Bistro apron
A brand-color polo or white shirt under a long bib apron with your logo. Says “food people” at a tasting counter.
Best for: Sampling countersIDDBA 2027 staffing for dairy, deli and bakery exhibitors: sampling hosts, case presenters, buyer reps and camera-ready models. Atlanta locals at $85 an hour each, with no travel line on the bill.
Real Purple eventSources: iddba.org IDDBA 2027 page (June 6–8, 2027, Atlanta; 2026 highlights: 11,000+ registrants, 1,000+ exhibiting companies, 200 new exhibiting companies, 40+ countries, 81% of retail attendees buyers and key decision makers); IDDBA 2027 exhibitor application (Georgia World Congress Center); ESM Magazine report on IDDBA 2026 (1,019 exhibiting companies, a show record). Figures as published, checked October 2026.
IDDBA is the yearly show where dairy, deli and bakery brands meet the supermarket and foodservice buyers who fill their cases. Purple Exhibits supplies IDDBA booth staff for exactly that kind of floor: sampling hosts who serve clean, labeled tastes, product presenters who know your pack sizes, booth reps who log every buyer and trade show models for launch photos. Each person is $85 an hour with a four-hour minimum. IDDBA 2027 runs June 6–8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, and our crew lives in the Atlanta area, so the invoice carries no flights, hotels or travel fees. The show moves to a new city most years and returns every June. Your own trained team keeps charge of slicers, ovens and the food safety log; our people serve, explain and capture leads. March bookings get the best pick of hosts; a rush crew is still possible on 72 hours’ notice.
Hosts and reps from real Purple Exhibits food and beverage booths. Friendly with a plate in hand, exact with the facts.
Brand reps. Two brand reps in lime logo polos hold up the products behind a long, well-stocked table. Product in hand, price list in view, ready for the next buyer.
That is the IDDBA style we aim for: product in hand, pack facts ready, and a quick handoff to your sales lead when a buyer wants to talk numbers.
Book IDDBA staffReal Purple Exhibits events.
Four outfits that suit a dairy, deli and bakery floor. Dress the whole crew alike, or match each look to the job.
A brand-color polo or white shirt under a long bib apron with your logo. Says “food people” at a tasting counter.
Best for: Sampling countersA bright polo that matches the backdrop, dark trousers and clean, closed shoes. Easy to spot from the aisle.
Best for: Aisle work, demosA simple black dress with a lanyard and low heels or flats. Smart for buyer tables and evening tastings.
Best for: Buyer meetings, suitesA blazer over an open-collar shirt with tailored trousers. Right for presenters at the case and for dinners.
Best for: Presenters, dinnersSend brand colors, aprons or shirts with your booking. Every host who serves food comes with hair tied back, short clean nails and closed shoes made for hard floors.
Tell the planner how busy your counter gets and how you serve. It prints an order ticket with the crew, the tastings an hour it can handle and the total at $85 per hour.
Six areas most dairy, deli and bakery booths share, and who works each one. Select an area to read the job.
Example 20×30 booth, not to scale. When you book, we mark your own floor plan with positions like these.
Most buyers stop here first. A sampling host hands over a portion, names the item and its pack size, and asks one question that tells the rep who this buyer is.
The case shows the product the way a shopper would meet it. A product presenter talks through case counts, shelf life and the program behind it, using only the facts you approve.
An ambassador at the corner reads badges and invites retail buyers in. Brokers and other suppliers are greeted kindly and pointed to the right person on your team.
Breads, cakes and sweet goods look best on a tidy table. The host keeps the display covered, plates fresh portions and clears crumbs between waves of visitors.
Planned meetings with chain and independent buyers. A meeting host checks names against your list, offers a drink and keeps the next group seated until your sales lead is free.
Back of booth: coolers, warmers and any slicer. Your own trained people run the equipment and keep the food safety log. Our hosts restock trays and carry used ware back here.
