Fraudulent Offer Warning
Beware of Fraudulent Offers and Unapproved Vendors
HPBA and HPBExpo are committed to protecting our exhibitors and helping you avoid scams that target trade show participants. Unauthorized third parties may contact you offering services for the show. None of them speak for us.
Attendee and email lists are never sold by HPBExpo. Anyone offering one does not have it.
Four Things Nobody Should Be Selling You
Please be aware of unauthorized third-party companies and individuals offering services such as:
Attendee or email lists
Offers to sell you the HPBExpo attendee list, contact database, or a "verified" email list of registrants.
Hotel and travel bookings
Calls or emails offering discounted HPBExpo27 rooms, often with pressure to book before the block "sells out".
Directory listings or show guide ads
Invoices or "renewal notices" for a listing in an exhibitor directory or show guide you never ordered.
Shipping and booth furnishings
Freight, drayage, furniture, carpet and labor offered by companies that are not the show’s contracted providers.
These solicitations may appear legitimate but are often fraudulent or misleading. Engaging with these unapproved vendors can result in unnecessary expenses, compromised data, or additional material handling fees at the show.
Red Flags
Most fraudulent offers share a few tells. One is enough to pause and verify.
Official Vendors Only
Only use official HPBExpo vendors and service providers listed in the Exhibitor Service Manual or confirmed by show management.
Maritz is the only official registration and housing provider
Badge registration and hotel reservations for HPBExpo27 are handled by Maritz, and only Maritz. If another company contacts you offering registration, rooms, or travel for the show, they are not endorsed by the show and agreements with them are not protected by event management.
Every other official contractor is listed in the Exhibitor Service Manual, available in October. If you are ever in doubt about a company claiming to represent HPBExpo, contact us directly at exhibits@hpba.org before responding.
What to Do
Four steps, in order. The first one is the one that matters.
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1
Do not respond
Don’t reply, click, call back, or pay. Replying confirms your address is live and invites more of the same.
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2
Verify with show management
Email exhibits@hpba.org with the sender’s name and what they offered. We will tell you whether they are an official provider.
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3
Forward the solicitation
Send the original email or a photo of the letter to the same address, so we can address the issue and take necessary legal action.
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4
Report it to the FTC
Impersonating a business is illegal under the FTC’s Impersonation Rule. Report the company at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Stay Alert and Always Verify
Protect your company and your investment. If a company claiming to represent HPBExpo is not Maritz, not in the Exhibitor Service Manual, and not confirmed by show management, treat it as unapproved.