Crating

It's one of the forgotten things of exhibits--crating and exhibit packaging.

This topic comes up as I work with a client who is making an addition to her exhibit. However, when the add is done, the panels the graphic is being put on to may not fit into the original crate. To top it all off, the crate the panels came out of is not holding up all that well and needs repair.

Rule #1: investment in a good crate will prolong and protect your exhibit investment.

Let's say you pay $1,000 for a good quality exhibit crate, gusseted 3/4-inch plywood, custom fitted to the pieces going inside. You could pay that extra amount for the crates or save the amount and pad-wrap and skid ship your exhibit. What you save in the crate cost, you may pay in drayage (pad-wrapped skids may be charged for differently that crated freight in your material handling bills) and in on-going damage to the exhibit.

From personal experience, I've seen a custom exhibit last only three years when it was shipped as a pad-wrapped shipment; a second exhibit I used lasted 5 years (or longer) because it was crated.

Lesson Learned: proper crating, while expensive initially, could prolong the life of your exhibit.

TTSG