The Small Details Can Really Add Up

Your trade show booth, space rental, brochures, and pre-show mailing are just a portion of the cost of exhibiting at a trade show. The small details, often overlooked, can take up a large portion of your budget and should be considered when planning for your next event.

The source of all this information will be the Exhibitors Service Manual. This manual will be provided when your booth space rental is confirmed. The manual will detail all the services and items available, the associated fees, and an order form. There will also be a number of pages dedicated to exhibit site rules and restrictions regarding your trade show booth, so it’s important to read the manual thoroughly.

Some examples of the small details and their fees:

• Booth installation and dismantling - $63 - $140/hour for one laborer. Most events require that your booth is set-up by event staff.
• Drayage (or short-distance shipping). Nearly all trade show facilities require you to ship your booth and event materials in to an advance warehouse, since there’s generally not storage at the show site. So there’s an additional charge to ship your materials from the advance warehouse to the show site.
• Suspended graphics installation - If your logo or other graphics need to be suspended from the ceiling, there will be installation and dismantling charges. It’s also important to read the height and line-of-sight restrictions for suspended graphics, so you can plan accordingly since each trade show has different requirements.
• Telecommunications - Ethernet or wireless internet for your booth can be $900 - $1,600 for the length of the event.
• Electrical - If your booth needs power, as most do, there is a charge for the amount of electrical service you need plus the labor costs for installation.
• LCD or Plasma displays - 40” displays run $800 - $1,200 per show.
• DVD or Blu-ray players - $92 - $180 per show.
• Floor coverings and furniture - Most, if not all, trade show facilities restrict the use of outside furniture, so you’ll have to rent tables, chairs and floor covering at the venue.
• Plants and other accessories - All the necessary items to dress up your booth are available, for a fee. Plants range from $30 - $120 each, depending on size.
• Pre- and post-convention mailing lists - Available for direct mail prior to the show and follow-up after. It’s important to note that phone numbers and email addresses are not included in these lists.

This is just a sampling of the small details to consider when planning your next trade show exhibit. And the fees will vary for each facility. With proper pre-show planning, you can budget accordingly and not have any big surprises (and bills) to deal with later.