Trade Show Crating in Las Vegas: Protect, Organize, and Repack

Make an inventory of booth structures, monitors, lighting, signs, demonstration equipment, and loose accessories. Include each item's dimensions and weight, along with fragile surfaces, projections, and orientation restrictions. Photographs help distinguish similar-looking components.

Decide what will travel together and what needs separate packing. A single large crate may simplify the inventory but create handling or access difficulties; multiple packages may be easier to position but require more careful tracking. Review the options against the exhibit and the receiving arrangements.

• Label components so the packing list matches the installation plan.
• Record which pieces must be unpacked first.
• Identify anything needing manufacturer transport restraints or special protection.
• Confirm the packed dimensions and handling method before arranging freight.

Discuss blocking, cushioning, compartments, and removable panels based on the actual materials and contents. Interior supports should protect the exhibit while leaving a practical way to remove it. Tell the builder which tools and people will be available for unpacking at the show.

For a touring exhibit, ask about reusable closures and how replaceable interior pieces will be identified. Keep packing photographs and instructions with the shipment. If electronics or artwork have environmental limits, specify those separately; ordinary wood crating does not provide active climate control.

Use the current exhibitor service manual for the particular event. Confirm the designated receiving location, delivery window, shipment labels, and any handling restrictions. An advance warehouse and a direct-to-show delivery can have different instructions, so do not use a previous event's labels or schedule without checking.

Our exhibit logistics guide covers receiving routes, empty-container storage and outbound handover.

International shipments require additional planning. ISPM 15 concerns plant-health treatment and marking of regulated wood packaging; it does not settle every customs or event requirement. Review the route and documentation with the responsible freight specialist and consult APHIS wood-packaging guidance where relevant.

Before the outbound shipment leaves, decide where empty crates will be stored during the event and how they will be returned to the booth. Confirm the procedures with the show contractor rather than assuming the crates will remain beside the exhibit.

Assign responsibility for repacking, checking the inventory, preparing outbound paperwork, and handing the shipment to the return carrier. If different crews install and dismantle the exhibit, clear photographs and labels become especially useful. Inspect the crate before reuse and report damaged closures or supports.

Ask a provider to explain how its design serves your booth components and the planned handling method. Relevant exhibit experience can be useful, but the proposal should still address your project's measurements, access, and reuse needs.

Crates of Las Vegas lists trade show crating services. Confirm which packing, on-site work, collection, and transport arrangements are included in your quote, along with the agreed completion date and who coordinates with the event contractor.