitted to solicit business within the Exhibit Hall or elsewhere in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Exhibitors are requested to inform the College of their knowledge of any such occurrence.

Freeman has been designated as the official drayage contractor. The official contractor is responsible for maintaining all in and out traffic schedules at the show site and handling the move-in and move-out of all exhibitors’ materials and equipment. Freeman maintains control and always has priority at the loading areas.

General questions regarding any services should be directed to:

FREEMAN
Phone/Text: (888) 508-5054
www.freemanco.com/store/faqs#contactUs

Exhibit space at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is priced as follows:

• 10’ x 10’ Linear Booth: $3,600
• Corner Booth: $3,800
• Island Booth Space: $42.00/sq. ft.

Full payment must accompany your application. A service fee of 25% of the total booth cost will apply to any cancellation or space reduction. No refunds will be issued to firms canceling if space cannot be resold. There will be no refunds whatsoever for space canceled after March 15, 2024.

Exhibitors, Attendees, Guests and Media are strictly prohibited from taking still photography, video or audio recording of the Exhibit Hall or any educational session or event of the meeting for publication, rebroadcast or placement on a non-ACG website or print publication without prior written permission from the ACG. Still photography is permitted only for personal, non-commercial purposes, including social media. For more information, contact Elaine McCubbin at emccubbin@gi.org. Media should contact ACG at mediaonly@gi.org.

Prizes and lotteries are permitted at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting provided they remain professional in nature. Written permission from the ACG is required. The exhibitor is responsible for any permits, occupational licenses, and city/state sales taxes, if applicable. The ACG reserves the right to restrict activities that it deems inappropriate or unprofessional.

Exhibitors will be held liable for any damage caused to the Pennsylvania Convention Center property and no material or matter of any kind shall be posted on, tacked, nailed, screwed, or otherwise attached to columns, walls, floors or other parts or portions of the facilities or furnishings. Whatever may be necessary to properly protect the building, equipment or furniture will be installed at the expense of the exhibitor. If any controversy arises as to the need or propriety, the Convention Center will be the final judge thereof and their decision shall be binding on all parties concerned.

The purpose of the exhibits is to further the education of meeting attendees through product and service displays and demonstrations related to the field of gastroenterology. Sales and order taking are permitted if transactions are conducted in a manner consistent with the professional nature of the meeting. The ACG reserves the right to restrict sales activities that it deems inappropriate, unprofessional, or unrelated to the field of gastroenterology. All exhibitors who conduct sales during an event are responsible for obtaining the appropriate business license(s) and for paying all applicable Provincial (PST) and Federal Sales Taxes (GST).

Security shall be furnished by Management to be on duty in the Exhibit Hall when exhibits are closed, but the safekeeping of the exhibitor’s property shall remain the responsibility of the exhibitor. Exhibitors should not leave valuable materials or equipment on the exhibit floor outside the hours when exhibits are open. If security is required in your booth during or after normal show hours, you may contract directly with ACG’s security contractor for that service. Information and order forms will be included in the Official Exhibitor Services Kit. The American College of Gastroenterology can assume no responsibility for any losses sustained by exhibitors. Complete information regarding drayage will be forwarded with the Official Exhibitor Information Kit after confirmation of space assignment.

Installation of Exhibits

Friday, October 25
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday, October 26
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Sunday, October 27
8:00 am – 12:00 noon

All exhibit crates must be empty and tagged for storage no later than 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 26. All large display crates must be removed from the exhibit floor by 5:00 pm on Saturday, October 26, for the service contractor to have access to install the aisle carpet.

All installation must be completed by 12:00 noon on Sunday, October 27. Display space not claimed and occupied by 12:00 noon on Sunday, October 27, may be canceled or reassigned without notification or refund.

