OVERVIEW 

Thank you for your interest in exhibiting at the 2023 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). This section contains information you should consider when deciding whether showing at NCYC is right for you. Please read each section to ensure you know what is expected and what to expect. 

Please pay particular attention to the Youth Protection section, as these requirements may be less familiar to many exhibitors. Failure to meet the safe environment standards will result in exhibitor personnel being denied entry.

SHOULD YOU EXHIBIT? 

Each NCYC includes an interactive exhibit hall that combines traditional exhibiting with active service, artistic, and recreational opportunities, as well as catechetical and educational experiences for the participants. The interactive exhibit hall also features Catholic musicians, entertainers, religious communities, and Catholic colleges and universities. 

The interactive exhibit hall gathers an extensive array of providers of catechetical and youth ministry resource materials, advocacy groups, and national youth-serving organizations. These companies and organizations market various products, services, and resources for youth and adults serving the young church. NCYC is a unique opportunity to share your services, products, and resources with Catholic youth ministry leaders at the diocesan, parish, Catholic high school, movement, and family levels. These dedicated adults need innovative ways to engage young people in our shared faith. 

View the first-time exhibitor’s information to help you decide if NCYC is the right place for you and your company or organization to be. 

BOOTH PRICING AND INFORMATION 

Configurations:  Linear, Corner, Perimeter, End Cap, Peninsula, and Island.

Booth Cost per 10’x10′:

• Retail – $1,000
• Information Only – $800 

Each booth comes with the following: 

• Draped eight (8) foot high back wall and three (3) foot high side rails. (See Important Exhibitor Information statement below.) 
• One six (6) foot long skirted table with two chairs
• One (1) wastebasket
• One (1) identification sign with the exhibitor’s name and booth number
• Listing in the conference app 
• Four (4) complimentary booth personnel credentials. Two (2) extra complimentary booth personnel credentials per additional 10’x10′ space 
• Ability to purchase a limited number of additional booth personnel credentials at $200 each
• Admittance to conference sessions with booth personnel credentials 

NFCYM discounts booth rates for sponsors and members and charges different prices for retail and information booths. Prices are listed and calculated at the non-member retail rate of $1,000 per display. Discounts are applied at check-out. NFCYM reserves the right to adjust rates if we cannot verify your sponsor or member status and to limit the number of booths an applicant may purchase. 

Restrictions: 
Generally, no construction or built-up exhibit, including banners, signs, flags, including hand-held items, shall exceed the height of the back wall unless approved in advance by NFCYM. 

You must email your request to [email protected] on or before October 1. Permission for height extensions will NOT be granted on-site. 

FIRST TIME EXHIBITORS 

Many people and organizations have heard of NCYC and wonder if this is the best place for them to exhibit and spread the good news about their products and services. To help you assess whether exhibiting at NCYC is a good fit for your organization, ask yourself if your organization’s products, services, or message is directed to Catholic: 

• Young people 
• Youth ministry leaders, directors of religious education, catechists, etc.
• Campus ministry leaders
• Priests/deacons 
• Parents

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then NCYC will likely be a good match for your organization. Before you proceed to apply for exhibit space, you also need to consider the following: 

• Will you be selling products on-site or simply providing information to conference participants? 
• How many booths will you need? Is one sufficient? 
• Do you have the funds to cover the other facets of exhibiting, such as insurance, taxes, electricity, internet access, carpeting, shipping, transportation, food, and housing? 
• Do you understand the NFCYM organizational and exhibit values and how your organization supports these values? 

Finally, to make your NCYC exhibit experience enjoyable, study the information on this website. You need to understand the following: 

• Application Process 
• Types of Booths Available 
• Configurations of Exhibit Space 
• Booth Packages and Rates 
• Booth Limitations 
• Show Rules 

EXHIBITOR VALUES

NFCYM values participation in NCYC by exhibitors who view NCYC as an opportunity to resource, network, and be present to young people and adults whose pastoral work includes young people. Ideally, 

• Your mission, goods, and services reflect the values of the Catholic Church and NFCYM 
• Your resources equip participants for Christian discipleship 
• You act as a good and responsible steward of resources 
• You provide and encourage an engaging, educational/catechetical, and interactive space
• You seek out socially responsible sources for your promotional materials and items 
• Exhibitors reflect the diversity of the church and the local community 

In selecting and placing exhibitors, NFCYM prioritizes (1) sponsors, (2) members, (3) nonprofit, education, and informational organizations (4) retailers. 

