Trade Show Material Handling
Also called drayage, remains one of the most misunderstood and expensive realities on U.S. show floors. Exhibitors often share horror stories about invoices that eclipse their entire freight budget.
Who Sets the Rates?
Contrary to popular belief, the general service contractors likeFreemanorGES, set the rates in coordination with their contractors. Organizers use these fees to cover venue costs and fund association operations. As a result, exhibitors can pay more fortrade show material handlingthan for shipping freight across the country.
Every Show Has Different Rates
Rates vary widely. At Houston’s Offshore Technology Conference, exhibitors pay no drayage but at CES in Las Vegas, charges start above $60 per hundredweight. Meanwhile, Interphex in New York, rates top $160. Organizers balance costs—when drayage runs high, floor space pricing often runs lower, and vice versa. Exhibitors who study rate sheets ahead of time manage their trade show material handling budgets far better.
Other Fees Add UpQuickly
You pay extra for crates that aren’t skidded, for multiple small boxes, and for Friday shipments. Staff always round weights up, never down—so a 506-pound crate becomes 600. Exhibitors who consolidate and prepare shipments properly cut thousands off their trade show material handling bill.
How EuropeDiffers
In Europe, drayage doesn’t exist. Forklift drivers wait outside and contract directly with exhibitors. Building takes longer, but exhibitors spend less without mandatory fees or union contracts. In the U.S., exhibitors rarely have the time or manpower to spend two weeks building, so they accept the higher cost for speed and efficiency.
The Takeaway
Trade show material handling isn’t a hidden tax—it funds the intense logistics of building a temporary city inside a convention hall in just a few days. Exhibitors who plan shipments carefully, consolidate freight, and understand show rules stay in control. You can’t avoid the fees, but you can minimize surprises and protect your budget.
