Normally we first settle on a date, time and place.
Then we begin offering pre-arranged trades. These are items that would be going to specific individuals. Normally we trade these items as soon as we arrive. I set up a "landing strip" for these things (which should be pre-boxed, with the recipients name, and yours as well so they know where they came from). We offer the items, and ask for items on this forum, and finish the transaction of the trade via personal emails.
A few weeks before the trade an email is sent out with general guidelines for trading (such as these) and the exact address. When the trade is at my house, I will never post the address on the web, nor any of my personal information. You will only recieve it via email. I ask that you not send this information to anyone, even if they email you for it and say they are on GW. They are free to email me personally to recieve it.
Trade items include: garden related things: potted or bagged annuals, perennials, vegetables, fruits, shrubs, trees, houseplants with roots. Watered and in good shape.
Rooted cuttings are acceptable.
Bulbs should be bagged, potted or rolled in newspapers dry and labeled (you can do this with daylilies too).
Seeds should be packaged individually and labeled.
Seedlings all potted and labled individually.
Cuttings are acceptable but to ensure success should be freshly cut, wrapped in damp paper and bagged or rolled in groupings for individual trades (say 5-10 cuttings per roll).
You can use all sorts of containers for potting. BE CREATIVE!! Milk jugs and boxes, juice containers, mag. tubs, actual plant pots, baggies, plastic bags...
In the past we have asked that items which are very common (say, green monkey grass, rose of sharon, ivy) or invasive items be offered during pre-arranged trades, but not brought into the general trading pool. Frankly, getting rid of a large amount of this material has been very time consuming in the past. Not many people need it, they usually have it too!!
Garden books, gardening magazines, tools, organics, pots and any garden accoutremounts (one year we had several of the darned cutest toad houses you ever did see!!). Garden chemicals are not usually traded although you are free to offer for pre-arranged trades. I can not easily dispose of these if they are brought...

Make sure you set aside time well before the plant trade to pot your trades, take your rooted cuttings etc. that way you will be organized when you arrive. We don't have a lot of time for potting and dividing up during the trade, many people need to trade and get home (or want to trade and eat lunch!)
After the pre-arranged trading we have a "general trade" time where we can choose things off of the tables.
This time we will be offering a pot luck after the trade, so if you plan to stay for lunch, please bring something to share. A jug of tea, a covered dish (I can heat it up), sandwiches, a plate of scrumptious specialities of any kind would be appreciated.

Other things to think of bringing: boxes for you to take your things home in, a contribution for a drawing (it can be anything garden related), a lawn chair.

I generally ask that you do not bring pets as it gets very crowded and will freak my cats out. That you do not bring children although this is not hard and fast. The neighbouring properties to my back yard are not well cared for and I worry that children could encounter snakes, get caught in debris etc.

There ya have it!
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