Your booth
Booth size
Exhibit type
Fine-tune the estimateFreight weight, labor timing, services, floor space and travel
Every line, with its source
Tap a line to see how it's calculated and the document the number comes from.
Ways to save on this booth
Worked out from your estimate, so the amounts change as you change the booth.
Booths we've designed and built
From 10×20 inline booths to double-deck islands, at shows across the US.
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Send us your show and booth size. You'll get a line-by-line quote from Purple Exhibits, in the same clear format as this calculator, within 24 hours.
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- Every show fee spelled out, no surprises
- Booths from 10×10 inline to double-deck islands
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Same booth, different city
Drayage, installation labor and electrical for this booth at each major venue.
How much does a trade show booth cost?
Typical all-in costs to exhibit across the 27 US venues with published labor or drayage rates, worked out with this calculator. Totals include the exhibit, drayage, installation and dismantle labor, electrical, round-trip freight, floor space, travel for three people, lead retrieval and a 10% contingency.
| Booth size | Rental exhibit | Custom or hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| 10×10 inline | $15.7k – $44.3k | $26k – $60.2k |
| 10×20 inline | $27k – $71.5k | $39.9k – $97.8k |
| 20×20 island | $42.8k – $118k | $64.7k – $166k |
| 20×30 island | $62.5k – $170k | $93.4k – $241k |
These are typical market costs, worked out from published venue and show rates and industry price benchmarks. They are not Purple Exhibits prices. They include floor space, drayage, union labor, electrical, freight and travel, much of which is paid to the show and its contractors. For Purple Exhibits' own price on your booth, ask for a quote.
Show services cost as much as the structure
Drayage, installation labor, electrical and freight add up to almost a third of a typical budget. Most first quotes leave them out, which is why the final bill surprises people.
The venue sets the price of labor
Union venues in New York, Boston and Chicago bill the highest hourly rates. Right-to-work venues like Orlando, Atlanta and Dallas cost less, so the same booth can cost thousands less there.
Weight drives drayage
Drayage is billed per 100 lb, every pound, both ways. Fabric graphics and lighter rental structures cut it at every show you do.
What a 10×20 costs at major venues
Published installation labor and drayage rates, and the all-in cost of a 10×20 custom or hybrid booth.
| Venue | Labor per hour | Drayage per 100 lb | 10×20 custom, all-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javits CenterNew York, NY | $240–$275/hr | $160–$335 | $45k – $94.3k |
| McCormick PlaceChicago, IL | $138–$220/hr | $150–$250 | $42.9k – $91k |
| Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, NV | $97–$185/hr | $71–$210 | $40.6k – $89.1k |
| Orange County Convention CenterOrlando, FL | $110–$140/hr | $65–$170 | $40.7k – $86.9k |
| Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta, GA | $85–$179/hr | $95–$175 | $41k – $88.2k |
| Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention CenterDallas, TX | $85–$181/hr | $95–$285 | $41.1k – $90.5k |
Booth cost questions
How much does a 10×10 trade show booth cost?
A 10×10 rental booth costs about $15.7k – $44.3k all-in at major US venues, and a custom or hybrid 10×10 about $26k – $60.2k. Totals include the exhibit, drayage, installation and dismantle labor, electrical, round-trip freight, floor space, travel for three people, lead retrieval and a 10% contingency.
How much does a 10×20 trade show booth cost?
A 10×20 rental runs about $27k – $71.5k all-in, and a custom or hybrid 10×20 about $39.9k – $97.8k. The spread comes from the venue: labor and drayage rates differ by city.
How much does a 20×20 trade show booth cost?
A 20×20 island runs about $42.8k – $118k as a rental and $64.7k – $166k as a custom or hybrid build, all-in. Islands need 20-amp power drops, more labor hours and more freight.
What is drayage and how much does it cost?
Drayage, or material handling, is what the show's general contractor charges to move your freight from the loading dock to your booth and back. Published rates at major venues run $65–$424 per 100 lb, round trip, with a 200 lb minimum. Some shows, like NAB, charge a flat rate per square foot instead.
Why does the same booth cost more in some cities?
Installation labor runs $64–$369 an hour depending on the venue and its union rules, and drayage rates vary about five-fold. The exhibit itself costs about the same anywhere, so the venue decides most of the difference.
Are these Purple Exhibits prices?
No. These are typical market costs, worked out from published venue and show rates and industry price benchmarks. They are not Purple Exhibits prices. They include floor space, drayage, union labor, electrical, freight and travel, which are paid to the show, its contractors, airlines and hotels. Purple Exhibits quotes its own price for your booth.
What is not included in these estimates?
Sales tax, corner and island premiums, sponsorships, giveaways, and storage between shows. Each venue's tax rate is shown where it is published.
Booth costs by show and venue
Estimates, line items and published rates for major shows and venues.
