The Return Shipment Nobody Plans (and How to Plan It)

Every association planner plans the outbound shipment. Far fewer plan the trip home. By the time the last session ends, the team is tired, the room is being turned over, and the return becomes whatever happens in the final hour.

It's not unusual for a driver to arrive at a hotel expecting dozens of boxes and find none, because the property cleared the room the night before. Nobody did anything wrong on purpose. The return just wasn't anyone's job.

What goes wrong on the way home

• The room is cleared early. Hotels turn rooms over fast. Boxes left without instructions get moved, stored somewhere unexpected or thrown out.
• Nobody knows where freight waits. The loading dock, the hotel's receiving office and the show contractor all handle outbound freight differently.
• Labels are missing or wrong. The outbound labels are still on the boxes, and the carrier takes them back to the venue.
• Packing is rushed. Materials go home in reused cartons with fragile pieces on the bottom, and arrive damaged.
• The pickup was never booked. The freight sits at the venue while storage charges add up. At a convention center, freight left after the cutoff can become forced or rerouted freight.

Plan the return with the outbound

The simplest fix is timing. Plan the return at the same time you plan the outbound shipment, not on the last day of the event.

1. Talk to the convention services manager before you arrive. Ask where outbound freight should be staged, how late you can leave it and what happens to boxes left in meeting rooms.
2. Assign one person to the return. Name who packs, labels and hands off the freight after the final session.
3. Bring return labels with you. Prepare them in advance, and cover or remove the outbound labels.
4. Pack it the way it came. Use proper cases rather than reused boxes, put lighter cartons on top and keep fragile pieces in their crates.
5. Book the pickup in advance. Confirm the pickup date and location before the event starts.
6. Leave a count. Write down how many pieces are going home, and share it with the venue and your carrier.

For more on packing for both directions, see How to Pack for Trade Show Shipping: A 4-Step Plan.

Why this matters for associations

Much of what an association ships to its annual meeting comes back to be used again: banners, display stands, signage and leftover materials for the next training event. A lost or damaged return means replacing it before the next event, often on a short timeline.

How NorthStar handles the return

At NorthStar Express, the return is planned with the outbound. Your Shipping Coach arranges it ahead of time, builds it into the same schedule and works out the details with you and the venue's convention services manager before it becomes an issue. Everything is palletized and plastic-wrapped on our end, so it's planned to come home in one piece, on schedule. If your next event is coming up soon, we can send your materials straight there or store them until you need them.

You can read more about how we handle association shipping, from the annual meeting to every smaller event in between.

Planning your next annual meeting? Request a quote, or reach a Shipping Coach at 703-532-0520 or shippingcoach@northstarexpress.com.

About the author
Rex Houlihan is the CEO of NorthStar Express, a trade show and event shipping company in Falls Church, Virginia that has been shipping to events for 35 years. Rex also created Coast2Coast4ALS, a cross-country bike ride raising awareness and funds for the ALS community. Connect with Rex on LinkedIn.