Maintenance of a facility can be broken down into three categories physical plant, housekeeping and exterior. The physical plant can be broken down further to preventive maintenance, routine maintenance, and temporary services supplied to event clients. Preventive maintenance should begin with indoctrination from all the major equipment manufacturers to the facility’s technical staff. Schedules and maintenance routines should be established from this meeting. Most all-major equipment will carry a year’s warranty and after that a maintenance agreement should be considered, depending on cost and in house expertise. Routine maintenance of all major and smaller items should take place on a set schedule and as needed through inspection or as the dictated through breakdown.  Temporary service provided by the technical staff include the supplying of utilities such as electrical, plumbing, telephone, audio visual equipment, cable TV, computer connections, rigging, compressed air, etc. A central booth for these services is generally located on the main floor or in a lobby close to the show floor.

 

Housekeeping services are generally broken down into three general areas as well; major or periodic cleaning, routine,and event maintenance. Major and periodic cleaning schedules should be established based upon need, cost and manpower. This service can be provided either in house or by an outsourcing group. Items that generally fall into this category are carpet cleaning, window washing, cleaning of high and low areas, and scrubbing, stripping and waxing.

 

Routine maintenance is performed throughout the facility on a daily basis and standards for this should be established and written. Housekeeping personnel should meet with manufacturers of various equipment and products to ascertain the best product for each task. Members of the housekeeping staff should also attend various industry seminars to keep updated on the latest equipment, products and methods of cleaning.

 

Exterior maintenance although often shared between the technical and housekeeping staff is many times supplemented by outsourcing groups. Technical staff may replace lights, maintain plumbing and exterior signage while the housekeeping group would keep parking lots swept and entranceways clean. Contractual groups typically clean glass, and keep up with the ongoing task of landscaping.