trucking, fleet and EV · Tampa
ATA MCE 2027Exhibitor guide: booth costs, dates and deadlines
Where trucking CEOs shop: ATA MCE 2027 booths in Tampa
- Event dates
- October 16–19, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- Not confirmed yet
- Venue
- Tampa Convention Center, Tampa
4.9 star rating from clientsSince 201510,000+ booths built3,000+ exhibitors
Quick answers
ATA MCE 2027 in 30 seconds
ATA MCE, the Management Conference & Exhibition of the American Trucking Associations, is the annual meeting of trucking company owners, CEOs and senior managers. The 2027 edition runs October 16–19 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, after Charlotte in 2026. Over 3,000 attendees from about 800 companies came in 2026, per ATA, and nearly 75% of registrants are involved in purchasing. Exhibitors are truck makers, fleet technology, safety, insurance and finance firms. Space is sold through ATA's exhibitor prospectus alongside sponsorships, with over eight hours of dedicated floor time in 2026. Purple builds executive meeting booths for it.
- When is ATA MCE 2027?
- October 16–19, 2027, at Tampa Convention Center, Tampa.
- When does the ATA MCE exhibit hall open?
- Not confirmed yet for 2027. In 2026 ATA gave exhibitors over eight hours of dedicated floor time across Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of the October 17–20 Charlotte meeting.
- How big is ATA MCE?
- 3,000+ attendees, About 800 companies represented (2026 edition).
- How much is a 10×20 booth at ATA MCE, all-in?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental in Tampa: design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed by ATA MCE.
Official ATA MCE 2027 links: ATA MCE 2027 exhibitor listATA MCE 2027 scheduleATA MCE 2027 booth space
The lookTampa Bay 2027
The people who own the fleet.
ATA MCE 2027 meets at the Tampa Convention Center, October 16–19. In 2026 over 3,000 trucking owners, presidents and senior managers from about 800 companies came, and ATA says nearly 75% help purchase.
Everything about ATA MCE 2027 in one place
ATA MCE 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | ATA Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE) 2027 |
|---|---|
| Event dates | October 16–19, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | Not confirmed yet In 2026 ATA gave exhibitors over eight hours of dedicated floor time across Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of the October 17–20 Charlotte meeting |
| Venue | Tampa Convention Center 333 S Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602 |
| Organizer | American Trucking Associations (ATA) |
| Size (2026) | 3,000+ attendees · About 800 companies represented source |
| Who attends | Trucking company owners, presidents, CEOs and senior managers; nearly 75% involved in purchasing, per ATA (2026) |
| Nearest airport | Tampa International Airport (TPA) About 15 minutes from the convention center, per Purple's Tampa guide |
| Hotels | 2027 MCE hotel block not confirmed yet; Embassy Suites (skybridge), Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott Water Street sit next to the center |
| Official website | mce.trucking.org |
Official ATA MCE resources
01 Purple at ATA MCE 2027
Where trucking CEOs shop: ATA MCE 2027 booths in Tampa
ATA's Management Conference & Exhibition brings over 3,000 trucking owners, presidents and senior managers to one hall, and most of them buy for their fleets. We build booths that make a CEO stop, then give the safety or finance conversation a seat.
- Oct 16–19 · Tampa
- 3,000+ execs in 2026
- 75% help purchase
What makes ATA MCE different, and how we build for it
MCE is the American Trucking Associations' annual meeting of the people who run carriers, not the people who drive or fix the trucks.In 2026 it drew over 3,000 owners, presidents, CEOs and senior managers from about 800 companies to Charlotte, and ATA says nearly 75% of registrants take part in purchasing and 78% spend several hours or more on the floor. Chris Spear's State of the Industry address, ATRI's Big Reveal and Bob Costello's freight outlook fill the general sessions, and 2026 sponsors ran from Daimler Truck North America and Volvo Trucks to Samsara, Lytx and Sentry Insurance. For 2027 the meeting moves to Tampa.
A short, numbers-first answer on cost per mile, insurance or driver retention, a place to sit for ten minutes, and a senior person from your side to talk to.
Camera, telematics and compliance demos they can judge quickly, with nuclear-verdict and claims numbers beside them.
Truck, trailer and financing terms, total cost of ownership comparisons and a clear path to a follow-up meeting after Tampa.
