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Sending trade fair goods – exhibits and display items on time to the stand

You send trade fair goods with the toughest deadline of the year in view – a delay cannot be made up: the core factor is the direct transport with a fixed time window for stand build-up, where exhibits and one-offs receive premium handling and travel exclusively without transhipment.

Bucket-wheel excavator – trade fair goods

Trade fair goods are the cargo with the toughest deadline of the year: exhibits, product samples, banners and brochures must be on site exactly for stand build-up – a delay cannot be made up, because the fair starts without you. Speed Logistics transports trade fair goods as direct transport with a fixed time window to all major exhibition venues in Germany and Europe, from Berlin through Frankfurt and Hannover to Milan, Paris or Vienna.

Whether a pallet of brochures in the Sprinter or a tonne-heavy machine exhibit in the articulated lorry: you tell us the fair, hall, stand and build-up time – we plan the journey backwards from the slot and quote a fixed price within a few hours, including return collection.

Exhibits with premium handling

Exhibits are often one-offs: prototypes, demonstration machines, design models, high-value electronics. Such goods travel with us exclusively and without transhipment, secured with padding, edge protectors and tight-fit loading – in transport crates or flight cases on request. The handover at the stand is documented, and increased value insurance is agreed according to the value of the goods. This way the exhibit arrives in the condition in which it is meant to impress the customer.

On time into the exhibition hall

Exhibition grounds work with build-up time windows, check-in zones and access rules. Our dispatch team coordinates the delivery with your build-up times, plans waiting-time buffers and ensures that hall and stand number are correctly stated on the papers. The driver notifies before arrival, and via GPS tracking you follow the journey. For last-minute cases – too few samples, a replacement device needed – we run express replenishment straight to the stand, at night and at the weekend too.

Return collection and trade fair tours

After the fair closes, speed counts: the halls must be cleared in the dismantling slot. We collect your trade fair goods on time and bring them back to the warehouse – or straight to the next stop on your trade fair tour. For a series across several events we plan the entire chain: outbound journey, return collection, interim storage by agreement and onward transport, with one contact for all deadlines.

Overseas fairs: customs and the ATA Carnet

For fairs outside the EU – for example in Türkiye, the Gulf states or North Africa – Speed Logistics handles the complete customs clearance. Exhibits for temporary use travel with an ATA Carnet and return duty-free; sales and consumable goods such as brochures or give-aways are declared regularly. Costs depend on volume, lane, deadline pressure and return – depending on lane and lead time you receive a binding fixed price for outbound and return transport.

Typical trade fair goods at a glance

  • Exhibits and demonstration devices: from the table model to the machine on the articulated lorry
  • Product samples and tasting goods: temperature-controlled too, where freshness counts
  • Print material: brochures, catalogues and price lists palletised from the printer
  • Advertising material and give-aways: on time for the first day of the fair
  • Stand additions: banners, displays, monitors and presentation technology

We often combine several loading points in one journey – the exhibit from the works, brochures from the printer, technology from the office – and deliver everything bundled to the stand. This saves you three separate shipments and ensures that nothing is missing during build-up. We also move very small shipments such as a single pallet of catalogues on time – what matters is the slot, not the quantity.

Frequently asked questions: Trade Fair Goods

When should trade fair goods be sent at the latest?

Plan the delivery for the first build-up day of your stand, not for the start of the fair. Within Germany, a lead time of 1–2 working days is usually enough as direct transport, and 2–4 working days across Europe. For overseas fairs with customs clearance, also allow extra time for the Carnet and documents.

How are sensitive exhibits protected during trade fair transport?

Exhibits travel as direct transport without transhipment, secured with padding, edge protectors and tight-fit loading – in transport crates or flight cases on request. The handover at the stand is documented, and increased value insurance is agreed according to the value of the goods. If needed, the exhibit travels upright and lashed so no sensitive bearing points are loaded.

Does Speed Logistics deliver directly to the trade fair stand?

Yes. We deliver into the hall right to the stand, provided the exhibition grounds allow access – including slot coordination, check-in and notification of stand personnel. Hall and stand number are on all papers so delivery works without searching or waiting. If hall access is blocked, we hand over to the venue's hall forwarder.

What happens to the trade fair goods after the fair ends?

We collect the goods at the stand in the dismantling time window and transport them back to the warehouse or straight to the next fair. For trade fair tours we plan the complete chain of outbound journey, return collection, interim storage and onward transport with one contact. We document any damage from dismantling on receipt so claims remain clearly attributable.

Do I need an ATA Carnet for trade fair goods in non-EU countries?

For exhibits that come back after the fair, the ATA Carnet is the usual route: it enables duty-free temporary importation. Brochures, give-aways and sales goods, by contrast, are cleared regularly. Speed Logistics handles both as part of the transport. Speed Logistics prepares the Carnet clearance together with you before departure.

Is short-notice express replenishment possible during the fair?

Yes. If samples run out or a replacement device is needed, we schedule an express run straight to the stand at short notice – at night and at the weekend too. The dispatch team is available around the clock and clarifies access and handover with your stand personnel.

Common mistakes when sending trade fair goods – what should I watch out for?

Delivery is often planned for the start of the fair instead of the first build-up day, and for overseas fairs there is not enough time for the Carnet and documents. The sample quantity is also set too low, so express replenishment becomes necessary during the fair. Plan delivery for the build-up day; Speed Logistics moves exhibits exclusively, secured with padding, edge protectors and tight-fit loading, in transport crates or flight cases on request.

Why do exhibits need premium handling?

Exhibits are often one-offs – prototypes, demonstration machines, design models, high-value electronics – and should arrive in the condition in which they are meant to impress the customer. That is why they travel exclusively and without transhipment, secured with padding and tight-fit loading, the handover at the stand is documented, and increased value insurance according to the value of the goods is agreed.

Request trade fair goods

Contact our dispatch team – fixed-price quote within hours, available 24/7.