Trade show shipping is not regular freight. It runs on strict move-in windows, advance warehouse deadlines, show-floor rules, and coordination with event contractors, and a missed deadline or a mislabeled crate can mean your booth isn't ready when the show opens. When your exhibit absolutely has to arrive on time and in the right place, trust it to the team at DeHaven's Transfer & Storage. We coordinate the transport, delivery, and setup of trade show exhibits and displays for businesses across North Carolina and to show floors nationwide. As a family-owned mover since 1951 and a North American Van Lines agent, we bring the fleet, the warehouse, and the logistics experience to get your exhibit where it needs to be, on schedule.
Exhibits and Displays We Ship
DeHaven's handles the full range of trade show freight, including:
- Custom and modular exhibit booths
- Pop-up and portable displays
- Banner stands, signage, and graphics
- Crated and palletized booth properties
- Product samples and demonstration equipment
- Audiovisual and presentation equipment
- Promotional materials and literature
- Booth furnishings, flooring, and accessories
Whether you're shipping a single portable display to a regional show or a full custom exhibit to a national convention with multiple stops along the way, we can coordinate the move to fit your show calendar.
Understanding Trade Show Shipping: Advance Warehouse vs. Direct-to-Show
One of the first decisions for any exhibit shipment is where the freight goes. There are two options, and the right one depends on the show, the city, and your timeline.
Advance warehouse means your exhibit ships to a warehouse the show's general contractor operates in the show city, typically a window of about two to four weeks before the event. Your materials are received, stored, and staged so they're waiting at your booth when move-in begins. This is the lower-stress option and often the better choice when you want your booth ready and waiting.
Direct-to-show means the freight is delivered straight to the venue's loading dock during a designated move-in window. This avoids advance warehouse handling but requires precise timing, because dock space is tight and delivery windows are strictly enforced.
Our team helps you weigh which option makes sense for each show and builds the transport schedule around the deadlines in your exhibitor service manual. Hitting the right window matters, late deliveries are billed at penalty rates, and that's exactly the kind of avoidable cost we plan around.
A Note on Drayage and Material Handling
It's worth understanding one part of trade show logistics that surprises many first-time exhibitors. Drayage, also called material handling, is the movement of your freight from the loading dock or advance warehouse to your actual booth space on the show floor, and back out again after the show.
At nearly every show in the country, drayage is handled exclusively by the show's official general contractor, the company the show organizer appoints to run the floor. An outside carrier is not permitted to move freight on the show floor. Drayage is billed separately by the general contractor, usually by weight.
DeHaven's coordinates around this. We get your exhibit to the advance warehouse or the show dock on schedule, properly labeled and packed for efficient handling, so the transition into the general contractor's hands is smooth. Knowing how this process works, and planning your shipment around it, is part of what we bring to the job.
Show-to-Show and Multi-Stop Coordination
If your company exhibits at several shows in a season, your booth often needs to travel from one event directly to the next. DeHaven's coordinates show-to-show shipping so your exhibit moves cleanly between events, and we can build multi-stop routes when a tour involves several cities. Between shows, your exhibit can be held in our secure Durham warehouse rather than making an unnecessary trip back and forth, which saves both time and freight cost.
Setup, Installation, and Full-Service Support
As a full-service moving company, DeHaven's doesn't just deliver your exhibit and leave. Our team can assist with the setup and installation of your display at the venue, and with dismantling and repacking it when the show closes, so your staff can focus on the show itself rather than wrestling with crates. From pickup at your facility to a booth that's standing and ready, we can manage the whole process.
One note on show-floor labor: some convention centers and shows require exhibitors to use designated union labor for booth installation and dismantling. Where that's the case, we coordinate accordingly and build it into the plan. Our coordinators help you navigate those venue-specific requirements so there are no surprises on move-in day.
Our Fleet and Equipment
Trade show freight needs the right equipment. DeHaven's operates a fleet built for it, including air-ride suspension trucks that reduce vibration and protect delicate displays and graphics over the road, and lift gate trucks for safe loading and unloading of crated and palletized exhibit properties. As a North American Van Lines agent, we also have access to NAVL's national network when a show calendar calls for additional capacity or reach beyond our own fleet.
Warehousing and Storage Between Shows
Trade show exhibits spend far more time between shows than at them. Rather than storing a custom booth in valuable office or facility space, many exhibitors keep it with us. Our Durham warehouse offers monitored, alarmed, and fire-protected storage for exhibit properties between events, and we can dispatch your booth to the next show directly from storage. Learn more about our warehousing and distribution services and our short- and long-term storage.
Tracking and Communication
Throughout the shipping process, you can follow your exhibit with online shipment tracking, and your DeHaven's coordinator stays in contact so you always know where your booth is and when it will arrive. When a show deadline is on the line, that visibility matters.
Why DeHaven's for Trade Show Shipping
- A family-owned North Carolina mover in business since 1951, and a North American Van Lines agent
- Experience coordinating exhibit transport, advance warehouse and direct-to-show delivery, and show-to-show routing
- A specialized fleet with air-ride suspension and lift gate trucks
- Full-service capability including setup, installation, dismantling, and repacking
- Secure, monitored warehouse storage for exhibits between shows
- A dedicated coordinator who manages deadlines, labels, and venue requirements
- Online shipment tracking and clear communication throughout
Frequently Asked Questions
What is drayage, and does DeHaven's handle it?
Drayage, or material handling, is the movement of your freight from the loading dock or advance warehouse to your booth on the show floor. At nearly every show, drayage is handled exclusively by the show's official general contractor, and outside carriers are not permitted to perform it. DeHaven's handles the transport to the advance warehouse or show dock and coordinates the shipment so the handoff to the general contractor is smooth.
Should I ship to the advance warehouse or direct to the show?
It depends on the show, the city, and your timeline. Advance warehouse shipping gets your exhibit received and staged ahead of time, so it's waiting when move-in starts. Direct-to-show avoids advance warehouse handling but requires hitting a tight delivery window at the venue. Our team helps you decide based on your show's exhibitor service manual and deadlines.
Can DeHaven's set up our booth at the show?
Yes. As a full-service moving company, we can assist with setup and installation at the venue and with dismantling and repacking when the show ends. Note that some venues require designated union labor for booth work, and where that applies, we coordinate accordingly and build it into the plan.
Do you handle show-to-show shipping?
Yes. If your exhibit travels from one show directly to the next, we coordinate show-to-show routing, including multi-stop schedules. Between events, we can store your exhibit in our Durham warehouse and dispatch it to the next show from there.
Can you store our exhibit between shows?
Yes. Our Durham warehouse offers monitored, alarmed, and fire-protected storage for trade show exhibits and booth properties between events, so you don't have to store a booth in your own facility.
How far in advance should we book trade show shipping?
As early as possible. Trade show freight runs on firm deadlines, advance warehouse windows, and move-in schedules, and early planning gives you the most cost-effective options and protects against penalty rates for late delivery. Contact us as soon as you know your show calendar.
Do you ship trade show exhibits nationwide?
Yes. We coordinate trade show shipping from North Carolina to show floors across the country, and as a North American Van Lines agent we have the national network to support shows wherever your calendar takes you.
Request Trade Show Shipping Services
Every show calendar is different, and we build trade show shipping around your exhibits, your destinations, and your deadlines. To get started, fill out our quote form or call our team. We'll review your show schedule, walk through the logistics, and put together a plan that gets your exhibit to the floor on time. Contact DeHaven's for your trade show and logistics needs.
