When you invest in trade show components, you want them to last for a long time because they represent a huge slice of your trade show budget. Part of protecting them is having shipping and exhibit partners you trust to treat your trade show components well. Here are some tips, tricks, and ways to communicate with your partners to help keep your exhibit in top shape between shows.

Vet your shipping carrier. Your trade show carrier is responsible for the safety of your exhibit when it's in transit, so hire a company with a trade-show-specific division used to handling valuable and sometimes delicate display pieces. These companies understand the unique requirements that are associated with transporting goods to conventions, right down to the differences between advance warehouse and direct-to-show options. They also understand pickup and delivery schedules, driver check-in times, and the marshalling yard.

Crate your materials. Crates often cost upward of $1,500, which seems pricey unless you consider the price-per-use. If you purchase a $100,000 exhibit that travels four times and your crate costs $2,000, you are paying $500 per shipment to protect $100,000 worth of assets. Over time, a crate will require some repairs here and there because of damage and transit wear, but that's better than the goods inside being damaged.

Insure your properties. Most shows will require a Certificate of Insurance (COI). But the COI does not cover what happens to your freight while it is being transported. Inland marine insurance covers products, materials, and equipment when it's either being transported over land or temporarily warehoused by a third party. This applies to anything transported by a trade show carrier from an exhibit house to a show site or advanced warehouse. You should speak with your insurance carrier about the intricacies and coverage, but this policy will protect you in case there are any major accidents. Keep in mind that your exhibit partner will not insure your properties. Anything you own requires your own coverage.

Protect your graphics. Bring to your show enough large plastic bags for each one of your graphics. Pack an extra box of bags for dismantle, and be sure that your crew puts the fabric graphics — folded outside in — in labeled bags. Graphics are replaceable, but the longer you can keep them clean, the better. I also recommend packing white gloves and asking your crew to use them to install and remove your graphics from the exhibits. If you don't have gloves, ask your crew to wash their hands well before they start the graphic portion of the installation.

Many graphics can be machine washed or dry cleaned. But a quick and easy fix is to use a Magic Eraser, which will often take off light scuff marks with ease.

Pull and prep for exhibit inspection. Your exhibit house partner will likely include an estimate for pull and prep for exhibit inspection in your exhibit quote. This means that they will fully build your exhibit in advance of the show, check everything out to make sure that it's in good shape, pack it up to make sure nothing is left behind, and ship it to the show. They also will offer this on the outbound from the show to make sure that everything gets back to the warehouse in one piece. Be sure to add “catching things that need to be repaired before the next show” to your inspection process. For example, let's say that the countertop was damaged during a show. When your booth is prepped, the warehouse crew can identify and fix the damage.

Consolidate materials. The fewer random pieces that you ship to a show, the better. If you have a solid packing plan, you will not only save money on material handling, but you will protect your assets. I also recommend putting AirTags inside each of your crates so that you can track them from point A to point B. Even worse than damage is losing pieces of freight, which, unfortunately, does occasionally happen. Document your pieces and their measurements in a spreadsheet. If something goes missing you will be able to present documentation to the general service contractor (GSC) so they can help you find your freight or file a claim. Also photograph your freight between shipments so you can present photos in case of damage.

Make sound decisions in the first place. Although a lot of what I have talked about here should be implemented after you make a purchase, there are some things to consider before you make your purchase. For example, a lot of exhibit builders offer packing solutions for portable exhibits, pop-up exhibits, and backlit walls. Sometimes carry bags, clamshell cases, and fiber cases cost up to half of the cost of the entire exhibit, but cramming exhibit properties back into their original cardboard boxes could lead to long-term damage. It's important to consider that trade show exhibit properties are not made for long-term installations, but they are durable enough to be put together and taken apart multiple times.

Also think about whether custom components make sense. The larger the properties and the more space they take up, the more difficult they are to handle with forklifts. Oversized items require special forklifts and special care. Think this through when you are designing your exhibit. My company once had a client decide that they wanted to build a custom cart out of natural wood. The unit was gorgeous, but the wood was soft and easily dinged and dented. It was not crated so it had to be transported on the back of a truck with no protection around it other than some bubble wrap and shrink wrap. Needless to say, while the cart had a pretty substantial impact on the show floor, it did not last very long.

Be prepared to replace small components before, during, and after shows. Part of your preparation to maintain your exhibit properties in between shows is to have extra parts and components ready in case of emergency. Inevitably, things are going to break, crack, and bend. So what can you do to be prepared? Instead of thinking about fully replacing exhibit properties, think about what you can bring along so you can replace a damaged component. For example, let's say that you have a backlit wall and the transformers connecting the frames keep getting lost or breaking. If you have a toolbox with some extra pieces, you can swap out the broken pieces for new ones. Most reputable trade show industry suppliers will offer replacement pieces and components for larger systems. The same would go for things like frame systems and feet that go on the bottom of structures. If you notice that the same items always break, order several of them and have them with you so that there's always a Plan B and sometimes a Plan C in place. This will help you maintain the integrity of your system and protect you if you forget about a damaged or broken item before you get to the next show floor.

Work closely with your shipping carrier. Communication is everything! Make sure that your shipping carrier knows not to stack your crates on the back of the trucks. Doing so can increase the risk of damage, especially if the items are fragile. Communicate with your carrier about your preferences regarding how your crates and packages should be handled. Request that they use proper handling procedures such as air-lifted trucks, padded interiors, and straps to prevent movement during transit, and ask them to avoid stacking heavy items on top of fragile ones. Also, be sure to gather and share all necessary paperwork, such as shipping labels, customs forms (if applicable), and trade show documentation, and make sure it is complete and accurate. This extra step will help to prevent delays and misunderstandings, and it goes a long way toward keeping items from being lost in transit between shows.

Trade show components are a big part of your company's marketing budget and purchasing new assets to replace broken or damaged ones will not always be a fiscally responsible option. Instead, if you do everything in your power to increase the longevity of your assets, you protect your budget — and your sanity — by preventing an emergency replacement situation. And the longer you can make your trade show components last, the easier it will be for you to make strategic decisions about exhibit properties you'll need down the line.E