Our Show Standards

Trade Show Association is a private, independent accreditation and seal program for US trade shows. We focus on TCG, sports card, and collectibles shows.

We are not a government agency. Taking part is voluntary. Our role comes from a private agreement that each organizer signs with us, and nothing else.

Here's what we ask of organizers, how we check it, and what happens if something goes wrong. We wrote it in plain English on purpose.

What the seal means, and what it doesn't. The seal means a person at the Association reviewed a specific show and approved it against these standards. It does not guarantee any card, grade, vendor, or sale. Always use your own judgment when you buy or sell.

How the program works: two layers

To use the seal, you need both layers.

Layer 1: Yearly organizer registration

Who it's for: The business or person that runs shows.
What we look at: Who you are, your business details, your standing policies, and your signed Participation Agreement and Seal License.
How long it lasts: 12 months from approval. Renew every year.
What you get: Your status shows as Registered, and you can apply to sanction your shows.

Layer 2: Sanction for each show

Who it's for: One specific show, on one date, at one venue.
What we look at: Your venue agreement and a certificate of insurance for that show. You also confirm the rest of the show standards by checking each attestation box.
When to apply: At least 30 days before the show.
What you get: The show appears on our public list of sanctioned shows with its own verify link. You can download the seal for that show, with a QR code that points to its verify page.

See the boxes every show checks on the sanction form

I have the local permits this show needs, or it doesn't need any.
I have a floor plan that shows booths, aisles, exits, and wheelchair-accessible routes.
I have a safety and security plan ready for this show date.
My vendor rules and refund policy are written down.
My certificate of insurance lists Trade Show Association as an additional insured and covers the show from setup through teardown.
A named on-site contact can be reached for the whole event.
I will tell vendors they handle their own sales tax, and this show follows the event rules of the state it's in.
My ads, admission prices, and ticket refund policy for this show are written down and accurate.

Each show is sanctioned on its own. A sanction for one date doesn't carry over to the next one. After the show date passes, its verify page shows Expired.

Why we do it this way

We check real documents. For every show, you upload the actual venue agreement and insurance certificate. A person reviews them by hand.
Every seal is tied to one show. The seal names a date and a venue, so it can't be reused for a different event.
Anyone can check. Attendees, vendors, and venues can scan the QR code or open the verify link and see the show's status for themselves.
Our rules are public. The standards, the enforcement steps, and the appeal process are all on this page.

The requirements

Some items are checked once a year at registration. Others are checked for every show. We note which is which.

1. Identity and accountability

Yearly:

Your legal business name, entity type, and state of formation, and your business registration. Sole proprietors provide ID and any DBA filing.
A named responsible person, with photo ID that we check privately. We never publish it.
A physical business address (not just a PO box), plus a business email and phone.
Any other show names or brands you use.
Disclosure of any shows you cancelled without refunds, and any lawsuits or enforcement actions about your events, in the past 5 years.
A signed Participation Agreement and Seal License.

Every show:

A named on-site contact (your show lead) who can be reached during the event.

2. Venue and permits

Every show:

A signed venue agreement or venue confirmation letter for the show date(s).
The room's posted maximum occupancy and a plan to stay under it.
Every local permit your area requires, such as a special event, fire marshal, or food service permit. If none are needed, you confirm that.
A floor plan showing booths, aisles, exits, and accessible routes.
Clear, marked exits and aisle widths that follow venue and fire marshal rules.
An accessibility statement covering entrances, routes, and restrooms, or a clear note about any limits.

3. Insurance

Commercial General Liability (CGL) of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. This matches what many venues already ask for. (Yearly and every show.)
Trade Show Association named as an additional insured on the certificate of insurance for each sanctioned show, alongside the venue if the venue requires it. (Every show.)
Coverage dates that include setup and teardown days. (Every show.)
An insurer rated A- or better by A.M. Best. (Every show.)
Liquor liability if alcohol is served or sold, or written confirmation that the venue's caterer covers it. (Every show.)
Workers' compensation where the law requires it for your employees. (Yearly.)
At least 30 days' notice to us if your policy is cancelled or materially changed. (Yearly.)