Brands that have booked Purple
Every category on an IDDBA floor brings its own questions and its own handling. We brief the crew for the counter they will stand at.
Wedges, crumbles and spreads. Hosts serve portions your team cut that morning, keep each label next to its tray and know which items are aged, smoked or flavored.
Sliced to order means a slicer, and a slicer stays with your trained staff. Our host plates, offers and tells the buyer the pack format and the slice count.
Soups, sides and grab-and-go meals. Warmers and hot holding are yours to run and log. The crew serves small cups and explains how the item sits in a store’s prepared foods case.
Breads, cakes, cookies and pastries. Domes stay on, crumbs get cleared, and every host can answer “is it frozen, par-baked or fresh?” from your fact card.
Yogurt, butter, cream and dips. Cold items come out in small batches and go back in the cooler, so the tasting cup a buyer gets is always properly cold.
Buyers ask about ingredients and claims. The crew uses only the wording you approve and sends nutrition questions to your own expert.
Operators and distributors want case packs, yield and prep steps. A booth rep takes these talks and books a follow-up with your sales lead.
Food handling, plainly. Our hosts wear gloves, serve with tongs or picks, keep trays covered and never guess about allergens: each sample has a card from you. Cooking, slicing, hot and cold holding and the temperature log stay with your own trained team and the rules in the IDDBA exhibitor manual.
IDDBA runs its own programs next to the exhibit hall. They change where buyers walk and when they are free, so the crew plan follows them.
IDDBA’s own inspiration and education area on the show floor, built around the trends in its What’s in Store research, with a Workshop Stage for short expert sessions.
What the crew doesBuyers often walk straight from there to the aisles with an idea in mind. Your ambassador asks what caught their eye and links it to the item on your counter.
A program IDDBA runs to bring buyers to the show and into planned meetings with exhibitors.
What the crew doesIf you have hosted buyer appointments, a meeting host keeps the list, greets each buyer by name and company and makes sure your sales lead is free on time.
Trend talks, panels and the speaker line-up run alongside the exhibit hall.
What the crew doesWhen your team speaks or attends a session, the crew keeps the counter going and saves the leads for your return.
IDDBA’s recognition program for people in the industry, part of the show week.
What the crew doesIf someone from your company is honored, we cover the booth so your team can be in the room.
Program names as listed on the official IDDBA 2027 page. IDDBA runs these programs; Purple Exhibits staffs exhibitor booths only.
IDDBA opens on a Sunday and closes on a Tuesday. We set each crew call before the hall opens, so trays are out and the brief is fresh when the first buyer arrives.
Fresh trays, full energy and buyers with long lists. Two hosts at the counter at the start of each day, a rep beside them logging every first visit.
The middle day. If buyers booked times with you, the meeting host runs the buyer table; breaks are staggered so tastings never stop.
Last tastings, last follow-up dates and a careful pack-down of cold product with your team.
IDDBA publishes the exhibit hall hours for each day. We match call times to them once they are posted.
Seven roles exhibitors ask us for at IDDBA, with the job each one does, typical headcount and when to lock them in.
| Role | What they do at IDDBA | How many | Book by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sampling host | Serves pre-portioned tastes, names each item and keeps the counter clean and covered | One per tasting counter, two at peak | March |
| Product presenter | Explains pack sizes, case counts, shelf life and merchandising ideas at the display case | One per case or category | March |
| Booth rep | Scans badges, notes the products each buyer tried and logs follow-ups for your sales team | One per 20×20 or busy counter | Early April |
| Meeting host | Runs your appointment list with retail buyers and keeps meetings on time | One per buyer table | Early April |
| Brand ambassador | Invites buyers in from the aisle and hands out sell sheets and recipe cards | One per open corner | April |
| Trade show model | Poses with new products for your photographer and trade press visitors | One per photo block | April |
| Bilingual rep | Helps buyers and suppliers from outside the US, in Spanish or other languages | On request | April |
Eight services food exhibitors book for this show, all at $85 per hour per person. For a counter built around live tastings, see our product demonstrators for food and tasting demos; for buyer tables and lounges, our trade show hostesses for meetings and lounges.
