Material Handling Cost - DIAMOND LEVEL SERVICE

Someone new to managing exhibits and trade shows for their company may not realize the difference between shipping and material handling. Not only is there a cost for material handling in addition to shipping, but the price tag may shock you. In a previous article we discussed shipping and trade show shipping costs. Here we’re going to discuss material handling cost.

What is Material Handling?

You’ve got to ship your exhibit, marketing materials, etc. to the show site. Once the truck backs up to the loading dock your crates, skids, and boxes are transported to your specific location on the trade show floor. Once your exhibit is built the empty crates are then collected and stored until the end of the show. After the show the empty containers arrive at your exhibit site, and once they are packed, they are removed and loaded onto the truck to ship them back to you.

A general service contractor is hired and is responsible for controlling the trade show floor. With hundreds of exhibits being constructed within a 24-to-72-hour period and forklifts dropping 1,000-pound containers throughout the exhibit hall, it can be a dangerous place. So, this process must be coordinated and handled in a timely manner to ensure exhibits are ready for the opening of the show.

Material Handling Costs

Rates for material handling can vary significantly depending on the city in which the trade show is in. In cities like Orlando, San Antonio and other southern cities rates may be from .75 to $1.50 per pound. So, a crate or skid/pallet weighing a 1,000 pounds would cost $750 to $1,500 to unload from a truck, deliver to the exhibit space inside the hall, pick up the empty containers, deliver the empty containers at the end of the show, pick up the packed containers and load them on a truck to ship home. However, in other cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Vancouver, and Chicago those rates may be $3 to $4 per pound tripling your material handling cost for the show.

Straight Time vs Overtime Cost

The rates mentioned above are based on straight time. Straight time is typically Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm. However, if material handling occurs outside of straight time, you can pay a 25% to 50% surcharge. If your show breaks at 3 pm on a Thursday and you can’t get everything packed, picked up and loaded by 4 pm, which you likely won’t, you will pay a surcharge. The same would occur if your move out is on a Saturday or Sunday.

What Can You Do to Keep Material Handling Costs as Low as Possible?

You can’t avoid material handling costs. It’s the only way to get your exhibit in and out of the exhibit hall. However, there are some things you can do to keep costs down and avoid surcharges.

Ship to an Advance Warehouse up to 30 days before the show. You will want your exhibit to arrive at the Advance Warehouse no later than the first week of this 30-day period. Freight that arrives early to the warehouse will be sent early to the show site on move in day. There is no guarantee but by having your freight get to the show site early will increase your chances of having your exhibit unloaded and sent to the show floor by 4:30 pm and avoid the surcharge.
Read the fine print on the contract with the general service contractor. You’ll see the straight time hours and charges, and what the surcharge is for overtime material handling.
Label your crates, and skids/pallets with your company name, the trade show name, and your booth number. This can help with misplacement of your exhibit during the move in. You don’t want to be walking around a convention center looking for your crates. This will also help the crew identify your empty containers when it comes time to get them back to you when the show breaks.
Material handling cost is based on weight. Therefore, as much as possible keep the weight of your shipment to a minimum. Don’t add items that could be hand carried to the show.
Spend money on having crates built to protect your valuable exhibit. Whatever you’re shipping may be handled 6 or more times by forklifts in and out of trucks on each show. Even though crates will cost you extra, it will save you money in the long run and make sure that your materials are in good shape for the show and when they are returned to you.
Purchase 'Priority Labels' from the general service contractor at the show to ensure your empty crates will arrive at your booth earlier than later. This will help you avoid paying for labor crews waiting around for the crates to arrive. It could also prevent paying overtime surcharges for material handling. Priority Labels can cost between $85 to $150 per crate but it's worth it!
If you and/or your team are going to pack your materials make sure you pack them tight. If there is room in the crate, they will get jostled which can cause damage. If you’re stacking boxes on a skid, shrink wrap the entire load and use straps to avoid damage during shipping.

DIY or Expert Event Management

As you can see there are a lot of items to take into consideration. Material handling cost is just one of those items. You can try to manage this all yourself or you can hire an experienced event management company like Diamond Level Service. The owner, Craig Neal, has 40 years of experience in the trade show industry. By leveraging this experience you will save in a multitude of ways and be able to focus more on prospective clients which is the reason why your there.

Diamond Level Service has helped clients with trade shows from Los Angeles to Paris, France. Craig is still hands on with every client and attends all but a few of his clients’ trade shows to make sure everything goes well, the client is happy, and their costs are kept at a minimum.

To learn more about DIAMOND LEVEL SERVICE
and to speak with owner, Craig Neal:

Go to DIAMOND LEVEL SERVICE
Call 386-527-3373
Email [email protected]