Category Archives: Tradeshow

Trade shows are essential for new and established businesses to connect with customers and network with other companies. Choosing the right trade show shipping company makes all the difference in a stress-free trade show. Instead of worrying about your materials making it to the right booth on time, use these tips to choose a shipping company you can trust.  

Tips for Choosing the Right Trade Show Freight Forwarders

Not All Shipping Companies Are Equal
A company that focuses on trade show shipping knows the ins and outs of the process. They should also have experience shipping all over the world and be able to offer you over one kind of shipping service to meet your needs. The right trade show freight forwarders will offer:

• Air Freight: Send items with a short turnaround.
• Sea Freight: Ideal for large items in situations where you have plenty of time. 
• Truckload & LTL Shipping: Gets your products from ports to the final destination.
• Warehouse Storage: Never worry about where to put your goods between shows.
• Shipment Tracking: Check to see where your cargo is and when it’s expected to arrive.

Once you’ve picked the right trade show shipping company, you can focus on your business and the show, rather than stressing about where your products are and if they’ll arrive in time. 

Mitigate Drayage & Marshal Yard Fees
Two factors that your shipping company won’t have direct control over are drayage (materials handling between the truck and your booth), and fees from waiting in the marshaling yard to unload the truck. 

A local union will usually perform drayage, and experienced trade show shipping companies will have standing face-to-face relationships with the union. Good relationships can prevent misunderstandings during the last leg of shipment and make sure your products get to the booth without delay or incident. 

Long-standing shipping companies delivering multiple truckloads may get the standard marshal yard fees discounted or waived. You can rely on an experienced shipping company to navigate these fees and processes.

Experience and Outreach
A shipping company with thousands of events served in over sixty countries has more than just experience. They also have a wide network of partners working for you to make sure your shipment arrives safe and on time, as expected. Experienced agents can move your shipment with efficiency across the globe, so you don’t have to deal with paperwork and multiple points of contact. When a shipping company is working worldwide, you can trust they’ll know where your cargo is and when it should arrive.

Focus on Customer Service 
When your business is counting on high quality displays to connect with customers and businesses, expect 24-hour-customer-help via both phone and email. A staff agent should be on-hand to make sure your shipment gets to the right booth and provide support for you and your team. No matter where in the world your trade show might be. 

AMR Group is a top choice for exhibitors looking to hire trade show freight forwarders for both domestic and international trade shows. Contact us at 702-800-6385 to discuss your needs, or request a free, online quote.

If you’re attending your first tradeshow, handling all the tradeshow logistics for a successful exhibit can be a bit nerve-wracking. These tips will help you properly prepare for your show and ensure you feel ready to effectively promote your product or service to potential customers: 

1. Start with a Small Exhibit
Since it’s your first trade show, you might be tempted to set up a large exhibit so you can showcase as many of your products or services as possible. However, it’s best to start with a small booth and a moderate number of products or demos.

This gives you a chance to learn more about tradeshow logistics so that you can use your knowledge to adapt your exhibit. You can see what products or displays do well at the tradeshow and which ones are a miss. Experiment with the design and layout of your exhibit until you find the best configuration for your business. Once you have a better understanding of effective tradeshow logistics, you can start to expand your exhibit. 

2. Recruit Experienced Staff for the Show
You may only have one chance to create a solid first impression with prospective customers. If you’re using your internal staff for the show, choose experienced employees who are comfortable with customer interaction and thoroughly understand the ins and outs of your company’s offerings.

Depending on the size of your company and your employee availability, you might need to use a staffing agency to staff your tradeshow exhibit. Should you need to go this route, make sure you use an agency with staffers who have ample experience in your industry and working tradeshow exhibits. 

3. Request Shipping Quotes for Your Tradeshow at the Appropriate Time
Many businesses utilize a company that ships tradeshow materials to make sure they have everything they need for their exhibit (without having to worry about moving everything themselves or setting up their own booths). If you decide to use a tradeshow shipping service, you need to make sure you request a shipping quote at the appropriate time.

Ideally, you should obtain quotes for shipping your materials a month or two prior to your event. This will give you ample time to compare quotes and decide what company you want to use. If you request shipping quotes prior to two months before your event, rates might change due to fluctuating fuel costs and your quote won’t be as accurate. 

Hire a Tradeshow Logistics Company

AMR Group is a tradeshow logistics company that will handle all aspects of shipping and exhibit delivery for you. Contact us today at 702-800-6385 for more information.