Models pose with new packs and finished dishes for your photographer, trade press and social team. They learn the product names first, so captions come out right.
Hosts serve the portions your team prepares, with gloves on, labels in view and an allergen card at hand. They keep the counter wiped and covered between waves.
Presenters stand at the display case and explain pack sizes, case counts, shelf life and the merchandising idea behind each item, in words you sign off.
Reps scan badges, note what each buyer tasted and asked, and tag the follow-up for the right person on your sales team.
Hosts keep your appointment list with retail and foodservice buyers, offer a drink and seat each meeting on time.
Ambassadors work the aisle corner with sell sheets and recipe cards and invite buyers in to taste.
For a breakfast, talk or reception you host during IDDBA week: names, badges and a short line at the door.
Helpful with visitors from the 40+ countries the show reports. Name the language on the form; the quote lists who speaks it.
Food-safe habits, a clear pitch and a steady hand at the counter. These five roles cover most dairy, deli and bakery booths at IDDBA.
Presenters with a headset mic who walk a group of buyers through a new cheese or deli line.
Ambassadors who scan a buyer's badge at the aisle and note what they came to taste.
Hosts in gloves at a tasting counter, serving portions with the pack beside each one.
Hostesses who welcome retail buyers to a meeting lounge and keep each appointment on time.
Reps with a tablet who talk a buyer through case counts and log the follow-up.
Send the tasting planItems, portions, allergens and the facts we may say.
Tasting run before doorsCounter, case and lead form tested at your booth.
Every buyer notedWhat they tried, what they asked, who follows up.
Most of the planning falls between New Year and the first week of June. Tick items off as you go; this browser remembers them.
IDDBA 2027 fills halls at the Georgia World Congress Center downtown. Our Georgia World Congress Center venue guide explains the buildings, docks and labor, and the IDDBA 2027 exhibitor guide covers booth design and build for this show. The same people work every Atlanta show through our Atlanta trade show staffing team. Food brands on the winter and spring circuit can book us the same way for Winter Fancy Food Show staff in San Francisco and Natural Products Expo West booth staff.
Booth walkthrough, tasting run, label and allergen check against your brief.
Crews on the floor at the Georgia World Congress Center, plus hosts for suite tastings nearby.
Buyer dinners and receptions downtown, in Midtown and in West Midtown.
Sample crews for six booth types. Each line is people × hours × $85.
| Booth | Typical crew per shift | People | Per day | Whole show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 booth, one product line | A sampling host and a booth rep | 2 | $1,360 | $4,080 |
| 10×20 with a tasting counter | Two sampling hosts and a rep | 3 | $2,040 | $6,120 |
| 20×20 dairy or deli booth | Two sampling hosts, a presenter and an ambassador | 4 | $2,720 | $8,160 |
| 20×30 with a buyer table | Two hosts, a presenter, a rep, a meeting host and an ambassador | 6 | $4,080 | $12,240 |
| Large island, several categories | Four hosts, two presenters, two reps, a meeting host and an ambassador | 10 | $6,800 | $20,400 |
| One-day boost | An extra sampling host for the busiest day (4-hour minimum) | 1 | $680 | $2,040 |
8-hour days × 3 show days × $85 per person per hour. No travel, hotel or agency markup.
