Trade Show Shipping: Savings & Service Secrets

Trade shows provide businesses with a great opportunity to showcase their products and services to a large number of potential customers. However, trade show shipping can be a challenge. Businesses need to ensure that their products arrive on time and in good condition. The key to successful trade show shipping is careful planning and coordination.

Making Trade Show Shipping Easy

Organizing a trade show can be a nightmare, especially when it comes to shipping a trade show display. One main reason is that exhibitors often have to transport large, sensitive, and expensive equipment to and from the event. Also, most trade shows take place in convention centers that are located in bustling cities around the world. Making matters worse, this causes difficulty finding access for loading and unloading. Although this can be a tricky task, there are a few things that exhibitors can do to create an easy shipping process.

Shipping the Show

First, choose a logistics company that has experience with trade shows. These companies will be familiar with the challenges of trade show shipping. Also, they will be able to provide services such as on-site delivery and set-up.

Second, clearly label all shipments with their name, address, and contact information. This will help to ensure that items are delivered to the correct location.

Finally, exhibitors should pack their items carefully and insure them for their full value. Overall, by taking these steps, exhibitors can minimize the stress of trade show shipping and focus on more important things.

Being the Underdog

Many companies that exhibit at trade shows turn the entire event over to their marketing or sales department. However, out of all their goals, the cost of trade show shipping rarely makes the list. Without the booth or supplies being delivered, there is no show. With the shipment being such a large segment of the event, their top three priorities usually consist of the following:

1. Determine show goals and how to achieve them
2. Design, write and produce all materials for the show
3. Make sure the booth tells the company’s story and is in great shape for the show

It shouldn’t be a surprise that saving money on shipping materials to the trade show is not a top priority. After all, the show makes it easy to handle trade show shipping. Their decorator will handle it all for you. Piece of cake, right?

Actually, that can be a very expensive piece of trade show shipping cake. Here’s why.

Lack of Competition Driving Up Cost

Trade shows are not in business to save you money, and neither is the official trade show decorator. Decorators are usually the ones to select an official carrier for a trade show. Since there is only one official trade show carrier, there is no competition. Therefore, the carrier can charge a full rate card, minus a commission for the decorator. In exchange for paying full price, exhibitors don’t have to worry about how their freight is being shipped. Great deal?

Once you see the savings exhibitors are giving up, you might not think this is not such a great deal after all.

Real Savings Are a Shocker

Our trade show shipping experts ran two quotes as a test: The first was with a nationally recognized trade show carrier, and the second was with FreightCenter. Both quotes were shipping 500 pounds of cargo with the freight class of 125 from Las Vegas, NV to Bronx, NY. One quote was for the carrier’s rate card price (which is very similar to what the decorator will charge you). The other quote was for shipping via FreightCenter’s discount with that carrier. Here’s how they came out.

Quote 1 – Standard freight rate from the carrier: $4,883.42.

Quote 2 – Discounted quote via FreightCenter: $618.78.

If the exhibitor had booked their freight through FreightCenter instead of through the show decorator, they would have saved $4,264.64. …and FreightCenter may have even used the same exact carrier.

Even if the decorator passed on a 50% discount, the cost would still be 4x more than the FreightCenter discounted rate.

Remember, the freight shipping fee does not include the drayage cost you will have to pay at the exhibit center. Drayage covers the moving of your booth and materials from the loading dock to your booth location. While drayage is not a shipping cost, it is a reminder that trade show shipping costs can add up quickly.

Just imagine how much more money that exhibitor could have put into their booth (or saved their company) if they had spent $4,264.24 less on shipping. Now, imagine saving that much on every trade show shipment, and in each direction.

Trade Show Shipping Peace of Mind

Knowing that your trade show materials will arrive on time and in good condition is very important. FreightCenter provides the same peace of mind to thousands of customers nationwide.

Although most of our customers are not freight shipping experts. They rely on FreightCenter’s experience and expertise. We make sure every aspect of your trade show shipping needs are handled properly, from pickup to delivery. We’ll also help handle any and all necessary shipper paperwork and payment to the carrier.

A Better Shipping Experience

Before booking your next trade show shipment, compare the price you are given by the trade show manager with the one provided by FreightCenter. The savings are outstanding! And the quality of service may be even better.

For a free trade show quote, use our free online quote tool or call FreightCenter at 800.716.7608.