Status 2025
1. General information 1.1 The following terms and conditions apply exclusively to offers, deliveries, and services provided by step one. All deliveries, services, and offers provided by step one GmbH (hereinafter referred to as “step one”) are based exclusively on these General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter referred to as “GTC”). These are an integral part of all contracts that step one concludes with its contractual partners and clients (hereinafter referred to as “client”) for the deliveries or services offered by step one (hereinafter also referred to as “project” or “projects”/‘event’ or “events”). They also apply to all future deliveries, services, or offers to the customer, even if they are not agreed separately again. The GTC only apply if the customer is an entrepreneur
(§ 14 BGB), a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law. 1.2 The client's general terms and conditions shall only become part of the contract if they are accepted in writing by step one. 2. Conclusion of contract 2.1 Upon request, step one shall send the client a legally binding offer to conclude a contract. The contract shall come into effect upon signature of the offer by the client or upon written confirmation of the order by the contractor. 2.2 If offers are prepared based on the information provided by the client and the documents made available by the client or the respective exhibition management, step one shall not be liable for the accuracy and suitability of these documents, unless their inaccuracy and unsuitability is not recognized due to intent or gross negligence. 3. Prices 3.1 The offer prices are only valid for undivided orders. This applies in particular to price calculations that include discounts for multiple or multi-year use, if such discounts have been indicated in the offer. 3.2 All prices and price quotations are in EURO, even if not expressly stated as such, and do not include statutory taxes and duties or any other ancillary charges under public law that may apply. All prices are valid from the registered office of step one and exclude packaging, transport costs, and customs duties, unless these are expressly included in the offer. 3.3 Services not included in the offer that are performed at the request of the client or additional expenses incurred due to incorrect information provided by the client, transport delays for which step one is not responsible, or premature or improper preliminary work by third parties, insofar as they are not vicarious agents of step one, will be invoiced to the client additionally. The same applies if a change in the execution is necessary to achieve the purpose of the contract. The amount of the additional remuneration shall be determined on the basis of the actual costs incurred, with reasonable surcharges for general business costs, risk, and profit. 3.4 In the event of an unforeseeable increase in material and raw material prices, manufacturing and transport costs of 5% or more compared to the offer prices, occurring no earlier than 4 months after conclusion of the contract, step one shall be entitled to pass on the price increases of the manufacturers or suppliers or wage increases to the client. The decisive date for the price calculation is then the date on which the execution of the work begins. However, the client may withdraw from the contract if the price demanded for the subject matter of the contract at the start of execution is more than 5% above the price at the time of conclusion of the contract. In this case, step one is entitled to remuneration for the services rendered up to that point, whereby the services rendered also include claims of third parties whom step one has commissioned in reliance on the performance of the contract. 3.5 Unless expressly agreed otherwise, trade fair venue costs such as storage of full and empty containers, forklifts, scissor lifts, disposal and waste, on-site recycling, and floor deliveries are not included in the offer and will be invoiced directly or on the basis of actual receipts plus a 10% processing fee. 3.6 The client is responsible for cleaning the stand during the trade fair or event. 4. Transport / Packaging / Deadlines / Insurance 4.1 Unless otherwise agreed, materials are always shipped at the expense and risk of the client. Unless special instructions are given, step one shall determine the shipping at its discretion without responsibility for special packaging or the cheapest and fastest route. If exhibits belonging to the client are to be transported (alongside other items), the above provisions shall apply accordingly. 4.2 At the request and expense of the client, step one is entitled—but not obligated—to take out transport insurance for the materials, unless otherwise agreed in the contract. This also applies if customer exhibits or the client's own materials are being transported. It is the responsibility of the client to insure their exhibits and materials against damage and loss from the moment they leave the premises during the set-up/dismantling period and during the exhibition, unless a different arrangement has been expressly agreed in writing in the contract, according to which step one is to take out appropriate insurance at the client's expense. With regard to a rented exhibition stand and other rented items, the provision in Section 9.4 of these Terms and Conditions applies to insurance. 4.3 Items belonging to the customer that are required for step one to provide its services must be delivered free of charge to the agreed location or to the location specified by step one on the agreed date. Such items shall be returned carriage forward from the place of use at the risk of the client. For the duration of the event, exhibits, customer materials, and media technology provided by the client and already stored at step one must be insured separately by the client. The same applies if the client brings its own exhibits to the event. Any desired security services must be ordered separately by the client at their own expense. 4.4 Graphics are stored in a disassembled state without visual inspection. Material and paint manufacturers do not guarantee consistent quality during storage. Therefore, step one cannot guarantee with certainty that the items will be reusable after the storage period. 4.5 The client shall bear the costs of any loss or damage to the delivered materials during transport or at the place of use for which step one is not responsible. 4.6 step one's compliance with its deadline and performance obligations is contingent upon the client fulfilling its contractual obligations, in particular its payment obligations, in a timely and proper manner. 5. Acceptance / transfer of risk 5.1 The client is obliged to accept the services provided by step one on the completion date specified by step one. 5.2 Acceptance shall normally take place during dress rehearsals or trial runs and handover meetings. This does not apply to planning services, which are deemed to be completed and ready for acceptance upon receipt by the client.
