AISTech 2027 · May 3–5, 2027 · Music City Center, Nashville
AISTech 2027 booth design & build in Nashville
Custom and rental exhibits for mill equipment, wear parts, automation and plant services, built so a steelmaker can read the component and its place in the process from the aisle. Engineered supports for heavy parts, a working table for drawings, and Fern orders handled by Purple's Nashville crew.
Molten metal being poured in a foundry
Purple at AISTech 2027
What makes AISTech different, and how we build for it
AISTech is where North America's steel producers shop for technology, and the Iron & Steel Exposition sits inside a working technical conference. The AIST Technology Conference runs hundreds of presentations spanning the full steelmaking process in the same building, so the engineer at your booth has just come from a session on the exact process your product serves. The President's Award Breakfast and the Town Hall Forum put plant leadership in one room, Student Activities bring the next generation of engineers onto the floor, and the Vehicle Giveaway keeps badges in the hall. Fern runs the floor, and buyers arrive in plant teams, from melt shop to finishing, and stop for a component with its role in the line marked.
A fast read of what the technology does, where in the mill it goes and the operating problem it removes, plus a place to sit with a supplier for fifteen minutes.
The actual component, a section or an accurate model they can inspect, drawings on a table, and staff who can answer application questions in detail.
Comparison data, reference installations and a quiet spot for a scheduled meeting away from the demonstration noise.
Purple in Nashville
Local crew, national shop
Purple builds in Fishkill, NY and Las Vegas, NV, ships to every hall in the United States and installs on site with our own project manager and local labor. For Nashville we book freight targets, coordinate the general contractor and run a pre-show QA so your team can just show up.
Predictable 30–45-day turnarounds, secure storage and pre-show QA. Your booth ships from our production shop in Fishkill, NY or our Las Vegas hub, and our project manager is on the floor for install and dismantle.
Booth options for AISTech 2027
Pick a footprint. We’ll price it as a rental, a custom build, or a hybrid.
AISTech floors are built around machinery: the big equipment houses take islands with full assemblies and serious tonnage, while the inline rows hold refractories, rolls, sensors and services. Most Purple clients at AISTech land between a 10×20 with one hero component and a 20×30 island with a demo bay and a closed meeting room.
One component on an engineered plinth, a process graphic behind it and a counter for drawings and samples.
See 10×10 rental booths →
A hero part plus a sample bench for wear parts or refractories, with a small table for engineering talks.
See 10×20 rental booths →
A representative assembly or model, a controls demo screen and an open meeting table under a hanging sign.
See 20×20 rental booths →
A full machine or section, a comparison bench, a private meeting room and storage for spare samples.
See 20×30 rental booths →All-in 2026 ranges for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; booth space, drayage and show services are separate. A custom-built booth runs roughly $100 to $250 per square foot depending on finish level. A rental of the same footprint usually lands at 35 to 50 percent of the purchase price for one show. Get an exact number for AISTech with the booth cost calculator or read the 2026 booth cost guide.
Send the show, your booth size and what the space needs to do. We return a fixed proposal, usually within two business days.
Built by Purple
Booths we have designed, built and installed
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at industrial technology exhibition
An interactive booth for a global elevator manufacturer: digital simulations, real product showcases and a floor plan that guided visitors from first step to last.
Read the KLEEMANN case study All case studies →“Purple Exhibits made us look good. The booth was one of the nicest displays in our section of the convention center and generated a lot of positive comments from both customers and industry peers. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and willingness to go above and beyond made a huge difference.”
Kimberly Owens, Brand Manager, Owens Products · more client reviews
Designing for steel industry suppliers at AISTech
Four things we get right for AISTech exhibitors
Build the plinth around the real weight
We start from the actual dimensions, weight and lift points of the display item, then design the support, the packing and the placement method so the part sits at inspection height, stays level on the hall floor and can be set by our crew without a last-minute crane call.
Show where the improvement happens
A selective process diagram of the mill, from ironmaking through finishing, locates your offer within the line. We pair it with the relevant component, sensor or control screen rather than filling every wall with the whole plant, so a visitor sees your scope in seconds.
