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I WANT IT NOW - 10 Tips for Freight & Drayage at Trade Shows
Gas prices continue to go through the roof and increased transportation costs will increase trade show costs across the board. Here are 10 Tips for saving time, money and your sanity. I WANT IT NOW! There are eight components to a trade show budget and the one most overlooked is FREIGHT & DRAYAGE. Whether you do-it-yourself or it's handled by a contractor, there are ways to anticipate problems and save money. 1. DEFINITION - Freight.... You can transport it yourself or pay a carrier (truck, ship, plane) to pick it up at your location and get it to the show city. If you choose to ship, you can select your own carrier or the official carrier contracted by show management. NOTE - Using the official carrier gives your freight preference in getting it to the loading dock and show floor. 2. DEFINITION - Drayage.... This is the most expensive word you may not know. Drayage fees pay only to (1) move your goods from the loading dock to your exhibit hall location (2) remove the empty crates before the show, store them during the show, and return them after the show (3) move your repacked goods back to the loading dock after the show. NOTE #1 - Drayage is more common in the US and parts of Canada than the rest of the world which uses an inclusive contractor system. NOTE #2 - Cost for drayage is based on a contract between show management and the drayage company (usually a labor union). The critical components are weight in CWT (hundred pounds) and time. If your freight weighs 50 lbs and comes in during overtime hours, it will be charged for 100 lbs and overtime hours. Hint - don't send lots of small packages. 3. PLAN for SHIPPING..... Often it's not included in the original trade show budget. Shipping prices are based on a number of factors (time, weight, dimensional size, etc.) and may be difficult to define in advance, but you can get accurate estimates and hold your suppliers to a freight cost if it is writing. Expect to pay a 20% add-on for every middleman it passes through. 4. OOPS - MEET THOSE DEADLINES..... The biggest problem I see are the last minute orders, the change orders, the "gee, we changed our minds and want it in ivory, not white". Maybe you will pay for rush charges but not renting the jet to get it there on time. Make sure you understand the time frame for everything! everything! Always factor in the possibilities of weather delays, strikes, broken shipments and things that just get Lost. 5. TAKE IT WITH YOU.... It used to be you had to take everything. and print everything in advance. Now you can rent the display and take the disk or email to Kinko's or some other graphic entity. Life is much easier. CAVEAT - Everybody at both ends must be on the same page, know what's coming and your deadline. Don't get caught in the "...but I talked to them and they said they could do it" syndrome. Right, you just didn't tell them you needed 20 full panel display graphics in 5 hours, with the right hardware for your system, and you need it installed. This is not a case of price doesn't matter - it does - but quality and truth matter more. Be certain systems match, the software matches, you understand "camera ready art" and you have a Plan B. 6. TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER..... E-mail is great. TIF is tops, etc. but a hard copy of whatever you need is still best. Note that if you use PMS colors (Pantone Matching System, for printing only), you need the real number, not an approximation (when you say "it's really red" - it really doesn't work). 7. GET ESTIMATES BEFORE YOU SHIP..... This means you need to know the approximate weight, dimensional size (cubic), zip code and WHEN you absolutely positively need it plus the correct address. You can't just send it to the hotel and expect it get to your room, the hotel or the convention center. NOTE - most convention centers will not accept freight or packages except through the show contractor. Many hotels will either not accept or charge hefty fees to accept and store your materials. Double check all shipping information just before you ship - this is the biggest problem since we have new zip codes and area codes every week. Make sure you have the correct phone number. A main toll free number works best and fastest, otherwise you may get lost in voice mail and recordings. 