Managing 12-hour workdays effectively and preventing team burnout during peak workload are pressing concerns for trade show production management. Chris Griffin, with hands-on experience running experiential teams at full throttle, discusses why pushing teams beyond 12-hour shifts isn’t just a morale issue, it impacts quality, safety, and costs, particularly in union-regulated environments.

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Chris reveals the hidden costs of overtime: from double-time wages to diminishing returns due to exhaustion. He shares his rules of thumb for monitoring output versus fatigue, and why leaders must recognize when productivity starts to drop off. Real-world examples illustrate how patience, stress, and attention to detail all decline after long stretches, putting both project delivery and client relationships at risk. For contractors and agency owners, these are not theoretical problems, they translate to missed deadlines, added expenses, and avoidable mistakes.

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The discussion also addresses the importance of team recognition, clear communication, and sustaining motivation when every day feels like triage. Learn actionable strategies for trade show and exhibit house leaders: how to spot “cracks” before they widen, how to cycle breaks and downtime, and how to keep perspective when deadlines loom. If your crews are facing weeks of relentless volume, this clip offers tested approaches for making it through and even coming out stronger on the other side.