5.3 Any outstanding partial services or the rectification of defects shall be made up for or remedied as quickly as possible. Provided that they do not significantly impair the function of the service, they do not entitle the client to refuse acceptance. 5.4 If the service provided by step one cannot be made available to the client for reasons for which the client is responsible, the risk shall pass to the client on the day of receipt of the notification of completion. The service provided by step one shall then be deemed to have been fulfilled. 6 Cancellation / withdrawal by the client
6.1 The client may withdraw from the contract (cancellation) by sending a written declaration to step one until the start of the event. 6.2 Compensation obligation in the event of withdrawal / lost profits In the event of withdrawal by the client – without step one having given good cause for this – step one may demand reasonable compensation for the services rendered, including lost profits and its expenses, whereby the services rendered also include claims by third parties whom step one has commissioned in reliance on the performance of the contract, including any cancellation fees payable to third parties. With regard to lost profits for the part of the work not yet performed, step one is generally entitled to 5% of the remuneration attributable to this, unless the client proves that the actual loss was lower. Conversely, step one remains free to prove that it is entitled to a higher amount of lost profits. 6.3 Subsequent calculation of discounts for multiple use If a service covering several contract years or multiple use has been agreed with the client, step one shall be entitled, in the event of withdrawal by the client—without step one having given good cause for this—before the last event still to be carried out in accordance with the contract, unless otherwise agreed - step one shall also be entitled to recalculate in full the discounts granted for services rendered for which step one has granted discounts in the offer in reliance on multiple or multi-year use and to invoice the client for these discounts as part of the compensation claim. In this case, the basis for calculating the lost profit in accordance with Section 6.2 is the remuneration without the discounts granted.
6.4 Flat-rate replacement: Instead of calculating the specific compensation for withdrawal, step one may, at its discretion, assert the following pauschalized claim for withdrawal fees, taking into account the expenses usually saved. The pauschalized withdrawal costs are then:
The basis for calculation is the remuneration agreed with the client plus sales tax minus any expenses saved (such as travel costs, accommodation, meals, etc.). The client remains free to prove that no costs or lower costs than those stated by step one in the flat rate have been incurred in connection with the withdrawal.
6.5 The right to terminate for good cause remains unaffected. This is subject to the condition that a corresponding written request to remedy the good cause has been made within a reasonable period of time and that the deadline has expired without result. Good cause shall be deemed to exist in particular if the client has persistently or grossly violated its contractual obligations and, in particular, has not properly fulfilled its payment obligations despite being requested to do so.
