If you’re just getting started in the industry, or taking over a program, you’re most likely working with whatever was left by your predecessor which means you’ll have to deal with what you have until your company foots the bill for a new exhibit. When that time comes however, here are some thoughts that can help make your life a bit easier.
Design
Be sure to keep crate sizes and shapes in mind when you’re designing your new exhibit. Many shows will charge you a fee to un-stack and restack crates on top of each other. If you can build your crates to stand tall you can save some money.
If you do need to stack some of your crates here are some ideas that will help.
The first is obvious and that is to put the heavier crate on the bottom. The second is to build the top side of the bottom crate with larger components to handle the weight of the top crate. Something as simple as making the frame out of 2×4 instead of 1×4 will help handle the extra weight and prevent damage to your lower crate and materials inside.
Curved panels will take up valuable space that flat panels won’t. If your design needs the curves then by all means include them. But if you can achieve your design goals without them you’ll save space and possibly money. You’ll also help limit damage especially if the panels are large.
Another consideration is the flexibility of the exhibit. If you design an exhibit for a 30×50 space, but have the ability to scale it down to a 30×30 and/or a 20×20, design your crates so that you can leave extra crates behind when using the smaller versions. By doing this you’ll save money on your shipping and material handling at the show. If you’re storage company charges you by how many crates they handle you’ll save at the warehouse as well. Just be sure that you don’t have anything in the crates left behind that you need in the smaller configurations. Figuring out what you do and don’t need for each configuration will take some time and planning but it will save both time and money over the life of the exhibit.
The company building your crates will jig them for maximum use of the space and most will build a good, sturdy crate. But do yourself the favor of asking to see examples of their work so you know what to expect. Things to look for include gussets, sturdy feet and a quality fit. The more the crate flexes the more susceptible it is to major damage.
Keep in mind that your crate WILL sustain damage. Scuffs, scrapes and even the loss of a foot are all normal. The crate’s purpose is to hold your exhibit and protect it from damage so it’s going to take the hits. Check your crates regularly and repair any damage as needed to avoid the damage extending to your exhibit.
There are several ways the doors of your crates can be handled. The two most popular are those held on by hinges and those held on with bolts.
Doors held on with bolts can be completely removed for easy access. Personally, I have several issues with these. Once you remove the door panel the rest of the crate tends to be less sturdy and the crate becomes out of square making it difficult to replace the door sometimes. Everyone uses 3/8 carriage bolts on their crates. This means when someone looses one of their bolts your crates are susceptible to what I call “Involuntary Bolt Migration”. If you use bolts on your crates I recommend 5/8 Hex bolts. A larger bolt won’t bend as easy and they won’t fit in your neighbor’s crate holes thus reducing migration. Whatever size bolts you decide to use, have plenty of extras in your job box. They are dozens of times cheaper than the damage you’ll sustain by missing bolts on your crates.
Doors held on with hinges have their own pros and cons. I like hinged doors because they are much easier to open and close. Most are held closed with a hasp and a piece of cable (or a lock if you’re concerned about theft). No tools are required to open or close a hinged door and you don’t have to worry about it falling on someone. Hinges can sustain damage like anything else so keep a set in your job box as replacements if needed..
Labeling
Labeling your crates is an important step and can save you precious install hours. At the very minimum your crate should have the following information painted on all four sides. Company Name, Company Address (Or where your crate is stored), Your Cell Number (Or the number of whoever is responsible for your exhibit) Some additional ideas will make your life just a bit easier.
If possible, paint your crates so they stand out in the crowd. Most companies do not do this so by painting your crates with your company color or stripes or whatever they’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Most of the time you’ll receive all your crates at your booth with no problem but now and then a crate will go on walkabout and you’ll have to search for it.
I did a show in Anaheim once and my driver had counted 15 pieces loaded and 15 pieces delivered to the show. When I got to the booth space I found 14 pieces. Turned out that we loaded a crate from another exhibit by accident but it was still missing. I spent a solid hour walking the floor twice before I found it buried in another booth. Not long after I had my crates painted blue and several months later I was missing another crate. I stood on a table and a quick glance of the show floor revealed it was two aisles over.
Print your “ship to” information on full pages as large as possible. Include the “ship from” info at the top in smaller print but large enough to read. Also be sure to put a contact phone number on the bottom with a name for any questions.
Invest in a staple hammer and staple your full page labels to all four sides of your crate. Plain paper stapled is less expensive than full page sticky labels and they won’t peel off.
