Material Handling Information

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.  

GES is the official material handling contractor for IAAPA Expo 2025. 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.

Shipments arriving at the Orange County Convention Center prior to Thursday, Nov. 13 will not be accepted. 

Targeted Move-In will be held on Thursday, Nov. 13 and Friday, Nov. 14. Only those exhibitors who have been approved by GES will be moving in on those dates. 

Vehicles checking into the Marshaling Yard before 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 without confirmed target dates will be prioritized only after those with confirmed target times.

General Exhibitor Move-In begins Saturday, Nov. 15. Please plan for your freight being shipped directly to the show to arrive no earlier than 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 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 submit the Target Variance Request Form to GES by Oct. 23. Your request will be reviewed to determine if GES can accommodate based on the entirety of move-in. You must receive confirmation from GES prior to moving in early.

All move-in times prior to Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 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. 

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

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 $.79 per pound. Shipments sent to the Advance Warehouse after the deadline will be charged $.93 per pound. Shipments of less than 25 pounds sent direct to show site are a flat rate of $33.00 each. 

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

All shipments totaling 8,000 lbs. per shipment will receive a material handling volume discount rate of $.54 per pound.

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.

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