8. SHIP LESS. It's estimated that 10% of show attendees have a direct interest in your company, so if there are 10,000 expected attendees, don't send 10,000 brochures. Send 1,000. If you don't use them all, you have a small number to bring back. If you run out, it gives you the opportunity to follow-up with a mailing. Remember - whatever you don't use at the show or meeting has to be shipped back to you or just thrown away (that's a waste). Decide which is cheaper and if there's a recycling or disposal fee. Save the good material for a special mailing after the show and use for other shows, meetings, conferences or as employee rewards. Consider the cost of renting versus purchasing. You can amortize the cost of an exhibit but freight and drayage are expenses for EVERY show. 9. ARRANGE TO SHIP IT BACK..... Why does stuff get swept up and thrown away? Because everybody thought you'd give away all the toys, pens, brochures, packets, CDs, etc. If it costs money to go, it costs money to come back. Fill out all the packing slips and make arrangement for payment before you go to the show. Know the rules - some carriers won't allow you to ship COD. And will the last person out of Seattle (or any place) please make sure the paperwork is in order. 10. REVIEW ALL PAPERWORK AFTER THE SHOW.... This year you may see lots of surchagres, so match your written estimates and agreements against the actual bills. At the end of the show, it's easy to be over-charged, especially as you are rushing to leave the hall. Question everything. Resolve problems first with the carrier and inform show management if it is an over-charge based on their contracts. Knowing prices are going up is one thing. Knowing you have some ways to anticipate and control those increases is important. Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows. She is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment.
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The interviewer then asks how Merkel keeps on top of US politics, to which she responds she just types Donald Trump Continue reading...Freedom fighter who led the struggle to liberate Namibia before spending 16 years in a South African jail with Nelson Mandela Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who has died aged 92, led the struggle to liberate Namibia from apartheid South Africa as a freedom fighter in the mould of Nelson Mandela, with whom he was imprisoned on Robben Island. Toivo’s uncompromising nature was exemplified when, in August 1967, he stood trial in a Pretoria court, charged with the capital offence of terrorism. “Is it surprising that in such times my countrymen have taken up arms?” he asked. “Violence is truly fearsome, but who would not defend his property and himself against a robber?” That robber was South Africa, which had been granted trusteeship of the German territory of Deutsch-Südwestafrika after the first world war, only to refuse to allow it independence after the second world war. Continue reading...Béatrice Huret charged with illegally assisting migrant for helping Iranian man she met and fell in love with at Calais camp A former supporter of France’s anti-immigration National Front has gone on trial accused of helping her Iranian refugee lover cross the English Channel to Britain. Béatrice Huret faces up 10 years in jail if convicted of helping Mokhtar – whom she met while volunteering at the since-demolished migrant camp in Calais – slip out of France under cover of night on a rickety boat. Continue reading...Assad regime has deployed chemical weapons including chlorine and sarin on number of occasions since outbreak of war in 2011 The Syrian military is making preparations for a chemical weapons attack that “would result in the mass murder of civilians, including children”. US military sources reportedly surprised by White House’s public warning that regime would pay heavily for repeat of April attack The White House warned the Syrian regime it would “pay a heavy price” for using chemical weapons after preparations for a possible attack were observed at a regime air base allegedly involved in a sarin attack in April. Related: What do we know about regime's use of chemical weapons in Syria? Continue reading...Fourteen-year-old Sota Fujii has broken a historical record by winning 29 consecutive shogi matches. The game is similar to chess and is played on a 9x9 board. Fujii won the game during the first round of the prestigious Ryuo championship in Tokyo. If he wins the tournament, he will take home 43m yen (£302,000) in prize money Continue reading...Chancellor’s party has resisted calls for same-sex marriage to be legalised but she says MPs should have free vote on matter Angela Merkel has signalled a change in her party’s opposition to gay marriage after stating MPs should be allowed a free vote in the German parliament. Speaking at an event organised by the magazine Brigitte, the German chancellor said she felt aggrieved that debate was mainly carried out along party lines and that she hoped it would be “headed towards a conscience vote”. Continue reading...Anniversary marks British North America Act of 1867, but many people are rejecting the official celebrations and instead highlighting indigenous resilience Two hundred paddlers will weave through the waters, their canoes carving a thin line in English Bay against the backdrop of Vancouver’s dramatic skyline. When they pull in to Vanier Park – one of the many destinations on their 10-day