The Stone & Surfaces Show (S&S) has been made aware that a number of exhibitors have been contacted by a company trading under the name International Fairs Directory, along with other similar organisations.
These companies are not affiliated with The Stone & Surfaces Show in any way.
Exhibitors may receive official-looking emails or posted forms requesting that company details are updated or confirmed for a trade fair directory listing. These communications often reference your participation at The Stone & Surfaces Show and may appear urgent or time-sensitive. They are designed to look like routine data verification requests and can give the impression that the listing is free or a standard part of exhibiting.
However, the small print frequently reveals that signing and returning the form constitutes entering into a legally binding contract. In many cases this involves a multi-year agreement, typically lasting three years, with costs amounting to several hundred euros per year.
Organisations commonly associated with this activity have used names such as International Fairs Directory (IFD), Inter-Fairs, Expo-Guide and Fairguide, sometimes linked to Construct Data. These businesses operate independently and have no connection with The Stone & Surfaces Show.
The Stone & Surfaces Show does not sell or promote external exhibitor directory listings through third parties in this way. Any official S&S communication will always come directly from our verified organiser channels.
If you receive any correspondence of this nature, we strongly advise that you do not sign, return or make any payment in response. If you are uncertain whether a communication is legitimate, please contact the S&S team before taking any action.
If you believe you may already have entered into an agreement, you may wish to seek independent legal advice and report the matter to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting service. - follow this link
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/business-directory-fraud
