TradeShow Teacher: Helping you to Bring Back Sizzlin HOT Leads and Massive ROI from Your Trade Shows!!!

Linda Musgrove
TradeShow Teacher
www.tsteacher.com

Hello Class, TradeShow Teacher is back with your next lesson! Today we’ll look at:

- Exhibit Transportation & Material Handling Basics
- Management of Exhibiting Paperwork

Most shows necessitate the use of the services we are covering in this lesson, yet I have found that many exhibitors and other industry professionals are stymied by these topics. Sure, most of us prefer to focus on the fun stuff like finding the latest and greatest promotional item, but really they don’t do you much good unless they, together with your exhibit and materials, actually make it somehow to the booth!

Did you know that the shipping and handling of your exhibit and materials to and from the show often makes up about 9% of your show costs? By understanding shipping options and processes you can make informed decisions that can reduce that expense.

OK, let’s get started with the lesson: First we’ll look at the answers to the top 10 commonly asked questions I have heard when working with clients and presenting training seminars on these topics. And after that we’ll come to my favorite part; the one where I get to give you homework. (Tip: Responsible employers will let you do your homework in the office!)

Number 1

Question: What are the transportation options available for shipping?

Answer:

Carrier selection is an important decision; after all you want to select the best option to get your display and materials to and from the show in one piece! Well maybe more than one piece; but the same amount of pieces that they left in.There are a variety of options available for shipping your materials with a wide range of offerings and price points; below is a list of the most popular options, with a few “quick facts” on the pros and cons of each.

Common Carries:
- Less expensive option
- Typically only accepts crated or cased goods
- Consolidates freight for multiple exhibitors into one shipment headed for a particular
location
- “Rough ride” (not always “friendly” to the exhibit pieces being shipped)

Van Lines/Freight Companies:
- More expensive option
- Handle crated or blanket-wrapped pieces
- Trucks have extra cushioning (“air ride”) that creates a smoother ride

Air Freight
- Very expensive
- Fast option
- Load dimension restrictions

Courier Service
- Fastest option
- Highest cost

Number 2

Question: How can I save money on shipping/handling of display properties?

Answer:

Salvaging budget dollars in any way possible is always beneficial; after all you can always apply them elsewhere! To save money on shipping/handling costs, use the following several suggestions:

- Know the weight of the shipment, so you can verify and object to any overages on the shipping and material handling bill when auditing

- Many smaller booths can be carried on the plane with you, which eliminate shipping costs altogether. Just be sure to check whether you are within the airlines weight restrictions, otherwise you will incur additional charges. If you have frequent flyers in your team traveling with the booth, have them check the materials. Airlines often wave excess fees for their elite members.

- Ship freight straight to the show site at the earliest possible time on the first “Direct to Show Site” date instead of the general contractor’s warehouse

- Use pallets; if display components have been wrapped in a moving pad

- Consolidate your exhibit, collateral, etc. into one shipment so you only get charged once based on the shipment's weight & not incur several “minimum charges”

Number 3

Question: What is DIM Weight (Dimensional weight)?

Answer:

- Dimensional weight is to shipping goods somewhat like a Body Fat Index to us humans.

- Dimensional weight, or DIM weight, as it is commonly called, is a measurement used by carriers that considers density to determine charges.

- The method used to compute DIM weight (in inches) is Length x Width x Height divided by 194 domestic and 168 international.

Number 4

Question: What is Material Handling?

Answer:

Material Handling comprises of a wide variety of actions which includes, but is not limited to:

- Unloading of exhibit materials

- Warehousing for up to 30 days in advance of the show

- Delivering of display properties and materials to the booth

- Management of empty containers back and forth from storage

- Taking of display properties from the booth to outbound carrier at the loading dock at show closing

Number 5

Question: How can I understand Material Handling charges?

Answer:

The most important item to know related to shipping and material handling is the weight of your shipment, as well as the dimensions and packaging; these are the key factors in determining charges.

Other relevant factors to consider are:

- Each shipment is billed separately. As a reminder from a previous answer in this lesson, it is wise to bundle items; consolidate your exhibit, collateral, etc. into one shipment so you only get charged once based on the weight & not incur several “minimum material handling charges”

- Weight gets “rounded up” to the next 100 pounds

- Each 100 pounds is considered one "cwt." (one hundred weight).

- There is typically a 200 lb minimum charge for each shipment

- Be sure to meet inbound and outbound deadlines to save a considerable amount of money

Number 6

Question: What is forced freight?

Answer:

Forced freight happens when Show Services determines the shipping method that will be used to transport display properties. A number of oversights can contribute to forced freight, use the following guide so you don’t encounter this costly situation!

- Turn in your completed Bill of Lading to Show Services at the end of the show; be sure to clearly indicate the name of the shipping company, their contact information, piece count and the destination of the display properties

- Notify your selected shipping company of the out bound shipping schedule, including check in deadlines

- Reminder: If you have informed the shipping company (preferably in writing) of the deadlines they are held liable for oversights on their part

Number 7

Question: What is the best way to label display properties that are being shipped?

Answer:

One of the most frequent – and easily avoidable – causes for lost/misplaced shipments is shoddy labeling; stick to this guide to make sure your materials make it to the show and back!