journey – local chiefs from the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations will greet them and offer permission to step ashore on to their traditional territories. Continue reading...Millions follow live on TV as Sota Fujii scores 29th consecutive win in Japanese board game that last sparked the country’s interest in the mid-1990s A schoolboy has set a record for consecutive victories in professional shogi – a Japanese version of chess – winning plaudits from the prime minister and sparking a surge of interest in the board game. Sota Fujii, 14, recorded his 29th straight win late on Monday, taking more than 11 hours to beat his opponent in the first round of the prestigious Ryuo championship in Tokyo. Continue reading...Planned improvements to Rio’s favelas have meant increases in rent, forcing the poorest families into squatting in unoccupied buildings. Photographer Tariq Zaidi visits the Mangueira community favela, less than 1km from the showpiece Maracanã stadium, to see what life is like for the women living there All photographs by Tariq Zaidi Continue reading...State Department’s annual report rewards Myanmar for efforts against recruitment of child soldiers, but says China not doing enough to end trafficking The US asserted on Tuesday that Myanmar is no longer one of the world’s worst offenders on human trafficking, removing it and Iraq from a list of countries that use child soldiers. But in its annual Trafficking in Persons report, the State Department also demoted China to the lowest ranking over its trafficking record, putting it in the same category as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Syria. Continue reading...Peru’s president condemns conditions of ‘slave workers’ as four young people die in blaze in Lima, at least two of whom were reportedly imprisoned inside Peru’s public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into human trafficking and labour exploitation following a fire in the capital that killed four young people. It is claimed that at least two of the men, Jorge Luis Huamán, 19, and Jovi Herrera, 21, had been locked inside a container on the roof of the Nicolini building in Lima by a boss they only knew as “gringo”, when fire ripped through it on 22 June. Continue reading...Unemployment crisis will ravage the continent if it doesn’t opt for market-based development, according to report by Tony Blair’s Institute Parts of Africa could face a massive unemployment crisis by 2040, with “catastrophic” consequences for the global economy, new research has found. The report predicted a shortfall of 50 million jobs, which should serve as a “wake up call” for governments across much of the continent, as well as international donors and agencies. According to the analysis by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, based on world bank data, the labour force in sub-saharan Africa will be 823 million by 2040, up from 395 million in 2015. However, total number of jobs is only expected to hit 773 million, it said, leaving 50 million people in Africa unemployed. Continue reading...China is setting up agricultural centres across Africa, but in Zambia – where the majority of farmers are female smallholders – few women get the chance to learn On the highway heading towards Chongwe, 15km south-east of Lusaka, the red Chinese lettering, high flagpoles and gleaming modern architecture of the Zambia Chinese Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre (ZATDC) stand out amid the vast fields of maize. It is one of 25 such centres built across the continent as part of a grand plan to bring agricultural training to local people, helping them produce better crops with higher yields, so that food security is improved for everyone. Continue reading...Once the family breadwinner, Hossein Panahi was among 150 people who died when a bomb ripped through the Afghan capital in May. Now his kin are destitute, adding to the toll of lives wrecked by the country’s violence As an only son, Hossein Panahi was his family’s sole provider. He supplied his sisters with clothes, his ailing parents with food and medicine, and built them all a house to live in. His salary meant his two older sisters did not have to marry young for dowry, but could wait for men they loved. He also put his third sister through law school. Continue reading...Sportswear brands review spate of incidents in factories where employees on short-term contracts work 10-hour days in soaring temperatures Women working in Cambodian factories supplying some of the world’s best-known sportswear brands are suffering from repeated mass faintings linked to conditions. Over the past year more than 500 workers in four factories supplying to Nike, Puma, Asics and VF Corporation were hospitalised. The most serious episode, recorded over three days in November, saw 360 workers collapse. The brands confirmed the incidents, part of a pattern of faintings that has dogged the 