Shipping to a convention center is where otherwise well-run merchandise programs come apart, usually because it is treated as a normal delivery. It is not.
Read the exhibitor kit first
Every show publishes one. It contains the advance warehouse address, the receiving deadlines, the direct-to-show window, the labelling requirements and the material handling terms. All of it varies by show and venue.
Getting this document before placing the merchandise order is the single highest-value thing an event owner can do.
Label for a warehouse, not a person
Show name, exhibiting company, booth number and carton count on every carton. Freight arriving at a large show without booth details is functionally lost — not missing, just unfindable in time to matter.
Expect drayage
Material handling from the dock to your booth is a separate charge, usually billed by weight, and it applies whichever route you use. It surprises people because it does not appear in any merchandise quote.
Palletise properly
Shrink-wrapped, within height limits, weight distributed, labels on multiple faces. A pallet that has to be broken down on the dock costs time and increases the chance of a missing carton.
Send the paperwork with the shipment and keep a copy
Bill of lading, delivery appointment where required, carton count and booth reference. Whoever is on site should have it on their phone, not in an inbox back at the office.
Plan the return before you go
Outbound is planned; return is improvised, which is why so much material never comes back. If anything is going into stock for the next show, arrange it in advance and pack it to travel.
Event programs covers venue delivery, and advance warehouse against direct-to-show covers the routing choice.