Have you ever tried to find a lost crate among a sea of crates that look just like yours? Picture the airport baggage claim conveyer belt with thousands of black suitcases, now transfer that thought to the convention floor filled with crates – how do you spot your lost crates? A few creative minutes with paint can save hours of wait time. Think leopards, tigers, cows, plaid, circus tent stripes or polka dots – you will surely stand out in the crowd! Make recognizing your crates easier by painting them with wild colors so they’ll stand out from the rest. This tip also helps if delivery is delayed after the show. You won’t have any trouble describing what your tiger-striped crate looks like to the show contractor.

Moving your exhibition equipment can be a budget buster. Planning ahead is the single biggest cost saver. If you can go by rail you save over trucking, and if you must go by truck, it is far superior to air freight – but in each case time is the major issue. Following are some budget-friendly factors to consider when moving large items:

•Work with a company that handles freight regularly. Usually exhibit houses move enough freight that they have better deals with carriers than a single user would have. They also have the contacts necessary to coordinate tricky logistics for large items. In the case of Absolute Exhibits we have our own truck fleet and handle the shipping all of our rentals and client stored exhibits.

•Always get at least three quotes on every move. There can be a 30-percent difference in pricing on the same move by the same class of carrier.

•When going by truck during the summer months, avoid end-of-month shipments. Typically that is when the highest concentrations of household moves occur. Availability of trucks during that time is limited.

Want to start installing your booth at the first possible hour without paying the higher costs of shipping your exhibit to the advance warehouse? It’s easy. Simply ship your carpet and pad to the show contractor’s warehouse, and ship your exhibit directly to the show site. Since warehouse freight in general is brought in first, your pad and carpet can be laid, as well as your electrical, while your direct freight is being transported into the hall. The drayage rate savings from shipping your display direct will more than cover the extra freight charges you pay to ship the carpet and pad separately. And … you will be way ahead of the time clock!