Las Vegas has a crowded trade show calendar this month, trade publication Exhibit City News reported on May 13. The largest May show by exhibitor count is the JCK jewelry show, May 29 to June 1 at The Venetian, listed with 1,835 exhibitors and 29,364 attendees. Three more large events are at the Las Vegas Convention Center: the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo on May 4 to 7 with 480 exhibitors, ICSC Las Vegas on May 18 to 20 with 803 exhibitors, and the Sweets & Snacks Expo on May 19 to 21 with 1,000 exhibitors.
The report follows a busy April. NAB Show, held April 18 to 22, drew 58,000 registered attendees, according to the publication. It also pointed to MGM Resorts International’s first-quarter results, in which the company said convention business accounted for 20% of its room nights.
One detail in the calendar matters for anyone shipping a booth: two of the convention center shows overlap. ICSC Las Vegas and the Sweets & Snacks Expo share the same venue in the same week, so one show is moving out while the other is still open or moving in.
What it means for shippers
- Back-to-back shows mean busy docks. When events share a venue in the same week, dock time and marshaling yard space are in demand. Build extra time into both the delivery and the pickup.
- Know your move-in date and time. The exhibitor manual sets when your freight may arrive. Give that window to your carrier in writing, along with the booth number and the show contractor’s name.
- Choose advance warehouse or direct-to-show early. Each has its own deadline and its own handling rate. The manual lists both; decide before you book the truck.
- Budget material handling separately. The show contractor’s charge for moving freight from the dock to the booth is billed apart from transportation, usually by weight. Accurate scale weights help avoid billing disputes.
- Plan the return before the show opens. Have the outbound bill of lading, labels and a named carrier ready before the last day, so the booth is not left on the floor after the move-out deadline.
Rules, deadlines and rates differ from show to show. Check the exhibitor manual for your event and confirm the details with your carrier before the freight leaves your dock.
Go Trucking Services offers exhibition services, along with hot shot and exclusive-use trucks, for booth freight moving from Southern California to show venues. See the services page or request a quote on the home page.
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Image: Michael Gray, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
