Smooth Sailing: Proven Tips for Trade Show Shipping
Have you ever planned the perfect vacation, but your luggage arrives late? Or worse, it never arrives at all? Now imagine you show up to the trade show you have been preparing months for, but your booth doesn’t arrive on time, arrives late or never arrives at all.
Presenting your booth at a trade show is satisfying. Your product is shown. Deals are made. Partnerships are forged. It’s networking gone wild. Trade shows are a deal breaker. The style, quality, and features of your trade show booth will determine the long-lasting impression you make on your clients new and old, brand ambassadors, and even your competitors. However, a successful booth hinges on expert shipping to ensure your materials arrive at the event on time and in one piece. Hopefully, before you do.
Trade show shipping is an art form of its own and it entails a transportation and logistics specialist to ensure that your trade show booth is packed, transported, delivered, and set up in alignment with your set-up and tear-down schedule for the show.
These tips will ensure that every piece falls into place and your trade show presentation goes off without a hitch.
“If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail” — Benjamin Franklin.
Flawless logistics require perfect timing and planning. To ensure everything is in place and on time, you need to coordinate with your shipping partner, arrange where, when, and how your booth materials will arrive and how the arrival will transition to a successful setup. You will likely need to plan multiple journeys, as your booth will need to make it back to HQ or on to the next trade show event. Determine a shipping timeline and delivery date that gives you plenty of time to set up. Find a convenient drop-off location to make the materials available to you when you need them. Once you have a plan, coordinate every detail with your logistics partner to ensure a smooth exhibit delivery.
Choosing the Perfect Logistics Partner
Not every logistics team can handle the specific needs of trade show shipping. You need a partner who is familiar with shipping trade show booths, can handle complex shipping instructions, provides the utmost care of delicate packages, and can deliver on the exact dates you require. Many shipping companies exist that can move packages but only a few can meet the stringent requirements needed to entrust your trade show booth into their care.
Research and evaluate possible trade show transportation companies. Confirm that they have handled trade shows or event-related shipping in the past. Determine their protocols for handling delicate equipment and large crates. Verify their direct-to-destination services for high-priority packages.
Consider factors like experience, reputation, and track record when determining which trade show shipping companies are right for you.