YOUTH PROTECTION 

Most NCYC participants are under the age of eighteen. They come with lots of adult supervision, but NFCYM and our hosts take seriously the responsibility to provide a safe environment for our young attendees. 

NFCYM is reviewing and updating its safe environment policy. We will announce the requirements for the 2023 NCYC before July 1. At a minimum, booth personnel will be required to abide by a code of conduct. 

EXHIBITOR SCHEDULE 

• Exhibitors must claim and set up their space by noon on Thursday, November 16, to give the service contractor time to pick-up storage items, vacuum, clean aisles, etc. in advance of opening. Space not set by this time will be considered vacant and masked or sold or assigned to other exhibitors. 
• Exhibits must remain in place until the official end of the show on Saturday at 5 pm. Failure to observe this rule may jeopardize your future space assignment or right to exhibit at a future conference. 
• No children under the age of 16 are permitted on the show floor during installation or dismantle.
   

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Exhibitors are solely responsible for insuring and indemnifying their exhibits. NFCYM suggests that all exhibitors carry a minimum of $500,000 in liability insurance coverage. Neither NFCYM nor any other party will purchase insurance on behalf of exhibitors and are under no obligation to do so.

Exhibitors should consult their insurance companies to verify that proper coverage is in place to cover all liability and/or loss of equipment and materials, from the time items are shipped until the time items return to the exhibitor’s warehouse or point of origin. This may mean that more than $500,000 of coverage is needed. In the event that your policy does not cover all of the above, a rider can usually be added to your present policy for a nominal cost. 

Further, you should inform your insurance carriers of the requirement to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless NFCYM, the show venue, and the show’s general services contractor and their respective officers, board members, agents, and employees (as their interests may appear) from responsibility for any loss, property damage or personal injury that may occur to you or your employees or independent contractors from any cause whatsoever, prior to, during, or subsequent to the period covered by the exhibit contract. 

Certificate of Insurance 

Exhibitors with liability insurance are required to provide NFCYM a certificate of insurance naming the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, Inc. as an additional insured. 

You should have your insurance carrier send the certificate as an email attachment directly to you. DO NOT HAVE YOUR INSURER SEND IT DIRECTLY TO NFCYM. You should save and print a copy for your records and send a copy as an email attachment to [email protected] with the subject line: COI [Insert Name of Exhibitor]. This will help us match your certificate to your record. 

The certificate of insurance should be submitted no later than November 1. Failure to provide a certificate of insurance may result in the assignment of your exhibit space to another exhibitor applicant. 

REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE 

Exhibitors without Liability Insurance 

NFCYM strongly encourages exhibitors without liability insurance to purchase such insurance before their conference participation. If an exhibitor does not carry liability insurance, the exhibitor is considered self-insured and must complete and submit a Self-Insured Agreement within five (5) business days of receiving confirmation of assigned space. Failure to submit may result in the assignment of exhibit space to another exhibitor applicant and shall not relieve the exhibitor from its insurance obligations. 

Rules & Regulations 

All exhibits and exhibitors are subject to the rules and regulations provided by NFCYM. Registered exhibitors assume responsibility for making sure that all booth personnel understands and abide by the terms, conditions, general information, and official rules and regulations of the Catholic Youth Ministry Resource Exposition. Exhibitors are also bound by the policies and general operating procedures found in the Facilities Guide of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, which may change without notice. Failure to observe these rules, regulations, and policies may jeopardize the exhibitor’s space assignments and right to exhibit at future NFCYM conferences. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Exhibits Manager. 

FLOOR PLAN 

The interactive exhibit hall will be in Halls F&G. The floor plan is expected by June 1.

SPONSORSHIP 

Our sponsors play a crucial role in the success of NCYC. We believe in partnering with organizations that aim to further the advancement of pastoral ministry to youth and to serve the young Church. To learn more visit the NCYC Sponsorship Page.