As we approach the end of 2019 and you are gearing up for your next event around the corner in 2020, here are some shipping tips for your next trade show, exposition or meeting. Following these tips will keep more money in your budget to spend on the things you want for your event and cut down on the behind the scenes portion that unfortunately is necessary to get you from start to finish.
First things first, understand Drayage
Drayage, in short, is the shipping of your product to an event or exposition provider. Once received the exposition service provider receives, provides storage of your freight, delivers it to your booth and stores any empty containers, crates, pallets, etc.… during the event. At the closing of your event your containers are returned to you for packing up. The exposition service provider ensures it makes its way to your shipping carrier. This is a service that is necessary in the trade show business and it keeps things moving so exhibitors and event managers can achieve a successful event. Pre-plan and have a shipping strategy to avoid unnecessary and costly fees. Remember, time is money and the more handling of your freight the more time and labor there is involved. Below are some tips to help minimize those cost. After all, we want to retain your business and do everything in our power to mitigate cutting into your bottom-line.
Plan, in Advance
Give yourself lots of time for preparation. If problems arise, you will have time to solve them. Include buffer time to ensure your materials are prepped and make shipping deadlines for your event.
Fewer Shipments
Fewer number of shipments means the more money you’ll save in material handling charges and drayage. Consider shipping all your shipment in crates.
Don’t Ship Unnecessary Items
This one might seem self-explanatory, but many people give in to the convenience of sending other exhibit items along with their booth, like:
- Marketing materials
- Swag
- Snacks and water bottles
That’s all extra weight and more shipping cost. Instead, arrange to have marketing materials printed at your destination, and pick them up when you arrive. Use the same strategy for swag and any other small items. You’ll have less to pack and ship, and you control your freight costs.
Choose a Company That specializes in Trade Show Shipping
General shipping experience isn’t enough. It’s important to choose a company that has specific experience shipping trade show exhibits because they’ll be able to handle the specific problems you’re likely to encounter.
Send Your Booth with Time to Spare
Your event shipping needs won’t always be time critical. Even so, it’s important to give yourself as big a margin of error as you can. Once you’ve picked a freight company, ship 7 to 10 days ahead of your booth installation day. This ensures you avoid late penalties. Another option is to send your booth early for advance warehouse storage. This way, your booth is stored in a secure warehouse until the first day of move-in. Once you arrive, your shipment is waiting for you at your booth space, ready for installation. The benefits of this?
- You avoid late penalties.
- It gives you time to address any problems that arise during shipping.
- It prevents the stress of doing things at the last minute!
Pay attention to Exhibitor Service Kit information!
We here at MAC Productions do everything in our power to ensure that all of the information to help our customers (i.e.. Exhibitors) achieve a stress free and productive show. Do your part and read through the Exhibitor Service Kit. This kit will have time sensitive deadlines and information to ensure you avoid late fees and miss deadlines. In our kits they are often highlighted in Bold print, and even red print, to catch your attention. After all, we know that you have a hundred other things to worry about and we are here to take on part of your workload. Leave it to our experts to get you in and out with peace of mind.
