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Paramount Convention Services, Inc.
5015 Fyler Avenue St. Louis, MO 63139

 

 

Glossary
A
Actual Weight: Gross shipping weight, is determined by (1) weighing the vehicle empty, (2) loading the shipment and returning to the scale to obtain the weight and (3) subtracting the two weights. Can also be obtained by individually weighing each piece of freight.
Advance Booth Shipments: Exhibit materials shipped directly to the General Contractor's warehouse. These shipments can be received up to one month prior to the show.
Advance Rates: Discounted rates applied to orders placed before Discount Deadline (varies by vendor).
Air Freight: Materials transported by an air freight company.
B
Bill of Lading: Written receipt from a carrier for goods accepted for transportation. Serves as a receipt, contract and operating paperwork and is the single most important document in the shipping process.
C
Carrier: A transportation line moving freight. Usually a van line, common carrier, rail line, or air carrier. Also see Common Carrier.
Cartage: The act of trucking materials a short distance, such as transporting air freight between the origin or destination and the airport.
Certified Weight: An official weight issued from a "Certified Weights Master." This individual certifies a shipment's weight as the only acceptable weight for transportation and drayage at a tradeshow. Weights can be determined by weighing the vehicle heavy (full) and light (empty), or by weighing each piece.
Common Carrier: Department of Transportation-certified trucking firm that can be hired by the public for shipment of goods.
Consignee: Receiver of shipped goods.
Consignor: Shipper of goods.
Contractor: An individual or company that provides services or materials to a trade show and/or its exhibitors.
Crate: Container, usually wood, used for protecting exhibits during shipping.
Cwt: Hundredweight (100 lbs.)
D
Decorator: An individual (skilled craftsperson) or company (a contractor) providing services for a tradeshow and/or its exhibitors.
Direct Booth Shipments: Exhibit materials shipped directly to the Convention Center, during exhibitor move-in. All freight must be addressed c/o the General Contractor.
Dismantle: To take apart an exhibit. Also known as Take-down, Teardown.
Display Rules & Regulations: Exhibit construction specifications endorsed by major exhibit industry associations. Also the specific set of rules that apply to an exposition.
Dock: Area where goods are received and shipped.
Drayage: Handling of exhibit properties between the loading dock and the booth area. Also includes handling goods from the advance receiving and the removal and return of empty containers.
Drayage Contractor: Handler who moves exhibit goods from the dock to the exhibit booth or from the drayer's warehouse to the exhibit booth. Responsible for all material handling activities at a show.
E
Empty Crate: Reusable packing container in which exhibit materials were shipped. When properly marked with "EMPTY CRATE" labels complete with booth number and company name, they are removed, stored, and returned.
Empty Crate Labels: Special stickers available at the Service Center. Special crews pick up empties during set-up and return them during tear-down. Labels must have booth number and company name written on them.
Exhibitor Appointed Contractor: A contractor hired by an exhibitor to perform trade show services independently of show management appointed contractors. Also called Independent Contractor, EAC, Non-Official Contractor.
Exhibitor Kit: A package of information which contains all rules, regulations, and forms relating to an exhibition, provided to exhibitors by show management. Also called Service Kit.
Expedited Service: Service offered by a transportation company to assure prompt or specific delivery. Normally incurs an additional charge.
F
Fire Retardant: Term used to describe a finish which coats materials with a fire-resistant (not fire proof) cover.
Forced Freight: Routing of freight not picked up by an exhibitor's carrier or shipments left behind at the booth at the close of the show.
Freight: Exhibit properties and other materials shipped for an exhibit.
Freight Desk: The area where inbound and outbound exhibit materials are handled at a trade show.
Freight Forwarder: Transportation company that arranges and manages all aspects of shipping but does not own vehicles.
G
General Contractor: Show management appointed company providing services to a trade show and/or its exhibitors. Also called Official Contractor. Compare with Exhibitor Appointed Contractor.
H
Hand Carryable: Items that one person can carry unaided (meaning, no hand trucks or dollies.)
Handling: Moving of materials, usually to and from a loading dock.
Hardwall: A type of exhibit construction in which walls are made of a solid material, rather than fabric.
I
I&D: Installation & Dismantle (of an exhibit). Also known as Set Up and Take-down.
In-Line Booth: An exhibit space that is constructed in a continuous line along an aisle. Also called Linear Display.