A 20×20 dairy booth with one tasting counter needs two sampling hosts, a presenter and an ambassador. Here is that local Atlanta crew next to the cost of bringing four people in by plane.
| IDDBA 20×20, three show days | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your IDDBA total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$360 each | |
| Hotel Downtown Atlanta, June · ~$245/night | |
| Per-diem ~$74/day | |
| Fly-in total |
How the choices stack up for IDDBA exhibitors, row by row.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $85 per person, every role | Agency rate plus travel markup | Low hourly, untrained for booths |
| Getting staff here | They commute in | Flights (~$360) and hotel nights (~$245) | Local, but unscreened |
| IDDBA venue know-how | Works these halls all year | Learns the venue on show day | Hit or miss |
| The IDDBA edge | Counter, case and lead form tested at your booth. | Not local | Not specialised |
| Product briefing | Included before day one | Varies by agency | Rarely |
| Scanner and follow-up | Notes in the scanner for sales | Depends on the team | Untrained |
Fly-in costs use the same typical IDDBA rates as the budget above. Other agencies’ pricing varies.
Short form, no deposit, no obligation.
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours, usually much sooner. Need it now? Call (800) 994-8030.
Prefer a call? Dial (800) 994-8030; the IDDBA team picks up.
Each staffer is $85 an hour, with four hours as the shortest booking. Sampling hosts, presenters, reps, meeting hosts and models all bill at that one rate. The crew is local to Atlanta, so no travel fees are added.
IDDBA 2027 runs Sunday through Tuesday, June 6–8, 2027, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The show is held every June, and the host city changes from year to year. Hall hours are set by IDDBA; check the official schedule as the show gets closer.
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association. The show is aimed at retail and foodservice buyers, merchandisers and executives, and attendees register through IDDBA.
Yes. Sampling hosts serve the portions your team prepares, with gloves, labels and an allergen card for each item. They follow the sampling rules in the exhibitor manual and any local rules the show passes on.
No. Slicers, ovens, warmers and the food safety log stay with your own trained people. Our crew plates, serves, restocks trays from your prep area and talks with buyers.
Plan one sampling host for every 60 to 90 buyers an hour at the counter, plus one rep for leads. Add a presenter for the display case, a meeting host if buyers book times and an ambassador from 20×20 up. The tasting line planner on this page works it out.
Yes. Reps scan badges, write down what each buyer tried and what they asked about, and mark who should follow up. Pricing and terms remain your sales team’s call.
Yes. Every staffer needs an exhibitor badge from your booth’s allotment. Our names reach you early, so badge requests go in on time.
March gives you the widest choice of hosts and presenters. Later requests are fine too; with 72 hours’ notice we can still put a rush crew together.
Atlanta standbys stay reachable Sunday through Tuesday. When one is needed, they read your brief on the way, and if they reach your booth later than two hours after the call, you are not charged for the shift.
No. Exhibitors book Purple Exhibits on their own; IDDBA and the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association have no tie to us.
Ask Purple Exhibits by phone or with the quote form on this page. Our Atlanta crew reaches the convention center by MARTA or car, with nothing billed for travel.
Yes. A single day, a photo block or an evening reception all work. Bookings start at four hours per person, billed at $85 an hour.
Models bill like everyone else: $85 an hour. One model for an eight-hour day is $680, and travel is never added.
Yes. We design and build exhibits, including tasting counters, display case walls and buyer tables, and staff them under one plan. Our IDDBA exhibitor guide covers the build side.
Plenty of dairy, deli and bakery business happens after the aisles close. Same $85 rate, same brief.
Welcome, seat cards and a parting gift for each retail partner.
We send: HostessesA quiet tasting of your new line for one chain at a time.
We send: Sampling hosts, meeting hostsA reveal for trade press and key accounts.
We send: Models, product presentersName checks and seating at a breakfast or talk you run.
We send: Registration staffDoor list, wristband table and a branded backdrop.
We send: Brand ambassadors, door hostsStaffing by show
Atlanta and this show
Staffing by role
Purple Exhibits is an independent exhibit and staffing company. We staff exhibitors at IDDBA; we are not affiliated with the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). Show names belong to their owners.
Share the floor plan and what you will sample. Your IDDBA price arrives inside one business day.
Let’s get right on that answer for you: