Trade Show Planner: Booth Logistics
Your 12 month trade show checklist
Considering your booth logistics options is just one task in a large checklist you’ll need to complete as a trade show exhibitor. Review my entire pre-show, on-site, and post-show checklist of exhibitor planning activities.
Trade Show Planning:
Booth Logistics and Shipping
6-3 MONTHS TO GO. PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES.
Once all the elements of your booth are approved by you and in development, it's time to consider how you will get everything to the show.
Will you send the crates from your exhibit house in one large shipment?
Will the booth and graphics be shipped from the exhibit house and collateral and giveaways shipped from your office?
Will any items be sent from your office in another city or a third-party vendor halfway across the country?
Will all these items go to the advance warehouse, or will the booth and graphics go to the advance warehouse, and last-minute product brochures will go directly to the convention center?
Remember that shipping and drayage are two very different things. Every item that is unable to be shipped with the booth will incur both shipping and drayage costs. Also, the more items you can ship to the advance warehouse rather than directly to the convention center, the more money you will save.
Learn more.
Read Chapter 16 of Trade Show 411 for more specific information on booth logistics and shipping options.
Next, consider how you are going to ship the booth back after the show is over.
Will you send everything back to your exhibit house or your office?
Will you ship the booth and its contents directly to the next show because it takes place only one week after the current show?
If your booth space for the second show is 10'x10' and the first show is 20'x20', you will need to ship half the booth to the second show and half the booth back to your exhibit house. This juggling act requires planning and attention in packing and labeling to ensure all items are going in the right direction.
Now's the time to plan it all out.
Learn more.
Read Chapter 26 of Trade Show 411 to uncover the secrets to dismantling your booth in the most effective way.
CONTINUE YOUR TRADE SHOW PLANNING WITH RELATED CHECKLIST ITEMS.
Are you new to trade show exhibiting and feel completely overwhelmed?
Trade Show 411: The Essential Guide to Exhibiting Like a Pro is a must-have for marketers and small business owners. It gives you both the strategy and action plan to set you off on the right foot. By linking your pre-show marketing strategy to onsite activities and post-show follow-up, you’ll get the most out of your sales and marketing efforts and maximize your trade show results.
