Abstract:
In a method for collecting and transporting handouts at a tradeshow, a handouts valet and shipping system provider location is established. A plurality of handouts valet carts and customer ship-back cartons are provided at the location. When visiting the provider location, a tradeshow attendee obtains one of the handouts valet carts together with the ship-back carton from the provider, and provides a mailing address to the provider for the ship-back of the carton. The carton is placed on the cart. The tradeshow attendee thus becomes a customer of the provider for the cart with the ship-back carton thereon. When the customer is ready to leave the tradeshow, the customer drops off the carton at the system provider location, and the system provider mails the carton with the handouts to the customer&#39;s mailing address.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     At tradeshows, exhibitors at exhibitor booths typically provide handouts such as literature, information, samples, etc. when customers visit the exhibitor booths. It was previously known to provide flexible plastic bags to tradeshow attendees for collecting the handouts from the exhibitors.  
         [0002]     As the tradeshow attendee collects more and more handouts, the bag becomes heavier and more cumbersome. Tradeshow attendees may thus become more selective either at the beginning or during their meanderings about the tradeshow exhibit area to limit the inconvenience of having a bag which becomes awkward to carry, both during the tradeshow and during the journey home, which may likely include air travel.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     It is an object to provide a system which improves upon collection of handouts at a tradeshow and transporting those handouts to a desired location such as an office or home.  
         [0004]     In a method for collecting and transporting handouts at a tradeshow, a handouts valet and shipping system provider location is established. A plurality of handouts valet carts and customer ship-back cartons are provided at the location. When visiting the provider location, a tradeshow attendee obtains one of the handouts valet carts together with the ship-back carton from the provider, and provides a mailing address to the provider for the ship-back of the carton. The carton is placed on the cart. The tradeshow attendee thus becomes a customer of the provider for the cart with the ship-back carton thereon. When the customer is ready to leave the tradeshow, the customer drops off the carton at the system provider location, and the system provider mails the carton with the handouts to the customer&#39;s mailing address. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tradeshow and illustrating the tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system of the preferred embodiment;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a rental and shipping flow chart for the tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a purchase and shipping flow chart for the tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system; and  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a purchase flow chart for the tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0009]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and/or method, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur now or in the future to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0010]     At the outset, it is noted that the term “tradeshow” includes shows, conferences, meetings, etc. where exhibitors or the like provide handouts. The handouts may include, for example, literature, samples, various types of information media, etc. Also, the word “booth” refers generally to a particular area, and may comprise a table, a shelf, etc. of an exhibitor, tradeshow registrar, or system provider.  
         [0011]     The tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system method is shown in one preferred embodiment at a tradeshow generally illustrated at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The tradeshow  10  typically encompasses a tradeshow registration area  11  and a tradeshow exhibition area  12 . Tradeshow attendees  9  entering the tradeshow typically register at a tradeshow registration booth  17 . They then enter the tradeshow exhibition area  12  through the tradeshow entrance and exit  14  typically created by an opening in a divider curtain, wall, or other type of separation  13 . Once in the exhibition area  12 , the tradeshow attendees  9  visit a plurality of exhibitor booths  15 , one or more of which have handouts  16 . The handouts may comprise a wide variety of articles such as literature, discs, samples, etc.  
         [0012]     In the tradeshow registration area  11 , a tradeshow valet system provider booth  18  is provided, preferably near the tradeshow registration booth  17 . The tradeshow valet system provider booth  18  has one or more system provider representatives  28  manning the booth. It should be understood, of course, that the system provider booth may be a part of the registration booth or may not be a booth at all, but merely a location, preferably in the tradeshow registration area  11 . It is also possible, of course that the system provider booth or location may also be located within the tradeshow exhibition area  12  or other location within proximity to the tradeshow.  
         [0013]     When a tradeshow attendee  9  registers at the registration booth  17 , he or she may notice the tradeshow valet system provider booth  18  located near the registration booth  17 .  
         [0014]     The tradeshow valet system provider booth has an inventory of valet carts such as shown at  19  in an opened configuration. These valet carts may be collapsed such as by folding at hinged sides as shown at  26  illustrating a plurality of collapsed carts  19 ′. Additionally, ship-back cartons  30  which are preferably foldable cardboard, are provided as an inventory  29  shown collapsed at  30 ′. The carton also preferably has closing flaps  30 A,  30 B. If one or more of the tradeshow attendees  9  becomes a customer  20  for a handouts valet cart, he or she is given at least one of the open valet carts  19  along with an opened ship-back carton  30  which is inserted into the open valet cart  19  with the flaps  30 A, B folded open and outside the sidewalls of the carton  30 .  
         [0015]     The valet cart  19  may, for example, be a folding cart obtained for example, from the Jiangsu Holly Corporation in China or other cart provider. Such a cart has an open box-like container  21 A with an attached handle  21 B. The handle may be telescopically collapsible. The container  21 A itself is collapsible by folding along hinge lines  22 , for example. The cart  19  also has wheels  21 C.  
         [0016]     Advertising placards or indicia, such as shown at  24  or  25 , may be attached to the sides or front of the container  21 A.  
         [0017]     The customer  20  rents or buys the valet cart  19  from the representative  28  at the tradeshow handouts valet and shipping system provider booth  18 . The customer  20  then enters the tradeshow through the entrance  14  and places handouts  16  from one or more of the exhibitor booths  15  into the container  21  A of the opened cart  19 .  
         [0018]     When the customer is finished touring the exhibition area  12  of the tradeshow, he or she then exits at the exit  14  and may return to the valet cart system provider booth  18  to return the cart if he or she had rented or purchased it there.  
         [0019]     After closing and sealing the closing flaps  30 A, B, the carton  23  containing the handouts is handed to the representative  28 . The box is at some point brought to a tradeshow handouts outgoing shipping bin  31 . From there the cartons are shipped to the customer.  
         [0020]     If the customer purchased the cart  19 , he or she may then simply give the representative  28  the carton with the handouts for mailing to the customer at the customer&#39;s office or home, for example. The customer would then leave with the cart.  
         [0021]     It is also envisioned that a customer, who rented rather than purchased the cart, may still leave with the cart without returning it to the provider booth  18 .  
         [0022]     Further details and alternatives of the system are set forth in the various flow chart steps of  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4 . Because those flow charts are detailed explanations in themselves, the text present in  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4  will not be repeated here. However, the following additional descriptions are provided.  
       Renting the Cart  
       [0023]     When utilizing the rental option, the customer may rent the cart, for example as a one-day cart usage where the rental fee also includes the ship-back mailing carton and shipping to the customer. With this option, the following method steps occur with the following options and variations: 
        1. The customer rents the valet cart from the system provider such as at the designated booth.     2. The valet system provider representative provides one ship-back cardboard carton with a printed label including customer&#39;s ship-back address.     3. The customer uses the cart to collect handouts such as literature, information, cds, etc. while visiting booths or stands.     4. The customer inserts the literature in the ship-back carton located in the valet cart (additional cartons can be purchased.)     5. When leaving the customer returns to the rental booth.     6. The customer then returns the cart and presents the ship-back carton to the valet system provider representative and departs from the show, conference or meeting.     7. The valet system representative places postage onto the ship-back carton (e.g.—flat rate postal box) and puts it into an outgoing shipping bin.     8. The carton is then picked up by the postal service and shipped to the customer&#39;s designated address.        
 