- On each piece of your shipment, have at least two sides clearly labeled with your company name, shipment destination, address and number of pieces. For example: 1 of 5, 2 of 5, etc. Typically there are labels that can be photocopied from the Exhibitor Kit and taped to each piece being shipped

- Always remove the old shipping labels before placing the new ones

- If an item is breakable, mark FRAGILE in BIG BOLD LETTERS on the item

- On pallets of loose cartons, mark them with “DO NOT BREAK DOWN”

- If you have a preferred method for the items to be placed within the shipping medium, mark whether your crates need to be shipped on their side, on end, or other method.

Number 8

Question: What is the Marshalling Yard?

Answer:

This is where the shipping companies report to and wait when making deliveries or picking up exhibitor materials

Number 9

Question: Do I need insurance for my exhibit properties?

Answer:

While many shows will require that you have “Exhibitor Liability Insurance” (which protects show management from claims arising from exhibitor’s activities) it is not required for you to insure your shipment. However, personally I typically advise all exhibitors to insure exhibit properties as well. A few options of coverage are:

- All-risk coverage can typically be added as a rider to your existing corporate insurance policy

- "Trip Transit" policies from the shipping company cover display properties while in transit to and from a show; but once the display properties are unloaded from the truck, they are no longer covered by this type of insurance

- "Exhibition Floater" coverage policies from the shipping company are the most comprehensive; they insure your display properties while in transit, as well as at the show

- Tip: "Released value" or "limited liability" is part of your basic transportation charge which automatically provides (limited) insurance by the transportation company. But this coverage typically does not meet the actual value of your display shipment

Number 10

Question: How do I track my shipment?

Answer:

- When shipping your freight it will be assigned a PRO Number (Progressive numbering system used for tracking, billing and identifying freight).

- When the shipping company picks up the freight they assign the PRO number and typically affix a sticker containing a barcode to all items being shipped and to the paperwork

- When calling the shipping company with questions about your freight you will be asked for the PRO number, be sure to have your copy of the shipping paperwork accessible to provide the PRO number and details about the item(s) being shipped

HOMEWORK

The Homework assignment for this lesson will not only benefit your exhibit program by implementing organization techniques for paperwork in the areas of Exhibit Transportation & Material Handling, it will go above and beyond by helping you with a strategy to organize the colossal amount of paperwork attributed to each planning area for the shows your company exhibits at. In subsequent TradeShow Teacher columns the list of items below will be covered in more detail, but for now this information is being assigned as homework to get you started with a fresh, orderly approach to implement with your Trade Show planning.
To begin organizing the clutter for each show and help you stay sane when planning, create a standard Show Planning Binder for each show. Even if you don’t have a lot of desk or shelf space available to you, consider stacking the binders under your desk if you have to; back in my corporate exhibit manager days I had rows of binders under my desk! These helped me access information as needed rapidly and I never missed a deadline or overlooked a planning item!

Show Planning Binder Items needed:

- 2.5”: Binder, preferably with insertable cover and spine to write show name and date(s)
- Binder Divider Tabs: Suggested minimum of 26

Create the following tabs to be placed in the binder, then insert the appropriate paperwork from the Exhibitor Kit and other associated show planning paperwork.

Tip: Determine whether your tabs will be in alphabetical order, or in order of relevance as this list is. Add or delete items as pertinent to your company’s exhibiting needs.

Booth Items	Insurance
Show Details	Marketing
Exhibitor Registration	Press
Planning Meetings	Exhibitor Manual
Supplies	Travel
Show Services/Furniture	Shipping
Booth Staff	Product Descriptions
Show Contacts	Best of Show Award
Show Registration	Lead Planning
Budget Planning	Insurance
Rules & Regulations	Appointments
Demonstration	Speaking Sessions
Collateral	“Other” Events
Conference Sessions

Electronic Show Planning

In addition to the Show Planning Binder, an electronic planning system should be implemented as well. Several key benefits include having a back up of show planning items should the master show planning binder get misplaced or lost altogether, as well as having an accessible copy in the office when the exhibit manager has the relevant show paperwork with them outside the office.

For each paper based item I suggest creating an electronic copy to place in the folders on your computer or a network folder for broader accessibility if relevant. The method I use is via an internet faxing account I have with Concord Fax that allows me to fax documents from a regular fax machine to a fax number that delivers faxes to my e-mail account as a PDF; then I save them to the appropriate show planning folder on my computer. An alternative method you can use is to scan each document.

Personally when managing exhibits for clients the electronic version of my planning system is more comprehensive than the planning binder; having the same amount of tabs in the planning binder would take up too much space.

Well class, the bell has rung and class is over, be sure to do your homework!
For more information on turning paper based documents into electronic format visit Concord Fax: http://www.concordfax.com/

Linda Musgrove is President of the Trade Show Training firm, TradeShow Teacher. She focuses on significantly improving Trade Show Results through Products offered on the TradeShow Teacher website and strategic, customized Trade Show Training for individuals, departments or entire teams. Musgrove presents goal based Trade Show, Marketing and Networking Seminars at Industry Conferences and creates customized training programs for Trade Show Producers to offer exhibitors. She authored "The Complete Idiots Guide to Trade Shows", as well as a Trade Show Training Manual titled "Trade Show Training for Increased ROI" and writes columns for a variety of Trade Show industry publications. To learn more, and sign up for the FREE Trade Show Tactics Newsletter visit http://www.tsteacher.com