Tag: fairguide

Federal Trade Commission Shuts Down Trade Show Directory Scammer

We’re pleased to report that the Federal Trade Commission has temporarily halted operations of Construct Data Verlag AG of Slovakia (formerly of Austria), which produces FAIRGuide.

We’ve warned our exhibitors countless times over the past few years about the company, most recently in February in this blog post.

The Trade Show News Network has more on the FTC’s ruling.

Chris Dolnack is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisDolnack. 

SHOT Show is still 11 months away, but scammers never sleep

They’re at it again. Like the living dead, various unscrupulous trade show directory scam artists have reappeared to haunt SHOT Show exhibitors. Construct Data Verlag AG of Slovakia (formerly of Austria), which produces FAIRGuide, is seeking to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses that may still be cleaning the dust off their shoes from the 2013 SHOT Show.

The directory solicitations appear harmless, asking companies simply to update their information (which supposedly already exists in the directories and has been published for free). However, upon closer examination of the fine print, listings in the directories are far from “FREE.” By signing and returning the solicitation form with or without updating business information, companies will actually be entering into a three-year, irrevocable agreement that automatically renews and will require them to pay a significant amount of money with no foreseeable benefits. As the owner and sponsor of the SHOT Show, the National Shooting Sports Foundation itself has been targeted by these deceptive and misleading trade show directory scams.

The SHOT Show has no relationship with the FAIRGuide, Expo-Guide or any of their other branded directories, and they are not authorized to use the “SHOT Show” name and registered trademarks on information they send to show exhibitors and attendees. There is reason to believe that the FAIRGuide and other branded directories are part of a larger international syndicate composed of multiple trade show directory publishers all operated by the same conspirators. I know, we all love a conspiracy theory but the facts bear this out.

We strongly warn exhibitors and attendees to exercise extreme caution if they receive solicitations from Construct Data Verlag AG or any other suspicious third-party offers in order to avoid unwarranted and/or unnecessary legal and financial commitments.

Show exhibitors or attendees who may have fallen prey to any of these trade show directory scams are encouraged to contact NSSF’s legal department at 203-426-1320 or jyue@nssf.org.

The Zombie-like Reappearance of Trade Show Directory Scams

They’re at it again. Like the living dead, various unscrupulous trade show directory scam artists have reappeared to haunt SHOT Show exhibitors. Construct Data Verlag AG of Slovakia (formerly of Austria), which produces FAIRGuide, is seeking to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses that may still be cleaning the dust off their shoes from the recent SHOT Show.

The directory solicitations appear harmless, asking companies simply to update their information (which supposedly already exists in the directories and has been published for free). However, upon closer examination of the fine print, listings in the directories are far from “FREE.” By signing and returning the solicitation form with or without updating business information, companies will actually be entering into a three-year, irrevocable agreement that automatically renews and will require them to pay a significant amount of money with no foreseeable benefits. As the owner and sponsor of the SHOT Show, the National Shooting Sports Foundation itself has been targeted by these deceptive and misleading trade show directory scams.

The SHOT Show has no relationship with the FAIRGuide, Expo-Guide or any of their other branded directories, and they are not authorized to use the “SHOT Show” name and registered trademarks on information they send to show exhibitors and attendees. There is reason to believe that the FAIRGuide and other branded directories are part of a larger international syndicate composed of multiple trade show directory publishers all operated by the same conspirators. I know, we all love a conspiracy theory but the facts bear this out.

We strongly warn exhibitors and attendees to exercise extreme caution if they receive solicitations from Construct Data Verlag AG or any other suspicious third-party offers in order to avoid unwarranted and/or unnecessary legal and financial commitments.

Show exhibitors or attendees who may have fallen prey to any of these trade show directory scams are encouraged to contact NSSF’s legal department at 203-426-1320 or jyue@nssf.org.

Message from IAEE President: Stop Fair Guide’s Tactics

The following comes to us from Steven Hacker, president of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE):

    As if producing a successful exhibition isn’t already complex enough, hundreds of organizers and their exhibitors are distracted and harassed every year by the mischief of Fair Guide/Construct Data, the Slovakian company that has been targeting exhibitors with a very suspect “Directory Listing” offer. 

    If you haven’t crossed paths with Fair Guide, their tactics include gathering contact information of exhibitors from show directories. They then mail an innocuous looking form to the exhibitor asking that the information be confirmed and returned to them in the provided postage paid envelope.

    Most who do return the form fail to read or understand the fine print at the bottom that commits them to an irrevocable three-year advertising contract costing thousands of dollars.

    IAEE has been pursuing the company for the better part of a decade without success. We believe it is now time to mount a concerted effort that will result in action by the United States Federal Trade Commission to force the company to cease its deceptive business practices.

    Please review the bulletin that IAEE has issued. If any of your exhibitors have been snared by Fair Guide we hope that you will join us in the actions that are outlined in the memo.

    Even if your events have not yet been targeted by Fair Guide, we urge you to check the Fair Guide website (www.Fairguide.com). If your event(s) is listed we recommend that you contact the company through your legal counsel immediately demanding that all references to your event(s) be removed immediately. If they are using your event’s name you should also refer to the intellectual property rights that you own to the event.

    We hope that joint action by IAEE and our members will result in the FTC restraining Fair Guide’s unfair and predatory practices.

Be Cautious of Trade Show Directory Scams

Exhibitors and attendees of the 2011 SHOT Show should be especially cautious if they receive mail inviting them to update their company listings in certain international online or print trade directories.

We are aware of at least two directory publishers — Construct Data Verlag AG of Slovakia (formerly of Austria), which produces FAIRGuide, and Commercial Online Manuals of Mexico, which produces Expo-Guide — who are seeking to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses that may still be cleaning the dust off their shoes from the recent show.

The directory solicitations appear harmless asking companies simply to update their information (which supposedly already exists in the directories and has been published for free). However, upon closer examination of the fine print, listings in the directories are far from “FREE.” By signing and returning the solicitation form with or without updating business information, companies will actually be entering into a three-year, irrevocable agreement that automatically renews and will require them to pay a significant amount of money with no foreseeable benefits. As the owner and sponsor of the SHOT Show, the National Shooting Sports Foundation itself has been targeted by these deceptive and misleading trade show directory scams.

The SHOT Show has no relationship with the FAIRGuide, Expo-Guide or any of their other branded directories, and they are not authorized to use the “SHOT Show” name and registered trademarks on information they send to show exhibitors and attendees. There is reason to believe that the FAIRGuide and Expo-Guide and their other branded directories are part of a larger international syndicate composed of multiple trade show directory publishers all operated by the same conspirators.

We strongly warn exhibitors and attendees to exercise extreme caution if they receive solicitations from Construct Data Verlag AG, Commercial Online Manuals or any other suspicious third-party offers in order to avoid unwarranted and/or unnecessary legal and financial commitments.

Show exhibitors or attendees who may have fallen prey to any of these trade show directory scams are encouraged to contact NSSF’s legal department at 203-426-1320 or jyue@nssf.org.