Out of sight, out of mind.

Trade show theft is very really people and you will be sorry to ignore it.

It only takes once to ruin your day or possibly jeopardize your job. I personally have lost my favorite pocket knife on the show floor after opening a box of literature. I set it down and the next thing I know I was looking around for it only to realize it was taken.

To reduce the risk you may want to take the following precautions. Keep your product that is easily concealed in a jacket or pocket in locked cases or storage cabinets. Even if a cabinet is non-lockable, product or valuables that are out of sight are out of mind. If people don't see it you minimize the possibility of someone even having the thought of stealing your valuables.

If and when you do have to show your product do so inside your booth space or secure it with a small but yet elegant metal tie. Product displayed on the edges of your display or near the aisles are more susceptible to theft. Another good thing about keeping the product inside your display is that you get your prospects to enter your area, where you have the opportunity to engage them in conversation about your product.

Make sure you lock the doors to your exhibit. After all that is why you got locking doors. Keep them locked unless you are keeping an eye on them or going to use them right then and there. If your product are extremely valuable you may want to look into hiring security cameras for after-show hours. During the show make sure you instruct your staff of the obvious just in case it is not so obvious to them... Watch the product and watch your personal belongings. The more eyes the better.

One last thing you can do to account for theft or rather combat it is keep an inventory of the products displayed in the booth space. Check it at the end of every day and this will give you a chance to know how much product you are losing each show and ammunition to give to your boss when you present your case for locking storage.

Reference: Don't Let Them Steal the Show