Printed dresses and colored shades
Our cover photo shows three models in printed dresses and tinted sunglasses on a pink set. It is the kind of playful look that fits a brand with bright art.
See the cover photo ↑Licensing Expo booth staff and trade show models, hired in Las Vegas for the 2027 show: appointment hosts, brand ambassadors, character handlers and photo-op hosts. Every one local, every one $85 an hour.
Crew packEvery role · Las Vegas local
Sources: Licensing Expo 2026 post-show figures released by Informa Markets and Licensing International; 2027 dates (May 25–27) and venue from the official Licensing Expo website. Purple Exhibits sets the $85 hourly rate.
Licensing Expo booth staff have two jobs: keep the meeting calendar on time and make a brand look like it already sells. Purple Exhibits sends licensors, agents and brand owners local appointment hosts, table hosts, brand ambassadors, costumed character handlers and trade show models. Every person bills $85 an hour, whatever the role, with a four-hour minimum. Our crews live in Las Vegas, so flights, hotel rooms and travel fees never show up on your invoice. Licensing Expo 2027 runs May 25–27 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Most of the real business is booked ahead through the show’s matchmaking tools, so we build each crew around your appointment list. Six weeks of notice is ideal; rush orders still work at 72 hours.
Brand licensing is a business of bright art and big personalities, and the people in your booth should match. These are real Purple Exhibits teams at consumer brand events, and the standard your Licensing Expo crew works to.
Our cover photo shows three models in printed dresses and tinted sunglasses on a pink set. It is the kind of playful look that fits a brand with bright art.
See the cover photo ↑Real Purple Exhibits events.
Dress the crew to match your art, or split the look between the aisle, the meeting tables and the evening. You send branded pieces; we sort sizes and make sure everyone arrives pressed.
Your art on a crisp tee, dark jeans or chinos and spotless white sneakers. Easy to move in, easy to read from the aisle.
Best for: Character and entertainment boothsColorful dresses that pick up the palette of your art, like the models on our cover. Fun without looking like a costume.
Best for: Lifestyle, fashion, kids’ brandsA blazer in navy or a brand color over a plain top, for hosts who meet retail buying teams at the table.
Best for: Appointment tables, buyer roomsSimple cocktail dresses and dark suits for buyer dinners and parties after the hall closes.
Best for: Brand parties, dinnersAt Licensing Expo the headcount follows your meeting tables and any character on the floor. Set your booth below and the label prints the crew and the price.
Eight jobs we fill for Licensing Expo 2027 staffing, from the photo line to the buyer room door. All of them bill at one rate: $85 per person per hour.
Models stand at the art wall and invite licensees in, then pass them to the right category lead.
Ambassadors scan each badge, ask your one tagging question and hand over the tote after the scan.
For a new property reveal, promotional models present the art and keep the crowd facing the screen.
Hosts keep your meeting list, greet guests by name and walk them to their table on time.
A handler guides the performer through the crowd, calls breaks on schedule and keeps guests polite.
Queue hosts run the photo line, take pictures on guest phones and keep the wait short.
Presenters talk retailers through licensed samples on the shelf, one category at a time.
Licensing Expo draws visitors from dozens of countries. Name the languages you need when you book, Spanish or others, and we search our Las Vegas roster for them.
Getting the booth itself ready? Our Licensing Expo 2027 exhibitor guide covers deadlines, freight and labor. Brands that also show beauty lines can book Cosmoprof booth staff in the same hall in July, and fashion licensees can use the same local team for MAGIC trade show models.
An example island with an art wall, meeting tables, a photo op and a covered buyer room. Tap a zone to see what that post does; the numbered pins match the list beside the map.
Example 30×30 layout, not to scale. Send us your floor plan and we mark it up the same way.
The big art wall is what draws licensees from the aisle. A brand ambassador stands beside it, names the properties on show and asks each visitor which category they make product in.
Most real business at this show is booked ahead. The check-in host keeps the day’s appointment list, greets each guest by name and walks them to the right table on time.
A walk-around costume brings the crowd. Our handler stays next to the performer at all times, while a queue host runs the line, takes photos on guest phones and calls breaks on schedule.
Licensing deals start at these tables. A table host seats guests, offers water, sets out the right deck and gives your executive a quiet five-minute warning before the next slot.
