TRADE SHOWS PART 13 - MOVING IN AND OUT ("PUBLIC" SHOWS)

Moving in and out of shows is like taking a temp job and being faced with an unfamiliar copy machine. It’s supposed to be familiar and pretty easy to operate, but you know it’s the little things that will make it seem like a mountain instead of a molehill.

This blog is about the little things in a startup entrepreneur’s life, and when I polled a few, they all agreed that the move-in and move-out tasks were a great deal more stressful than they realized.

For shows open to the public, they have been pretty easy. You go, you park, you unload. On the last day, you go, you park, and at the end of the day, you load. However, here are some suggestions for making things easier on you, especially if it is your first time:

Moving In

1. Before you even go, find out exactly where you are supposed to go to “load in”, or move into your booth. It can be outside, inside, on a loading dock, at a certain door, etc. Once I get my show information, I review a diagram of the facility where the show is to be held and the directions given me. I look for the traffic patterns, where the doors are, where the loading dock is, and where my booth is in relation to all of this. If the directions in the materials are not clear, I call or email and ask for clarification. I need to do much less asking now, but at first it was a common occurrence.

3. Plan to arrive and move in as early as possible. It gets nuts as the day goes on. Often, if I can get there right when move-in opens, I can be in and out before things get out of hand.

3. If you have kids, make arrangements for care ahead of time. This is no place for kids , and most shows prohibit anyone under 16 during move-in and move-out times. Sharp objects, exposed electrical equipment with lots of voltage, forklifts and other heavy equipment, and stacks of heavy, teetering boxes are everywhere.

2. Give yourself lots of time. Don’t plan any other activities for the move-in day. Just plan to move in and nothing else. I speak from experience (the Fed Ex guy is nice, but can’t hold the truck because I got held up trying to move in).

2. Find out how much it will cost you to park to move in, and what the details are. Do you need to pay for parking before you can get onto the loading dock or into the parking lot closest to the door you need to use? In most cases, parking is free for moving in. Some places have a time limit—only the first hour or two is free, and then you pay. Knowing ahead of time will help you strategize. Qwest Field in Seattle has a bizarre rule. If you move in the morning of the show, you have to first pay to park in the garage, then leave the garage and go to the loading dock to unload. However, you cannot buy a one-day pass and go do this; you have to buy a three-day pass. These people are obviously too used to dealing with pro football players if they don’t think people can see through this scam.

3. What are the parking arrangements? You can buy a pass for the duration of the show or pay by the day. The pass allows in-out privileges, the daily tickets don’t. Assess your needs, alternate travel and parking arrangements, and buy accordingly. Often, you cannot buy a multi-day pass once the show has started, so if you need a pass, get it when you move in. If you are staying in an RV, public shows often have special RV parking rates for overnighters.

4. Before unloading, find the show desk, check in, get any questions answered and problems solved, locate your booth space and the best route to take to get your stuff to it, and only then unload your stuff and move it to your booth. It will save you all kinds of stress and make loading in faster and easier. Your goods are safe in your vehicle until you are ready to deal with them no one has to stand around with a load of stuff while you check in and find your booth space.

5. A note about cart services. In some places carts are provided free of charge. In other facilities, you pay ($35 or so for half an hour) for cart rental. In many cases, the half hour cart rental includes getting back to your booth with your cart and then getting it back to the rental place. If you are a ten-minute walk away, you can see the problem. We suggest investing in a good handtruck/dolly/cart thing that can fit into your vehicle, and/or a folding, heavy-duty “luggage” cart. This goes back to a previous blog entry regarding booth design and portability.

4. Be courteous. People are tired and running on caffeine and adrenaline, and there is a great deal of activity occurring. I try to be conscious of others as I wheel my way through the maze. Introduce yourself to your booth neighbors when you get the chance. Offer to assist during setup if you see someone in need. Good vibes go a long way.

Moving Out

Moving out is much the same as moving in, only it happens much quicker. Some shows only give you eight to 10 hours to move out; others you can also do things the following day. On the final day of the show, I park strategically in the morning (arrive earlier and park as close as possible and in a place that allows the truck to be easily loaded. When the show ends, I can break down my booth and, using my nifty cart/handtruck, I can simply haul my stuff to the truck in the parking area. I may have to haul my stuff farther, but I get some exercise and get out of there a lot sooner and with a great deal less hassle than if I had attempted to utilize the load-out area provided.

If the show is local and I can come back the next day, I do so. I break down the booth and pack up everything, leave it at my space and leave the mayhem behind, go to the Bamboo Bar and Grill for some relaxation and recap with friends and family, then come back the next morning when there is no traffic or mayhem. I can often drive right to my booth space (even in a convention center or stadium), pack up the truck on the spot, and head out. With gas prices the way they are, though, I may have to rethink this strategy.