Even though trade shows only last a few days, they pose a tremendous opportunity to take your business to the next level.
Whether you’re starting out small with a 10×10 booth handing out samples, or you’re building an entire infrastructure to showcase your brand, trade show shipping is especially nerve-wracking. You could have the best product in the world but if you show up empty handed, you may as well have stayed home.
To help you out, we’ve put together 4 best practices you can follow to reduce your stress and assist in the planning process.
- Ship Early
Even if you’re an experienced shipper, trade show freight is a unique beast and requires the utmost attention to detail and additional planning. The best way to assure smooth sailing is to gather your quote a month or two in advance (any sooner and the cost of fuel could change). Shipping early will give you peace of mind, and time to solve unexpected problems if they arise.
- Label Everything
There is no such thing as over-labeling when it comes to your trade show freight. Read that again. Every single box, bag, crate and carton should be properly labelled with the destination address, show name, booth number, your company name, address and phone number. Make sure these labels are attached securely to every single piece .
- The BOL is your BFF
Meet your new best friend, the bill of lading (BOL). Omitting certain portions of this document is a surefire way to cause unnecessary grief, and potentially even delay shipping. The BOL is responsible for ensuring that your freight makes it to the correct booth and your exhibit is set up properly. After the show the BOL ensures that your exhibit is disassembled and arranged for delivery at the loading dock. If you care about your freight, you will care about your BOL.
- Work with a qualified 3PL
When looking for a company to handle your shipment, do some research and make sure they specialize in trade show shipping. On the chance that something does go wrong, regular shipping experience might not cut it. There are certain problems associated with trade shows that could throw your average shipper for a loop, and it could end up being quite costly to your business.
With Radius, you’ll have a team of industry-savvy logisticians arranging the transportation and a dedicated Customer Service Rep to guide you through the entire process. Is your company attending a trade show this year?
Contact us and speak to the trade show transportation experts at Radius today!
