Three walking the aisle
Our hero photo shows three staffers moving down a busy aisle together: a black blazer, a cream knit dress and a mint jacket. Different pieces, one palette, so the crew reads as a team.
Back to the hero photo ↑NRF Big Show booth staff and trade show models for 2027, hired from our New York roster: checkout lane hosts, smart shelf presenters, lead reps and meeting hosts. One rate of $85 an hour, and no travel fees.
Sources: nrfbigshow.nrf.com, the official NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show website run by the National Retail Federation (home page for the January 10–12, 2027 dates, the Javits Center and the 41,000+ yearly audience; Retail Expo pass page for 1,000+ exhibitors; Expo overview for 100+ countries and Expo hours). Checked October 25, 2026. The $85 rate is Purple Exhibits’ own.
NRF Big Show booth staff should talk like retailers, because the people walking your aisle run stores. Purple Exhibits books NRF Big Show booth staff and trade show models from our New York crew: checkout lane hosts, smart shelf presenters, lead desk reps, meeting room hosts and coffee bar hostesses. Every role costs $85 per person per hour, with a four-hour minimum per shift. The crew lives in and around the city, so no airfare, hotel nights or travel fees show up on your invoice. NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show runs Sunday to Tuesday, January 10–12, 2027, at the Javits Center. Book six to eight weeks out, since December holidays shorten the planning window. Rush requests work with 72 hours’ notice.
| Show | NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show |
|---|---|
| Organizer | National Retail Federation (NRF) |
| Dates | Sun–Tue, January 10–12, 2027 |
| Expo hours | Sun & Mon 9 a.m.–5 p.m. · Tue 9 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Venue | Javits Center, 11th Ave., Manhattan |
| Who walks in | Retail executives, store ops, IT, digital and supply chain teams |
| Repeats | Every January in New York |
| Our rate | $85 per person per hour · 4-hour minimum |
Retail executives judge presentation for a living. They notice a wrinkled shirt and a crew that drifts apart. These are real Purple Exhibits teams and the polish we bring to every NRF crew.
Our hero photo shows three staffers moving down a busy aisle together: a black blazer, a cream knit dress and a mint jacket. Different pieces, one palette, so the crew reads as a team.
Back to the hero photo ↑Real Purple Exhibits events.
Choose one look for the whole crew or a different one per zone. Send branded pieces and we collect sizes. In January, every person arrives with a warm coat that goes into storage before the doors open.
Dark blazers, fine knitwear and smart trousers. Warm enough for January doors, sharp enough for retail executives.
Works for: Meeting rooms, lead desksCream, white and stone pieces with one accent in your brand color, like the crew in our hero photo.
Works for: Product launches, aisle greetersYour logo on a knit or polo with dark trousers and clean sneakers for long demo shifts.
Works for: Checkout lanes, smart shelf demosA branded apron over a white shirt, so the crew looks like the store staff your product serves.
Works for: Store-of-the-future sets, photo spotsAt NRF the crew follows the demo stations, not the booth size. Add your lanes, shelves, screens and rooms, pick your Expo days and the receipt rings up the crew at $85 an hour.
Eight roles we cover for NRF 2027 staffing, from the aisle corner to the closed meeting room. Each one bills the same $85 per person per hour.
Polished models hold the corner of a crowded Javits aisle and invite retailers in to try the lane or shelf.
Ambassadors scan badges, hand out your giveaway after the scan and route each person to the right station.
For a launch or timed reveal, promotional models present the new product and keep the crowd facing the screen.
Hostesses run your coffee bar and meeting rooms and help at retailer dinners after the floor closes.
Demonstrators learn one short flow on your checkout, shelf label or app and repeat it the same way all day.
Check-in staff manage guest lists for suites, partner briefings and receptions across NRF week.
Reps ask your approved questions, tag each retailer by department and book the next call on the spot.
NRF draws retail teams from more than 100 countries. Ask for Spanish, Portuguese or another language and we search our New York roster.
Exhibiting at other New York shows during the year? Our New York trade show staffing crew works every hall and meeting room in the city. For building facts and planning tips, see our Javits Center venue guide.
An example island with a checkout lane, a smart shelf, a data wall and a meeting room. Tap a zone to see the job, or follow the numbers to the crew list.
Example 40×40 island, not to scale. We mark up your own floor plan the same way before January.
A stocked shelf with digital price labels or cameras shows the product at work. The presenter changes a price live, shows the out-of-stock alert and hands store-ops questions to your solution lead.
Retailers want to try the lane, not watch it. A demo host walks each visitor through a real basket scan, then asks which store format they run before passing them to sales.
A big screen with live dashboards needs a short story. One presenter runs a two-minute loop that links the numbers to the shelf and the lane next to it.
Handheld point-of-sale and clienteling apps sit on standing pods. A product specialist shows a sale on the device and books a deeper demo for IT buyers.
Every serious visitor gets scanned here. The rep asks your three questions, tags the retailer by department and banner size, and books the next call.
At a 9 a.m. opening the aisle fills fast. A greeter at the corner asks one question and sends each visitor to the shelf, the lane or the data wall.