Separate the demo from the drawings
Demonstration sound and screens draw the aisle; engineering talk needs quiet. We size a table for drawings, sample pieces and a shared display, set it away from the presenter, and give staff a place to record the plant, process stage and follow-up request.
Label the data and the samples
For controls and inspection demos we run one plant scenario with prepared data and an offline playback option. For wear parts and refractories we build a comparison bench with consistent lighting, stable supports, clear application labels and a locked drawer for take-away samples.
Concept rendering
Every proposal comes with a rendering like this
You see the booth in 3D before we cut a single panel: layout, graphics, lighting and product positions, revised until it is right. Shown: a Purple concept for Bonak.
Start my AISTech conceptMusic City Center · Nashville
Logistics for AISTech 2027, handled
Music City Center puts its exhibit halls and loading docks on Level 3, which shortens the route for a heavy component but means every crate moves on a Fern target. Fern is AISTech's general service contractor, and its Exhibitor Service Manual covers carpet, furniture, electrical and material handling. We pull floor-load limits and dock door sizes from the venue's Event Planning Guide before we crate a plinth. Utility connections run through venue staff to floor pockets, so we position counters around the connection plan with removable access panels. We read the AIST Standard Booth Guidelines, file the Fern orders, ship to the advance warehouse, order wired internet for controls demos, and put our Nashville crew on the floor for installation.
What Purple handles
- AIST exhibitor forms, Fern service orders and target dates
- Structural design for heavy components and machinery plinths
- Process graphics printed in house and proofed with your engineers
- Freight to the Fern advance warehouse and drayage paperwork
- Electrical, wired internet and floor-pocket coordination at Music City Center
- Installation, dismantle and return shipping with our Nashville crew
Timeline, counted back from move-in
- Mid-February 2027Design sign-off; island drawings prepared against the AIST Standard Booth Guidelines.
- March 2027Production in Fishkill, NY; plinths load-tested against your component weights.
- Early April 2027Fern orders filed; booth and fixtures ship to the Fern advance warehouse.
- Late April 2027Targeted move-in; Purple's Nashville crew installs, levels the component and runs the pre-show checklist.
- May 3–5, 2027Show days; a Purple project manager is on call from opening Monday through the Wednesday close.
- May 5–6, 2027Dismantle after the hall closes, component recrated, booth to storage or the next show.
AISTech exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before AISTech
How much does a 20×20 at AISTech cost?
A complete 20×20 custom island runs $50,000 to $120,000 and a 20×20 rental $16,000 to $40,000, covering design, structure, graphics and installation. A 10×20 inline lands at $7,500 to $15,000 rental or $15,000 to $45,000 custom. Component supports and freight move the number; send weights and we return a fixed quote.
Can you install heavy equipment at Music City Center?
Yes. We design the plinth from your component's dimensions, weight and lift points, book the Fern target so the crate comes straight to Level 3, and our Nashville crew sets and levels the piece before your team lands. Utility connections are planned around the floor pockets so nothing gets boxed in.
Can we rent a booth for AISTech?
Yes. Rental architecture with your graphics, custom component fixtures on a rental frame, or a fully custom build are all on the table. Many suppliers keep the engineered supports and sample benches from year to year and rent the walls, which keeps the AISTech budget predictable.
When do we need to decide?
Design sign-off by mid-February 2027 gives a comfortable 30 to 45 day build and an early April ship to the Fern advance warehouse ahead of move-in. Later is possible; the trade-off is finish choices and freight cost, especially for anything heavy that needs an engineered plinth.
Do you handle Fern orders and drayage?
Yes. We work through the Fern Exhibitor Service Manual, order carpet, electrical and material handling, ship to the advance warehouse on schedule and keep you copied on every deadline. Your team registers badges with AIST and then just shows up at Music City Center.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your AISTech booth
What happens next
- We reply within one business day with questions about your products, goals and footprint.
- You get a concept rendering and a fixed proposal, usually within a week.
- We build in 30–45 days, ship to the advance warehouse and install before the hall opens.
