I hate the fact tha exhibitors make decisions built around logistical concerns, when their focus ought to be what they're accomplishing with their exhibit - the purpose of an exhibit isn't to save money on logistics, is it? You get my drift... Anyways..
Does anyone have any creative ideas they would like to share regarding savings that can be wrought from savvy logistical decisions? e.g. - we often have companies send us their giveaways, any special equipment, or anything else they plan on delivering to the show. It saves them on drayage as we just crate it in with everything else that's going to the show - cuts down on special handling charges, etc., when the drayage bill comes (and coordinators cringe).
I'm interested to hear what ideas others utilize to save on "non-impact" exhibitor expenses (expenses that don't really benefit the marketing effect at a trade show).
Alex
Catalyst Exhibits, Inc.
http://marshall-yard.com - updated daily!
Great Idea's Alex. As far
Great Idea's Alex. As far as I know drayage goes by weight so it doesn't seem to matter much how the stuff is packed, however when it comes to shipping, it is often the footprint of the shipment that has an effect on the cost. So I think it is always good to be thoughtful when it comes to crating to make sure that the crate is high and does not take up to many skid spots on the truck or shipping container. You can also stack the crates.
By the way you have an awesome blog, great creative content! keep up the good work!
Richard
Creative Director
Exhibitslist.com
I have always liked the idea
I have always liked the idea of being able to have a fabric sign supported by the structure below it so you don't have to hire any riggers.
Also as Richard mentioned if there is any way you can have your crate stand upright instead of lenght ways you save on one skid spot with your shipping. You can also try to ship your crates via train. This not only cuts down on the price but is also a great way to go green.
In regards to to exhibit companies making designs based around logistics, I think that sometimes they have no choice. If you can show the client how much they will be saving on drayage by changing their roto lock walls to fabric graphics they are so over joyed that the design almost becomes second to that fact. On the other hand though I have worked with clients that don't want a very show service expensive booth but then see the design and don't care how much it will cost them. I guess every client / situation is different...
Zach
Director of Sales & Marketing
Exhibitslist.com
Hello Everyone, There are
Hello Everyone,
There are some long hard responses here I'd like to address...but will do my best to condense as much as possible (I know it's still to long though, sorry!).
Savy ideas (I suppose some of these can be considered savy at least - some of these were mentioned in passing in prior posts, but thought I'd elaborate a little more)...
-Make sure crating is maximized and can stand on end. Too many times crates are made to only lay down whereas if they were jigged properly and made to maximize space within a truck, they could then stand on end dramatically cutting down the space needed on a truck. The magic # is 101", anything beyond that length can't stand up on a trailer, the other magic number is 93", that will keep you maximized in the width of the trailer. I've seen shipments that should take 1/2 truck take a full truck or more because the crates weren't made within specs (the killer is when crates are 102"-103", if they had considered the sizes properly, they would be able to take much less space on a truck cutting down shipping costs).
-Try Banding Skids or smaller crates together (this is especially helpful if you end up with some awkward sized crates). Also, if you end up with some smaller crates or a lot of skided materials for a larger booth, try stacking and BANDING some of the skids to crates if possible assuming you think you can dramatically cut down on floor space needed on a truck. This is only pertinent to Dedicated Truck shipments (Van Lines, etc.) where they charge by floor space rather than weight. This can even help keep some of the skidded materials safer for your shipment and cut down on the weight for additional crating.
-Always check to see if stacking of shipments are permitted into a hall. Some shows will let you, most will not...do not assume either is the case. If you can stack, do it as long as it will save you costs on your shipping (again pertinent to Van Lines and Dedicated Truck rates). If you can't stack, do not stack ANY of your crates, otherwise you'll get hit with special handling on the entire load, even if 1 crate is stacked. Another savy part of this is having the show stack your shipment OUT of the show (you're always allowed to do that as long as your not shipping direct to another show). For example, a booth might take 1.5 truck loads that are floor loaded coming into the hall (assuming they do not accept stacked shipments), but could have them stack it on the outbound to only take 1 full truck, again saving your shipping costs and not incurring any additional costs at the show.
-The obvious thing is fabric, but don't be afraid to run cost comparisons on a spread sheet for your clients, that can make a great sales toos as well. Most of the time, people don't get a break-down showing the difference in production costs verses labor, shipping, drayage, and so forth. I've had clients where traditional wood build actually saved them considerable money in the short term which was their main concern (not everyone is concerned about ownership expense over the long term, some are concerned about just making it through the next year). Don't forget to factor in labor cost differences, often fabric will save on drayage but costs more for labor. People assume fabric is always better...always isn't the case, breaking down the #'s can help you make your case and build trust with the client.
-Last point, use a transportation company that costs less :) , sounds too simple, right? Well, we are often 30%-50% less than many of our Van Line counterparts, but we have had display companies that wanted to go with us intially, stay with their other vendors because our payment terms are a little more strict. Our payment terms are a little more strict because we are WAY more lean than our competitors...hence the reason we can save up to 50% for a comparable service. We are on a much lower profit margin, so we cannot give out 60 day plus terms to every "Joe Company", unfortunately. Otherwise, we'd probably have more business than we can handle, even in a down economy because the rates are great and the service is excellent. But, if you are like our core clients that are aggressively trying to maximize their client's budget (mostly because we're all being pressured to do it, but I'm amazed by some of the exhibit houses that still just don't care), and are willing to pay in a decent time frame...we can make a mutually beneficial relationship together. So, if you're interested...check us out, Trade Show and Event Transportation is our thing with EXCELLENT wholesale based rates to the trade.
Thanks!
Matt
National Sales Manager
Trade Show Transit
http://TradeShowTransit.com
Wow!!!!!!!!! holy cow!!! now
Wow!!!!!!!!! holy cow!!! now those are some great idea's.... where did you guys come from... I wish we had about five hundred users like you on this site.
Richard
Creative Director
Exhibitslist.com
Awesome responses! That's
Awesome responses! That's exactly the kind of know-how I was hoping to hear out of fellow exhibit folks! I thought I should clarify a couple of my points-
Drayage is NOT only determined by weight. If you send a random package in (e.g. - a 60 lb. package of USB drives, t-shirts, and coffee mugs), they will charge you the minimum cost for that package - they treat it like you just sent a 150 lb. crate. I had a client who previously sent a set of moss wire clips for a 10x20 booth that was otherwise quite light - they were awfully TO'd (enough that they're our new client... :)
Fabric, fabric, fabric! I LOVE IT! That's certainly the most cost effective way to do things - and the aesthetic qualities are better than anything else, I think.
I like the ingenuitive feedback here - the big stink I'm making about exhibitors making logistically-exclusive decisions for the exhibit program is a matter of priorities. I think the more that exhibit houses do to mind logistical considerations of their clients, the better we all will be. That's when exhibitors focus on design and marketing impact - and their obsession for logistics becomes a 'given' that they understand will be sorted out intelligently.
Alex
Catalyst Exhibits, Inc.
http://marshall-yard.com - updated daily!
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