industrial machinery · New Orleans
The ARA Show 2027Exhibitor guide for New Orleans: booth costs, key dates, deadlines
The ARA Show 2027 in New Orleans: booths sized for rental fleet buyers
- Event dates
- February 14–16, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- February 14–16, 2027 (Sun 4–9 p.m. (Tailgate Party), Mon 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Tue 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (tentative))
- Venue
- Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
4.9 star rating from clients3,000+ exhibitors10,000+ booths builtSince 2015
Quick answers
The ARA Show 2027 in 30 seconds
The quick version for exhibitors. Every figure here has its source further down the ARA Show page.
- When is The ARA Show 2027?
- February 14–16, 2027, at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans.
- When is the hall open at The ARA Show?
- February 14–16, 2027, Sun 4–9 p.m. (Tailgate Party), Mon 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Tue 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (tentative).
- How big is The ARA Show?
- 730+ exhibitors (2026 edition).
- What does ARA Show booth space cost?
- $30.50 per sq ft for associate members from July 1, 2026; $61.00 non-members, paid to the organizer.
- What does a 10×20 booth cost all-in at The ARA Show?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental in New Orleans: design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. ARA Show bills space and show services separately.
- At ARA Show, what is the next exhibitor deadline?
- Last day to cancel booth space with a refund: November 2, 2026.
Official The ARA Show 2027 links: The ARA Show 2027 floor planThe ARA Show 2027 hotelsThe ARA Show 2027 booth space
Everything about The ARA Show 2027 in one place
The ARA Show 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | The ARA Show 2027, the American Rental Association's equipment and event rental trade show |
|---|---|
| Event dates | February 14–16, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | February 14–16, 2027 (Sun 4–9 p.m. (Tailgate Party), Mon 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Tue 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (tentative)) source |
| Venue | Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130 |
| Organizer | American Rental Association (ARA) |
| Size (2026) | 730+ exhibitors source |
| Who attends | Owners, managers and buyers from equipment and event rental companies |
| Booth space | $30.50 per sq ft for associate members from July 1, 2026; $61.00 non-members source |
| Next deadline | Last day to cancel booth space with a refund: November 2, 2026 source |
| Nearest airport | Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) About 25 to 30 minutes from the convention center, per Purple's venue guide |
| Hotels | onPeak, the only hotel provider endorsed by The ARA Show 2027, with separate exhibitor and attendee booking Official hotel page → |
| Official website | arashow.org |
Official ARA Show resources
The ARA Show 2027 calendar
The ARA Show 2027 dates and deadlines
Published The ARA Show dates in order, each one linked to the organizer page that states it. The next one is highlighted.
- Last day to cancel booth space with a refundExhibitors with contracted space source
- Exclusive onPeak hotel rates start to expireExhibitors and attendees source
- Move-in opens, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (tentative)Exhibitors source
- Booths complete by 1 p.m.; education day, then the Trade Show & Tailgate Party, 4 to 9 p.m (tentative)Exhibitors and attendees source
- Trade show day one, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m (tentative)Attendees and exhibitors source
- Trade show closes at 5 p.m.; move-out until 9 p.m (tentative)Exhibitors source
- Move-out ends at 1 p.m (tentative)Exhibitors source
01 Purple at The ARA Show 2027
The ARA Show 2027 in New Orleans: booths sized for rental fleet buyers
We design ARA Show booths so a rental store owner can walk a machine, compare it with the unit in their own yard and price it before leaving the aisle. Louisiana lets your full-time staff build in the Morial Convention Center, while Freeman controls every truck at the docks.
- Feb 14–16 · Morial Center
- 730+ exhibitors in 2026
- Islands from 20×20
What makes The ARA Show different, and how we build for it
The ARA Show is a buying floor for the people who stock rental fleets.The American Rental Association limits display to products marketed to the rental industry, lets investment firms in on Tuesday only, and asks manufacturers who do not exhibit to qualify before they walk the aisles. Sunday, February 14 opens with the Future of Equipment Rental Program and ARA Show Education, then the floor opens at 4 p.m. for the Trade Show & Tailgate Party, the one window when booths may pour alcohol. Monday and Tuesday are straight selling days, and ARA forbids exhibitor events during show hours, so your booth carries the whole conversation.
