Booth reps in Columbus
Reps who qualify nursery buyers and growers at Cultivate.
CultivateHorticultureLeads
Sampling teams, brand ambassadors, booth reps and hostesses for the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Arnold expo, Cultivate and football-season hospitality. Local Columbus staff, $85 an hour for every role.
Columbus shows are hungry: half the booths here are handing something out. Purple Exhibits staffs the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Ohio Expo Center and downtown hotels and stadium suites with local sampling teams, brand ambassadors, booth reps and hostesses at a flat $85 an hour per person. Our Columbus crew works the Arnold Sports Festival expo in March, Cultivate in July and football-season hospitality in the fall, and knows how many hands a sampling line really needs. Book four to six weeks ahead for the Arnold and Cultivate, three weeks for most conventions, and 72 hours for a rush.
Purple Exhibits, 2026–2027 season · Local crew, mixed roles
| Rate | $85 per hour, per person, every role |
|---|---|
| Travel fees | None for Columbus-area bookings |
| Main venues | Greater Columbus Convention Center, Ohio Expo Center, downtown hotels, stadium suites |
| Peak season | Arnold expo in March, Cultivate in July, football Saturdays in the fall |
| Book ahead | 4–6 wks for the Arnold and Cultivate · 3 wks otherwise · rush 72 hrs |
| Connected hotel | Hyatt Regency Columbus, by covered walkway |
| Labor | Non-union building: booth staff greet, sample, demo and scan freely |
Columbus crowds love a sample, and lines stall when one person does everything. Move the sliders to see the team, the samples to bring and the cost.
Brands that have booked Purple
The Greater Columbus Convention Center is one of the most unusual show buildings in the country. Figures from our Greater Columbus Convention Center exhibitor guide.
Labor: the building runs as non-union by its own policy, although Ohio is not a right-to-work state. Your own staff may set up, and union labor through IATSE Local 12 is there if you want it. Our crew greets, samples, demos and scans.
Fast hands for sampling lines, sharp reps for buyers and hosts for game day. These are the five roles we send.
Reps who qualify nursery buyers and growers at Cultivate.
Ambassadors for the Arnold expo who sample, talk and scan in pairs.
Sampling crews who keep a line moving and the station stocked.
Hosts for football-season suites, tailgates and client dinners.
Organised hosts for convention check-in on High Street.
Tell us what you sampleProduct, pour size and rules.
We size the lineEnough hands to keep it moving.
A Columbus crew arrivesLocal, briefed and on time.
The three crowds that shape the Columbus calendar, and how we staff each one.
A fitness and sports expo where almost every booth samples. Lines form fast, so we staff in pairs: one host pours, one talks and scans.
We send: Sampling teams, ambassadorsAmericanHort’s horticulture show, with nursery buyers, growers and garden-center owners. We send reps who qualify buyers and log every order lead.
We send: Booth reps, lead qualifiersHome games fill every hotel and restaurant downtown. We staff suites, tailgate activations and client dinners, and plan call times around game traffic.
We send: Hostesses, brand ambassadorsMonths are typical. Confirm each year’s dates with the organiser, then lock your crew.
A busy supplement booth at the Arnold expo needs five people: three serving samples and two talking and scanning. Here is that team from our Columbus roster, next to the same team flown in.
| Arnold expo booth, three days | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your Columbus total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$350 each | |
| Hotel downtown, expo weekend · ~$209/night | |
| Per-diem ~$74/day | |
| Fly-in total |
Compared on what actually changes your results and your invoice in Columbus.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay per hour | One flat $85, models to reps | Day rate plus travel costs | Cheap, but not booth-trained |
| Travel and hotel | $0. The team lives in Columbus | About $350 flight plus $209/night per person | $0 |
| Local knowledge | Halls, transit and shortcuts | Arrives with a map | Depends on the person |
| The Columbus edge | Enough hands to keep it moving. | Not local | Not specialised |
| Trained on your product | Briefing call and cheat sheet | Sometimes, for a fee | No |
| Lead capture | Qualifies and tags every scan | Varies | Not part of the job |
| Backup staff | Standby crew in town | Flights don’t happen same day | Unknown |
| Exhibit and staff together | Design, build and staff | People only | People only |
Fly-in costs use the same typical Columbus rates as the budget above. Other agencies’ pricing varies.
About three minutes. No deposit.
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours, usually much sooner. Need it now? Call (800) 994-8030.
Sampling stalls when the same person pours and talks. Plan two per station at busy times.
The best sampling crews book early for March. Reserve four to six weeks out.
A home football Saturday fills hotels and slows traffic. Check the schedule before you set dates.
Nursery buyers ask about varieties, shipping and minimums. Send us your talking points.
Use the sampling calculator on this page to plan how many samples and hands you need.
Call (800) 994-8030 and ask for the Columbus desk.
$85 an hour per person with a four-hour minimum. Sampling teams, brand ambassadors, booth reps and hostesses all cost the same, and Columbus-area bookings have no travel charges.
Yes. We send sampling teams and brand ambassadors in pairs, so one person serves while the other talks and scans. Book four to six weeks ahead.
Yes. We send booth reps and lead qualifiers who are briefed on your plants or products and log every buyer conversation for your sales team.
It depends on traffic and how long each sample takes. Use the sampling calculator on this page; as a rule, a busy station needs two people.
The building operates as non-union by its own policy, even though Ohio is not a right-to-work state. Exhibitors may set up their own booths, and union labor is available if you want it.
Yes. We staff the state fair, equine shows and consumer expos at the fairgrounds north of downtown.
Yes. We staff suites, tailgate activations and client dinners on game days, and plan call times around the traffic.
Yes. The Hyatt Regency Columbus connects by a covered walkway, so staff and guests can move between them out of the weather.
Yes. Our sampling teams follow your serving rules and the venue’s food rules, and keep the station clean and stocked.
Four to six weeks for the Arnold and Cultivate, three weeks for most conventions and 72 hours for a rush.
Our Columbus coordinator keeps briefed standby staff for every big show. A replacement is on your stand within two hours, or the shift is on us.
Yes. Purple designs and builds exhibits for High Street and the fairgrounds, ships them in and staffs them, so there is one contact for the whole show.
Columbus events reach from High Street to the fairgrounds, the stadiums and the suburbs.
Fairs, equine and consumer shows.
We send: Sampling teams, booth repsSuites, sponsor activations and game-day sampling.
We send: Hostesses, brand ambassadorsReceptions, breakouts and VIP dinners.
We send: Hostesses, registration hostsCorporate events, product launches and retail activations.
We send: Brand ambassadors, greetersFestivals and outdoor brand activations.
We send: Street teams, sampling crewsFrom the Short North to Dublin and Westerville, so every venue has a crew nearby.
After the floor closes
Galleries, restaurants and bars a short walk north of the convention center.
Brick streets and quiet dinners south of downtown.
Food stalls next door for a quick team lunch.
Send the show and your dates. A Columbus price within 24 hours.
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