Shipping a Trade Show Booth

The shipping and transportation of your display can make or break your company’s success at a trade show. The more complex your booth design, the more puzzle pieces you are responsible for, and the more room for error. Shipping your trade show booth doesn’t have to be a complicated process if you plan far enough ahead to make sure that your bases are covered. Paying attention to detail and making smart choices when it comes to selecting a booth and a freight carrier can make all the difference. Working directly with design professionals like those at Iconic Displays will help you make the best decisions when it comes to the shipping and transportation of your trade show booth.

Planning Ahead

As with most aspects of trade show exhibiting, your safest bet is to plan as far ahead as possible. Outlining a timeline for your trade show booth design, production, shipping and set up will help you and your staff stay on schedule and avoid any last minute emergencies. Be sure to gather as much information leading up to the event as possible. You can find all of the specifics about delivery, set up, and tear down in your exhibitor manual. Whether you choose to deliver your shipment directly to the event, or to a warehouse in advance, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to process and pick up your display. You’ll also need to account for gathering any last minute supplies, meeting with staff, drayage, and set up.

Choosing the Right Display

Depending on your experience as an exhibitor and the scope of your company’s marketing campaign, you might choose to streamline your set up process by choosing a more simple design. While keeping your budget in mind, some other things to take into consideration when designing your booth include handling, transportation, setup and dismantle labor, and storability. If you don’t have the resources available to manage and store a large-scale, complicated booth, then allocate your budget elsewhere. When it comes to shipping and transportation, it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are plenty of stunning pop up and modular displays that are designed with easy setup and inexpensive shipping in mind. Trade show rental options are also great for companies who don’t exhibit often or who are just breaking into the trade show world. Many booth rental packages are completely turnkey and include everything you may need to create a stunning booth – including custom printed graphics and lighting. Most trade show booth vendors will also package rental and purchase orders, allowing you to keep certain parts of your booth and return others.

Deciding on a Freight Carrier

Opting for a freight carrier that specializes in trade show shipping will save you the hassle of explaining the ins and outs of trade show delivery. That being said, sometimes the official trade show vendors aren’t the most cost-effective option. You want to find a company that can ensure your shipment arrives on time and in great condition. One of the best ways to find a reliable freight carrier is by using shipping services offered by your trade show display vendor. They will already be familiar with your company’s specific needs, and will work with you to put together the best shipping options for your booth. Be sure to also schedule a return shipment to get your materials back to your company office, or back to the display vendor if you decide on a rental.

Labeling & Packing with Care

It’s important to take the upmost care when packaging and labeling your trade show booth for pickup by your freight carrier. Even if your trade show booth is being delivered from the vendor directly to the trade show event, you may choose to ship additional supplies and materials directly from your office or warehouse. It is a good idea to ship as few packages as possible. If you have multiple smaller sized boxes or pieces, shrink-wrapping them together onto a palate base is a good idea. Make sure the fragile components to your display are protected with foam packaging or fabric lining to prevent damage. The last thing you want is to remove your display just before the event to find it dented or broken. All packages being shipped should also be clearly labeled with the correct information. Weighing all of your packages and recording the dimensions of each is also required in order to properly estimate shipping costs.

Delivery Window and Pickup

A bill of lading (BOL) is necessary to provide your transportation provider with the information they might need for your shipment. Be sure that your BOL includes:

• Delivery address and date
• Show name and location
• Exhibiting company name and contractor company name
• Booth number
• Advanced warehousing or direct delivery
• Move-in/move-out dates and times
• The driver check-in time(s)
• The weight and dimensions of what you’re shipping & the commodity ID
• Your name and contact number

It is crucial that you review your exhibitors manual before each event to make sure you are aware of their specific delivery, drayage, and dismantling processes. Whether you ship to the advance warehouse or are shipping directly to the event, be sure you give yourself plenty of time to review the shipment when it arrives. Giving yourself as much time as possible to set up your display and add the finishing touches will put you at an advantage­ – potentially over your competitors. Allow your staff to present your trade show booth to attendees in a calm, composed manner, and you are likely to gather more leads and benefit from your trade show experience.