Machines they can climb on and compare unit for unit, utilization and resale figures, and a person who can talk fleet pricing and delivery before the next store owner steps up.
Access panels open, service points labeled and parts availability explained, because they keep the machine renting after it leaves the yard.
Tents, staging, tableware and party products shown set up the way a customer sees them, with load, setup time and cleaning detail close at hand.
Your team in New Orleans
Built in two shops, run by one project manager
Production happens in our own shop in Fishkill, NY, and at our Las Vegas hub, and we ship to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and install with vetted local labor, led by our own project manager on the floor. A predictable 30–45-day turnaround, secure storage and a pre-show QA before The ARA Show.
When your team gets to New Orleans, the booth is lit and stocked. You just show up.
Inside The ARA Show 2027
ARA Show rules that shape your booth
Island displays and hanging signs top out at 20 feet measured to the top of the sign, inline booths at 8 feet with no hanging signs, but equipment in its normal operating position is exempt. We let the machine carry the height.
Islands and peninsulas start at 20×20, ARA will not lay out 30×30, 30×40 or 40×40 spaces, and one company may take six booths or 5,000 square feet at most. We shape large exhibits as 20-foot-deep runs.
Fueled machines on display carry no more than a quarter tank with a sealed cap and disconnected batteries; gasoline units run only during move-in and move-out, and propane tanks are banned even empty. We prep each unit at the dock.
Event rental exhibitors may display inflatables within the height rules, but slides, bouncers and obstacle courses may not be used or demonstrated, and ARA wants a liability certificate. We anchor and rope off inflated units.
No booth may be dismantled or repacked before the official close; a first violation suspends that year's points, a second wipes them and a third bars the company (2027 rules). We schedule teardown from 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Programs worth planning for
ARA's opening program on Sunday, February 14, 2027, scheduled the same day as ARA Show Education and ahead of the evening Trade Show & Tailgate Party.
The opening evening on the exhibit floor, Sunday, February 14, 2027, 4 to 9 p.m., and the only time ARA allows booths to serve alcohol.
Education sessions for equipment and event rental professionals on Sunday, February 14, 2027, ahead of the two trade show days.
The ARA Show is where rental fleets buy; choose it over World of Concrete when your customers are equipment and event rental stores stocking fleets rather than contractors buying machines for their own jobs. Compare The ARA Show with the other industrial machinery shows we build for →
industrial machinery at The ARA Show
The industry behind The ARA Show, in pictures
02 Booths & pricing for The ARA Show 2027
Popular booth sizes at The ARA Show
ARA sells booths from 10×10, but islands and peninsulas start at 20×20 and it will not lay out 30×30, 30×40 or 40×40 spaces, capping any company at 5,000 square feet. We recommend a 10×20 for tools and software and a 20×20 or 20×30 island for lifts and compact machines.
Two power tools or a compact attachment on lit plinths against an 8-foot back wall, a counter for rental rate talk and a screen running rental software.
Above: Messilot, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
A 30-foot inline run where ARA lifts its 4-foot rule except within 10 feet of a neighbor, so a compact machine sits mid-booth with a rate counter at each end.
Shown: a Purple inline booth for IMS
See 10×30 rental booths →
The smallest island ARA sells: one scissor or boom lift raised to working height, a 20-foot hanging sign and a seated corner for the fleet price conversation.
Above: Eonmetall, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×20 rental booths →
An island or peninsula holding three or four machines with service panels open, a closed meeting room with its own extinguisher and a parts wall.
Above: Bonomi, a Purple large-format exhibit
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's price
- Design and a 3D rendering for The ARA Show, revised until it is right
- Structure, printed graphics, counters and storage, as specified for The ARA Show
- Lighting and in-booth power distribution for ARA Show
- Setup and teardown, with our project manager on the ARA Show floor
- Each service order and deadline in the ARA Show exhibitor kit, tracked for you
What The ARA Show and its contractor bill
- Booth space, paid to American Rental Association
- Material handling at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, when the space rate does not include it
- Electrical service, internet and rigging at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
- Booth cleaning and any union labor the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center requires
Rates to plan with for The ARA Show:
- Booth space $30.50 per sq ft for associate members from July 1, 2026; $61.00 non-members source
- Corner charge $200 per corner for members, $400 for non-members, inline booths only, 2027 source
- Drayage About $155 per cwt, 200 lb minimum, 2026–27 planning figure
Every one of these is estimated on your proposal, so you see the full The ARA Show total on paper before you sign.
