Exhibitor guides
Trade show answers, from the people who build the booths
What a booth really costs, how drayage and union labor are billed, when you pay, and what to plan for. Written by the BoothJet team, which has built booths at US shows since 2004.
Costs and payments
- How Much Does It Cost to Exhibit at a Trade Show?The full budget for a 10×10 at a US trade show: space, booth, drayage, labor, power, internet, badges and travel, with real 2026 prices from CES, NAB, SHOT and SEMA.
- Hidden Trade Show Costs: What Exhibitors Pay Beyond the BoothElectrical, drayage, labor, internet, carpet, badges and rigging: the costs that come after you book your space, with real 2025–2026 prices from US shows.
- Trade Show Drayage Explained: How Material Handling Is BilledWhat drayage is, how Freeman and GES bill it (per pound or per 100 lb), real 2026 rates from Las Vegas and California shows, and how to avoid surcharges.
- Trade Show Electrical: What to Order, When, and What It CostsHow booth power is ordered and priced: outlet sizes, advance vs standard rates, labor for islands, deadlines, and what an exhibitor may plug in.
- What "All-In" Booth Rental Pricing IncludesAll-in booth pricing should cover the booth, graphics, labor, drayage, delivery and power. How to check a quote, and what is never included.
- How Trade Show Booth Rental Payments WorkDeposits, balance dates, card holds, cancellations and refunds: what you pay, when, and what to check before you book a booth rental.
- Sales Tax on Trade Show Booth Rentals by StateWhy rented booths are taxed, how Nevada and California treat rentals, and the rates BoothJet charges in Nevada, California, Arizona and Utah.
Rent or buy
- Rent or Buy a Trade Show Booth? How to DecideWhen renting a trade show booth beats buying one: the costs that come with ownership, a simple way to compare, and when buying makes sense.
- Booth Rental vs the Show's Pipe-and-Drape BoothWhat the basic pipe-and-drape booth that comes with your space includes, what it lacks, and when a rented booth is worth it.
Union labor and show rules
- Booth Types and Height Rules: Inline, Corner, Peninsula, IslandThe four booth types, how high each may build, the line-of-sight rule for inline booths, and who may hang a sign, from the IAEE guidelines and 2026 show rules.
- Union Labor at Trade Shows in Las Vegas and CaliforniaWhat exhibitors may set up themselves and what needs union labor at Las Vegas, Anaheim, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco venues, from 2025–2026 show rules.
- Freeman, GES and the Official Show Contractor: What They Do and BillWhat the official general service contractor does at a US trade show, which services are exclusive to it, and which bills exhibitors should expect from it.
Design and graphics
- What Fits in a 10×10 Trade Show BoothA 10×10 booth is 100 sq ft with an 8 ft back wall. What fits: a counter, two to four chairs, a small table, a screen or two, a brochure stand, and room for visitors.
- How to Design a 10×10 Booth That Stops People in the AisleDesign rules for a small trade show booth: one message, the back wall as a billboard, an open front, light, and people who talk. Backed by CEIR research.
- Screens, Lit Logos and LED Walls: What Is Worth It in a BoothWhen a wall-mounted screen, a lit logo sign or an LED video wall pays off in a trade show booth, which sizes fit a 10×10, and what they cost all-in.
- Trade Show Graphic File Specs: Resolution, Bleed, Color and FabricHow to prepare booth graphics: file formats, resolution at full size, bleed, CMYK and Pantone, outlined fonts, and why fabric prints differ. With printer and show examples.
Planning and shipping
- Trade Show Planning Timeline: From Six Months Out to Opening DayWhen to book space, order services, send graphics and ship freight, with real 2026 deadlines from Natural Products Expo West, RSNA and others.
- Trade Show Move-In and Move-Out: Target Times and Forced FreightHow targeted move-in works, what happens if your truck is late, the outbound paperwork, and why missed move-out leads to forced freight and extra bills.
- Trade Show Packing List: What to Bring as an ExhibitorA practical exhibitor packing list: documents, booth kit, tech, giveaways, tools you may use, and what not to bring to a US trade show.
- Exhibiting at a US Trade Show as an International CompanyVisas, ATA Carnets, temporary import, customs brokers, sales tax and payments for foreign companies exhibiting at US trade shows, from CBP and State Department sources.
Cities and venues
- Exhibiting in Las Vegas: LVCC, Venetian Expo, Mandalay Bay and Caesars ForumThe four big Las Vegas exhibit venues compared for exhibitors: size, exclusive services, hand-carry rules, marshaling yards and getting around.
- Exhibiting in California: Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego and MosconeCalifornia's main convention centers compared for exhibitors: size, exclusive services, freight and hand-carry rules, and the union rules that make setup different from Las Vegas.