5 tips for shipping mobile exhibition stands

Many customers use modular and mobile trade fair equipment to present themselves at smaller events on site. For trade fairs or events that sometimes only last a day or a few hours, the cost ratio means that an assembly service from a service provider is not worthwhile. Typical small events are conferences in hotels and congress centers, information days at universities or promotion stands in shopping centers or at events. Compact and easy-to-transport mobile exhibition stands are mainly used here, which can also be transported in a station wagon if required. 

Areas of application for mobile or modular exhibition stands

Example 1: RollUp and mobile trade fair counter
 

Example 2: Folding wall and folding trade fair counters

Very often, mobile trade fair systems are stored centrally by a logistics service provider who takes care of shipping to the trade fair and collecting them after the trade fair. This option is more scalable than doing everything yourself. Sales staff or promoters therefore “only” have to set up and dismantle the exhibition stand systems and can otherwise devote themselves to their actual task of acquiring new customers. “The costs of having mobile exhibition stands assembled” by a service provider are described in this blog article.  In addition, the trade fair exhibitor does not have to deal with additional expenses such as cleaning & inspection, storage, repair of the systems, dealing with various carriers in the event of anomalies in the delivery/collection of trade fair stands or coordination with incoming/outgoing goods at the venue. 

With almost countless shipping methods, service providers and options, here is an overview of some common and practical services for mobile exhibition stands:

• Parcel service with guaranteed delivery on the specified day

• Parcel shipping by courier or express service

• Freight forwarding/ pallet shipping

• Courier service as direct delivery

Here are a few tips for shipping mobile and modular exhibition stands:

1. Use parcel shipping of mobile exhibition stands with standard values

Shipping prices and surcharges are currently trending upwards for all parcel service providers. In addition, parameters such as the maximum weight per parcel/consignment and the maximum length are currently being further restricted, leading to massive surcharges if necessary. If the actual dimensions of the trade fair systems exceed the specified standard values, this results in disproportionately high additional costs that make parcel shipping unprofitable. It is therefore advisable to stay within the standard values of the parcel services. Furthermore, many service providers are restricting their services so that, for example, delivery on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. was previously guaranteed, but this now only applies to the same service from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and therefore represents a deterioration in performance. 

2. Freight forwarding as a good option for transporting mobile exhibition systems

Pallet shipping is a good alternative, especially for bulkier or heavier equipment, such as trade fair systems. On the one hand, there is more scope for shipments that no longer meet the optimal shipping parameters of the parcel service providers, and on the other hand, the shipping prices are only marginally more expensive in relation. Many service providers also guarantee delivery on the next working day. However, you should bear in mind that the Euro or one-way pallet must be stored temporarily during the event and that sufficient packaging material (tension belts, stretch film) must be available for the return packaging.

3. Allow sufficient time for the transportation of trade fair stands

Despite synchronized logistics and process-oriented IT solutions, there are still risks that can occur and are unforeseeable (misrouting in the parcel distribution center, defect in the transport vehicle, complete blockages, shipping label has come loose, booked service is no longer guaranteed due to excess dimensions or weight, etc.). 

If you have calculated the transport time too tightly and have booked a delivery of mobile exhibition stands on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the event behind it starts at 7 p.m. on the same day, you will have little chance of being able to receive your exhibition stand and accessories in the event of a massive process anomaly. If delivery is planned for the day before the trade fair, there is still enough time to ensure successful delivery with the help of shipment tracking. If the worst comes to the worst, there is also enough reaction time to find alternative solutions for the trade fair presentation. The shorter the time window, the disproportionately higher the effort, stress and costs involved.

4. Delivery of mobile trade fair systems in certain time windows

The delivery of mobile exhibition systems with specific time slots or on public holidays and weekends is only possible with special courier services. These can deliver or collect the exhibition stands at any specific time slot (e.g. Tuesday, 2pm - 4pm) or Saturday at 6pm FIX (with approx. +/- 30 minutes). The range of services also includes deliveries directly to the exhibition stand or notification of delivery by telephone and call-backs in the event of problems. It is also possible to contact the drivers directly on request. The only disadvantage here is the higher cost compared to regular parcel services. However, the level of quality and delivery reliability are well up there. 

5. Delivery of exhibition accessories to the exhibition stand

Deliveries of shipments directly to the trade fair stand are not usually made using standardized parcel or general cargo shipping. This is due to the fact that parcel service drivers have to handle a high volume every day. Time is the decisive factor here. If, for example, trade fair systems were to be delivered to the XY trade fair, Hall 17, Stand A21, the delivery drivers would lose so much time due to parking and long distances that it would no longer be economical for these prices. As a result, when the notification arrives that the trade fair system cannot be delivered, it is usually already too late, as it is not possible to intervene directly in the parcel service providers' processes. The shipment will no longer arrive on time. It is therefore advisable to avoid this and use special courier services that can also provide this range of services.

Conclusion on the shipping options for modular exhibition stands

For shipping orders of time-critical equipment, such as mobile exhibition stands, there are many service providers that meet the requirements. However, there will never be 100% certainty of guaranteed delivery at the desired time, as the process is complex and there is hardly any reaction time left in the event of a process anomaly or you cannot directly influence the process chain.

The higher the shipment volume/weight of the trade fair system and the more punctual and punctual the delivery or collection is, the higher the delivery costs. This does not sound surprising. Rather, the question arises as to what risk of failure you want to take in the worst-case scenario or what risk you want to avoid at all costs. 

Even if higher-priced service providers come quite close to meeting the requirements, there is no one hundred percent guarantee in this segment. If you want to play it safe, you have the option of hiring a company that has stored mobile exhibition systems and takes care of the logistics, set-up, dismantling and return transportation itself. Although somewhat more expensive, this is a higher-quality alternative that minimizes the risk of failure, as the entire process chain is in one hand.