Which details should an exhibitor confirmation email include so move-in day runs smoothly?

The booth facts, stated so there is no room for interpretation

The first block of the email should read like a receipt for the space itself: company name exactly as it will appear in signage and listings, booth number, booth dimensions in feet, booth type (inline, corner, peninsula, island), the hall or pavilion name if the venue has more than one, and a link to the live floor plan showing the booth highlighted. Exhibitors forward this email to their booth builder, their shipping company, and their sales team, so every fact needs to be self-contained and correct. Related: How do you prevent two exhibitors from being sold the exact same booth at a busy expo?

Include what is and is not included with the space. Pipe and drape, a table and two chairs, carpet, an identification sign, and a set number of exhibitor badges are common inclusions, but they vary by show, and exhibitors assume whatever they got at the last event. A short list of what comes with the booth, followed by a list of what must be ordered separately, heads off the most frequent show-week surprise, which is an exhibitor arriving to a bare concrete square they thought would be carpeted. Related: What makes an interactive expo floor plan actually useful for both organizers and exhibitors?

Keep reading: How can expo organizers sell trade show booths online without endless back and forth emails?, How do you prevent two exhibitors from being sold the exact same booth at a busy expo?, What makes an interactive expo floor plan actually useful for both organizers and exhibitors?. See how BoothBookr helps you trade show booth booking and floor plans.

Every date and time window, in the venue's time zone

Move-in is where confirmation emails earn their keep. State the move-in days and hours, and if your show uses targeted move-in where exhibitors are assigned specific windows by booth location or freight volume, state that exhibitor's window specifically. Add the show hours for each day, the move-out start time, and the hard deadline by which the booth must be clear. Spell out the time zone, because exhibitors flying in from elsewhere routinely misread a bare morning time with no zone attached. Related: How can expo organizers sell trade show booths online without endless back and forth emails?

Then list the deadlines that come before move-in: the balance due date, the date to submit a certificate of insurance, the advance freight receiving window, the deadline for ordering utilities and furnishings at the advance rate, and the cutoff for booth staff registration. Exhibitors who miss the advance rate for electrical or carpet pay more and blame the organizer, so it is worth repeating those dates in a follow-up a week before each one closes.

Who to contact for what, with real names

A single generic contact line sends every question to the organizer, including the ones the organizer cannot answer. Break it out: the organizer's exhibitor services contact for booth, badge, and contract questions; the general service contractor's exhibitor services desk for freight, furniture, carpet, and labor; the venue or its designated provider for electrical, internet, rigging, and catering; and the audiovisual vendor if there is a separate one. Give a name, an email, and a phone number for each, plus the link to the exhibitor service kit where the order forms live. Related: How should expo organizers collect booth payments so a reserved spot is truly secured, not just promised?

Also explain the shipping choices clearly, because they trip up first-time exhibitors more than anything else. Advance warehouse shipping, direct-to-show-site shipping, and hand-carry rules each have their own addresses, labels, and dates, and the wrong choice can leave a crate sitting at a warehouse while the show opens. If the general service contractor has a printable shipping label, link it directly rather than describing where to find it.

The rules that cause conflicts on the floor

The final block should restate the display rules most likely to cause a problem at setup: maximum back wall height for inline booths, line-of-sight limits on side walls, whether hanging signs are allowed and at what height, sound level expectations, and any rule about sampling food or giving away items. These rules are in the exhibitor agreement, but nobody rereads a contract on the loading dock. A short plain-language summary in the confirmation is what the booth staff will actually see.

Close with what happens next. Tell the exhibitor when the next communication will arrive, what it will contain, and where the exhibitor can log in to check their booth, download their invoice, and update their listing at any time. If your booking system provides an exhibitor portal, this is the moment to introduce it, because an exhibitor who bookmarks the portal on day one sends far fewer emails over the following months.