Move-in / move-out
Move-in / move-out is move-in and move-out are the scheduled windows when exhibitors build and dismantle their booths, before and after show days. Access is usually staggered by booth size and location, with larger island stands loading in first. Organizers publish the schedule in the exhibitor manual, and venues enforce it through dock assignments and labor rules.
Move-in and move-out are where an exhibitor's real experience of your show begins and ends, and they're often the worst part of it. Long dock queues, unclear freight rules, and surprise labor charges do more damage to rebooking than anything that happens during show hours. Organizers typically use a targeted move-in plan: each exhibitor gets an assigned date and time based on booth size, freight volume, and floor position, so island builds don't block the aisles that inline booths need later. Move-out runs the same logic in reverse and is more chaotic, because everyone wants to leave at once and empty crates have to come back from storage before anyone can pack. The common mistake is treating these windows as pure operations and keeping the sales team out of them. Your biggest accounts judge you on how smoothly their crew got in, and a sales manager walking the docks on move-in day hears more honest feedback than any survey. One honest nuance: early breakdown during show hours is a chronic problem, and the fix is enforcement plus incentives, not another line in the manual. Some organizers tie priority move-in slots for next year to full-show presence this year.
Direct answer
Move-in and move-out are the scheduled windows when exhibitors build and dismantle their booths, before and after show days. Access is usually staggered by booth size and location, with larger island stands loading in first. Organizers publish the schedule in the exhibitor manual, and venues enforce it through dock assignments and labor rules.
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