Packing display items for exhibitions and events, and getting them home again

Packing for an exhibition is the easy half. You have days to do it, in your own building, with all your materials around you.

The hard half is teardown. It is the last evening of the show, everyone is tired, the hall staff want the aisles clear, and your display samples have to go back into cases in about an hour. In my view, this is where display stock is most at risk, far more than on the way out.

So plan the return trip before you leave. Wrap each display item in honeycomb paper, photograph every packed case and put a packing list inside it, and send a small teardown kit with the stand: a short roll or a stack of sheets, paper tape, a marker and labels. Reuse the wrap if it is dry and untorn. For shows abroad, look into an ATA Carnet for the samples.

We make honeycomb paper in Jaipur. The paper does not know whether it is wrapping a parcel or a show sample. What changes at an exhibition is the handling around it, and that is what this article is about.

What makes exhibition packing different?

Three things.

1. The goods travel twice, out and back, and sometimes on to a second show.
2. The packing is often done by different people at each end. Your team packs at the office, and whoever is on the stand repacks at the venue.
3. The return packing happens under time pressure, in a crowded hall, often with less material than you started with.

Normal shipping packaging is designed for one trip. Exhibition packing has to work several times, and be repeatable by a tired person.

I think that second point is the one people forget.

How should you pack each display item?

Pack it as if a stranger has to repack it later. Because often one will.

1. Clean the item and remove anything loose: caps, stands, bulbs, removable parts. Pack those separately in a labelled bag.
2. Wrap the item in honeycomb paper, stretched so the cells open, with enough turns for its weight. For glass or ceramics, start your testing at two or three turns.
3. Give each item its own place in the case. Dividers, foam inserts or just careful layering with paper.
4. Fill the gaps so nothing moves.
5. Photograph the open case, then close it.

For glossy, lacquered or soft-touch finishes, put a tissue layer between the item and the honeycomb, so the cut edges of the paper do not mark the surface. Our note on tissue interleaf with honeycomb paper explains when it is worth it.

Why does a photo and packing list matter so much?

Because at teardown, nobody remembers how it went in.

Tape a printed list inside the lid of each case: what is inside, in what order, and how each item is wrapped. Add the photo you took when you packed it. The person on the stand then rebuilds the case from the picture, rather than guessing.

I would say this one habit is worth more than any packing material, and I sell packing material. It costs about ten minutes per case.

Can you reuse honeycomb paper between shows?

Yes, within limits.

Honeycomb paper that has been wrapped and unwrapped carefully can be used again. It does lose some spring each time, and any piece that is torn, crushed flat or damp should be replaced. Damp paper especially loses its cushion, which is why we make and store our rolls in a moisture-controlled plant and wrap each one as it comes off the line.

At the end of a show, I would unwrap items gently, fold the paper into the case with them, and check it before the next show. Then add fresh paper wherever the old pieces look tired.

Reuse is good. Reusing tired paper on your most valuable sample is false economy.

What goes in a teardown kit?

Pack this in a small labelled box that travels with the stand and is not opened until the last day.

We make pre-cut sheets of 390 x 500 mm, and they suit a teardown kit well. Each one is about half a metre of wrap, and anyone on the stand can use them with no dispenser. Our short rolls come in 10 m and 100 m lengths, measured flat, and with our cut they open to roughly 1.6 times that length. Our guide to honeycomb paper dispensers covers the hand-held options if you prefer a roll.

Worked example: one stand, two shows

Picture a home-decor brand that takes a stand at two trade shows in one season, one at home and one abroad. They show 40 sample pieces: vases, lamps, mirrors and tableware. The figures are invented for the example.

1. They pack the samples into six reusable cases, each with a photo and a list inside the lid.
2. Mirrors go in their own case with corner protection, wrapped in honeycomb paper, standing on edge.
3. The teardown kit travels in a seventh, smaller box.
4. After the first show, they unwrap everything at the office, check each piece of paper, and replace about a third of it.
5. For the show abroad, their forwarder handles the ATA Carnet, and the list of samples on the carnet matches the lists in the cases.

Both trips end with every piece back on the shelf, which is the only result that matters.

What about exhibitions abroad?

The packing does not change much. The paperwork does.

For samples and display goods that will come back, an ATA Carnet can save a lot of trouble. The International Chamber of Commerce describes it as an international customs document allowing duty-free and tax-free temporary import of goods for up to one year, and says it is used in around 80 countries and customs territories. Your local chamber of commerce usually issues it.

Two packing points matter for a carnet. The goods listed must match what is in the cases, so keep your packing lists exact. And customs may open cases at the border, so pack in a way an officer can open and a tired person can close again.

If the stand travels by sea, moisture in the container becomes a risk. Our article on honeycomb paper for exporters covers container condensation.

Where honeycomb paper is not enough

I will be honest. Honeycomb paper protects items inside a case. It does not replace the case. Big glass panels, screens and heavy display furniture need proper crates, frames or purpose-made cases. Use the paper inside those, around the smaller pieces.

If you are preparing for a show and want something your stand team can wrap with easily, send us your list of display items through our contact page. We will suggest a roll or sheet option and send samples, so you can try a full pack-and-repack at the office before the real thing. We would much rather you find the gaps on a quiet Tuesday than on the last night of the show.