Material Handling - General Information

What Is Material Handling?

Material Handling, also called freight handling or drayage, is the movement of your freight from the loading dock/carrier or Advance Warehouse to your booth and back to the loading dock/carrier at the close of the show. Material handling includes:

Unloading your exhibit material
Storing up to 30 days in advance at the warehouse address
Delivering to the booth
Handling of empty containers to and from storage
Removing material from the booth for reloading onto outbound carriers.

Material Handling should not be confused with the cost of getting your materials to and from the show; see the Shipping information.

Who provides Material Handling?

GES is the official handling contractor for IAAPA Expo 2024. GES offers warehouse space for advanced shipments and has the responsibility for on-site receiving and handling of exhibit materials, at exhibitors' request. It is GES’s responsibility to supervise the Marshaling Yard and Loading Docks and to schedule all vehicles during move-in and move-out periods.

All exhibitor freight must be shipped prepaid. Collect shipments will not be accepted and returned to the delivery carrier. All freight shipped directly to show site must arrive on the day of the exhibitor's targeted move-in or during general exhibitor move-in dates. Early shipments should be shipped to the GES warehouse. Refer to GES's Shipping, Drayage and Material Handling section for information on shipments to the Advanced Warehouse and Marshaling Yard and Direct Deliveries information. The Orange County Convention Center will not accept freight arriving prior to the published IAAPA move-in schedule.

When can my shipment arrive / when can I unload my materials?

General Exhibitor Move-In begins Saturday, November 16. Please plan for your freight being shipped directly to the show to arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 16 unless you have received a Targeted Move-in date. If you would like to request an earlier move-in date/time than what your booth has been assigned, please contact Omar DeJesus with GES at [email protected]. You must receive confirmation from GES prior to moving in early.

All move-in times prior to Saturday, November 16 at 8:00 a.m. are by targeted appointment only. GES will make every effort to accommodate the early move-in requests of exhibitors if it doesn’t impact the move-in of the rest of the show.

Targeted Move-In will be held on Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15. Only those exhibitors who have been approved by GES will be moving in on those dates.

Vehicles checking into the Marshaling Yard before 8:00 a.m. Saturday, November 16, without confirmed target dates will be prioritized only after those with confirmed target times.

How does my carrier access the hall?

GES crews will unload all ‘for hire’ carriers. For security reasons, carrier drivers are not allowed on the trade show floor without proper badges.

Per Pound Material Handling Fees

Material Handling charges will be based on the weight of your shipment using a per pound pricing model. Shipments are charged a flat rate of $.74 per pound. Shipments sent to the Advance Warehouse after the deadline will be charged $.90 per pound. Shipments of less than 25 lbs sent direct to show site are a flat rate of $32.00.

Per Pound Benefits

No minimums
No crated
No special handling
No carpet or pad only
No hundred-weight billing
No reweigh fees
No overtime
No marshalling yard fees
No rounding -- pay only for actual weight

Volume Discount Rates

Shipments 8,000 or larger will receive discounted material handling per pound rates:

8,000 - 19,000 lbs: $.53
19,001 - 22,000 lbs: $.50
22,001 - 25,000 lbs: $47
25,001 - 31,000 lbs: $.45
31,000 lbs. and over: $41

How are large display pieces put in the booth?

For safety purposes, GES personnel must escort large display pieces that must be towed or driven into position. Flat rates or hourly charges will apply for this service, as a substantial savings over material handling rates.

How do I hand-carry materials to my booth?

Please refer to the Hand-Carry information if you plan to deliver your materials to your booth directly.

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