There’s nothing like walking a trade show floor, popping in and out of booths and considering the latest and greatest products and technology exhibitors have to offer.
What many attendees don’t consider is the amount of work that goes into setting up the exhibits and demonstration areas. Although trade shows typically last for just a few days, their organizers and exhibitors prepare for months and weeks in advance, shipping all their materials to the convention center, where it has to be unloaded and moved to the correct exhibit hall and booth location.
The entire process is made possible by equipment like telehandlers and trade show set-up companies who provide material handling services to exhibitors.
Large machines, like those with 5,000-lbs or more maximum lift capacity, are mainstays for trade show set-up companies. But, smaller machines on the market, like the SkyTrak® 3013 ultra-compact telehandler, fill a need some crews didn’t know they had.
Making Progress at Farm Progress
Take Keith Ryan, for example. The corn and soybean farmer based in Taylorville, Illinois, goes on hiatus from his farming duties for four weeks every summer to operate Ryan Forklifting, a trade show set-up company, at the Farm Progress Show. The annual event typically takes place at the end of August, rotating between Boone, Iowa, and Decatur, Illinois.
“For anybody who can’t or doesn’t want to do their own unloading, they hire me,” Ryan says. “I rent several telehandlers, bring a crew of people and we handle whatever materials people need to move.”
Over the course of four weeks, Ryan and his crew unload many semitrailers that are full of items, ranging from boxes and crates to a 50,000-lb piece of farm machinery.
When his rental company representative encouraged him to try the SkyTrak 3013 telehandler at the Farm Progress Show this year, Ryan was skeptical at first. The machine has a 2,700-lbs lift capacity with a maximum lift height of 13-ft 1-in and a maximum reach of 7-ft 1-in.
“When he told me the lift capacity was 2,700-lbs, I said ‘we’ll try it,’ but I didn’t expect much out of it,” Ryan says. “It turned out to be a handy, useful machine.”
There were a few loads the machine couldn’t handle due to capacity, but Ryan’s crew was able to use the machine for most of its work. The biggest benefit to using the ultra-compact telehandler for the trade show material handling market is maneuverability.
“(The 3013) is very maneuverable — a lot more so than the other telehandlers we use,” Ryan says.
For example, the machine effectively moved loads around in a large, steel-framed outdoor tent that housed 300 exhibitors in mostly 10-ft-by-10-ft booths.
“It would be very difficult to get 5k machines in there,” he says. “(The 3013) was pretty much the only machine I’d send in there. It’s so handy and versatile, it could get right in and out.”
The machine’s small size and maneuverability also allowed Ryan’s crew to unload and load dry van trailers with ease. It boasts an operating weight of 5,280-lbs and a compact stature, measuring 6-ft 7-in tall, 8-ft 9-in long and 4-ft 7-in wide.
“You could physically drive into the trailer with this machine,” Ryan says. “We ended up using it a lot more than we anticipated.”
Not Just on Display in a JLG® Booth
Another trade show equipment operator with experience using the SkyTrak 3013 is Sean Javellana with 3D Exhibits. Last year, he supervised the set-up of JLG booths at three outdoor trade shows. One in State College, Pennsylvania, one in Decatur, Illinois, and another in Grand Island, Nebraska. Here, the SkyTrak 3013 was not only on display — but also used to set up the displays.
“(The 3013) was great for outdoor use because of the big, rugged tires,” Javellana says. “We were able to go over the terrain and into dirt and mud.”
In addition to the terrainability, this SkyTrak telehandler’s ultra-compact stature stood out in this environment. Javellana and his team used the machine to transport pallets, crates and other items within JLG’s outdoor exhibit space, which featured an overhead tent structure, equipment, bales of hay and more.
“It was an advantage because I was able to pull (the 3013) in and out of the exhibit because the machine was so small,” he says. “I could get into tighter spots and maneuver because of compact features and steering capabilities.”
3D Exhibits also used the 3013 to help construct the tent. The telehandler’s boom hoisted and supported the frame while the crew connected cross beams. “It is a multipurpose piece of machinery,” Javellana says. “We used it as a forklift and also as a building tool to set up the tent structure.”
As someone with many years of experience in trade show booth setup, Javellana sees a lot of potential for using the SkyTrak 3013 telehandler to build indoor and outdoor booths in the future.
“It’s great to be able to load things to higher heights and extend out to reach parts of the trade show exhibit you can’t normally reach,” he finishes. “A lot of times there are too many crates in the way. With a forklift, you’d have to clear everything out. With a telehander, you can reach over obstacles and place things from a distance.”
Interested in learning more about the SkyTrak 3013 ultra-compact telehandler? Check out a product walkaround of the machine by clicking here.
The SkyTrak 3013 telehandler was dubbed an “Innovative Product of the Year – Material Handling Equipment Category” in 2021 for its unique attributes. To learn more about how this machine received this honorable recognition, click here.
Do you want to stay up-to-date with industry news and issues similar to this? Make sure you subscribe below to receive monthly updates from #DirectAccess with newly posted content so you never miss important information.