4. Sales tax

Your sales-tax permit or registration in your home state, if one is required. (Yearly.)
Confirmation that you've checked the show state's rules for temporary events and show organizers. Some states want the event registered or a vendor list filed. (Every show.)
Written notice to vendors that they handle their own sales-tax permits and collection, with a link to the state's guidance. (Every show.)
Your vendor list (and vendor permit numbers where the state requires them), kept for 3 years. (Every show.)

We check that you've looked into these rules and documented them. We don't give tax advice.

5. Safety and security

Every show:

A written safety and emergency plan covering evacuation, medical help, severe weather, a lost child, and the venue's emergency contacts.
Security staffing that fits the size of the show. Our current thresholds:
- Under 500 expected attendees: organizer staff assigned to security.
- 500 to 2,000: at least 1 professional security officer or off-duty law enforcement officer.
- Over 2,000: 1 security officer per 1,000 attendees, plus a security lead.
A plan for high-value items: overnight storage guidance for vendors, load-in and load-out escorts if available, and a clear after-hours access policy.
A way to report theft and other incidents, and a written incident log.
A first-aid kit on site and a named first-aid contact.
A posted or published code of conduct for attendees and vendors, including anti-harassment rules.
Staff conduct standard (new in v1.1, pending review): You and everyone working your show, paid or volunteer, treat attendees, vendors, and venue staff with respect. No harassment, threats, or discrimination. You have a way to take and act on complaints about your own team.

6. Vendor rules

Every show:

A written vendor agreement covering booth fees, what the fee includes (table, chairs, power, Wi-Fi), load-in and load-out times, and the refund and cancellation policy.
A rule against counterfeit, altered, or misrepresented goods, such as fake slabs or resealed product, and a process for removing them.
Stolen property rule (new in v1.1, pending review): Your vendor rules ban selling items the vendor knows or suspects are stolen. You have a clear process for responding when someone reports a possibly stolen item at your show, including working with venue security or police when needed.
Vendors clearly disclose grading, condition, and authenticity claims.
A fair, consistent process for accepting vendors. You can set quality standards. Just apply them the same way to everyone.
A contact for vendor disputes, and a written answer within 7 days after the show.
No rule that stops vendors from working other shows, including shows that aren't sanctioned by us.

7. Consumer protection

Every show:

Accurate advertising: dates, venue, hours, admission price, and featured guests or vendors. Don't call a guest "confirmed" until they are.
A published admission and ticket refund policy, including what happens if the show is cancelled or postponed.
Refunds within 14 days when you cancel the show.
Raffles, giveaways, and breaks that follow the gaming, sweepstakes, and promotion laws where the show takes place. You confirm you've checked.
A complaint channel posted on site and online, with a link to our Report a concern page.

Yearly:

A privacy notice for any attendee or vendor data you collect. No selling attendee data without consent.

8. Reporting and records

A post-show report within 14 days: attendance (an estimate is fine), vendor count, incidents, and complaints with how each was resolved. (Every show.)
Serious incidents reported to us within 48 hours. That means an injury needing medical transport, theft over $1,000, police involvement, or an evacuation. (Every show.)
Notice to us within 10 days of major changes, such as new ownership, an insurance lapse, or new litigation. (Yearly.)
Sanction records kept for 3 years. (Yearly.)
Reasonable reviews by us: document requests, and visits by an Association representative during public hours, announced or not. Please admit our representative free. (Yearly.)

9. Seal use

Use the seal only as the Seal License and our brand guidelines allow. Don't change the artwork, colors, or minimum size.
Use the show seal only for the specific sanctioned show, and only while its sanction is active.
Use the right wording, such as "Registered with Trade Show Association."
Always include the QR code or verify link so anyone can check the show's status.
Never suggest that we are a government agency, or that we endorse, insure, or guarantee any vendor, product, card, grade, or transaction.
Always write out our full name: "Trade Show Association" or "the Association." Never shorten it to initials.
Remove the seal from all materials within 10 days if a sanction is suspended, revoked, or expires.

