Posted on 23, March, 2020
Last Modified on 23, March, 2020
From big corporations to small businesses, everyone who travels for a trade show is looking for the most cost effective and least stressful way to do it. Whether you’re someone who travels a lot or are on your way to your first trade show, here are some good tips for traveling trade show exhibitors that hopefully save you some money or at the least, a few headaches.
Have one person book: If you’re bigger than a staff of one, it’s probably best to let one person handle all the travel arrangements. It will be easier for one person to build the itinerary if everyone is staying at the same hotel and flying in together.
Bundle travel: Speaking of building together at once – there are handfuls of travel booking sites that exist that allow you to book flights, hotels and rental cars all at one stop. At the least, the prices and deals they offer are worth shopping around for.
Don’t rush yourself: Don’t take the last flight out the night before your show or worse, take one the day of. Flight delays happen more often than you might think, and you don’t want to be late! You need to give yourself enough time to get settled in and have at least a little time to relax before the hustle and bustle of your trade show.
Room at your conference...or don’t: Some people like to book their rooms at the same venue the conference or trade show is at (or the one working with the show exclusively). You’ll likely pay a bit more but you’re paying for the convenience. You really don’t need a rental car or use the cab much. But, depending on the rate of rooms at the venue, the cheaper option may be to book one elsewhere. Always explore all your options when it comes to the possibility of saving money.
Know where you’re going: Before you get there, you should figure out how far the hotel is from the convention center, and figure out how you’re going to get from point A to point B. Depending on how far you need to go, cab fares can add up, so look into shuttles, busses, and trains if you’re in a city that has a good public transportation system.
Ship some items to your hotel: Hotels have caught up over the years on this practice and you can’t ship large display items there, but there are smaller items you can ship to hotels and save money on the cost. If the package has c/o (care of) on it and you let the hotel know that it is being shipped, they’ll accept the package. If you’re lucky, you won’t be charged by the hotel or just a little. Either way, if you find out beforehand that they will accept the package, their charges might be less than normal shipping costs.
Bonus tips!
- Ask your hotel about cheap places to eat
- Make sure your room has free or included Wi-Fi
- Check the weather before you pack
- Dress for success during travel – especially when it comes to comfortable shoes!