[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":108},["ShallowReactive",2],{"copy:\u002Fcrating\u002Ftrade-show-exhibits":3},{"path":4,"h1":5,"metaDescription":6,"kicker":7,"lede":8,"panel":9,"spec":22,"drawing":45,"photo":46,"sections":47,"faqs":84,"related":97,"sources":104},"\u002Fcrating\u002Ftrade-show-exhibits","Crating trade show exhibits","Returnable crates for trade show exhibits: casters, strong lid hardware, foam-lined compartments and a layout built to survive many trips.","Load: exhibits","A trade show exhibit ships in a returnable crate: plywood walls, steel lid hardware, casters and foam-lined compartments cut to the display. It is built for many trips, not one, so the spec puts weight into corners, hinges and the interior layout.",[10,13,16,19],[11,12],"Best crate","Returnable, caster-mounted",[14,15],"Closes with","Hasps, latches and gasketed lid",[17,18],"Inside","Foam compartments for each piece",[20,21],"Built for","Repeated show circuits",{"rows":23},[24,27,30,33,36,39,42],[25,26],"Contents list","Every panel, case, monitor and fixture",[28,29],"Inside dimensions","L x W x H of the largest piece, per crate",[31,32],"Gross weight","Loaded crate, for freight class and casters",[34,35],"Walls","Plywood on a lumber frame, edges banded",[37,38],"Mobility","Locking swivel casters or a dolly base",[40,41],"Interior","Foam, partitions and tie-down straps",[43,44],"Destination","Show city, plus return address","returnable",null,[48,54,65,70,75,80],{"h2":49,"paragraphs":50},"An exhibit crate is a tool, not a one-way box",[51,52,53],"A single-trip crate is nailed shut and thrown away. An exhibit crate is opened, loaded and closed again at every show, by a drayage crew in a hurry. That drives every choice: hardware that survives a hundred latchings, corners that take forklift forks, walls that shrug off a dropped case.","We start the spec from the contents list, not the crate. Tell us what goes in: backdrop panels, counters, product cases, monitors on stands, banner stands, literature boxes. Each crate is then planned around the items that live in it.","Think about the show calendar, too. Crates that leave one city on Monday and must arrive in another by Friday are packed once and handled by strangers, so label the freight with a bill of lading number, a contact name and a drayage reference. Tape a laminated card on the lid listing contents in the order they come out.",{"h2":55,"paragraphs":56,"list":59},"Walls, lid and hardware",[57,58],"The walls are plywood on a framed lumber carcass, with edges banded in metal or hardwood so repeated stacking does not crush the corners. The lid seats on a gasket or lip and closes with butterfly latches or twist hasps, plus a hinge or removable top. Handles are recessed so crates stack and nest flat.","Because the crate will be used more than once, we think about where it is stored between shows. A crate that doubles as a counter, with a lid that lifts away, or one that folds into a pallet-sized stack, saves floor space on the show floor. Say so in the quote request.",[60,61,62,63,64],"Metal-banded edges and corner caps","Latches with a safety catch against the lid popping","Recessed handles and fork pockets","Gasketed lid against dust and rain","A document pocket for the packing list",{"h2":66,"paragraphs":67},"Casters and moving the crate",[68,69],"Show floors are carpeted, concrete or wood, and crates are moved by hand as much as by forklift. Casters turn a heavy crate into something one person can steer. We specify locking swivel casters rated above the loaded crate weight, or a removable dolly so the crate sits flat when it ships.","Casters protrude, so they are recessed or bolted through a plate. On a freight leg we make sure the crate cannot roll: the locks are engaged and a chock or strap keeps it from drifting in the trailer.",{"h2":71,"paragraphs":72},"Foam compartments and what they protect",[73,74],"Inside, each piece has its own place. Closed-cell foam is cut to the profile of a display case or monitor, with partitions between layers, and the heaviest items sit lowest. Graphics panels go in on edge in slotted dividers so they cannot rub. Glass and screens are faced with rigid foam on both sides.","A foam layout is a drawing as much as a build. We record it, and a repeat crate is cut the same way. That is why the spec stays on file: two years on, you can call for another crate and it ships packed in exactly the same order.",{"h2":76,"paragraphs":77},"Marking, tracking and getting it back",[78,79],"Exhibit crates are often shipped to a general contractor's warehouse and then to the show floor, so marks matter. We stencil the exhibitor's name, the show and booth number, crate number out of total, and orientation symbols in ISO 780 form. Sling points and a centre-of-gravity mark go on any crate that is lifted with a crane.","Plan the return trip when you plan the outbound one. A crate that is empty on the way back can be stacked and nested, and a returnable build is meant to be reused; see the [returnable crate](\u002Fcrates\u002Ftypes\u002Freturnable) page for how that differs from a sheathed or skid-base crate.",{"h2":81,"paragraphs":82},"Export shows and wood stamping",[83],"A crate going to a show overseas is wood packaging material and may need an IPPC stamp. Plywood is exempt under ISPM 15, but the lumber frame, skids and cleats are not, so those members are heat-treated and stamped. Check the destination country's rules with its plant-protection authority, and ask us about the return leg, which may cross a different border.",[85,88,91,94],{"q":86,"a":87},"How many shows will a returnable crate last?","It is built for repeated use, but the number depends on handling. We specify hardware and edges for rough drayage, and a damaged crate can be repaired rather than replaced.",{"q":89,"a":90},"Can the crate double as a counter or podium?","Yes. Tell us the height you need and how the lid should lift or detach, and we will draw it into the spec.",{"q":92,"a":93},"Do trade show crates need an IPPC stamp?","If they cross a border, the lumber members may. Plywood is exempt, but skids and frames are not.",{"q":95,"a":96},"What do you need to quote exhibit crates?","A contents list, the inside dimensions of the biggest item in each crate, loaded gross weight, destination country, number of crates and the show date.",[98,99,100,101,102,103],"\u002Fcrates\u002Ftypes\u002Freturnable","\u002Fcrates\u002Ftypes\u002Fknockdown","\u002Fcrating\u002Fserver-racks","\u002Fcrating\u002Fartwork","\u002Fexport\u002Fispm-15-crates","\u002Fguides\u002Fcrate-markings",[105],{"label":106,"url":107},"NELMA: wood packaging and ISPM 15 inspection programs","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nelma.org\u002Finspection-programs\u002Fwood-packaging\u002F",1794178337299]