Driesassur, a leading insurance broker, shares this guideline:
Prepare for the show if you want it to be a success
- Too often participants only start organizing at the last minute, plan well in advance.
- Ensure that you have good looking solid window displays that are closed from all sides except the access, with key lock, a counter display between yourself and your customers, a good table with some chairs.
- When renting a sage for your booth, always ask for one with key and combination and change the combination.
- Make sure the cameras are installed and check that they are operational prior to the start of the show.
- Get the goods there on time. Ensure that your staff receiving the goods is aware of the shipping list and they can check this with the goods.
- Check what overnight storage is offered at night for the goods with the shipping company/exhibition organizer.
During the show and especially the first day
- Watch for the first visitors unknown to you. These may be professional thieves.
- Recent shows have proven that maximum losses take place on the first day during the early hours.
- Watch for unknown people who come again and again, or those who come in groups of 2 to 3 people.
- For any potential and unknown customer collect as much information as possible before showing them a stone.
- This includes copy of passport, company information, business card, references, etc.
- Have someone check this information/reference while you are busy with the potential customer.
- If possible for larger stones always show certificates before showing the stone.
- For new customers, always have one person dealing with the client, one on the side and one behind the client, it’s easy to spot if they try to switch a stone or steal using sticky fingers.
- Deal with one customer at a time especially if it is an unknown one so that you and your team are alert.
- Foresee each person’s responsibilities in advance for the length of the show.
- Most shows are open to the public on certain days. Reduce your exposure on these days.
Switching of stones
- The thieves normally target round shaped stones as producing zircons for this shape is easy.
- Ensure that you put a weighing scale on each and every viewing table to weigh larger stones before and after showing it and ensure you do it. Do not let the potential customer leave before you weigh the stone.
- Equip your booth with CCTV and ensure that the monitor is very clearly visible showing the recording to everyone. Thieves avoid such booths and would more happily target a booth without the recording.
- Do not show large stones over the counter. Invite customers for such stones inside the booth and take your time.
- Do not allow potential customers to use their own cleaning cloth and clean the stone yourself. If it needs to be cleaned using your own cloth.
- Push potential customers to use tweezers to view the stones instead of their hands.
- Make sure you have a clean table policy as it is easier to steal from a messy table a clean one.
