Pack it up, pack it in. Then what?

And not just your overnight bag. Roller banners, pop-up displays, boxes of brochures... All these things add up. Both in weight and in cost.

If you’re part of a larger team, you can share the items out. If you’re a freelancer or a small business owner, chances are those items are going to be (literally) on your shoulders.

For example, a previous client said this about a project we worked on: ‘Craig talked through some of the options for my size of stand and took into account that I was travelling by train.’

You too have options. And it all starts by asking a few important questions before you even book the stand, because how you travel will play a part in what kind of items (and how much) to take.

• Are you going to transport your own items to the stand?

• If so, how are you travelling? 

Once you know, it becomes easier to plan what you need.

Bring me to Fife

The DIY approach is cost-effective but not the most relaxing or efficient. Although after all that lugging around, it might allow you to skip the gym for a day or two.

So why not outsource delivery? If you do this, you need to know the following:

• Can items be sent direct to the venue?

• If so, how far in advance?

• What specific labelling do those items need?

Your event organiser should be crystal clear about what’s allowed and what’s not.

Event halls can be huge spaces, so items need to be sent to the correct specific location on the right day. Some event venues and hotels offer storage, others don’t. If in doubt, ask well before you start packing up boxes.

And if you’re planning to book a courier, make sure you allow plenty of time for collection, delivery and locating the boxes on arrival.

Stand. And Deliver

Once you and your items are on-site, the next step is to get your stand ready.

I’ll cover stand setup in another post soon, but for now if you want to have graphic design that delivers excellence at exhibitions, I know a guy who can help.

It’s me. Speak soon?