Shelves of finished product show retailers what a brand looks like at shelf. A product host explains each sample by category and keeps fingers off the one-of-a-kind prototypes.
Retail buying teams often meet behind a closed door. The room host checks names against the invite list and keeps the aisle from seeing unreleased art.
Ambassadors at the aisle scan each badge first and hand over the branded tote second. The scan comes with one question that tags the visitor as a retailer, licensee, agent or other.
Brands that have booked Purple
The show’s matchmaking platform fills calendars before doors open, so a licensing booth runs like a restaurant with reservations. Here is how our hosts run one meeting slot, over and over, all day.
The check-in host finds the name on today’s list and offers a seat while your executive finishes up.
A table host walks the guest over, sets out the matching category deck and pours water.
The table host gives your executive a discreet signal, so nobody runs into the next slot.
Notes go into your folder, the table is reset and the next appointment sits down on time.
Each job in a licensing booth, how many people it takes and when to lock them in.
| Role | What they do at Licensing Expo | How many | Book by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment check-in host | Keeps the day’s meeting list, greets each guest by name and walks them to the right table on time | One per booth with a meeting schedule | 6 weeks out |
| Meeting table host | Seats guests, sets out the right deck, offers water and warns your executive before the next slot | One per 4 to 6 tables | 6 weeks out |
| Costumed character handler | Stays beside the performer, guides them through the crowd and calls planned breaks | One per costume, always | 5 weeks out |
| Photo op queue host | Runs the photo line, takes pictures on guest phones and keeps the wait short | One per photo op | 5 weeks out |
| Brand ambassador | Scans badges, hands out the tote or giveaway after the scan and tags each visitor by type | One or two per open side | 4 weeks out |
| Buyer room door host | Checks invites at the covered meeting room and keeps unreleased art out of sight | One per room | 4 weeks out |
| Trade show model and product host | Presents samples and new art on the shelf and at the wall, and invites people in | One per display | 4 weeks out |
People who keep a meeting calendar on time, a photo line moving and every badge scanned. These are the five roles we send to Licensing Expo.
Models at a colorful brand booth who invite licensees in from the aisle and present your newest art.
Ambassadors who scan the badge first and hand over the branded tote second.
Handlers and queue hosts who walk beside a costumed performer and keep the photo line moving.
Hostesses who greet guests in the meeting lounge and keep each appointment on schedule.
Reps with a tablet who walk retail buyers through licensed product by category.
Send your meeting listTables, slots and guests.
We brief on your brandsProperties, art and rules.
Every lead taggedRetailer, licensee, agent.
A beloved character can fill an aisle in seconds. It can also trip, overheat or get mobbed. We send the people who keep the moment fun and safe; you bring the costume and the performer.
A retail buyer and a licensing agent want very different things from your booth. Our ambassadors put the right sticker on each lead at the scan, using questions you sign off.
We askWhich store or chain, and which aisle do you buy for?
Next stepBooked into a buyer room slot or a follow-up call
We askWhat do you make, and in which countries do you sell?
Next stepPassed to the right category lead with a deck
We askWhich brands or territories do you represent?
Next stepIntroduced to your business development lead
We askAre you looking to license out, or to partner?
Next stepCard taken, meeting request sent the same day
Check things off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser.
The show floor is three days. The meetings, dinners and parties spread across the south end of the Strip, and our Las Vegas crews go wherever your team does.
Planning the hall, the docks and union labor as well? Read our Mandalay Bay Convention Center venue guide, then see how our Las Vegas booth staff cover every major venue in town.
Sample crews for common booth sizes, each person at $85 an hour. Use the crew builder above to match your own tables and characters.
| Booth | Typical crew per shift | People | Per day | Whole show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 agent or startup brand | One host who checks in appointments and scans badges | 1 | $680 | $2,040 |
| 10×20 inline | An appointment host and a tote-and-scan ambassador | 2 | $1,360 | $4,080 |
| 20×20 island | Check-in host, table host, product host and an aisle ambassador | 4 | $2,720 | $8,160 |
| 20×20 with a character | The 20×20 crew plus a costume handler and a queue host | 6 | $4,080 | $12,240 |
| 30×30 or larger island | Check-in, 2 table hosts, product host, buyer room host, 2 aisle ambassadors, handler and queue host | 9 | $6,120 | $18,360 |
| Off-floor buyer suite | A door host and a hostess for scheduled meetings | 2 | $1,360 | $4,080 |
8-hour days × 3 show days × $85 per person per hour. No travel, hotel or agency markup.
