International Exhibitor Guide

Traveling to Orlando for an Event? How to Arrange Printing Before You Arrive

If your organization is traveling to Orlando for a convention, conference, or event, it's worth knowing that your printed materials don't necessarily have to travel with you. Depending on the project, event printing can potentially be coordinated with a local Orlando production partner before you ever land.

This guide walks through how international exhibitors, companies, and event teams can approach that process — what to send, when to start, and what to expect — using a real, documented Orlando project as a reference point along the way.

Why Some International Event Teams Coordinate Printing Locally

Depending on the project, there can be practical reasons to coordinate certain printed materials in Orlando rather than bringing everything with you:

• Production can potentially begin before you arrive.
• Certain bulky or fragile printed and display materials don't necessarily have to travel internationally with your team.
• A local production contact is already in place if project requirements change.
• Artwork and specifications can be reviewed remotely, ahead of your event date.
• Local production can simplify some aspects of event logistics.

None of this guarantees lower cost, less baggage, or a faster turnaround than bringing materials with you — the right approach depends on your specific project, timeline, and materials.

Don't Make Your Arrival Date Your Production Deadline

One of the most useful principles for international event teams: don't make your arrival date your production deadline. Waiting until you land in Orlando to start a printing conversation leaves little room for artwork review, product selection, or scheduling.

Starting the conversation before you travel gives a local Orlando production partner time to review your project, confirm what's feasible, and plan around your event date — rather than trying to compress that process into the days after you arrive.

What to Send an Orlando Printer Before You Travel

A useful starting checklist for an international exhibitor or event team includes:

WhatsApp can be a useful tool for this kind of project communication and was used as part of a real Orlando project coordinated from Brazil. That said, not every step of a project necessarily happens through WhatsApp alone — formal approvals and other project details may involve other communication methods as well.

What Local Orlando Production Can Include

Depending on project scope, availability, and production capacity, Orlando event production can potentially include categories such as:

• Retractable banners
• Banners and event signage
• Flyers
• Postcards
• Business cards and marketing collateral
• Custom apparel
• Branded merchandise
• Event displays

iHeartCustoms is a local Orlando production partner for event teams — not an event planner, DMC, or venue — and works alongside whatever planning team or agency an organization already has in place. Orlando's convention and hospitality market, including the area around the Orange County Convention Center, means many organizations pass through the region needing exactly this kind of local production support.

A Real Example: CORAM DEO's Orlando Project

CORAM DEO, an organization based in Brazil, traveled to the Orlando area for an event and coordinated its printing needs with iHeartCustoms before arriving. Communication took place through WhatsApp, and the project included a custom retractable banner and 2,000 printed flyers produced locally in Orlando ahead of the client's event.

For the full story of how that project came together, see our case study: International Event Printing in Orlando: How CORAM DEO Coordinated Its Project From Brazil.