600,000-strong mostly female garment workforce for years. Continue reading...Tesco is to join Sainsbury’s in changing the branding of some ‘fairly traded’ products When four Sainsbury’s executives met farmers from some of Africa’s biggest tea-growing co-operatives in a hotel in Nairobi last month it should have been a mutual celebration of Fairtrade, the gold standard of ethical trading and the world’s most trusted and best-known food certification scheme. But instead of backslapping at the Pride hotel, the world’s largest retailer of Fairtrade products precipitated the greatest crisis in the scheme’s 25-year history by telling the 13 major tea groups and their 228,000 co-operative members that it intended to drop the globally known Fairtrade mark for their produce, and replace it with the phrase “fairly traded”. Continue reading...Facts are the science world’s stock-in-trade, but in an era of fake news it is ever more important to build public trust by avoiding exaggerated claims and jargon One of my most cherished possessions is a handmade cherrywood salad bowl that’s never held a leaf of lettuce. It is 25 years old and gets more beautiful every year. The bowl was a gift, carved by a widower who was left to raise his daughter alone when his wife died under my care as an oncologist. My patient, who I’ll call Erica, had the most challenging form of breast cancer and I didn’t have the tools to save her life. I’ve always felt undeserving of the gift, despite doing everything I could. Five years later, I participated in the development of a medicine for Erica’s type of cancer, Herceptin. While regretting that it had not come fast enough for Erica, I am deeply grateful for the scientific advances that mean better care for patients like her today. Continue reading...The US president’s preference for public bellicosity and instant military action has potential to cause a lot of damage Donald Trump’s warning of renewed US military action against Syria, backed by Britain and condemned by Russia, fits a now established pattern of aggressive White House behaviour favouring violence, or public threats of violence, over quiet diplomacy and private coercion. So far, the damage has been limited. But it’s early days. Related: Three-quarters of world has little or no confidence in Trump, Pew study finds Continue reading...As US mulls strategy over country’s support for terrorist groups in Afghanistan, experts say tougher stance could drive Pakistan toward China and Russia The Trump administration is considering taking a harder stance against Pakistan for supporting terrorist groups in Afghanistan, but experts warn that pressure alone will not bring peace. Similar tactics have failed in the past, and analysts warn that the US can only influence the south Asian country by coupling force with diplomacy, which Donald Trump seems to shun. Continue reading...Analysis: The president celebrated the decision to allow parts of the ban to take effect, but ultimately, ‘the president might well lose on this’, says a legal expert Donald Trump was quick to proclaim victory when the supreme court decided to allow elements of one of his most controversial policies to take effect before justices hear the case in the fall. “Today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision is a clear victory for our national security,” the US president said in a statement. “It allows the travel suspension for the six terror-prone countries and the refugee suspension to become largely effective.” Continue reading...The US supreme court has reversed lower court rulings, allowing the immigration order to take partial effect. Here’s what that means A watered-down version of the Trump administration’s “travel ban” is to take effect over the summer following a supreme court decision on Monday reversing a series of federal court rulings on the ban. The decision by the US’s highest court raises a number of questions about what the new ban will mean for people in the six Muslim-majority nations affected, as well as for a president who has been repeatedly stymied by the judiciary in the first five months of his administration. Continue reading...Treatment of dying Nobel peace prize winner is emblematic of China’s iron rule. Tania Branigan on the remarkable man she nearly met – the day he was arrested There was no sign of Liu Xiaobo in the Beijing coffee shop – a confusion over the place or time we had arranged to meet, I assumed. But he wasn’t answering his mobile phone and a call to his home brought worrying news: 10 police had arrived late the night before and taken him away. Even then, the writer’s disappearance did not seem overly concerning. Chinese dissidents and activists were used to pressure from the authorities and brief detentions for questioning, or worse. But Liu enjoyed a relative degree of tolerance because of his high profile, though he’d been jailed over 1989’s Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests