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.
