Please be aware that there is a company operating out of Austria, Fairguide.com/Construct Data Verlag (Fairguide)  that have been preying upon exhibitors in Europe. Based on recent information, they are now moving into the U.S. market. 

IAEE strongly condemns the actions of Fairguide for misleading their services to the exhibition and events industry and strongly advises members and all exhibitors to be vigilant against all organizations, who do not represent legitimate services or who takes advantage of exhibitors by misleading their services.

On 15 December 2005, IAEE sent a complaint letter to the Austrian Ambassador to the U.S. and the Federal Trade Commission. Fairguide targets companies and exhibitors using legitimate exhibition guides, but has no connection with exhibition organizers or any of their events. The company claims to be offering online services and uses a form, which resembles an organizer's free catalogue listing service, inviting exhibitors to sign and return the form for an entry in an online directory. Exhibitors who sign and return the form are then contracted into a three-year, non-retractable agreement, which could cost the exhibitor a significant amount of money, with no apparent benefits.

For additional information, download these useful examples and guidance notes provided by the Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO) for your reference:

Fairguide form example (if you get one of these, throw it away)
Fairguide press
Fairguide press - part II
Daily Mirror article
Update from Austrian Advertising Council

If you have any further concerns or questions over Fairguide activity, please do not hesitate to contact IAEE at +1 (972) 458-8002.

Useful Guidance in Dealing with Fairguide.com/Construct Data:

1. If you are contacted by Fairguide.com/Construct Data, you should NOT complete the listings form.

2. However, if any companies have mistakenly completed and returned the forms, it has been established that Fairguide.com/Construct Data have never carried out their threat of legal action against non-payers and attempts to get companies to settle for one-year payment instead of three to "avoid prosecution". Companies are advised to seek their own legal advice on whether to withhold payment.

3. Keep a written record of any communication with this company. If possible record any telephone calls and inform them that you are doing so.

4. Advise the exhibition organizing company of the situation.

5. In addition, write to your local associations and spread the warning to others in the industry.

6. Forward details of all communication to the following contacts: 

Federal Trade Commission

Office of Business Fraud

600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580

Tel: +1 (202) 326-2800
Fax:+1 (202) 326-2034 

E-mail: OIG@ftc.gov

Austrian Embassador to the United States
3524 International Court N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel.: +1 (202) 895-6711

Fax: +1 (202) 895-6773
E-mail: newyork@wko.at

The U.S. Embassy - Austria

Boltzmanngasse 16
A-1090 Vienna
Tel.: (+43-1) 31339-0
Fax: (+43-1) 310 06 82
E-mail: embassy@usembassy.at

The Austrian Government have also requested that any information or complaints be forwarded to Mr. Burger Scheidlin, who is head of white-collar crime in Austria (e-mail: maximilian.burger-scheidlin@wko.at) or by fax to Dr. Thomas Wamprechtshamer at the Department of Trade of the Austria Government on 0043 +1711 005403.

Additional details on the activities of this company can be found at the following websites:

www.britishembassy.at

http://www.stopecg.org/construct_data_fairguide.htm