Closed meeting rooms hold pre-booked talks with retail executives. A host checks names against your calendar, offers coffee and keeps each slot on time.
A coffee bar keeps retailers in the booth on a cold January morning. A hostess serves, collects names and tells the account lead who has arrived.
Brands that have booked Purple
NRF organizes the Expo around a few named areas. Where your booth sits next to them changes when the crowds arrive and who walks in. Here is how we plan staff for each one.
NRF uses this area for new products that change how stores run. Booths near it pull curious crowds who want a quick, clear demo.
A presenter with a tight two-minute script turns walk-by interest into a scan.
Young companies present ideas here, often with a small booth and a founder who cannot leave the stand.
One greeter plus one lead rep lets the founder take meetings without losing the aisle.
Short talks on new software for retailers fill this stage through the day, and crowds pour into nearby aisles after each one.
Time your lead reps’ breaks around the stage schedule, not the clock.
NRF opens this pavilion to all attendees. It draws teams who manage returns and want to recover revenue.
Brief staff on returns terms so they can qualify supply chain visitors fast.
Exhibitors present their boldest solutions in these sessions. A good session sends a wave of people back to the booth.
Have a host at the session door hand out a booth card with your number.
Showing retail tech at CES in Las Vegas earlier in January too? Our CES booth staff team covers that floor. Selling to fashion and apparel retailers? Meet them again with our MAGIC booth staff.
Who does what at a retail tech booth, how many to book and when to lock them in.
| Role | What they do at NRF Big Show | How many | Book by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product presenter | Learns one short demo for your shelf, screen or app and gives it the same way every time | One per demo station | 6 weeks out |
| Checkout lane host | Lets visitors scan a real basket, explains each step and asks about their store format | One per lane | 6 weeks out |
| Lead desk rep | Scans badges, asks your qualifying questions and tags each retailer by department | One or two per booth | 5 weeks out |
| Aisle greeter | Stands at the booth corner and steers each visitor to the right demo | One per open side | 4 weeks out |
| Meeting room host | Checks booked retailers in from your calendar and keeps each slot on schedule | One per room | 4 weeks out |
| Hostess and coffee host | Serves coffee, holds coats and bags, and flags key accounts to your team | One per lounge or bar | 4 weeks out |
People who can run a checkout demo, explain a smart shelf and turn a badge scan into a booked call with a retailer. These are the five roles we send to the NRF Big Show.
Presenters with a headset mic who walk retailers through your smart shelf or store software demo.
Ambassadors who scan each visitor badge at the front of your retail technology booth.
Hosts at your self-checkout lane who let each visitor scan a real basket.
Hostesses who welcome retail executives to your client lounge or meeting suite.
Reps with a tablet who qualify retail buyers by department and book the next call.
Send your demo stationsLanes, shelves, screens, rooms.
We rehearse in the boothOne run per station before 9 a.m.
Leads tagged by departmentOps, digital, IT, supply chain.
NRF opens on a Sunday in midwinter on the far west side of Manhattan. A few small details decide whether your crew is on station at 9 a.m. or still in the coat line.
The Expo opens at 9 a.m. on Sunday, January 10. Weekend subway service can be slower, so we set Sunday call times earlier.
The floor closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Many booths trim that shift or end with a single closing crew.
January means heavy coats. We plan a coat spot in your storage closet, or the crew uses the building coat check before call time.
Our crew rides the 7 train to 34 St–Hudson Yards, one avenue from the building, so parking is never on your bill.
A retailer at NRF could run stores, websites, warehouses or the IT stack. Our reps ask one question to find the department, then send the lead to the right person on your team.
We askHow many stores, and what slows the floor team down?
Send toSolution lead for a store walk-through
We askHow do online orders reach your stores today?
Send toProduct manager demo, same week
We askWhich systems would this connect to?
Send toTechnical call with your architect
We askWhere do returns and stock counts break down?
Send toOperations specialist follow-up
We askWhich shrink problem is costing the most?
Send toCase study and pilot outline
We askIs there a budget cycle or pilot this year?
Send toSenior sales lead, booked before they leave
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The Expo floor is open three days. The work starts on move-in and runs into the evenings, and the show returns to the Javits Center every January.
Example crews by booth size at $85 per person per hour. Use the self-checkout builder above to price your own demo stations.
| Booth | Typical crew per shift | People | Per day | Whole show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 inline | One booth rep with a scanner and one aisle greeter | 2 | $1,360 | $4,080 |
| 10×20 inline | A product presenter, a lead rep and a greeter | 3 | $2,040 | $6,120 |
| 20×20 with a checkout lane | Lane demo host, presenter, lead rep and greeter | 4 | $2,720 | $8,160 |
| 20×40 peninsula | Shelf presenter, lane host, data wall presenter, two lead reps and a greeter | 6 | $4,080 | $12,240 |
| 40×40 island | Three presenters, a lane host, two lead reps, a greeter, a meeting host and a coffee hostess | 9 | $6,120 | $18,360 |
| Meeting suite only | A host and a check-in greeter for booked retailers | 2 | $1,360 | $4,080 |
8-hour days × 3 show days × $85 per person per hour. No travel, hotel or agency markup.