7. Warranty 7.1 The warranty is governed by the provisions on contracts for work and services in the German Civil Code (BGB) and, in the case of rental agreements, by the provisions of the rental agreement, unless otherwise agreed in these General Terms and Conditions. 7.2 The client is obliged to inspect the services provided by step one upon acceptance and to report any defects immediately. If, despite careful inspection, a defect only becomes apparent later, this must be reported immediately. 7.3 If the notification of defects is delayed or if no reservations were made upon acceptance due to known defects, the warranty claims shall expire in their entirety. The same applies if the customer makes changes themselves or makes it unreasonably difficult for step one to identify the defects. 7.4 The warranty does not cover defects caused by natural wear and tear, moisture, excessive heat, improper handling, or improper storage on the part of the customer. Similarly, the warranty does not cover reasonable deviations in the form, dimensions, color, and quality of the material, provided that the suitability for use is not otherwise impaired. 7.5 Subject to the provision in 7.6, the customer may only demand rectification in the form of subsequent performance as a warranty claim. The manner in which the rectification is carried out shall be at the discretion of step one, which shall also be free to make a replacement delivery at any time. 7.6 Only if the subsequent performance fails – which shall be assumed to be the case if two attempts to remedy the same defect have failed – may the customer assert further claims, in particular for reduction or withdrawal. 7.7 step one may refuse to remedy defects as long as the customer has not properly fulfilled its contractual obligations, in particular its payment obligations.
8. Liability, liability for third-party companies, client's materials 8.1 No liability shall be accepted for defective deliveries or services provided by third-party companies engaged on behalf of the client, unless step one can be proven to have committed an intentional or grossly negligent breach of its duty of care in the selection and supervision of the third-party companies. 8.2 Unless storage has been expressly agreed in writing, step one shall not be liable for items, exhibition goods, merchandise, or valuables brought in by the client, unless step one has caused the loss, damage, or destruction of the items through intentional or grossly negligent conduct. 8.3 Claims for compensation for damages of any kind, including damages that did not occur to the delivery item itself, for example due to delay or breach of duty, are excluded, unless the damage was caused by intentional or grossly negligent action on the part of step one and unless the exclusion of claims for compensation prevents or jeopardizes the fulfillment of the contract. The limitation of liability applies to the same extent to step one's vicarious agents and assistants. Claims for damages arising from injury to life, limb, and health, as well as claims under the Product Liability Act, remain unaffected by this. 9. Rental: Special obligations of the client and liability in the case of rental
9.1 The client must treat the rental items with care and report any damage immediately. Subletting or transfer to third parties is not permitted. Rental items are provided only for the agreed purpose and only for the duration of the rental period. 9.2 The client must check the rented items upon delivery to ensure that they are in proper condition, safe for use, and complete. The rental items will be delivered to the trade fair in a pre-cleaned condition and set up. After the trade fair has ended, the rental items, including the equipment contained therein, must be returned in proper condition. Costs for cleaning reusable rental items in the event of exceptional soiling will be charged to the client on a time and material basis. Wall elements that have been damaged by hanging pictures, exhibits, etc. with screws, nails, etc., or that can no longer be used due to the application of films that cannot be removed without leaving residue (e.g., double-sided adhesive tape or mirror tape) will be charged to the client. The same applies to other rental items that have been damaged. 9.3 The client shall be liable to step one for all items loaned or rented to it, including the exhibition stand, in the total amount of the restoration costs (in the case of repairable damage) or the replacement value (in the case of destruction or loss). Further claims for damages and claims for rent or compensation for use remain unaffected. 9.4 The client is obliged to insure the rented exhibition stand and other rented items against all relevant risks, such as loss and damage, at its own expense during the rental period. Unless otherwise agreed, the items rented to the client by step one and the rented exhibition stand must be adequately insured by the client against loss and damage, in particular from the handover of the exhibition stand until 5 hours after the official end of the exhibition, within the scope of exhibition insurance. 10. Property rights 10.1 Unless expressly agreed otherwise, all industrial property rights (copyrights and ancillary copyrights, trademark rights, competition law protection, patent rights) arising in connection with the services to be provided by step one or its employees or third parties commissioned by it, including on behalf of the client, shall remain exclusively with step one. The transfer of rights of use and exploitation requires a written agreement and shall always apply only to the specific event. Changes to concepts, drafts, etc. may only be made by step one or by persons expressly commissioned by step one. 10.2 The client is only entitled to use the concepts, drafts, etc. of step one for its own purposes as specified in the contract; reproductions are only permitted with the express written consent of step one. Print templates, working films, samples, open files, and graphics produced by step one or on its behalf remain the property of step one, even if they are invoiced to the client. 10.3 With regard to the execution of orders in accordance with the specifications or documents provided by the client, the client guarantees that the manufacture and delivery of the services performed in accordance with its specifications and documents do not infringe the property rights of third parties. step one is not obliged to check whether the information or documents provided by the client for the performance of the services infringe or could infringe the property rights of third parties. The client is obliged to immediately indemnify step one against any claims for damages by third parties and to pay for all damages arising from the infringement of property rights and, if required, to make advance payments.
