Selling at a multi-day expo is mostly about energy management. The product is the product. What separates a good weekend from a draining one is how you handle the hours around the floor — lodging, restocking, food, sleep, and the post-show follow-up. This guide is for small-business vendors at consumer expos and craft fairs at the Gas South Convention Center.
Pre-show: paperwork, payments, and inventory math
Gas South Convention Center offers about 90,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space plus meeting rooms, adjacent to the arena under the same Gas South District campus. Get your booth fee paid, your insurance COI submitted, and your booth services ordered at least three weeks out. Last-minute fees add up fast.
Test your payment processor (Square, Stripe terminal, etc.) at home before the show. Convention floor Wi-Fi is reliable but not perfect; have a cellular backup.
Inventory math: plan for the upper end of your expected daily sales, not the average. Running out at hour 3 of day 2 is the single biggest regret vendors mention.
Stay close enough to restock at lunch
Inventory you sell in the morning can be back on the table by 1 PM if your room is ten minutes away. Otherwise you stare at empty space all afternoon.
Pleasant Hill / Steve Reynolds hotels put you within a 10-minute drive of the convention center. Pick one of those.
If you brought significant inventory, ask the hotel about secure storage — they can often hold a locked tote behind the front desk.
Two booth helpers, not one
One person can't run a booth, eat, and use the bathroom over a ten-hour day. A second helper is worth more than a fancier display.
If you can't afford a paid helper, trade booth-sitting with a vendor friend at the same show. Mutual coverage during meal breaks works.
Brief your helper on pricing, payment, and your top three FAQs. Pre-empt the awkward moments.
Booth setup that survives a 4-day show
A tall banner or display behind your booth — most shows have lit halls, but visual height pulls people in from across the aisle.
Comfortable shoes and a small anti-fatigue mat behind the table. Your legs at 4 PM will thank you.
Charging station, water, snacks, and a stool for between-customer breaks. You will use all of them.
Collect emails, not just sales
Day-of sales pay the booth. The email list pays the next six months.
An incentive (10% off next online order, free shipping on first order, a small bonus item) converts browsers into emails.
Use a simple iPad form, a clipboard, or even paper. Don't overcomplicate.
Food, sleep, and energy
Pre-buy snacks and water for the booth. Convention food is slow and expensive.
Eat a real breakfast at the hotel. Skipping breakfast costs you an hour of energy by 11 AM.
Sleep is the single biggest performance variable. Hotel curtains, a sleep mask, and a 'do not disturb' sign earn their keep.
Day-by-day rhythm
Day 1: arrival, load-in, setup. Eat early; sleep early.
Day 2: opening day energy is real. Be at the booth 30 minutes before doors. Greet every visitor in your aisle.
Day 3–4: pace yourself. Mid-day breaks aren't optional.
Final day: aggressive close-out pricing if you have inventory left. Shipping home costs money too.
Post-show: follow up while it's fresh
Email your list within 48 hours. A thank-you note with a small offer outperforms the generic 'we met at the show' message.
Restock your online store. Hot items from the show will sell online too if available immediately.
Debrief: what sold, what didn't, what changes for next time. Write it down.
Step-by-step
- 1
Pay booth fees and submit COI 3+ weeks out
Lock in pre-show pricing on services.
- 2
Test payment processor and cellular backup at home
Don't troubleshoot on the floor.
- 3
Book a hotel within 10 minutes of the convention center
Enables midday restocking.
- 4
Arrange a second helper for the booth
Trade with a vendor friend if needed.
- 5
Set up email capture with an incentive
10% off or free shipping.
- 6
Pre-buy snacks and water for the booth
Avoid the convention food trap.
- 7
Email your list within 48 hours of show end
Hot follow-up outperforms cold by 3–5x.
Quick checklist
- ✓Booth fees, insurance, and services confirmed
- ✓Payment processor tested with cellular backup
- ✓Hotel within 10 minutes of convention center
- ✓Second booth helper confirmed
- ✓Inventory plan oversized for top-end days
- ✓Email capture system + incentive ready
- ✓Snacks and water pre-bought for booth
- ✓Follow-up email template drafted before show
Local details worth knowing
- Gas South Convention Center offers about 90,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space plus meeting rooms, adjacent to the arena under the same Gas South District campus.
- From I-85, Exit 108 (Sugarloaf Parkway) is the cleanest approach to the Gas South District; Exit 104 (Pleasant Hill Road) is faster for the hotel/restaurant corridor.
- Pleasant Hill Road and Satellite Boulevard back up sharply between 4:30 and 6:30 PM on weekdays and starting about 90 minutes before any major Gas South event.
Planning a stay around this?
Send a group inquiry or reach our team at (770) 476-4666.
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