A 20×20 island with eight meeting tables, a product shelf and one open aisle side runs on four people per shift: a check-in host, a table host, a product host and an ambassador. Below, that local crew is set against the same four people flown in.
| Licensing Expo 20×20, three show days | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your Las Vegas total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$360 each | |
| Hotel late-May Strip rates · ~$260/night | |
| Per-diem ~$89/day | |
| Fly-in total |
What each option really costs and delivers at a Licensing Expo show.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per staffer | $85 an hour in Las Vegas | Higher once travel is added | Lowest rate, highest risk |
| Flights and rooms | None. Las Vegas is home | ~$360 airfare and ~$260 a night, each | None |
| Knows Las Vegas venues | Local crew, every season | Usually first time in town | Sometimes |
| The Las Vegas edge | Properties, art and rules. | 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 Las Vegas 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.
Executives stand up, look around and guess who is next. One check-in host fixes that for the whole show.
A costumed performer alone in a crowd is a safety problem and a brand risk. Always book a handler.
Free bags walk away with no lead attached. Scan first, then hand over the bag.
A 30-minute slot that runs to 40 pushes the whole day late. A table host keeps time for you.
New style guides on an open table can be photographed from the aisle. Keep them in the covered room with a host at the door.
Prefer the phone? Dial (800) 994-8030 and mention Licensing Expo.
Each person costs $85 an hour, and every shift has a four-hour minimum. That one price covers appointment hosts, table hosts, ambassadors, character handlers and trade show models. We hire in Las Vegas, so you never pay for flights or hotel nights.
Licensing Expo 2027 is May 25–27, 2027, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. We set your shifts around the hall hours the organizer publishes for each day.
Yes. Send the appointment list before the show. A check-in host learns the names and companies, greets each guest and keeps every table on time.
No. You bring the costume and the performer from your own team or vendor. We supply the handler who walks beside them and the queue host who runs the photo line.
Most costumes limit what the performer can see and hear. A handler guides them through the crowd, calls breaks and steps in if a guest gets too rough with the costume.
They scan each badge and ask one or two questions you approve. Every lead is tagged as a retail buyer, licensee, agent or brand owner, so your follow-up starts in the right place.
Count meeting tables first, then add any photo op. A typical booth wants one check-in host, a table host for every four to six tables and an ambassador per open side. Try the crew builder above for your own numbers.
Give us about six weeks before May 25 if you can. That leaves time for staff to learn your properties and your guest list. Short-notice orders are still possible up to 72 hours out.
Yes. Anyone who works in or near your buyer room signs it before the show, and the door host keeps unreleased art out of view.
We keep a bench of briefed Las Vegas staff on call all three days. A replacement gets to Mandalay Bay within two hours. If not, that shift costs you nothing.
No. Purple Exhibits is independent, and exhibitors book us on their own. We have no tie to Informa Markets or Licensing International.
Yes. Our Las Vegas team designs and builds exhibits with art walls and covered meeting rooms, then puts the crew inside them, so one partner handles both.
Right here. Our hosts and models already live in Las Vegas and get to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center by car, with no airfare or rooms to cover. They can also work your suites and Strip dinners at the same $85 rate.
Yes. Many brands book a single busy day, a property launch or one evening. Each person still has the four-hour minimum, and more days can be added while there is time to brief.
Often, yes. List the languages your visitors speak on the request form, and we match Las Vegas hosts who speak them. There is no extra charge; bilingual hosts are $85 an hour too.
Many deals get their push off the show floor. Our Las Vegas crews staff the dinners, suites and parties around Licensing Expo too.
Arrival, place cards and gift bags for buying teams.
We send: Hostesses, greetersPrivate meetings with a guest list and a door host.
We send: Door hosts, meeting hostsGuest lists, photo walls and a polished welcome.
We send: Brand ambassadors, modelsA handler and a queue host for each walk-around costume.
We send: Handlers, queue hostsGuest list checks and signed forms ahead of the reveal.
We send: Door hosts, presentersStaffing by show
Las Vegas and this show
Purple Exhibits is an independent exhibit and staffing company. We staff exhibitors at Licensing Expo; we are not affiliated with Informa Markets or Licensing International. Show names belong to their owners.
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