when he helped broker a peaceful exit from the square for the remaining demonstrators amid the bloody crackdown – and again in the 90s. Continue reading...The national media failed to cover large swathes of the US pre-election, while rural voices have been quieted by the decimation of local news. Our On The Ground project aims to remedy these issues Sarah Smarsh is a journalist, but she’s not typical, at least not by national media standards. For starters, she’s a fifth-generation Kansan who grew up below the poverty line, feeding livestock and helping grow wheat on a small farm. She got her first taste for investigation and justice by following her grandmother, a probation officer, at the county courthouse in Wichita. Growing up, she rarely read about people she knew – farmers, carpenters, factory and restaurant workers – in the mainstream media. After more than 15 years covering Kansas politics and culture on the ground, she’s more committed than ever to her home, and to people often stereotyped or misunderstood in national coverage. Continue reading...The Guardian interviewed people from across the country who have relied on the coverage for life-saving assistance and what could happen if they lose it On Thursday, Senate Republicans unveiled legislation that would satisfy a long-held campaign promise: the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plan would also achieve another GOP priority: deep cuts to Medicaid, a program that covers the healthcare needs of nearly one in five Americans. Related: Will losing health insurance mean more US deaths? Experts say yes Continue reading...While Donald Trump backs the Saudi-led ultimatum, the state and defense departments are openly critical – a mixed message that could worsen the crisis The crisis created by the ultimatum delivered to Qatar by the Saudi-led Gulf coalition has been deepened by mixed messages from Washington. Related: 'Close al-Jazeera': Saudi Arabia gives Qatar 13 demands to end blockade Continue reading...Using government data, doctors and academics have tested whether a lack of healthcare coverage increases the probability of death. Most conclude it does The Republican healthcare bill announced on Thursday would cause thousands of Americans to die each year, according to physicians who study government data. Using national health surveys, doctors and academics have tested whether a lack of health insurance increases the probability of death. Most have concluded that it does. Continue reading...Around 30,000 honey bees swarm on a ledge at One Times Square, where the New Year’s Eve ball drop happens, in New York. Andrew Coté, a fourth generation beekeeper of AndrewsHoney.com, was called to the rescue and used a vacuum to suck up the bees, who he said were looking for a new home Continue reading...US President Donald Trump has spoken to Ireland’s newly-elected Taoiseach Leo Varadkar from the Oval Office. During the call, reporters from the Irish media were present. At one point Trump tells Varadkar he has “a lot of these beautiful Irish press” in the room and singles out Caitriona Perry, asking her to come forward and tell him her name. As she explains who she works for, Trump says “she has a nice smile on her face so I’m sure she treats you well.” Perry, Washington correspondent for RTE, posted the exchange on Twitter, calling it “bizarre”. Continue reading...A reporter challenges deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday after she accused the media of perpetuating fake news against the Trump administration. Karim tells Huckabee Sanders that she is being inflammatory and adds that journalists are subject to professional standards Continue reading...Xiahe is famous for its Labrang monastery, the largest edifice of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism and home to the largest number of monks outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. The monastery was founded in 1709 Continue reading...Hawaii attorney general Doug Chin says he believes in the president’s power to protect national security but not when it discriminates against people because of their national origin or religion. The nation’s highest court ruled on Monday that a travel ban may be enforced if visitors lack a connection with a person or entity in the United States. Hawaii sued to stop President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban in March. Chin says the decision is a partial victory for Hawaii because it allows people such as university students and relatives of US citizens to enter the country. “We expect our president to follow the law,” he says. Continue reading...Several potential jurors at the federal securities fraud trial of Martin ‘Pharma Bro’ Shkreli were excused on Monday after telling the judge they couldn’t be impartial toward the flamboyant former pharmaceutical CEO because of his notoriety for raising the cost of a life-saving drug 5,000 percent. Though Shkreli’s notoriety came from Daraprim, a drug used to treat toxoplasmosis and HIV, the federal securities fraud case is unrelated. Continue reading... |
