Jared DeVincenzo
Ah, the headache of trade show shipping and storage. We’ve all been there; late or missing deliveries, hold ups at the marshalling yard, broken materials and supplies or enormous drayage bills. These unfortunate common occurrences seem to be just another part of the industry that’s unavoidable but they’re not. Here are 6 essential trade show storage and shipping tips for making sure your effort is focused on the show itself, rather than those obnoxious common headaches:
1.) Mark Your Boxes
Every box, container and crate should have clearly visible, wear-resistant labels that indicate your company’s name and on-show contact number, the trade show itself, booth location and total amount of pieces in the shipment – e.g. Box 1 of 8. Make these as highly visible as possible so it does not become an excuse for someone else’s shortcomings.
2.) Have All The Information YOU Need Handy.
If your shipment goes missing or your booth location doesn’t have power, you won’t have time to be hunting down a show rep on foot or through phone tag. Before you head to the show, you should have the trade show company contact number and the venue contact number, as well as operating hours for the receiving department. Keep it all organized in whichever way works for you. Tablet, phone or even go old school with a binder.
3.) Only Ship What You Need To
You need your product, your media and your people, but not necessarily a booth. Renting a booth structure through a show management company not only saves you money on freight and handling, it saves you assembly hassle on site so your staff can focus on making B2B and B2C connections, sales or other delegated responsibilities.
4.) Be Ready To Leave
Fill out any paperwork you need to and settle up any charges before the show doors close, or you’ll risk ending up in a long line when your team is eager to head back to the hotel. Inventory remaining brochures, demo samples, etc. so that you can reorder in the interim and arrive prepared for the next show.
5.) Have Quality Branded Storage
Consider investing in durable, reusable shipping containers for trade shows shipping. If you select bright, visible colors, your items will also be easier to see on a receiving dock in case of a problem during future trade show storage.
6.) Use Digital Media Whenever Possible
Catalogs, brochures and other handouts are an excellent way to build your brand, but a QR code or a show appropriate amount of direct-shipped promo items eliminates a lot of expensive shipping weight.
Trade shows represent a great deal of opportunities, and when you lock down hassle-free trade show storage and trade shows shipping, you’ll be able to take advantage of as many as possible.
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