Logistics

Trade Show Logistics — Shipping, Drayage & I&D

Logistics is where most surprise costs live. Drayage rates, advance-warehouse deadlines, union jurisdictions, and rigging fees can add tens of thousands to a 'simple' booth. These guides demystify it.

Logistics by city

From the blog

Deep-dive articles that expand on the playbooks above.

Logistics
International Trade Show Exhibiting Checklist

Exhibiting outside your home country adds 6 layers of complexity. Here's the checklist.

4 min read
Logistics
Trade Show Shipping Timeline and Deadlines

Miss the advance warehouse cutoff and you're paying express drayage. Here's the timeline.

4 min read
Logistics
Working With Union Labor at Trade Shows

Union halls don't have to be expensive. Here's what every exhibitor needs to know.

4 min read
Logistics
Trade Show Crate and Packaging Best Practices

Crates determine drayage cost and damage risk. Here's how to spec them right.

4 min read
Booth Operations
Sustainable Trade Show Booths: What Actually Matters (and What's Greenwashing)

Reusable booths, recycled materials, carbon-neutral shipping — what's worth paying for, what's marketing, and how to build a booth your sustainability team will actually approve.

6 min read
Booth Operations
Trade Show Booth Lighting: The Cheapest Way to Look 2x More Expensive

Lighting is the single highest-ROI upgrade you can make to a booth. Here's how to plan it, what to spec, and the mistakes that wash out your brand.

7 min read
Booth Operations
Modular Booth Graphic Design: 6 Rules That Separate Pro from Generic

Six graphic-design rules that make modular booths look custom — and the mistakes that make them look like a generic kit.

5 min read
Booth Operations
Advance Warehouse vs. Direct-to-Show: Which Shipping Method Wins

The shipping method choice that quietly determines whether your booth makes it to the show floor on time.

5 min read
Booth Operations
Trade Show Shipping and Freight: The Practical Guide

Carrier selection, crate prep, marshaling yards, and the freight insurance question almost everyone gets wrong.

6 min read
Booth Operations
Install and Dismantle (I&D) Explained: What Exhibitors Need to Know

The labor side of booth setup — union rules, rates, supervision, and the overtime traps most exhibitors hit once.

6 min read
Booth Operations
Supervising Your Trade Show Install: A Practical Checklist

A field checklist for the person on the ground during install — what to brief, what to inspect, what to escalate.

5 min read
Booth Operations
Trade Show Booth Lighting: The Cheapest Quality Upgrade

Four lighting layers that lift booth perceived quality more than any other modest upgrade.

5 min read
Answers

Frequently asked questions

What is drayage?

Drayage is the show contractor's charge to move your crated freight from the loading dock to your booth space and back. It's billed per 100 lbs, typically $90–$160+ per cwt, and is usually the single largest 'hidden' logistics cost.

Advance warehouse vs direct-to-show?

Advance warehouse: cheaper drayage, freight stored up to 30 days, no missed-truck risk. Direct-to-show: only viable for large freight on tight schedules, riskier, and often more expensive once overtime hits.

Can I unpack my own booth?

Depends on the city. Right-to-work venues (Las Vegas, Orlando) allow self-unpacking under specific rules; Chicago and most union cities require contracted labor for almost everything beyond hand-carry.

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