Read on for additional info from an industry source of what to think about when shipping your quilts off to a show.

Fighting the BIGGEST battle first:
TUBES - we really despise them. Takes much, much more time to unpack and re-pack them. There are fabric ties, twist ties, rubber bands, wraps/cloth bags/sheets, plastic bags and the tube to wrap the quilt around. Some include flat cloths to lay over the front of the quilt before it is re-rolled. Some want their quilts rolled inside out and some inside in so we have to note which way their quilt is rolled when it arrives. Also, there are those who closely size the tube to the quilt - then we have the job of stuffing the quilt back into the tube - it often involves removing the opposite end so we can simultaneously push and pull. Contrarily, there are also the people who do not include an inner tube to wrap their very soft quilt around - this creates problems of a different sort.

The tubes we scream about the most? The ones with quilts inside that do not need to be rolled. If you really, really have a quilt that needs and is deserving of being rolled, that's okay. However, you have no idea how annoyed we are when a quilt is tubed unnecessarily (this includes most!). The majority of quilts do not need to be tubed - just ask Carol Taylor or Melody Johnson, for example, who do not tube their innovative, heavily quilted work. Folds will hang out at the show, expecially if you make the
first folds from top to bottom and top to bottom again if the quilt is large.

Finally, quilters should know that tubes are the packagings that arrive with the most shipping damage. If you really want your quilt to arrive safely you should re-think packing it into a 6, 7 or 8 foot long by 10" wide box that is going to split right across its middle. A quilt recently arrived in one of these damaged tubes - the box was held together (top to bottom) by only 1 of its 4 sides.

Other issues pale in comparison, but I'll list a few that come to mind:
Quilts that arrive with elaborate folding instructions, complete with diagrams. We'll try, but when you are re-packing hundreds of quilts ... Quilters who use air packs, tons of tissue paper, wadded newspaper, etc. as padding for their "fragile" quilt. It won't break. Your best defense against shipping damage is to fold your quilt into a sturdy plastic bag, twist-tie the bag closed and then pack your quilt into a box that fits your quilt and is neither too big nor too small. Also, buy a box of good trash bags - plastic dry cleaner bags, old grocery sacks, etc. are not going to protect your quilt if the box splits or gets wet in transit. Smokers' quilts - sorry, but they smell and we all know when one arrives in the office. Finally, I have a question for the list. We often get quilts packaged with tissue paper/bubble wrap to cushion the folds. Do the quilters expect us to use this when refolding their quilt or is it a pre-show, wrinkle reducing technique only?

OK, the above is from the source.  This one is mine, but I have asked other show organizers about such things, and they really don't like it. = Again, if you require bars, etc. to be put into your quilts so they can be hung aside from the dowels, bars, etc. that the show uses, you are making= extra work for the show organizers that they don't need and most likely won't use, so it is an extra expense for you that you don't need, and a frustration for the show organizers that they don't need.  It is also difficult if they don't return your same box because of damage or because of shipping in that box to expect them to make sure extra things you have sent them will get returned to you.

Please remember that when they are hanging hundreds and hundreds of quilts, they really don't have time to spend doing special things to your quilt as much as they might love it.  It is being done likely by volunteers and by staff members who have to get the work up quickly, either for judging or so that the placards can be placed on it.
Again, we all need to be aware of the needs and requirements of shows and to help them as much as we can.  There ARE places for those very special pieces that require a lot of special handling, and perhaps they are best shown locally. Again, this isn't intended to make anyone feel bad but just to help you realize there is another side to the shows, and the more we can help the people doing the shows, the better it is for everyone.