55% of respondents to a survey of exhibit managers recently, cited material handling as the most inflated trade show cost. In fairness to the GSC companies, there are a lot of costs affiliated with moving freight around a convention center. Those forklifts and manpower didn't just mysteriously appear, free of charge.
Even though exhibitors think it's an inflated cost, there are things you can do as an exhibitor to minimize it.
1. Stop shipping unnecessary items. Material handling fees are based on 100-pound increments. The less weight you ship in, the better. Is all that literature really necessary? Most attendees don't want to lug heavy bags of swag and literature home with them anyway.
2. Choose your shipping method carefully. The cheapest method is piling everything on skids. GSCs charge higher rates for small packages and pad-wrapped pieces, so putting everything on skids is the most economical.
3. Consolidate small shipments. Since a minimum weight is charged for each unit, a package that only weighs 10# will get charged as if it was 100#. Carry in smaller boxes to the show, after having them shipped to the hotel.
4. Meet the inbound target dates and times. Missing targeted move-in or ship-to times can mean additional fees, or could incur overnight charges. Be sure and tell your carrier the exact date and time for carrier check-in. Not checking in before pick-up can result in your freight being forced to another carrier, and that is never cheap.
5. Verify weight slips. Stop at the GCS desk the day after your freight arrives and ask to see your inbound certified weight slips. With that information, you'll be able to verify subsequent weight-related charges.
6. Audit your material-handling invoice. Review every line on your GSC's invoice. If you see marshaling yard fees, but you didn't have anything come in that way, you can have a discussion with the on-site folks to get that cleared up.
Yes, material handling is a fact of trade show life, but you can have more control over it by paying attention to details. Thanks to Candy Adams for the above cost-saving ideas from her article "Six Ways to Save Money on Material Handling" on Exhibitoronline.com.
Tony Bailey
Cost Cutting Ideas for 2019
If your exhibit program's bottom line is "under the microscope", cost cutting strategies are important. Each month we will give you some practical, yet strategic, ideas for making each dollar count.
Although, generally, your shipper might be less expensive than the show designated shipper, in one circumstance the show shipper will probably prevail. If your freight has to be picked up outside the hours of 8-5 weekdays, many shippers charge an additional fee, which could be as much as $450. The show shipper doesn't charge that. Be sure and check out that situation if you run into it.