Ranges shown are all-in 2026 rental prices for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle at The ARA Show; custom builds get their own quote. The booth cost calculator gives an exact number for your ARA Show booth; the 2026 booth cost guide has the 2026 ranges.
Send your ARA Show booth size and what the space needs to do for your team. A reply within one business day, then a ARA Show rendering and fixed proposal, usually within a week. No charge.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked ARA Show booth. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
Our booths, designed, built and installed, to compare for ARA Show
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at an industrial technology exhibition
A global elevator manufacturer’s interactive booth: real product showcases, digital simulations and a floor plan that guided visitors from the first step to the last.
KLEEMANN walked visitors around real elevator hardware in a set order; an ARA island does the same job with lifts and loaders that rental buyers want to climb.
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 · read more client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for construction, lift and event rental equipment makers, tool brands and rental software companies at The ARA Show
Four things we get right for The ARA Show exhibitors
1Raise the lift above the cap
ARA's 20-foot limit applies to display material, not to equipment shown in its normal operating position. A boom or scissor lift can stand extended over your island, so we keep structure low and let the raised platform become the sign buyers see from the aisle.
2Three square footprints are banned
ARA rejects 30×30, 30×40 and 40×40 footprints to protect traffic, and caps a company at 5,000 square feet and six booths. We lay out machine-heavy exhibits as long 20-foot-deep islands, with a clear walk-around lane on each side of every unit.
3Show remanufactured units honestly
Refurbished equipment is allowed in an ARA booth only if it looks new, is the exhibitor's own product and is identified as remanufactured. We print that identification onto the machine's plinth graphic so it reads as a program you sell, not a disclaimer.
4Use Sunday night for hospitality
Alcohol is allowed only during the Sunday, February 14 Trade Show & Tailgate Party, 4 to 9 p.m., and ARA bans exhibitor functions during show hours. We build a bar counter that converts to a spec counter overnight, ready for Monday's 9:30 a.m. opening.
Concept rendering
Your proposal for The ARA Show includes a rendering like this one
The 3D view shows layout, graphics, lighting and product positions before we cut a panel, and we revise it until the ARA Show booth is right. Shown: a Purple concept for Bonak.
Start my ARA Show conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at The ARA Show 2027
ARA has not published which Morial Convention Center halls the 2027 floor uses, so this covers the building and the hand-carry rules every exhibitor meets.
Halls A to J along the river
The building strings its halls along the Mississippi for about two miles, so a booth near one end can sit far from the dock that serves the other.
Our advice Once ARA sends your booth number we label crates for the nearest dock and time the machine deliveries with Freeman.
Hand-carry areas
Full-time exhibitor staff may unload cars, pickups and vans for 30 minutes, up to 300 pounds, on two-wheel dollies only; material handling equipment is neither allowed nor loaned.
Our advice We pack graphics and small parts as dolly loads for your staff and send everything heavier through Freeman.
05 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center · New Orleans
Logistics for The ARA Show 2027, handled
Your full-time ARA booth staff may do the assembly themselves at the Morial Convention Center, a right-to-work state privilege, while drayage, electrical and rigging stay with union trades through Freeman, ARA's official general service contractor. Freeman takes crated freight at its warehouse up to 30 days ahead and controls every vehicle at the docks; hand-carry from a car or pickup is limited to 30 minutes and 300 pounds on two-wheel dollies, and the building lends no carts. Our drayage planning figure here is about $155 per hundredweight. Halls A to J stretch along the river, so we route freight to the dock nearest your booth, and our project manager leads vetted New Orleans labor on the floor.
