Are you in charge of your company’s exhibit? Want a seamless show without the logistics headaches? These are the things first-time and veteran exhibitors miss — the details that decide whether your booth is ready when the floor opens.
We compiled these from 25 years of moving exhibits in and out of show floors. Get these right and most show-freight headaches disappear before they start.
Your target move-in date drives everything. Lock it first, then schedule pickup and transit around it — not the other way around.
Most exhibitors are safest shipping to the advance warehouse. Direct-to-show only works inside a tight, specific window. Know which one your show wants.
Show name, booth number, and exhibitor name on every crate and carton. Unlabeled freight is lost freight on a show floor.
Build durable, reusable crates — your freight gets handled many times. Flimsy packaging is where damage and surprise costs start.
Drayage is the show’s charge to move your freight from the dock to your booth and back. It’s separate from shipping — budget for it up front.
A correct bill of lading and material-handling forms keep your freight moving. Keep copies with you and at the booth.
Machinery and custom booths are expensive to replace and slow to rebuild. Make sure the value is covered in transit.
Have your outbound BOL and labels ready at the booth at close. Freight with no paperwork gets forced to the show’s carrier — on their schedule, at their rate.
Ship too early and there’s nowhere to receive it; too late and you miss move-in. The window is real, and we plan to it.
A single point of contact who knows target dates, marshaling yards, and decorator rules turns a stressful process into a phone call.
We go deeper on every one of these — with examples — on the CTS blog.
Every show offers two inbound paths. Which one you choose changes your deadlines, your handling, and your risk. Here’s the plain-English version.
Your freight ships to the show’s receiving warehouse ahead of the show. It’s stored, then delivered to your booth for move-in.
Your freight is delivered straight to the convention center during the published move-in window — no warehouse stop.
Not sure which fits your show? That’s the call we make with you on every booking — planned backwards from your move-in date.
The same team moves everyday freight across North America: LTL, partial, and full truckload, plus flatbed, expedited, hazmat, and temperature-controlled. One point of contact, every mode.
Tell us the show and your booth — we’ll handle the deadlines, the paperwork, and the freight.
