Telford International Centre is an exhibition and conference venue in Telford, Shropshire, in the West Midlands. Delivering exhibits there needs a slot in the build-up window, the vehicle registration notified in advance and a complete post-Brexit document set, plus an ATA carnet for exhibits returning intact.
Where the venue sits and why that matters
Telford lies in the English Midlands, west of Birmingham, on the M54 which connects to the M6 corridor. For a run from Poland that means a Channel crossing, a drive to the north-west and a turn off for Telford. The location is convenient, because the venue stands outside a dense urban network and access does not involve driving into a major city centre. The wider region is covered in transport to Birmingham and the Midlands.
Build-up slots: what to agree with the organiser
- The entry date and time and the gate the vehicle should use.
- Stand number and the unloading point inside the hall.
- Vehicle registration and driver details, notified in advance.
- Whether handling equipment is available on site or must be arranged separately.
- Where empty packaging will be stored for the duration of the show.
The customs file
Bringing goods into the United Kingdom requires an import declaration, a safety and security declaration and a GMR for the crossing, whether the load is a stand or an ordinary pallet. The full sequence is in UK customs clearance after Brexit. For exhibits, a choice arises between an ATA carnet and normal clearance; which is cheaper in which case is explained in the ATA carnet.
Stand build and exhibits are two different loads
Stand structure, platforms and carpet are volume cargo, carried on a curtainsider or mega trailer and stacked in build order. Exhibits, particularly machines and technical equipment, need crates, point securing and often different handling gear at unloading. Splitting those two streams at the planning stage keeps the build crew from waiting on the first component. The practice is described in transport of exhibition stands.
A UK buffer instead of stress
Build-up slots are often narrow, and a vehicle from Poland cannot always be synchronised to the hour with a venue timetable. So on larger projects the goods arrive early at our Milton Keynes warehouse and enter the site exactly on their slot. The same warehouse takes in empty packaging for the run of the show and releases it for dismantling.
The return after the show
Collection from the stand starts once the halls close to visitors, inside the breakdown window. With an ATA carnet the essential point is that exactly what arrived leaves again: shortfalls mean charges have to be settled. The whole process is described in post-show logistics and the return of exhibits.
What to prepare before enquiring
- The event name, stand number and the build-up and breakdown schedule.
- Dimensions and weights of the largest items, not just a pallet count.
- Whether exhibits return intact, because that decides the carnet question.
- Details of the person receiving and handing over the load on site.
Access, booking-in and the handover point at this venue are covered separately: Telford International Centre: two gates, two postcodes.
Sources
Exhibiting in Telford? Send the schedule and cargo list through the quote form and we will plan delivery to the slot and the return afterwards. The whole show cycle is on the exhibition logistics page.
