March 27, 2025
The Business Owner’s Guide to Shipping Marketing Materials for Conferences & Events

Attending conferences and trade shows can be a huge boost for your business, offering amazing chances to network, generate leads, and show off your products or services. But alongside the excitement, a big logistical challenge pops up: managing your conference marketing materials. How will you handle getting your promotional items – like brochures, flyers, banners, and business cards – to the event and storing them there?
Will you ship everything ahead of time and risk losing or damaging it, or will you lug it all with you and waste valuable luggage space? Or will you print your materials near the event and deal with tight deadlines and uncertain quality? If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll end up wasting money, losing important shipments, or missing crucial deadlines – which can really hurt your event’s success. Poor planning can have far-reaching consequences, from damaging your brand image to losing big revenue.
The good news is that with careful planning and some expert help from PostNet, you can avoid these problems and save time and money. With PostNet’s printing, shipping, and storage services, you can focus on what really matters: connecting with your audience and growing your business.
Handling your marketing materials is crucial for making a great first impression and building a strong brand. It’s not just about getting stuff from point A to point B – it’s about looking professional when it matters most. A sloppy display can instantly hurt your credibility and make it tougher to win over customers.
Last-minute shipping is a major pitfall, mainly due to the huge fees that come with it. Expedited shipping for large or heavy items can be a huge expense. Plus, there’s always a risk of damaged displays, missing boxes, or delays. Imagine showing up to a big trade show and finding that your booth’s signage is missing or your product displays are trashed; it’s a worst-case scenario that can be avoided with some planning.
On the other hand, having a solid logistics strategy can be a lifesaver. By simplifying your shipping process, you can focus on what really matters – networking, growing your business, and connecting with your target audience. With a clear plan, you can ensure that your conference marketing materials arrive on time, looking great, and ready to make a lasting impression.
Before you start packing boxes, take a step back and think about the logistics. Consider the weight and bulk of your items, as well as anything fragile or oddly shaped that may need special care. What’s your timeframe like – do you have weeks to spare or are you on a tight deadline? If you’re short on time, using local printing services might be the way to go, saving you from waiting on shipments. Keep essentials like business cards and USB drives handy, since you’ll probably need them often. For bigger or heavier items, like displays or crates of merchandise, think about printing them near the event location or shipping them ahead of time. This’ll help you avoid last-minute stress and conserve time and energy for more important things.
Printing your conference marketing materials locally can be one of the smartest business decisions you make. By doing this, you skip the costs of shipping, which can quickly get out of hand. Local printing also means you get fresh, high-quality materials that are ready for you to pick up right away.
This approach gives you the freedom to make last-minute changes or reprints, so you can quickly respond to changes in the market or your business strategy. Say you’re at an event and realize your trade show display needs a tweak to better connect with attendees. With local printing, you can make the necessary changes and get the revised materials printed and ready for pickup in just a few hours. This kind of flexibility is a game-changer in today’s fast-paced business world.
At PostNet, we offer all sorts of printing services – from banners and signs to brochures, business cards, promotional items, and more. Our process is hassle-free, so you can easily coordinate your printing needs online or over the phone, then grab your materials at a nearby location. By printing locally, you save time, cut costs, and can focus on what really matters – growing your business.
When sending stuff to a trade show or event, it’s super important to pack it right so it all arrives safely. For heavy items, use strong boxes that can handle the rough moves during shipping. For really delicate things, you need to take extra care; wrap them in bubble wrap and surround them with packing peanuts so they don’t get damaged. Use reinforced tape to seal the boxes securely, pressing hard to make sure they’re tight.
Custom packing is a must for things like trade show displays, demo products, and fragile signs, where damage can cost a lot of money. That’s where PostNet’s custom packing services come in – they’ll help you protect your investment. Their experts will work with you to create a packing plan that’s tailored to your needs.
It’s also really important to label your boxes clearly so they get to the right place. Put your company name, event name, booth number, and contact info on each box so event staff can easily identify them. Don’t forget to add “Fragile” labels to boxes with delicate items so handlers are aware of the delicate nature of the items inside.
Finally, always insure your shipment and get tracking numbers – it’s like having peace of mind. You can track your packages from shipping to delivery, and focus on getting ready for the event, knowing your stuff is in good hands.
Choosing the right shipping method can save you a lot of time and money. If you’re not in a rush, ground shipping is a budget-friendly option. But if you’re on a tight deadline, express or overnight shipping is the way to go. We’ve partnered with trusted carriers like FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS at PostNet to offer a range of shipping options that fit your needs. Our team is here to help you pick the right carrier based on cost, speed, and reliability.
When shipping materials to a conference center or hotel for an event, it’s a good idea to check with the organizers to confirm the delivery address and timeline. This will help prevent delays or lost packages. By being proactive, you can feel confident that your shipment will arrive on time, giving you peace of mind and letting you focus on other things.
Traveling to another country for an event can be tough. Think about sending crucial conference materials to Tokyo, only to find out some items aren’t allowed in Japan. This can cause big delays and really slow down your event. You’ll also have to deal with complicated customs forms and duties, plus longer shipping times, which can be really stressful – especially when you’re up against a tight deadline.
PostNet can help make things easier. They can guide you through customs regulations and make sure all the necessary paperwork is taken care of. They’ll also track your shipments and provide insurance, so you can relax while your valuable items travel across borders. By working with PostNet, you can focus on making your event a success.
Even with meticulous planning, unexpected issues can pop up and threaten a project’s success. Think about this: you’ve spent weeks preparing for a major product launch, only to realize you’re running low on key conference marketing materials like brochures or business cards. Time is of the essence, and any delays can have serious consequences. That’s where PostNet’s rush printing services come in, offering a solution to keep you on track.
With PostNet, you can quickly address last-minute shortages and ensure you get the essential items you need when you need them. For example, imagine you’re hosting a big conference tomorrow and you just found out you’re out of brochures. A quick call to a nearby PostNet can be the difference between a successful event and a pretty embarrassing situation. Their emergency packing and shipping services mean you can breathe easy knowing your brochures will be printed and ready for pickup the next morning, giving you the peace of mind to focus on the rest of your event.
By working with PostNet, you can stay ahead of the game and avoid last-minute stress. Their rush printing services are designed to help you meet even the tightest deadlines, so you can focus on what really matters – delivering a great experience for your customers or attendees.
Shipping or transporting marketing materials for conferences and events doesn’t have to be stressful. With a strategic approach and expert support from PostNet, you can ensure your materials arrive on time, in perfect condition, and ready to impress. Don’t leave it to chance. Find your nearest PostNet center today and get event-ready with confidence!