When something goes wrong: the enforcement ladder

Most issues are honest mistakes, and most get fixed fast. Our goal is to help you get back on track, not to catch you out.

Small first issues usually start with a friendly heads-up. If something minor comes up, like a late report or a seal used slightly wrong, we'll reach out informally and give you 14 days to fix it. Fix it, and that's the end of it.

If an issue is bigger, isn't fixed, or keeps happening, we use four formal steps. Enforcement only affects your seal, your status, and your listing with us. It never affects your right to run shows.

Step 1: Warning

Typical triggers: A heads-up that wasn't acted on, or a moderate issue such as advertising that doesn't match the show, or a refund policy that wasn't followed.
What you need to do: Send us a written plan for fixing it within 14 days, then follow through.

Step 2: Probation

Typical triggers: A repeat issue, or a significant one, such as missing safety steps or vendor rules that weren't enforced.
What you need to do: Accept closer review for 6 months. That can mean extra reporting, document checks, or a visit from us. You can keep running sanctioned shows during probation, but you can't move up to any higher status tier.

Step 3: Suspension

Typical triggers: A serious violation, a lapse in required insurance, or not cooperating with a review.
What you need to do: Take the seal off all materials within 10 days. Your public status shows Suspended. Fix the problem and we'll review it. Once it checks out, we reinstate you.

Step 4: Revocation

Typical triggers: Fraud, fake documents, a safety failure that caused harm, or repeated suspensions.
What you need to do: Stop using the seal right away and take it off all materials. Your registration ends. You can apply again after 12–24 months.

Immediate suspension

Two things can't wait: an insurance lapse and an urgent safety risk. In those cases, we may suspend a show's sanction right away. You still get written notice and the full chance to respond and appeal. We just move as quickly as we can after the fact.

Your right to respond and appeal

Every formal step follows the same fair process.

Written notice. We tell you in writing what the issue is, which standard it involves, the evidence we have, and the step we're proposing.
Time to respond. You have 10 business days to answer in writing and send any documents that help.
A written decision. We decide, and we explain our reasons in writing.
Appeal to an independent panel. You can appeal within 15 business days. A panel of at least 3 people hears it. No one on the panel can have a conflict of interest, such as running a competing show. At least one panel member comes from outside the Association's management.
Final decision. The panel decides within 30 days of your appeal.

When your public status changes: Only after the decision is final, or after the appeal window closes without an appeal. The one exception is an immediate suspension for an insurance lapse or urgent safety risk.

We apply these steps the same way to every organizer, and we keep a record of every enforcement decision.

Our promises

These are firm limits on what the Association, our staff, and our board will do.

No boycotts. We will never ask organizers, vendors, venues, or attendees to stay away from any show, sanctioned or not. Vendors are free to work any show they like.
No territories. We don't hand out exclusive cities, dates, or markets. We won't turn down a show because it competes with another organizer's show.
No price setting. We don't set or suggest booth fees, admission prices, or card prices. Organizers don't share pricing with each other through us.
Paying never guarantees approval. Any future fees cover review and administration. Approval depends only on meeting the standards.
Competitors don't judge competitors. Anyone with a competing interest steps aside from decisions about that organizer, whether it's an application, an enforcement step, or an appeal.
Same rules for everyone. We decide based only on the published standards, applied the same way to every organizer.
No overclaiming. We are a private, independent organization. We never present ourselves as anything else.

Questions?

Ready to apply? Register as an organizer.
Want to check a show? Verify a seal or browse sanctioned shows.
Something wrong at a sanctioned show? Report a concern.
Wondering about cost? See Fees. It's free during launch.
Anything else? Email us at info@tradeshowassociation.com.

These standards are version 1. We expect to improve them as we learn, and we will post every update on this page.