A 20×40 peninsula with a checkout lane, a smart shelf and a data wall needs six people per shift: a lane host, two presenters, two lead reps and a greeter. Here is that crew hired in New York next to the same six flown in.
| NRF 20×40, three Expo days | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your NRF total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$410 each | |
| Hotel Midtown Manhattan, NRF week · ~$389/night | |
| Per-diem ~$96/day | |
| Fly-in total |
What each option really costs and delivers at a NRF Big Show show.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per staffer | $85 an hour in NRF | Higher once travel is added | Lowest rate, highest risk |
| Flights and rooms | None. NRF is home | ~$410 airfare and ~$389 a night, each | None |
| Knows NRF venues | Local crew, every season | Usually first time in town | Sometimes |
| The NRF edge | One run per station before 9 a.m. | Not local | Not specialised |
| Knows your pitch | Learns your three key points | Generic script | Not their job |
| Qualified leads | Asks your questions, tags hot or warm | Basic scanning | Badge scans at best |
| If someone cancels | Replacement in 2 hours, or the shift is free | Hard to replace from out of town | Whoever is free |
| Booth build too | One company, one plan | Staff only | Staff only |
Fly-in costs use the same typical NRF rates as the budget above. Other agencies’ pricing varies.
About three minutes. No deposit to ask.
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours, usually much sooner. Need it now? Call (800) 994-8030.
Retailers stop for a working lane or shelf, not a speech. Give each station a short demo and let the product talk first.
The floor closes at 4 p.m. on the last day. Book a lean closing crew and keep your people for the follow-up calls.
A crew stuffing parkas under the counter looks messy on camera. Arrange storage before the first morning.
A CIO and a store ops director need different emails. Tag the department at the scan, not later.
Holiday weeks eat into briefing time. Lock the crew by early November if you can.
Call (800) 994-8030 and ask for NRF booth staffing.
Every role is $85 per person per hour, with a four-hour minimum per shift. Lane hosts, presenters, lead reps, hostesses and trade show models all bill the same. Our staff live in the New York area, so there are no travel fees.
NRF 2027 runs Sunday to Tuesday, January 10–12, 2027, at the Javits Center in New York. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday and Monday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The show returns to New York every January.
Yes, as presenters. Send a short script and a demo video, and give us one run with your product team on the last move-in day. Your team owns the setup; our crew gives the demo and handles the crowd.
They scan each badge, ask two or three questions you approve and tag the visitor by department: store ops, digital, IT, supply chain, loss prevention or executive. Your sales team then knows who to call first.
Count the demo stations first. Most booths need one person per lane, shelf or screen, plus a lead rep and a greeter. The checkout builder on this page does the math for you.
Six to eight weeks before January 10 is ideal. December holidays cut into briefing time, so early November is a good target. We can still fill rush requests with 72 hours’ notice.
Book them through us. Our New York crew reaches the Javits Center by the 7 train or a short walk from Penn Station, so you pay no flights or hotels. Each person bills $85 an hour, four-hour minimum.
Yes. Book only Sunday, only a launch slot, or only the busiest day. Each person has a four-hour minimum, and you can add days later if there is time to brief them.
Yes. The floor closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, so many exhibitors book a smaller closing crew on a four-hour shift. We plan that with you when you book.
Often, yes. NRF draws retailers from more than 100 countries. Tell us which languages you need, such as Spanish or Portuguese, and we search our New York roster. The rate stays $85 an hour.
We keep standby staff in New York during the show. A briefed replacement reaches the Javits Center within two hours. If we miss that, you do not pay for that shift.
Most retail tech booths choose dark tailoring, knitwear or a branded polo, with warm coats left in storage. Pick one of the four looks on this page and we confirm sizes with each person.
Yes. We send hostesses, check-in staff and suite hosts for Midtown hotel suites, Hudson Yards dinners and evening receptions during the week.
No. We are an independent company hired directly by exhibitors. We are not affiliated with the National Retail Federation, which produces Retail’s Big Show.
Yes. We design, build and install exhibits for the Javits Center, including checkout lanes and shelf walls for demos, and we staff them under one plan.
Retail tech brands spend a lot of NRF week in hotel suites and restaurants. Our New York crew covers those hours at the same rate.
Arrivals, coat check, seating cards and gift bags.
We send: Hostesses, greetersPrivate demos and executive meetings by invitation.
We send: Suite hosts, check-in staffCheck-in, materials and timekeeping for partner talks.
We send: Registration hostsGuest list checks and room flow before the reveal.
We send: Door hosts, product presentersGuest lists, photo walls and product tables.
We send: Brand ambassadors, hostsStaffing by show
New York and this show
Staffing by role
Purple Exhibits is an independent exhibit and staffing company. We staff exhibitors at NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show; we are not affiliated with the National Retail Federation (NRF). Show names belong to their owners.
Send your demo stations and booth number. An NRF price within one business day.
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