Many trade show producers make arrangements, and recommend certain shippers to handle the freight going to and from a trade show for exhibitors. I am sure you realize that when they are recommended, that the Trade Show producer is in someway compensated. Many trade show producers have certain vendors that they work with on every trade show that they produce. My problem with that is they may be good in Las Vegas, but the same company in Tampa, Florida is awful. When you are in charge of trade show you cannot be right 90% of the time. There is too much at stake here besides a substantial amount of money. If your equipment doesn’t arrive on time and in good condition it has a domino effect on everything else that is happening. The trade show producer is not going to stop everything to make sure you are up and operational. In most instances if your booth is not there by the time the trade show opens you cannot set up your booth until the first day of the show is completed and then only when everyone has left the trade show floor. Some Producers, if you missed the time for set up leave you with just an open space and a standard trade show sign supplied by the trade show producer, nothing else.

You also have to be careful that you don’t have literature or supplies delivered directly to your booth. In many cases you will pay per 100 weight price. What this means that even if it is an envelope if it is delivered to your booth by a Producer/vendor you will pay as if it was 100 lbs being delivered. There are horror stories of companies who have not heeded the cost of drayage and they have paid over $125.00 to have an envelope delivered to their booth.

It pays for the exhibitor to read the documentation supplied by the trade show producer, to shop around, or to contact other exhibitors from his or her area that will be attending the same trade show. With a little investigation on the part of the exhibitor, and to pay attention to the information from the trade show producer, the cost for shipping and receiving their booth and other items to the trade show location can be cut by 10% to 30%.