EVENT LOGISTICS - MORE THAN JUST A TO B
When planning an exhibition, our customers are often guilty of leaving logistics to the last minute. Usually after your stand design, electrics, carpets, branding, hotels, transport and product testing, the final piece of the jigsaw is getting your product onto the stand… but surely this is the most important aspect of all?
Logistics in its simplest form could be described as ‘transporting a product from A to B’. Collection point ‘A’ might be a manufacturers warehouse in Birmingham and Delivery point ‘B’ an end user or Wholesaler in Bristol for example. A fairly straight forward journey for a local courier along the M5 with very little risk involved or complications anticipated.
Now, imagine that the delivery point was actually a 4m2 stand-space chalked out (not yet built) in the middle of a busy exhibition hall during build up at 9pm on a Bank Holiday Monday with forklift access only permitted to the appointed contractor. Then, think about if the event in question happens to be outside of the UK, your product is an 800kg machine and the forklift driver speaks a different language. This is a typical scenario when working in event logistics and requires specialist guidance, advice and knowledge of venues and local regulations.
Post Brexit, there is now additional documentation to complete when moving goods from the UK into Europe. Shippers are required to complete Import and Export declarations, they must have EU EORI numbers as well as a compliant commercial invoices and packing lists for each shipment. m/f
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Your chosen supplier will need to work closely with the onsite lifting contractor, venue security, show organiser and customs officials as well as organising transport to and from the location. If not done correctly or in good time, there is serious risk of your shipment not arriving onsite in time for the show. It’s so much more than just moving pallets from A to B, so please take the appropriate steps and instruct the right people to ensure your shipment arrives in condition and on time.
Europa Showfreight are experts at transporting exhibition stands, products or literature onto your stand in time for day one of the opening morning. Regardless of the worldwide location, we have Road, Air and Sea freight options to suit our customers’ requirements as well as a vast network of international partners. Contact pbrady@europa-worldwide.com for assistance at your next event.