Installation: The process of setting up exhibit properties according to specifications. Also called Assembly, Set Up.
Installation & Dismantle: The set up and take-down of exhibits. Also called I&D.
Island Booth: An exhibit space with aisles on four sides.
L
Labor: Contracted workers who perform services. Also called Craftspersons.
Labor Desk: Exhibit hall location where exhibitors may place orders for labor.
Lead Retrieval: A manual or automated system used to conduct follow-up activities for sales prospects resulting from a trade show.
Less Than a Truckload (LTL): Shipments picked up by a trucker and consolidated with other LTL shipments to be transported to the destination city, unloaded and delivered.
Liability: Carrier's legal financial responsibility for lost or damaged goods.
Linear Display: An exhibit space that is constructed in a continuous line along an aisle. Also called in-line.
M
Marshalling Yard: Area designed to state or check trucks for show delivery and pick-up.
Material Handling: The service that includes delivery of materials from the loading dock to an exhibit space, removal of empty crates, storage of crates during the show, returning of crates at the end of the show, and delivery of materials to the carrier loading area. (It is a two way charge, incoming and outgoing.) Also called Drayage.
Minny: Shipment weighing 200 lbs. or less, for which the minimum charge is 200 lb. rate.
Mixed Truckload: Truckload of different articles, crated and uncrated, in a single shipment.
Move-In: The date specified by show management for installation/set-up of exhibits.
Move-out: The date specified by show management for dismantling/tear-down of exhibits.
N
Net Weight: Weight of goods without the shipping container.
O
Official Carrier: Carrier designated by a show manager or general contractor to be on-site for the inbound and outbound shipments of a show. Use of these carriers is recommended but not required.
Official Contractor: Organization appointed by show management to provide services such as set-up and tear-down of exhibit booths and to oversee labor, drayage and loading dock procedures.
Onsite: A reference to the exhibit location. Also called At-site.
P
Packing List: Detailed list or inventory of a shipment's contents.
Pallet or Skid: Wood runner protecting the exterior of a shipping case. Also describes a wooden base constructed to carry multiple cartons or equipment.
Peninsula Booth: An exhibit space with aisles on three sides.
Perimeter Booth: An exhibit space on an outside wall.
Pipe & Drape: Metal tubing covered with draped fabric to make up the rails and backwall of a trade show booth (For Inline, Peninsula and Perimeter Wall booths.)
Portable Display: Lightweight exhibit capable of being carried by one person. Usually refers to tabletop or pop-up exhibit.
POV (Privately Owned Vehicle): A privately (personal) owned vehicle, such as a passenger car, van or small company vehicle, as distinguished from trucks, tractor-trailers, and other over the road vehicles.
Preferred Carrier: Carriers that have alliances with exposition service firms and general service contractors. They receive preferential treatment, and some discounts may be obtained by using these carriers.
Pro-Number: Progressive numbering system used primarily by the trucking industry for tracking, billing, and identifying freight.
S
Service Desk: The location at which exhibitors order services from show management.
Service Kit: A packet of show-related information and order forms provided to exhibitors by show management. Also called Exhibitor Kit.
Set-Up: Assembly of exhibit components for display or use.
Shipper: Individual or company whose goods are being shipped.
Show Decorator: A company or individual responsible for providing draping, carpeting, and signage services for the trade show and its exhibitors.
Show Manager: The organizer and operator of an exposition.
Side Rail: A low divider wall, usually pipe and drape, used to divide one exhibit space from another.
Skirting: Decorative covering around tables and counters.
Special Handling: Applies to exhibit shipments requiring extra labor, equipment, or time for delivery to exhibit space.
Split Pick-Up/Delivery: Pick-up or delivery of multiple shipments at more than one place of business.
Storage Area: Space at a show set aside for storage of crates or materials.
Straight Bill: Bill of lading that is non-negotiable.
T
Tare Weight: Empty weight of a vehicle prior to loading a shipment.
Trapping: Method of consolidating shipments. Usually defines function of the LTL trucker grouping freight for shipment to a particular show.
Truckload (T/L): Shipment that uses the entire cubic area of a semi-trailer or straight truck.
V
Van Line: Carrier that specializes in shipping uncrated exhibits, high-tech equipment and delicate materials that require special handling.
W
Waybill: Document that contains the address of the shipper and the recipient as well as other pertinent information. Contains a number used in tracking shipments.
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