By show
- AAPEX 2026Nov 3–5, 2026
- AHR Expo 2027Jan 25–27, 2027
- ASCO Annual Meeting 2027Jun 4–8, 2027
- AWS re:Invent 2026Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2026
- Black Hat USA 2027Jul 31 – Aug 5, 2027
- CES 2027Jan 6–9, 2027
- Coverings 2027Apr 6–9, 2027
- DTECH 2027Mar 1–4, 2027
- FABTECH 2026Oct 21–23, 2026
- Global Pet Expo 2027Mar 17–19, 2027
- HIMSS 2027Apr 5–8, 2027
- IBS 2027Feb 2–4, 2027
- InfoComm 2027Jun 12–18, 2027
- INTERPHEX 2027Apr 13–15, 2027
- IPPE 2027Jan 26–28, 2027
- ISC West 2027Apr 5–9, 2027
- JCK Las Vegas 2027Jun 4–7, 2027
- KBIS 2027Feb 2–4, 2027
- MAGIC Las Vegas 2027Feb 16–18, 2027
- MD&M West 2027Feb 9–11, 2027
- Mid-America Trucking Show 2027Mar 18–20, 2027
- NAB Show 2027Apr 3–7, 2027
- NAFEM Show 2027Feb 10–12, 2027
- NAMM Show 2027Jan 26–30, 2027
- National Restaurant Association Show 2027May 22–25, 2027
- Natural Products Expo West 2027Mar 2–5, 2027
- NRF Big Show 2027Jan 10–12, 2027
- PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2027Sep 27–29, 2027
- PGA Show 2027Jan 26–29, 2027
- ProMat 2027Apr 19–21, 2027
- RSNA 2026Nov 29 – Dec 3, 2026
- SEMA Show 2026Nov 3–6, 2026
- SHOT Show 2027Jan 19–22, 2027
- Summer Fancy Food Show 2027Jul 25–27, 2027
- TISE 2027Feb 1–4, 2027
- World of Concrete 2027Jan 19–21, 2027
By venue
- Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim, CA
- Atlantic City Convention CenterAtlantic City, NJ
- Boston Convention & Exhibition CenterBoston, MA
- Colorado Convention CenterDenver, CO
- Donald E. Stephens Convention CenterRosemont, IL
- Ernest N. Morial Convention CenterNew Orleans, LA
- George R. Brown Convention CenterHouston, TX
- Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta, GA
- Javits CenterNew York, NY
- Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention CenterDallas, TX
- Kentucky Exposition CenterLouisville, KY
- Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, NV
- Long Beach Convention & Entertainment CenterLong Beach, CA
- Los Angeles Convention CenterLos Angeles, CA
- Mandalay Bay Convention CenterLas Vegas, NV
- McCormick PlaceChicago, IL
- Miami Beach Convention CenterMiami Beach, FL
- Moscone CenterSan Francisco, CA
- Orange County Convention CenterOrlando, FL
- Oregon Convention CenterPortland, OR
- Phoenix Convention CenterPhoenix, AZ
- Salt Palace Convention CenterSalt Lake City, UT
- San Diego Convention CenterSan Diego, CA
- San Jose McEnery Convention CenterSan Jose, CA
- Seattle Convention CenterSeattle, WA
- Venetian Expo (Venetian Convention & Expo Center)Las Vegas, NV
- Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington, DC
By city
Rankings
- Drayage and labor rates by venue28 venues
How we calculate, and every source
Exhibit
Published 2026 all-in ranges by size and type, minus the share that goes to show services (about 28%), plus published rental quotes. Show services are calculated separately for your venue, so nothing is counted twice.
Drayage
Weight ÷ 100 × the venue's rate per 100 lb, round trip, 200 lb minimum. Special handling adds 25–45%. Off-target delivery adds 25–50%.
Installation labor
Crew hours scale with booth size and build complexity, times the venue's published hourly rate. Overtime is 1.5× straight time.
What's not included
Sales tax (shown per venue where published), corner and island premiums, sponsorships, giveaways and storage between shows.
- Purple Exhibits, Trade Show Booth Cost Guide 2026–2027: booth ranges and baseline venue ranges
- Venue rates collected October 2026 from public exhibitor service kits and price lists (GES, Freeman, Heritage, Vista, RES, Smart City, Edlen and venue in-house forms) for 52 venues. Each line links to the document its number came from.
- McCormick Place, Labor Cost Transparency: union trade rates effective Jan 31, 2026
- Published contractor labor rates: McCormick Place, Javits, LVCC, OCCC, New Orleans
- Prices: rental quotes, electrical price lists, freight and cleaning, lead retrieval, floor space, drayage surcharges
- Show rates and dates: CES, NAB, KBIS, IBS, Coverings, Expo West, Restaurant Show; the rest of the show list comes from venue calendars and show websites.