Planning a major fashion event is a big job involving complicated logistics and nuanced obstacles. Here are 5 specific ways a luxury shipping specialist can help.
What Is a Fashion Event and Who Plans Them?
Fashion events are when designers and brands display their latest collections to buyers and the media. They hire models to wear luxury garments, jewelry, footwear, and accessories so the audience can see, appreciate and buy their work. These events typically happen at large venues so that plenty of people can come and enjoy the show – for example, think of the Cannes Film Festival, the Coach Shanghai Fashion show, and the Grammy Awards.
Planning a fashion event is no simple task. Brands typically leave this responsibility up their operations and marketing teams, which means that these workers need to manage all aspects of the major event, including shipping all luxury fashion items safely and securely from point A to B.
What Is a Luxury Shipping Specialist?
A luxury shipping specialist is a type of shipping provider that specializes in transporting mission-critical shipments cross-border on tight timelines. This means they have teams of logisticians with experience moving precious cargo for fashion brands – like finished garments, raw fabrics, accessories, jewelry, and other priceless items – between countries and across international borders. It also means they’re a little more seasoned than most carriers when it comes to dealing with luxury shipping challenges.
So, now that you have the background, let’s explore how a luxury shipping specialist can provide value to your planning operations.
5 Reasons to Work with a Luxury Shipping Specialist
Reason #1 – To avoid damaged items
Regular courier companies and large freight forwarders simply don’t have the means to customize shipment packaging – meaning that items can easily be damaged during both domestic and international travel. This creates major problems, as many of the luxury fashion items needed for high-end events are one-of-a-kind, and there won’t be extra time to find replacements.
A luxury shipping specialist that works with fashion brands will have the experience and tools to create customized, protective, and sealed packaging for any item.
This means if a delicate dress needs to remain on a hanger throughout transportation and cannot rub against a bag, they can create a custom crate. Or if severe weather poses a threat, they can create sealed packaging to protect the item.
Reason #2 – To prevent loss & theft
Lost and stolen items are two of the biggest risks in planning a fashion event. With so many moving parts, it’s difficult to know the exact whereabouts of everything you’re shipping – and that’s when disaster often strikes. An experienced luxury shipping specialist can help you avoid potential issues before they happen. Here’s how.
Consider airport communication, for example. Both domestic and international transportation have unique logistics needs. A luxury shipping specialist knows exactly how to navigate each and where to anticipate problems. They also know how the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) works (they x-ray all bags and will open anything if the contents aren’t clear). This also means they know exactly which steps to take to ensure your items aren’t tampered with. To help matters, most luxury shippers have their own in-house x-ray machines to see how items will look when they go through security. Some also have a GPS system in place to track the item throughout its entire journey.
Experience and detailed planning are what ultimately ensures that no item is lost along the way, and you can’t get this with a traditional service provider.
Reason #3: To manage documentation issues
Luxury shipping specialists pre-plan an item’s entire journey before it begins and will use a variety of tracking information and complex documentation to get it safely and swiftly from A to B. Every measure of precaution is taken to ensure the item arrives at the right location at the right time, including:
- Using an ATA Carnet to reduce the exposure of duty and taxes and simplify the import process
- Utilizing IFI Footwear Declaration forms for imported shoes
- Utilizing Drop Ball Test Certificates for certain items, like sunglasses
- Guiding customers with the preparation of detailed commercial invoices
- Communicating with various airport security divisions
Complying with domestic and international shipping standards require technical knowledge and expertise that most fashion teams don’t have. A luxury shipping partner will help you determine exactly what is prohibited so you can anticipate and find workarounds before the item ships.
Reason #4: To ensure careful delivery of highly valuable items
Fashion events involve the transport of numerous high-value items – items that require an extra layer of assurance that they will be delivered to a precise location, often within a precise delivery window. This is where hand-carry couriers, who travel alongside a shipment every step of the way and ensure its safety, can be a priceless advantage. Luxury shipping specialists are experts at courier shipping and delivery. They either work with or have on staff the best and most experienced couriers in the world. People who know the specific needs and challenges that come with personally transporting very expensive, and sometimes top-secret cargo.
This is critical. Ultimately, a good courier is someone that tackles obstacles creatively and confidently, regardless of whether the journey requires a car, train, plane, or even snowmobile (yes, we’ve done this).
Reason #5: To offer the necessary flexibility for redirects
Sometimes, event locations change – often with no extra time to make shipment adjustments. Your luxury item could already be on the way to its original destination, but a traditional courier won’t be able to change its direction, which will lead to disaster.
Luxury shipping specialists are used to these last-minute changes and have the means to update the direction of a shipment, even when it’s already in progress. When there’s a new location with a specific time frame, you won’t have to panic, because luxury shipping specialists know how to navigate redirects with ease and precision. Whether the situation requires communication with certain airport personnel, documentation to travel overseas, or a hand-carry courier, consider it done.
When Should I Partner with a Luxury Shipping Specialist?
There are clear advantages to working with a luxury shipper. But when is the best time to engage their services? Like with anything else, the earlier, the better. Every operations team utilizes a variety of shipping vendors and carriers to meet its objectives. A luxury shipping specialist should be on the list with an established point of contact you can engage with to discuss challenging and complex domestic and cross-border shipping needs.
A reliable luxury shipping partner will bring a greater level of personalization, customization and customer service to your important events. The success of your fashion event is vital – and so is your peace of mind throughout the process. Working with a provider that understands those needs and what it takes to achieve them is the best way to ensure a smooth shipping experience for your most important consignments.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to fashion events, there is simply no substitute for a luxury shipping specialist. With so many variables and so much that can go wrong, it is quite risky to leave your most critical shipments with an inexperienced service provider. You’ll need an expert that coordinates the entire shipping process, from the physical shipment, to Customs regulations, to supporting you onsite when needed.
Worldnet understands the needs of each customer when setting up a shipment for success. We take it personally, provide care and attention to detail in every shipment and every project. We take on highly complex shipping problems and provide the best possible services to meet customer demands.
Planning a fashion event and feel unsure about shipping logistics? Don’t panic. Contact Worldnet right now.