Outboarding Policy

As owner and producer of UNLEASH AMERICA and UNLEASH WORLD, UNLEASH GROUP LTD works diligently to protect our exhibitors’ commitment and investment in the trade show and the industry by taking a firm stance against outboarding.

Outboarding is defined as any digital or physical non-permanent exhibit, demonstration, event, or branded activation that is created and deployed outside the scope of UNLEASH events but is promoted or implied as being a part of UNLEASH events. This includes digital or virtual programming and activations as well as physical events at Las Vegas/Paris hotel suites, meeting rooms, ballrooms, restaurants, clubs, etc. For physical events, a company is also considered an outboarder if it has contracted space with UNLEASH but contracts directly with another Las Vegas/Paris venue for space (for more than one day) that exceeds the net square footage (NSF) contracted with UNLEASH Group Ltd.

Trade shows are organized so that companies in specific industries can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and customers and examine market trends and opportunities. More than 10,000 business leaders from the largest employers in the world attend UNLEASH and generate networks to facilitate brand recognition and business development for more than 100’s of UNLEASH exhibitors whose participation money provide UNLEASH with the funds to host these events and reinvest back into the industry. However, the integrity of the show is diminished, and the value becomes diluted when companies seek – in an unofficial capacity – to capitalize on UNLEASH attendees who travel to Las Vegas/Paris to meet as an industry or participate in UNLEASH events.

The physical or digital UNLEASH events brings all facets of the HR community together and we recognize the critical importance of networking to build business. We encourage official exhibitors to host parties and special events to enhance an official presence before and after hours. However, such events should be held to strengthen a company’s UNLEASH events brand positioning, not held as stand-alone functions that compete against those who are making an additional investment in their brand activation at UNLEASH.

Companies who outboard cause inconvenience to attendees and hurt the overall industry as UNLEASH Group Ltd invests net proceeds back into the industry through industry promotion, research, standards development, public policy and related activities to benefit the entire consumer technology ecosystem.

Outboarding violates UNLEASH event policy and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) guidelines. When UNLEASH determines that outboarding has occurred, UNLEASH Group Ltd will enforce the rule against the participating company and may impose penalties for violations. It is the UNLEASH Group Ltd Board policy that outboarding companies are subject to sanctions that start with the loss of priority points.

Both in-person and virtual UNLEASH events offer an array of inventory available for companies looking for non-traditional trade show engagement options. We are willing to work with any industry entity to bring its tech innovation experience to life at UNLEASH and connect with the global market.