10.4 step one is entitled to record the event and to use the recordings together with background information about the project for documentation and its own PR purposes. 11. Storage of documents step one shall store the documents relating to the order for a period of 6 months from the date of the event. If original documents (data carriers, slides, etc.) are provided, the client undertakes to make backup copies. step one accepts no liability for documents provided by the client that are not reclaimed within one month of completion of the order. 12. Terms of payment
12.1 Unless otherwise agreed, invoice amounts are due for payment immediately upon receipt of the invoice. 12.2 In addition, step one is entitled to demand reasonable advance payments to cover its expenses. 12.3 In the event of default in payment after setting a deadline with a threat of rejection, step one shall also be entitled to withdraw from the contract and claim damages for non-performance. 12.4 In the event of default of payment after setting a deadline, step one shall also be entitled to terminate the rental agreement with immediate effect without notice for important reasons in the case of rented exhibition stands and to prohibit the renter from further use. Furthermore, step one reserves the right to assert its landlord's lien. 13. Offsetting and assignment
13.1 The client may only offset undisputed or legally established counterclaims. This does not apply if the claim arises from the same contractual relationship against which the offset is to be made. 13.2 The client's rights arising from the contractual relationship are only transferable with the prior consent of step one 14. Data protection step one uses personal data to the extent necessary for the provision of contractual services. The stored personal data is treated confidentially by step one and in accordance with the GDPR and the BDSG. Detailed information on how step one handles personal data can be found in the privacy policy at https://www.stepone-hamburg.de/en/privacy-1. 15. Force majeure In cases of force majeure, such as fire damage, flooding, strikes, lawful lockouts, and epidemics (including pandemics), provided that the Robert Koch Institute has determined a risk level of at least “moderate,” the affected party shall be released from its obligation to deliver or accept delivery for the duration and to the extent of the impact. The client may withdraw from the contract with regard to the unfulfilled part if it cannot reasonably be expected to wait longer and step one declares that it will be able to fulfill the contract in full within the foreseeable future. Step one is entitled to postpone the delivery or service for the duration of the hindrance plus a reasonable start-up period, or to withdraw from the contract in whole or in part due to the unfulfilled part, provided that a longer wait cannot be reasonably expected. If the aforementioned disruptions make it impossible to fulfill the contract, both parties are entitled to withdraw from the contract. In such cases of withdrawal due to force majeure, step one may demand reimbursement or compensation for the costs incurred up to that point and which cannot be canceled (including travel expenses, accommodation, etc.), the services already rendered, and the necessary and non-cancelable payments to be made to subcontractors. Further claims for damages are excluded on both sides. 16. Consumer arbitration a. The European Commission has set up an internet platform for online dispute resolution. The platform serves as a point of contact for the out-of-court settlement of disputes concerning contractual obligations arising from purchase and service contracts concluded online. You can access the platform at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr b. step one does not participate in consumer arbitration proceedings under the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act.
17. Place of fulfillment and jurisdiction 17.1 The place of performance and jurisdiction for all disputes between the parties arising from the contractual relationship is Quickborn, provided that the customer is a registered trader, a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law. 17.2 The contractual relationship is governed by German law, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. 18. Final provisions Should any provision of these terms and conditions be invalid or void, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.