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How to Apply the 12 Steps for Managment Conflict and Resolution 1. Admit there is a problem. Your Leadership Shopping List 'Tis the season to give. And finding the right gift to give the people on your team can be challenging. Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of the Next Training You Attend Sometime soon you will be attending some training. It may be a one hour tele-seminar, a one day class, professional conference, or a weekend retreat. 10 Things To Do When Business Slows Down Over The Holidays I'm sure you've seen it happen every year: your business slows down during predictable times, like the summer vacation months or year-end holidays. For the self-employed who rely upon steady cash flow, this can be a disconcerting time. 7 Secrets to Writing Inventory Procedures What would You do with $1,000,000With $1 Million would you:? Pay off debt?? Purchase new equipment?? Invest/save for the future?? Give yourself a bonus?$1,000,000 Waiting in the WingsWhat do you and your business need that you have been putting off because you don't have the money today? $1,000,000 certainly would fill those needs. But where do you find $1,000,000 just lying around your business right now? Well, you probably have $250,000 in each of four areas in your everyday business, and you don't even realize it. 7 Ways To Profit From Other Peoples Products If you don't possess the time, money or inclination to create your own hot selling product there is plenty of scope for profit by using other people's.In this quick article I'll detail the best ways to take a third-party product and use it to fill your own bank account. Top 7 Reasons You Should Back Up Your Data Online! How much is your data worth to you? In this modern electronic-age we rely more than ever on our computers to supply us with the information we need. 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Top 10 Ways to Start a Business For Less Than $500 We've heard numerous success stories of Internet entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, who started Amazon.com from his garage, using cheap plywood to construct desks. 11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Michael Dell 1. Think Big - In college, Michael Dell said he wanted to "beat IBM. 7 Strategies for Handling Last Minute Meetings Have you ever found yourself having to scramble to organize a meeting at the last minute? Wouldn't it be nice that if and when this daunting situation arose, you were well prepared with all necessary information ready at your fingertips? That's why I've developed the following seven survival strategies to help you plan for the inevitable, because you know as well as I, it's going to happen 'someaday.'Survival Strategy #1. 7 Keys to Running a Successful Business Although dentistry may appear to be different than other types of businesses, in reality it is a business. And although this article is written from a dentist's perspective on developing a successful practice, the principles can be used in virtually any business. Top Seven Questions for Starting Projects More Effectively We all are project managers. Some of us manage projects like vacations or reunions, while others run implementations of new software systems, consolidation divisions of companies, launch new products, or build buildings. Ten Tips For Starting A New Job 1. Get to know people. Top Ten Tips for Participating in Online Business Expos Are you ready for a BASH? Have you ever been a vendor or exhibitor at an expo, craft show or other offline event? Well, when you are a participant in an online bash or online expo - many of the same expo tips apply. Here are the Top Ten essential business expo tips for online events. Making Money over the Internet : 5 Cool Tips The Internet is a fast growing medium, trancending the personal ,geographical, political and cultural barriers. Because of its popularity and diversity, for an ambitious and hard working person, it is the right medium to make unlimited wealth th the only thing is that you should know how to do it, the knack of doing it comes only with practice ,but a non-starter doesnt get any practice. 10-Point Checklist for High Visibility in Google Google is the pre-eminent search engine (SE) with no close competitor. Given that inclusion is free, your Web pages must be in it. The Lazy Person Secrets To Overnight Wealth And Fame There are so many simple, yet really sure-fire ways of acquiring wealth, it's a wonder everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn't already rich. When you come right down to it, the only things needed for anyone to make bundles of money are the long-range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force.
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