This building's hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for ARA Show exhibitors are in our Ernest N. Morial Convention Center exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- Island layout inside ARA's 20-foot cap and its banned footprints
- Freeman orders, rigging and the hanging sign
- Machine placement with fuel, battery and propane rules met
- Smoke detector and extinguisher for any covered area of 400 square feet or more
- Build and teardown directed by our project manager with vetted New Orleans labor
- Storage between The ARA Show and your next equipment show
ARA Show timeline, counted back from move-in
Last day to cancel ARA Show booth space with any refund: November 2, 2026. After November 2 cancelled space is not refunded, so commit to your footprint now and send it to us for the design.
We need your ARA Show design signed off by early December 2026.
- Early December 2026Design sign-off, machine list and hanging sign drawing approved.
- December 2026 to mid-January 2027Production in our shop over 30 to 45 days; plinths, service-point graphics and the Sunday bar counter built and tested.
- Mid-January 2027Crates ship to the Freeman advance warehouse, which takes freight up to 30 days before the show; Freeman orders placed.
- February 11–14, 2027Move-in, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and until 1 p.m. Sunday, when every booth must be complete.
- February 14–16, 2027Tailgate Party Sunday evening, trade show Monday and Tuesday; our project manager is on call.
- February 16–18, 2027Move-out from 5 p.m. Tuesday through 1 p.m. Thursday; machines loaded to your return plan, booth to storage.
Purple's planning timeline for The ARA Show. Official move-in, freight target and order deadlines for The ARA Show come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; we confirm them against your booth when you book.
Print the ARA Show budget & deadline sheetTravel to The ARA Show 2027
Getting to The ARA Show 2027: airport and hotels
Fly in
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
About 25 to 30 minutes from the convention center, per Purple's venue guide
Stay
onPeak, the only hotel provider endorsed by The ARA Show 2027, with separate exhibitor and attendee booking
Find the venue
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130
Travel facts from arashow.org.
The ARA Show by the numbers
The ARA Show year by year
How The ARA Show 2027 compares with other industrial machinery shows
The industrial machinery shows closest to The ARA Show on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each name other than ARA Show opens our exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| World of ConcreteInforma Markets | January 18–21, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 47,400+ attendees · 1,300+ exhibitors (2026) |
| The ARA ShowAmerican Rental Association (ARA) | February 14–16, 2027 | New Orleans, LA | 730+ exhibitors (2026) |
| SME MINEXCHANGESociety for Mining | February 28–March 3, 2027 | Denver, CO | 7,050 attendees (2025) |
| Work Truck WeekNTEA | March 9–12, 2027 | Indianapolis, IN | 15,646 attendees · 547 exhibitors (2026) |
| World of Asphalt and AGG1AEM for owners NAPA | March 15–17, 2027 | New Orleans, LA | 11,500+ attendees (2025) |
| AMPPAMPP (Association for Materials Protection and Performance) | April 11–15, 2027 | Columbus, OH | 6,345 registrants attendees · 350+ exhibitors (2026) |
| RAPID + TCTSME | April 12–15, 2027 | Detroit, MI | 10,000+ attendees · 470+ exhibitors (2026) |
| ReMA ShowRecycled Materials Association (ReMA) | April 12–15, 2027 | Nashville, TN | – |
| Design-2-Part Show, TexasDesign-2-Part Shows (D2P) | April 14–15, 2027 | Irving, TX | 90% of 2026 Irving attendees decide on outsourcing |
| ProMatMHI | April 19–21, 2027 | Chicago, IL | 52,223 attendees · 1,160 exhibitors (2025) |
The ARA Show exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before The ARA Show
How much does a booth at The ARA Show 2027 cost?
Booth space is ARA's line: $30.50 per square foot for associate members since July 1, 2026, and $61.00 for non-members, so a 20×20 island is $12,200 or $24,400 before anything is built. Our side for that island runs $16,000 to $40,000 as a rental or $50,000 to $120,000 custom. Machine count and rigging move it.
What is the deadline to order a booth for The ARA Show 2027?
November 2, 2026 is the date that matters to ARA exhibitors: after it, cancelled space earns no refund at all. Full payment was due September 21. Our clock needs your approved design in early December 2026 so we can build, ship to Freeman's warehouse in January and install from February 11.
