Shipping to a Convention Center: Advance Warehouse or Direct

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 by the ConventionVendor.com rental team.

The general service contractor, also called the official service contractor or decorator, manages freight for the show. It receives shipments, moves them from the dock to your booth, stores empty containers during the show, and loads outbound freight at move-out.

That service is called material handling, or drayage, and it is separate from what your carrier charges to bring the shipment to the building. The exhibitor manual describes the service, the forms, and how it is billed.

Carriers generally cannot deliver straight to your booth on their own. They deliver to the warehouse or the dock, and the contractor takes it from there.

Most shows offer both routes, and the right one depends on how your freight travels and how much control you want over timing. Many exhibitors use the advance warehouse for cases and cartons and ship exhibit properties direct with their display company.

Freight that reaches the warehouse after the deadline may still be accepted at some shows, though often with added handling charges. Read the late-arrival rules before choosing a ship date.

Labels from the exhibitor manual use the address format the contractor expects, and missing or incorrect labels are a frequent reason freight goes astray. Put a label on every piece rather than one label on the pallet.

A few days before the show, confirm through the contractor's service desk or online portal that each shipment arrived. Checking early leaves time to trace anything missing.

Material handling is usually billed by weight, often in units of 100 pounds, with a minimum per shipment. Rates typically differ for crated freight, uncrated items, and special handling, and shipments outside the scheduled times often cost more.

Because of that minimum, many small boxes sent separately can cost more to handle than one consolidated shipment. Combine pieces where you can and send them on a single bill of lading.

The exhibitor manual lists the current rates and categories. Estimate the weight of each shipment so the material handling line in your show plan is realistic.

Many shows let exhibitors carry small items into the hall themselves, typically what one person can carry in a single trip without a dolly or cart. Limits vary by show and venue, so check the manual before planning to carry anything.

During the show, the contractor stores your empty cases and crates and returns them when move-out begins. Pick up empty labels at the service desk, attach one to each container, and note where the empties will be kept.

At move-out, complete the outbound shipping paperwork from the service desk, name your carrier, and know the carrier check-in deadline. Freight left without a carrier on time may be sent with a carrier the contractor chooses and billed to the exhibitor.

Screens, tablets, kiosks, and charging stations are heavy and fragile, and shipping them adds weight to every material handling bill and every return. Renting them for the show dates shrinks your freight to graphics, literature, and product samples.

ConventionVendor.com plans each delivery around your show's rules, whether that means a technician delivering and setting up during move-in or equipment shipped ready to connect with a prepaid return label. The quote confirms the method for your show, venue, and dates.

If a rented item will travel through the general service contractor, it follows the same labels and deadlines as the rest of your freight. Ask how your rental will arrive so the booth team knows what to expect.