What is shipping?
Shipping is the process of a carrier picking up your items from your office or place of origin and transporting it to the dock of either the advance warehouse or event facilities. It is separate from material handling. Exhibitors may use any carrier they want, including Shepard Logistics.
What is material handling?
Material handling is the process of receiving your shipment from your carriers and managing it through the event cycle. It is a standard trade show process and it is a chargeable fee typically based on the weight of your shipment. Don’t forget to add material handling to your budget!
The material handling process
- Unloading the trade show freight from your carrier once it arrives at the receiving dock
- Transporting your shipment to your booth space
- Removing empty shipping containers (boxes, crates, and pallets) from your booth
- Temporarily storing your empty shipping containers during the show
- Returning empty shipping containers to your booth once the event is over
- Transferring the freight back to the loading dock
- Loading the items into your carrier’s delivery vehicle for return shipping.
One easy way to keep your material and handling charges lower
Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate! Skid items as much as possible so that they are sure to arrive together. Each shipment that arrives at a separate time is assessed the minimum charge. Whether you ship to the advance warehouse or show site it is in your best interest to consolidate as much as possible.
Important information for exhibitors with rigs/vehicles
As part of your bulk exhibit space, NGWA pays the spotting fee to guide your vehicle to your respective exhibit space. This guidance is required and provided by Shepard to prevent damage that may occur to exhibitors, the property of others, or when necessary to move crates that may be in the aisles.
While moving your vehicle on to the show floor, your vehicle may only be loaded with any equipment that would be loaded during normal travel. It may not be loaded with any additional exhibit furnishings, such as carpeting, tables, chairs, and banner stands, or boxes/crates containing exhibit/display items.
Exhibit furnishings and display items must follow the material and handling guidelines outlined on this page.