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4 min read

Storage at the trade fair vs. interim storage in the truck

Storage at the trade fair vs. interim storage in the truck

After a trade fair, the stand builder's invoice includes the item for the storage of empties and full goods. Depending on the size of the stand, this can be one of the larger amounts of the trade fair appearance. Questions often arise in event controlling as to what this is for and how the invoice is calculated. In my blog post, I take a look at these costs in the event industry from several angles.

 

Trade fair storage - full and empty containers

Once a trade fair stand has been set up, the packaging materials, Euro pallets and other items are stored at the trade fair forwarding company until they are dismantled. The temporary storage facility on the exhibition grounds then contains, for example, wooden boxes for furniture, flight cases for screens, Euro plates and much more.

Packaging for trade fair materials and equipment is referred to as empties. In contrast to full goods, empties are not stored insured in a trade fair warehouse. The full goods are, for example, ladders or lifting tools such as genies, which are used to lift trusses, among other things, in order to install them. These items are expensive to replace and are therefore stored with insurance. Empty and full goods are usually stored together on the exhibition grounds. The only difference in the storage of full and empty goods at the trade fair is the price. The following applies to temporary storage on the exhibition grounds during the trade fair: full goods are insured. Empties are not insured.

 

Does the stand builder pay for temporary storage on the exhibition grounds?

He could, but these costs are charged on the exhibition side and therefore the stand builder must already include these costs when calculating a stand. An alternative would be to add the costs to other items and their prices. However, this results in opaque and not clearly comparable offers and ultimately invoices.

The answer depends on how much price transparency is practiced by the stand construction company. Open and transparent quotations protect against unpleasant surprises and promote clear agreements and understandings. Although project managers are always required to explain these costs, cost transparency should be guaranteed at all times. Even if it takes a little more time for the customer to prepare the quotation and check it for more complex issues.

 

Temporary storage of empties and fulls in the truck

Of course, you can also take your own truck and store the goods there during the trade fair and then drive them back to the company. This saves the costs of storage at the trade fair. However, this has some disadvantages.

  • The truck is blocked for the entire time, from the first loading before the trade fair is set up to the unloading after the trade fair is dismantled. This can quickly add up to 2 weeks or more and a truck also costs money.
  • Fitter costs increase considerably as someone has to drive the truck. In addition, the truck has to be loaded 3 times and unloaded 3 times, which takes time (loading at the stand builder, unloading at the trade fair, assembly, loading of full and empty containers, unloading of full and empty containers, dismantling, loading at the trade fair, unloading at the stand builder) - all of which costs time and money. The load securing of exhibition goods must not be forgotten either.
  • The legal regulations are becoming ever stricter here.
  • The delivery of goods to a trade fair, for example, is not a so-called works transport: “According to § 15a para. 2 GüKG, all vehicles for works transport with a permissible total weight of over 3.5 tons must be registered with the Federal Office before the first transport. This applies to trucks with or without trailers and to articulated vehicles." This almost completely rules out the delivery of the exhibition stand by the stand builder. More and more modules (modules here are additional certificates of the truck driver) must be verified. Fewer and fewer people have these modules - including stand builders.
  • In some foreign countries (e.g. Belgium and France), transportation is not permitted without a guarantor. This applies in particular to trucks weighing 7.5 tons or more.
  • The trade fair fitters, who usually have a longer trade fair logistics journey, may only work at the trade fair after the journey in accordance with the legal regulations. This can also mean more overnight stays and therefore more costs.
  • In addition, fewer and fewer people have a truck driver's license these days. One of the consequences of this is that fewer and fewer stand builders are offering event logistics themselves.

Leergut und Vollgut im LKW zwischenlagern

 

Interim storage at trade fairs with event logistics specialists

A stand builder should work with a specialist for trade fair transportation and event logistics. This creates price transparency, which is passed on clearly and unambiguously to the customer, and at the same time saves planning time, which in turn leaves more room for the core competence of a stand builder, namely the development, planning and realization of exhibition stands with a high number of visitors. I myself was surprised when we switched to external event logisticians years ago that our costs in this area actually fell. In the highly competitive exhibition stand construction market, this is something that you are happy to pass on to your customers and increases your chances of competing.

 

Open questions about the storage of trade fair equipment during an event

What exactly are the storage costs in the quotation?

Every conventional exhibition stand is unique and there is always an estimate in the quotation. After the trade fair and invoicing by the organizer, you will only have the exact amount of the storage costs on the exhibition grounds during a trade fair appearance from the second set-up onwards if the exhibition stand remains unchanged.

 

Why does the invoice for storage arrive so late after the trade fair?

The stand builder has no influence on the invoicing, as this comes from the organizer, the exhibition company, i.e. from third parties. This can take weeks or even months.

Temporary storage of full and empty containers behind the walls of the exhibition stand?

This storage would increase the fire load within the exhibition hall and is prohibited by the fire department and the trade fair. This also makes sense. Fire should not be underestimated. Anyone who has ever seen a video showing how quickly a fire spreads will be pleased with this clear no. Regardless of the legal requirements, the space is often used for catering, advertising material and many other consumables at the trade fair.

 

Conclusion on the storage costs of a trade fair appearance

  • Storage at the trade fair is necessary and sometimes cost-intensive.
  • If the storage costs are not listed in the offer, ask about them.
  • Truck storage is very time-consuming, inefficient and non-transparent due to the allocation of costs to other items.
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