What is material handling?

Material handling, or drayage in US trade shows, is the cost of moving the crates from the storage to the show floor. Unlike most centers in the world where the construction reaches the hall, in the USA, the trade unions are the charge of bringing the luggage into the hall.

Although the drayage charge is mentioned in the exhibitor's information package, it is buried deep within dozens of pages, and unfortunately, it manages to surprise many exhibitors who need to become more familiar with it. And they discover him in hindsight only when he comes to them after the event has begun by surprise.

Beyond that, any cost that you are not prepared to pay can be frustrating, but unlike the other expenses, the drayage can grow very large and cost exhibitors hundreds, even thousands of dollars that are not estimated in their exhibition budget (What's more, material handling costs are non-negotiable). Such a 'surprise' can change the expenses of the exhibition dramatically and often serves as a severe barrier to participation in collections in the US.

What can exhibitors do to reduce drayage costs??

It is almost impossible to avoid this payment,

But you can reduce it a little in several ways:

1 Submitting the forms on time.

Arriving at the time reserved at the front warehouse

will save you the need to pay unnecessary payments.

2 ?Sometimes companies pay a double fee:

First for bringing in the booth and second for bringing in their equipment

(the equipment shown in the exhibition).

Combining all the chargers together may save some of the amounts.

3 ?Consider this cost when deciding which solution to choose for the pavilion.

The price is measured according to the weight and size of the crates.

We often offer our customers solutions that consider this issue, such as systems that weigh much less and take up significantly less size than a wooden booth, for example.

In small booths, Sometimes the difference is between a high payment and no payment at all!!! (in systems that we can bring to the hall independently.)

4 As always:

Use production companies with experience in this

Who knew how to take all these issues into consideration ?

and make sure that even if there is a surprise, it won't be painful...