Trade Show Material Handling Exhibitions 2024
What is Material Handling or Drayage? Are they different? The same? What exactly do they involve, and why should you as an exhibitor care about them?
To clarify, “material handling” and “drayage” are interchangeable terms. Both encapsulate the transport, safeguarding, and storage of exhibition materials from your shipping provider to your exhibit space at the venue. A simple way to think of this is as “last-mile” transportation. As such, it’s also an integral and unavoidable part of any successful exhibition experience. Official Services Providers are contracted to offer these services to exhibitors for a certain fee. They include:
- Unloading shipped items at the receiving dock either at the advance warehouse or at the show site
- Storing goods as per the show manual until the exhibitor move-in commences
- Transporting goods from the loading area to the booth space
- Removal and temporary storage of shipping containers during the show
- Returning these containers after the show concludes
- Transferring packed materials to the loading area
- Loading items into your carrier’s delivery vehicle for their return trip
Why Do Exhibitors Need Material Handling?
Convention centers and hotels often lack the facilities, equipment, and manpower necessary to receive and store exhibit freight. With the rigid timelines associated with move-ins and move-outs due to concurrent events at the same facility, professional material handling becomes imperative. Large shows resemble intricate cities that are set up within mere days and dismantled just as quickly. Such a setup requires a significant amount of logistics, labor, and skilled workers with forklifts. To ensure the seamless flow of freight, the show management engages a material handling contractor to coordinate, manage, and receive shipments related to the show.
Why Opt for Shipping to an Advance Warehouse?
Shipping to an advance warehouse, although slightly more expensive, offers several advantages.
Here are a few benefits to advance shipping and storage:
Convention centers and hotels often lack the facilities, equipment, and manpower necessary to receive and store exhibit freight. With the rigid timelines associated with move-ins and move-outs due to concurrent events at the same facility, professional material handling becomes imperative. Large shows resemble intricate cities that are set up within mere days and dismantled just as quickly. Such a setup requires a significant amount of logistics, labor, and skilled workers with forklifts. To ensure the seamless flow of freight, the show management engages a material handling contractor to coordinate, manage, and receive shipments related to the show.