         [0032]     If the customer returns to the tradeshow, meeting or conference for a second day, the customer can present the receipt from the earlier day and receive a free rental of the valet cart for a second day. The customer may then purchase an additional ship-back carton for any new materials collected.  
         [0033]     Space on the valet cart may be used as a source of advertising revenue to be sold by the system provider or the governing tradeshow association.  
       Purchasing the Cart  
       [0034]     With this option, the following steps may be provided: 
        1. The customer purchases the valet cart from the system provider such as at the designated booth.     2. The valet system representative provides one ship-back cardboard carton with a printed label which reflects the customer&#39;s ship-back address.     3. The customer uses the cart to collect handouts such as literature, information, cds, etc. while visiting booths or stands.     4. The customer inserts the handouts in the cardboard carton located in the valet cart (additional cartons can be purchased.)     5. The customer returns to the point of purchase system provider booth.     6. The customer then hands the ship-back carton to the valet system representative and departs from the show, conference or meeting with their new valet cart.     7. The valet system representative places postage onto the ship-back carton (e.g.—flat rate *postal service box) and puts it into outgoing shipping bin.     8. The carton is then picked up by the postal service and shipped to the customer&#39;s designated address.        
 
         [0043]     The system provider or the governing tradeshow association may sell advertising space on the sides of the valet cart as a source of revenue. Promotion to encourage the use of the valet system may be considered part of the governing tradeshow&#39;s obligations.  
         [0044]     If the customer returns to the tradeshow, meeting or conference for a second day, he or she may present his or her receipt at the original point of purchase from the earlier day and then buy additional cardboard cartons for new materials collected which will be shipped to his or her address as above. At any tradeshow the customer attends with the valet cart, and provided the valet system is in place, the customer will be given the opportunity to use the valet shipping service. Whether one time or many times, the customer only shows the valet cart and the provider will sell them one of the ship-back cartons.  
       Purchasing the Cart without the Shipping Service  
       [0045]     It is also envisioned that a customer may purchase a quantity of carts without purchasing the shipping service. In this event, the following steps would apply where that customer may be an individual, or any company, organization, association or group exhibiting at a tradeshow, conference or meeting: 
        1. The customer purchases a quantity of the tradeshow handout valet carts with or without ship-back boxes from the system provider or designated agent. The price of these carts depends on the quantity purchased. Carts with or without boxes are delivered to the customer&#39;s tradeshow booth prior to the opening of the tradeshow.     2. Color graphics are affixed to the cart panel or panels promoting the customer, his booth number and/or product. The cost of the graphics is not included in the cost of the carts.     3. When an attendee visits the customer&#39;s booth or stand he may give away one or more carts or offer the cart or carts as an incentive for visiting his booth or stand.     4. The attendee uses the handouts valet cart to collect materials and information and takes the cart with him when he leaves the event.        
 
         [0050]     The system provider or the governing tradeshow association may sell the cart and advertising space on the sides of the valet cart as a source of revenue. Promotion to encourage the use of the valet cart system may be considered part of the governing tradeshow&#39;s obligations.  
         [0051]     While a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention both now or in the future are desired to be protected.