Packing Up For A Summer Trade Show Tour? Here’s What You Need to Know About Trade Show Crates

 
Summer has arrived so you know what that means: trade shows. This year, you’ve decided to hit the trade show circuit in order to keep growing your business. Your team has put together some great materials and you’re excited to take your messaging to the next level. But then you get to the part that is often overlooked: the trade show booth. How will it work? What should you include? And how will it all be packed up and shipped?

When they are well-designed and well-constructed, custom trade show crates are what ensure that your trade show experience is not stressful.

 
While the other exhibitors are frantic to repair their crate or to recover lost materials, your crate is in perfect shape, doing exactly what it needs to do. Of course, there is always a chance that something unexpected will happen, but for the most part, a successful trade show run is dependent on a well-constructed and well-designed trade show crate that keeps working, trade show after trade show.

Remember, your exhibition will go on a harrowing journey after leaving your shop. Trade shows haulers are notorious for being fast and rough with crates, so you need something that will protect your exhibit so you can put your best foot forward.
 

Here’s what you should consider when having your trade show crate designed and built.

• How is it being moved?
  Trade show crates can be moved in a variety of ways. They can be rolled, pushed, forklifted, carried, or tugged. Get as much information about how it will be moved as possible. Does it need to be forkliftable from two sides, or four? Does it need heavy-duty wheels, or will small plastic wheels be sufficient?

 

• What material will it be made out of?
  There are many different materials that crates can be constructed with. Most common is wood (a combination of plywood and solid wood), but some crates are made using plastic panels, press-board, or metal. Constructing trade show crates out of wood is often the lightest and cheapest option. But wood brings other concerns: if the crate will be shipped overseas then you need it to be export certified to pass inspections at foreign ports.

 

• How will it protect your exhibit items?
  How will the materials in the crate be protected? Will they be wrapped in foam, or otherwise held in place? Will the crate have design features on the inside that make packing and protecting the trade show items easy and fast? Or will the hired movers need to spend a lot of time breaking down the items themselves? A big tub-like crate might be the cheapest option, but will it be a headache each time you need to pay for extra time to build and break down the exhibit?

 

• What security features does it need?
  Can the crate be nailed shut, or does it need to have hinges, locks and clasps? How many times will be the crate be opened and closed in its lifetime? Does it need a GPS chip to broadcast its location in case it gets lost in the shuffle?


Contact us to learn more about the various types of security
mechanisms that can be added to trade show crates to track
their location and reduce risks of loss or theft.

• How will the crate be used in the exhibit?
  Often the crates themselves can be worked into the trade show exhibition as a table, a stand or another kind of presentation platform. Using the crate in this way maximizes the efficiency of weight and space, but also presents special design concerns.

 

• What is the usage expectation?
  Do you want this crate to last a single season, or many years? Does it just need to go to one trade show, or many in a row? The usage expectation determines the quality of hardware used. Nails might be sufficient for a single show. Wing nuts are needed if the crate will be used for many shows in a row. If you want to use the trade show crate year after year, and store it when it’s not in use, then you need something that will break down flat and be reconstructed easily when it needs to be used.

 
Give us a ring and we’ll discuss the particulars with you. We take great pride in providing trade show crates that last, that intelligently protect and display items, and that meet the specific needs of the exhibitor, all while keeping costs down. We’ll be happy to discuss your project and create the perfect custom crate for you. Get in touch.