Can we rent a booth for The ARA Show, and what does a rental include?
We rent complete ARA booths: structure, fabric graphics, LED lighting, machine plinths, counters, flooring and storage, delivered, installed and taken down on one fixed proposal. ARA's own 10×10 package stops at an 8-foot back drape, 3-foot side rails and a sign, so a rental is what turns that into a selling space.
Can our own staff set up our booth at the Morial Convention Center?
Your full-time employees may build it, since Louisiana is right-to-work. Freeman still handles drayage, rigging and electrical, controls the docks, and unloads anything beyond a 30-minute, 300-pound hand-carry from a car, pickup or van. The building has no carts or pallet jacks to lend, so bring two-wheel dollies.
Can we display running equipment at The ARA Show?
Gasoline machines may run only during move-in and move-out. On display they hold no more than a quarter tank, sealed with a locking cap or tape, with batteries disconnected, and propane tanks are banned even empty. ARA can stop any demonstration it finds hazardous and holds noise under 85 decibels.
What does drayage cost at The ARA Show and who pays it?
You pay Freeman, by weight, at the tariff in the Exhibitor Service Manual. We plan Morial freight near $155 a hundredweight this season and next, never billed below 200 pounds. Machines on their own tracks or wheels are priced separately, so we list each unit on your proposal.
How does ARA assign booth space?
ARA starts assigning space in late July with priority points: 5 for associate membership, 3 for each year exhibited, 2 for each 10×10 requested, 2 for a paid directory ad, up to 20 for a sponsorship and 25 for $75,000 in total ARA spend. After the first round, space goes first come, first served.
Can we reuse our ARA Show booth at other shows?
We build ARA booths in modules that can follow your fleet to World of Concrete in Las Vegas or Equip Exposition in Louisville with new graphics. ARA itself moves cities, Anaheim in 2028 and Orlando in 2029, so we keep the kit in storage and ship it to whichever hall comes next.
When is The ARA Show 2027?
Sunday, February 14, 2027 is the education day with the Future of Equipment Rental Program, followed by the Trade Show & Tailgate Party on the floor from 4 to 9 p.m. ARA's tentative hours then run the trade show Monday, February 15, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday, February 16, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where is The ARA Show 2027 held?
New Orleans hosts 2027, in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Convention Center Boulevard. ARA rotates the show: Orlando hosted 2026, and ARA lists Anaheim for 2028 and Orlando for 2029. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is about 25 to 30 minutes from the convention center.
How many people attend The ARA Show?
ARA counted more than 730 exhibiting companies and 1,727 rental stores at The ARA Show 2026 in Orlando, and reports that 81 percent of its attendees shape buying decisions. It describes the show as drawing more than 10,000 rental professionals. Attendance for 2027 is not confirmed yet.
Is The ARA Show open to the public?
No. Badges go to equipment and event rental owners and staff, current and retired, to exhibitors, qualified non-exhibiting suppliers, independent reps working in a booth and trade press. Investment companies may attend Tuesday only, and everyone must show a direct industry tie.
Before you sign for ARA Show
Ask any ARA Show exhibit builder these five questions:
- Does the proposal list every fee, including the show contractor's bills?
- Who actually builds it for The ARA Show: your shop or a subcontractor?
- Does your project manager stay on the floor through install and dismantle in New Orleans?
- What exactly is in the rental, and what does The ARA Show bill?
- Once The ARA Show closes, where does the booth go and what does storage cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? Your existing booth gets refreshed graphics and repairs, then we ship it to New Orleans, install it and store it between shows. You keep the structure you paid for and bring it to The ARA Show.
Exhibiting from outside the US? For The ARA Show, we act as your team on the ground: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, and one project manager who answers your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? A ARA Show rental carrying your graphics can be ready in two to three weeks. On the first call, we tell you what is realistic for The ARA Show.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your ARA Show booth
What happens next
- We reply within one business day with questions about your products, goals and ARA Show footprint.
- Usually within a week, you receive a concept rendering and a fixed ARA Show proposal. All fees listed upfront, in full, on paper, before The ARA Show.
- The build takes 30–45 days; we ship to the advance warehouse and install before the hall opens at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.