Exhibition logistics run to the venue’s timetable, not your courier’s. Start from the time your stand must be finished, then work backwards through delivery slots, unloading, build and services, and plan the return journey before the show opens.
Start with the organiser’s access instructions
Find the build-up and breakdown schedule in the exhibitor manual. Confirm the hall, vehicle entrance and stand number, how vehicles book in, where drivers wait and what passes contractors need. Public opening times are not your delivery window.
Choose one logistics owner. That person holds the booking references, driver contacts, packing list and on-site contact, and knows who can resolve an access problem.
Book the vehicle slot
The major UK venues now require delivery vehicles to be booked in advance, and their rules differ:
- NEC Birmingham: deliveries to the rear of the halls during build are booked through Voyage Control. Parking behind the halls is for offloading only; afterwards the vehicle moves to a visitor car park. Busy events may use a deposit system with overstay charges. Breakdown access does not need pre-booking.
- Excel London: every vehicle that needs the loading bays must be pre-booked on the venue’s vehicle booking system.
- Olympia London: every vehicle servicing an event must pre-book through Voyage Control. Slots normally open 30 days before the event, the venue allows one booking per vehicle per day with no consecutive slots, the vehicle must match the booking, and the maximum height is 4.4 metres. Goods access is via Blythe Road.
Your organiser’s manual may add event-specific rules, so read both.
Check what delivery includes
A courier arriving at the venue may not include unloading, carrying to your stand or unpacking. Ask where the carrier’s responsibility ends. If you need a forklift, specialist handling, an advance warehouse or empty-case storage, agree it before dispatch. For large or heavy items, give the handling contractor accurate packed dimensions and weights.
Create one delivery sheet
- Event name, hall, stand number and exhibitor name.
- Vehicle booking reference, entrance and arrival window.
- Collection address, carrier, driver contact and on-site receiver.
- Numbered packages with dimensions, weights and handling needs.
- What goes to the stand and what needs a separate contractor.
- Empty-case storage location and return instructions.
- Breakdown window, collection reference and final destination.
Label each package so it can be identified if it is separated from the shipment, and keep a copy of the packing list outside the sealed cases.
Sequence the build
Agree what must happen first: flooring and structure, services, graphics, furniture, equipment and final dressing. At the NEC, piped services are switched on before or during the last build day, so schedule equipment tests accordingly. Avoid booking every contractor for the same narrow window when they depend on one another.
Build-up is a working site, not a visitor session. The NEC requires high-visibility clothing in offloading areas, and its free shuttle buses usually run only on open days, so plan how your team moves between car park and hall. Follow the organiser’s site rules and contractors’ risk assessments, and use competent people for electrical work, lifting and other specialist tasks.
Inspect before accepting handover
Check the stand against the agreed plan and record defects with the contractor while they can still fix them. Test the real demonstration, including network, sound and charging. Know where isolators, storage keys and support contacts are. Keep aisles clear and remove packaging through the approved process.
Plan the return before opening day
Confirm when dismantling may begin and when vehicles can collect. Assign responsibility for packing, counting and signing off the shipment, protect reusable components and graphics, and record missing or damaged items before storage.
For goods crossing borders, ask a freight specialist about customs documents and temporary-import arrangements for the actual shipment. Find logistics and installation services in the supplier directory.
Sources
- NEC exhibitor parking and delivery booking
- NEC exhibitor FAQs
- Excel London venue services and vehicle booking
- Olympia London loading and unloading
- HSE event safety
Sources checked 19 October 2026. The event-specific manual and competent contractor advice take precedence over this general checklist. This is editorial planning guidance based on published sources, not an account of exhibiting at a particular show.
