Show Services: Plan Accordingly to Avoid Hidden Costs
However well you prepare your show budget, there always seems to be those budget busters that skew the totals. Following are five areas to be aware of:
- Exhibit house drayage - This is the cost of trucking your trade show exhibit equiptment from the storage warehouse to the truck and back again.
- Ordering services from the show floor - Expect to pay a premium for services you should have ordered in advance, usually 30%-50% more is the norm.
- Cleaning fees - If you hire a cleaning service to spruce up your trade show booth, realize that you pay for the entire exhibit space, including storage space.
- Last-minute shipments - Costs soar when you ship packages at the last minute. These include drayage costs, which are charged at a hundred pound weight minimum.
- Travel changes - Last-minute flight changes can increase fares exponentially, and unless they're the result of an emergency, should be paid by the individual instead of coming out of the trade show budget.