Tuesday, October 29
4:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Wednesday, October 30
8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Exhibits must not be dismantled or be in the process of being removed before 4:30 pm on Tuesday, October 29. Exhibitors dismantling before this time may lose earned priority points. All exhibit materials must be removed from the exhibit areas by 2:00 pm on Wednesday, October 30. If the exhibitor fails to remove their materials from the exhibit area in a timely fashion, the exhibitor shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend the American College of Gastroenterology from and against any and all fees or expenses the College must pay to Pennsylvania Convention Center as a result of late removal.

Advance Warehouse Shipments

Ship early, prepay all transportation charges. Collect shipments will not be accepted.

1. Freeman will accept crated, boxed, or skidded materials beginning September 23, 2024, at the address below. All shipments must be accompanied with a Certified Weight Ticket. “Full Load” trailers without a Certified Weight Ticket may be refused and sent to obtain requested documents.
2. Freeman does not accept uncrated freight (loose, pad-wrapped material and/or unpalletized machinery), COD shipments, hazardous materials, freight requiring refrigerated or frozen storage, a single piece of freight weighing more than 5,000 pounds or a single piece of freight beyond the dimensions of 108′ H x 93′ W.
3. The warehouse will receive shipments Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 2:30 PM Eastern Time.

Advance warehouse shipments should be labeled and consigned as follows:

FREEMAN CORP
ACG
Exhibitor Name/Booth Number
9820 Blue Grass Rd
C/O Marano Trucking / Freeman
Philadelphia, PA 19114, USA

All shipments should be securely packed and fully prepaid. Bills of lading, showing the number of pieces, description and weight should be forwarded to the drayage agent when shipment is made. Each exhibitor agrees to ship his material at their own risk and expense. If its services are used, the drayage contractor will store the shipments without charge for 30 days prior to the installation of the exhibit.

The loading area at the Pennsylvania Convention Center will be under the supervision of FREEMAN. Direct shipments should be labeled and consigned as follows, and delivery may begin on Friday, October 18, 2024:

Exhibiting Company Name
Booth #
ACG Annual Meeting 2024 C/O Freeman
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

A uniformly lettered, two-line decorative sign, 7” x 44”, indicating the company name and booth number, will be furnished, and properly located at the top of the back of each inline and corner booth. Additional signs for display purposes may be ordered from the Official Decorator.

Island booths, 400 square feet and larger, are permitted to hang signs from the ceiling, however, they may not exceed the 20’ height limitation as measured from the top of the sign to the floor. Inline and corner booths are not permitted to have hanging signs over their booth space.

Each exhibit must be fully operational and staffed during the open exhibit hours. All participants affiliated with exhibits must be registered. Exhibitors utilizing firms other than the Official Decorator must obtain exhibitor set-up badges for non-booth personnel to use during set-up and teardown on:

Friday, October 25
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday, October 26
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Sunday, October 27
8:00 am – 12:00 noon

Tuesday, October 29
4:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Wednesday, October 30
8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Everyone must have either an ACG Exhibitor Badge or an Exhibitor Set-up Badge during set-up and teardown. Badges are not to be issued to representatives of leasing companies, financial institutions, publishers, suppliers, vendors, or others who wish to gain admittance for the purpose of making contact other than in your exhibit. An exhibitor may not register any other person eligible for paid registration.

The subletting, assignment, or apportionment of the whole or of any part of his space by any exhibitor is prohibited. No exhibitor may permit any other party to exhibit in his space any goods other than those manufactured or handled by the contract exhibitor, nor permit the solicitation of business by others within his space.

Surveys must be conducted within the confines of the exhibit booth space. Exhibit personnel are prohibited from leaving the booth to encourage attendees to complete a survey.

ACG prohibits companies from providing attendee transportation. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine McCubbin at emccubbin@gi.org.

Exhibitors who violate any provision of the official rules and regulations may face penalties commensurate to the severity of the violations. This may include, but is not limited to, loss of priority points, immediate closing of the exhibit without refund and exclusion from future ACG meetings.

The weight limit on the floor of the Exhibit Hall is 350 lbs. per net square foot.