Work backwards from the show date: book the space six months out, sign off the graphic at three months, order the stand at six weeks, and hit the show's own advance deadlines for electrical and material handling at four weeks. Standard production is 3 business days, but the deadlines that cost real money are the show's, not the printer's.
Most first-time exhibitors plan the booth and forget the show services. The booth arrives on time and the power does not, or the advance order deadline passed and the same electrical drop now costs more. This is the order things actually need to happen in.
Six months out: book the space and fix the size
Book the floor space first, because everything else follows from its dimensions. A 10x10 is 100 square feet with a single 10ft back wall. A 10x20 is 200 square feet with twice the aisle frontage, and it costs roughly double in structure because the back wall is the largest line item.
Ask for the exhibitor manual at the same time. It carries the two rules that decide what you can buy: the height cap and whether hanging signs are allowed. Inline and corner booths are normally capped at 8ft for the back wall and 4ft for the side rails, and hanging signs are usually permitted only over island spaces.
Three months out: design the graphic
The graphic takes longer than the hardware, because it needs approval. Allow three months when several people sign off, and at minimum three weeks before the order so there is room for one revision.
Design to the frame, not the other way round. Push-fit and SEG systems have fixed bleed and safe areas, and a layout that ignores them loses its headline into a seam.
Six weeks out: order the stand
Standard production time is 3 business days, with transit on top depending on destination and method. Six weeks leaves room for a reprint if the first proof is wrong, which is the only part of this timeline that regularly goes wrong.
Decide frame and graphic separately. On a 10ft x 8ft push-fit wall the frame is $310 and the complete display with its printed front graphic is $643.70. The year after, a replacement graphic is $333.69 and the frame stays. If this is an annual show, that split is the whole argument for buying rather than renting.
Four weeks out: the show's own deadlines
This is the expensive one. Electrical, rigging, internet and furniture all have an advance order deadline, and rates rise after it. Ordering power on the show floor costs more than ordering it weeks earlier.
- Electrical. Order the drop and confirm where it sits before deciding where a lit display stands, because the cable run is fixed.
- Material handling. Billed by hundredweight, so weight matters more than box count. A fabric stand in a bag and a crated display cost very different amounts to get from the dock to the booth.
- Rigging. Only relevant if you have an island space and a hanging sign, and it is ordered separately from the sign itself.
- Furniture and flooring. Rented from the show, almost always at a premium over buying your own if you exhibit more than twice a year.
Two weeks out: ship
Ship to the advance warehouse rather than direct to show site when the option exists. The advance warehouse holds the freight and delivers it to the booth before you arrive, so a delayed truck does not become a missing booth.
Pack the carry bags inside the counter frame. It is free storage, it adds ballast, and it means the bags are not sitting in the aisle on set-up morning.
Show week
Arrive with a printed copy of every order confirmation: booth space, electrical, material handling. On site, the receipt is the only thing that resolves a dispute quickly.
Set-up for a fabric stand is a two person job measured in minutes, not hours, which is exactly why the rest of this list matters more than the booth itself.
Where to find show dates
Dates move year to year, so check the show's own site rather than any list. Two directories worth knowing for finding shows in the first place:
- EventsEye, international trade fair directory by industry and country.
- Events In America, US and Canada shows with attendance figures.
There are roughly 5,000 trade shows, conferences and expos across the United States and Canada each year, so the hard part is not finding one, it is picking the two or three your buyers actually attend.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should you order a trade show booth?
Six weeks before the show. Standard production is 3 business days and transit is on top, but six weeks leaves room for one reprint if the proof is wrong. Three weeks is the practical minimum for a first order.
What is the most common trade show planning mistake?
Missing the show's advance order deadline for electrical and material handling, usually about four weeks out. The booth arrives on time and the power costs more than it needed to, or is not there at all.
How tall can a trade show booth be?
Inline and corner booths are normally capped at 8ft for the back wall and 4ft for the side rails, so nothing blocks the neighbouring exhibitor. Taller structures and hanging signs are usually allowed only in island spaces. The limit is set per show, so check the exhibitor manual.
What is drayage and how is it charged?
Drayage, or material handling, is the show's charge for moving your freight from the loading dock to your booth and back. It is billed by hundredweight, so a fabric display in a carry bag costs far less to handle than a crated one.
Should you buy or rent a trade show booth?
Buy if you exhibit more than once a year. A 10ft x 8ft push-fit wall is $643.70 complete, and a replacement graphic the following year is $333.69 because the frame is reused. Rental costs recur in full every time.
How long does production take?
Standard production time is 3 business days. Transit time is additional and depends on destination and shipping method.
Plan the booth
More guides: how to build a 10x10 or 10x20 booth, trade show displays by type and price and pop up booth ideas for small businesses.
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