All the boxes on your list are checked and your booth timeline is set!

Yet despite your best laid plans, you arrive on site to find items in your freight are missing. Or you underestimated the type of labor needed. We’ve all been there – unexpected things pop up – but don’t stress, because you’ve got this! Still it’s important to  show up with bases covered to ensure everything falls into place.

Here are three simple tips to maintain your planning momentum and be show site ready.

1. Streamline Setup

Your team is ready and eager to showcase your brand, products or services, and, of course, generate leads! So you want to prepare for a smooth setup.

Timeline Tip: Create your ultimate setup checklist complete with go-to contacts, labor call times, and material handling zones. Also add a full production schedule if you can. This is your survival guide. Include a list of solutions providers to address things like missing hardware, minor labor challenges, or unexpected technical issues. Knowing who you’re gonna call and where the exhibitor service desk is means breathing easier for you and your team. And when our Exhibitor Services team is onsite, for sure hit them up. They’re there to help, so let them.

2. Plan Shipping Contingencies

Obviously, you want your booth materials to arrive on time – complete and intact – but between weather wildcards and venue logistics there are potential pitfalls. But they don’t have to be showstoppers.

Timeline Tip: Know your venue. Familiarize yourself with the exhibitor service manual – and ensure your team has this as well. It will contain everything from show floor zone details, to move in and move out schedules. You can get a lot of this info from the “Quick Facts” section in your Exhibitor Service Manual. 

Also, shipping freight to the advanced shipping warehouse might cost a bit more, but is the most efficient way to keep track of your freight and receive updates for its arrival.

3. Utilize On Site Services

Maybe your partners or marketing team needs to make last-minute changes to messaging, or someone on your team can’t make the trip and man the booth. Or your promotional materials never showed up, etc. Here’s how to handle it with ease.Find out if your AV provider can scale solutions specific to your event needs while offering innovative solutions that fit within your budget.

Timeline Tip: Always double check your service orders. This should be one of the first things you do on site in case you run into any last minute issues with anything from initial design to final production. If you do anticipate messaging adjustments, prep your team ahead of time on the adjustments and any schedule changes.

It’s Showtime!

The key to a successful, and sequential timeline isn’t about waiting for individual issues to pop up and then reacting. It’s about having a coordinated approach where every element works together so you can show off the best of your brand at live events.

It also helps to maintain a working relationship with a full-service provider so turnaround time is faster and streamlined. Successful trade show participation means you don’t have to handle everything alone. With the right partner, you can turn timeline challenges into opportunities that showcase your business at its best, and save on your budget in the long run.