Surprise! You've just been tasked with managing your company's trade show program. The good news is that there's a show coming up and you have a golden opportunity to design an impactful new exhibit, lead your company to the show, and prove your value to upper management. But the bad news? You're staring at a show kit and have no idea where to start. Now what?

Take a deep breath. Show kits can be overwhelming, especially your first one. But with a clear process and a steady hand, you can become the organized captain of your ship. You'll reduce stress, avoid missed deadlines, and steer clear of costly mistakes. Whether you're a seasoned exhibitor or a rookie just setting sail, the following tips will help you find your bearings and get your show on the high seas.

No one wants to read a show kit from cover to cover, and because most exhibit managers are slammed with a massive to-do list, asking you to do so would be absurd. That said, it's essential you review as much as possible to avoid potentially costly onsite surprises. When you get a show kit, tackle a few rules and regulations sections right away.

1Booth restrictions. Know what you're allowed to do with your space. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) publishes a standard set of guidelines for each type of booth (e.g., inline, island, etc.), but some shows add additional restrictions. For example, the IAEE puts height restrictions on the front corners of inline booths. Or shows may limit how high you can place a hanging sign.

2Early Discount Deadlines.When you start digging into your show kit, put the show dates on your calendar. Then work backward, outlining the deadlines related to your program as you do. Circle those deadlines in red and no matter what you do, don't miss them. I've talked about this many times before because it's so vitally important. If you successfully meet those early discount deadlines, you could potentially save 20 to 30 percent on your trade show service orders.

3Target Move-In and Move-Out Schedules.Take a look at move-in and move-out schedules as soon as you get your show kit. These schedules will have an enormous impact on every decision you make about the show, from scheduling your shipping and labor crew to finalizing your booth design and choosing your exhibit components.

4Organize and record all of your log-in information. Many trade shows offer a series of platforms where you can access information related to your expo. This information is often located on the general service contractor website, and there will also likely be an exhibitor portal where you'll find badge registration information and links to the local travel booking platform. Usually, larger conventions have a travel bureau that handles room blocks and travel information with negotiated travel rates. This will often lead to your third piece of log-in information. The logins may continue because different shows require order placement for electrical, plumbing, or cleaning services. Collect all of these portals and log-in info in one place for each show so you won't have to dig through countless emails to find what you need. If you have everything bookmarked, you'll save a ton of time.

5Figure out what you need (and don't need). Between show management, the general service contractor, and other third-party providers, you're going to have a plethora of information coming your way. If you're managing overlapping shows, this can get confusing quickly. Some of this information will be useful, but much of it will be redundant because conventions might send reminders for tasks you've already completed.
Additionally, you'll likely receive information from suppliers who are not directly affiliated with the show. These are the people who you should disregard, especially if they're claiming to be part of the show hotel block. There are a ton of scammers, so it's important that when you book rooms, you book directly through the show's website or from the links coming from the official show provider. I have heard several horror stories of people booking rooms only to get to the show city and discover the scam.

You'll also get emails for topics that are completely irrelevant to you. If you have an inline booth, do you really need the email for the rigging orders? Probably not. Either delete them or tuck them away in a folder to reduce the clutter. I like to keep a folder for every client and in that folder I nest folders for each one of the client's shows.

6Choose industry-specific or generic project management software. There are many platforms on the market, some of which are built specifically for the trade show and events industry, that will allow you to create a set of tasks that are relevant to your project. These tasks can range from early discount deadlines to graphics deadlines to shipping information. Within these platforms, you can also set up milestones and bundle tasks up to meet these milestones. For example, if you need all of your graphics coordinated before a certain preview date, the preview date might be your milestone and choosing graphics or hanging sign art might be the tasks leading up to that. This project management software will also offer you a place to house all of your relevant logins and passwords.

7Select a cloud-based system to store files, receipts, show orders, floorplans, and more. While some trade show managers still like to use a printed paper show binder, most use electronic systems. However, sometimes keeping electronic filing systems in order is more difficult than it appears because in our fast-paced industry, we often need to access multiple files quickly and sometimes at the same time. There are several different online platforms to choose from if your company doesn't require you to use something like SharePoint or their own server. One of my clients keeps everything that she uses for her expos in Box.com so we can access content remotely. We have a series of folder levels, ranging from files that her entire team can access to files that only she and I can access. This reduces the risk of having a file tampered with by accident. Other options include Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive, and there are a ton of other ones, but the important thing to keep in mind is making sure that company firewalls allow you to access these platforms. You should also make sure that the files on your desktop sync properly to the cloud-based version. This is important so that everyone is seeing the most current version of all of the files that you've created and allows for team collaboration. And a travel tip: When I'm on a plane, I pause my Google Drive and Box apps until I land so I don't slow down the internet connection or kill my battery, but I have to remind myself to turn it back on when I land.
8Decide how to sort your material. Depending on the number of events you manage throughout the year, consider organizing your events by show, by season, or by the company division that handles that show. There's really no right or wrong answer here, except that it's important to decide so you can create a system.

9Create a year-over-year system for comparison. In the short term, you may only need to look at one show or one calendar year of shows at a time. Over the long term, however, it would likely benefit both you and your organization if you set up a system that allows you to cross reference year-over-year data as it pertains to budgets, booth sizes, and hotel room block sizes. If you needed six hotel rooms in 2025, you might want to book eight for the following year to account for growth, or you might know that you need the same number every year. By taking the future into consideration, you'll be equipped with the information necessary to help your team prepare for the years ahead.

Information comes at a hundred knots, like waves crashing against your ship. It's up to us to keep the ship steady — staying on top of the schedule, maintaining a methodical process, and steering clear of surprises. If you can manage the information overload like a seasoned captain, you'll reduce stress and save your company a ton of money. So, grab your compass, stay on course, and remember: Smooth sailing comes from solid organization. E