Your team in Tampa
How Purple runs ATA MCE 2027
Fishkill, NY builds and prints the booth, which then travels to the advance warehouse named by ATA's contractor, leaving extra days for October storms on the Gulf coast. In Tampa a Purple project manager leads the install alongside the labor MCE and the center call for, places the in-house power and rigging orders and keeps the booth in storage between trucking shows.
Inside ATA MCE 2027
Rules that shape your ATA MCE booth
At the Tampa Convention Center an exhibitor's full-time employees may assemble with hand tools, and outside labor works through the contractor or an EAC filed with the show and the city. Purple files that EAC form, which lets a Purple project manager direct the work.
Electrical, rigging and internet are ordered from the center itself, not the show contractor, with early-bird pricing that closes about three weeks out. We place those orders from your booth drawing in time for the discount.
Insurance certificates at this building name the organizer and the City of Tampa. We send ours with the EAC form so the floor manager has it before move-in.
Programs worth planning for
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear's general session on trucking's policy and business outlook, a fixture of the MCE program in 2026.
The American Transportation Research Institute's general session unveiling the industry's top concerns, which shapes what carrier executives talk about on the floor.
ATA's chief economist on the economy and freight markets; in 2026 it ran as an MCE breakfast session.
ATA MCE is trucking's executive conference and exhibition; choose it over TMC Annual when your buyer is a carrier owner, CEO or senior manager deciding on safety, insurance, finance or technology, not a maintenance specialist choosing parts. Compare all the automotive and transportation shows we build for →
Who exhibits at ATA MCE 2026
Sponsors of ATA MCE 2026. See the full list
- ACT 1
- Daimler Truck North America
- Volvo Trucks North America
- Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
- Aperia Technologies
- Aurora Operations, Inc.
- Samsara
- Motive
- Geotab
- Lytx
- Netradyne
- Penske
- PrePass
- Tenstreet
- CarriersEdge
- Sentry Insurance
- Great West
- BMO Transportation Finance
- Comdata
- Hexagon Agility
02 Booths & pricing for ATA MCE 2027
What does it cost to exhibit at ATA MCE 2027?
ATA sells MCE exhibit space through its prospectus and pairs it with sponsorships; truck makers and big technology vendors take islands with a truck or a lounge, while insurers, finance and software firms take inlines. We recommend a 20×20 with a seated meeting area for a first MCE, or a 10×20 with a lit wall and a demo screen.
A lit back wall with one fleet result, a demo screen at standing height and two stools for a quick executive conversation.
Pictured: Seain Industry Co., Ltd, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
A demo counter, a seated corner with a low table and a wall listing carrier references, room for an executive and a sales lead together.
Pictured: Rahman Group, a Purple inline booth
See 10×30 rental booths →
An island with a hanging sign, a closed-back meeting nook and a counter for a safety or telematics demo facing the main aisle.
Above: LeadSquared, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×20 rental booths →
A tractor or a cab cutaway on the floor, a lounge for CEO meetings and a demo bar, the format truck makers and big vendors choose.
Above: Waaree, a Purple large-format exhibit
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's ATA MCE price
- Your design and 3D rendering, revised until it is right for ATA MCE
- The structure, printed graphics, counters and storage your ATA MCE plan specifies
- Lighting and in-booth power distribution for ATA MCE
- Installation and dismantle at the Tampa Convention Center, with our project manager on the floor
- Every ATA MCE show-service order and deadline tracked for you
What ATA MCE and its contractor bill
- Exhibit space (paid to American Trucking Associations)
- Material handling (drayage) at the Tampa Convention Center, where the space rate does not include it
- Electrical, internet and rigging orders for ATA MCE
- Booth cleaning and whatever union labor the ATA MCE venue requires
Rates to plan with for ATA MCE:
- Booth build 10×20 rental $7,500–$15,000; custom 20×20 $50,000–$120,000, Purple's 2026 planning range source
- Material handling Around $155 per hundredweight with standard minimums and surcharges, Purple's 2026 Tampa planning rate source
We estimate each of these on your ATA MCE proposal, so the total is on paper before you sign.
Prices are all-in 2026 rental ranges for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; custom builds are quoted per project. Get an exact number for ATA MCE with the booth cost calculator or the 2026 booth cost guide.
Send your ATA MCE booth size and what the space needs to do for your team. A reply within one business day, then a ATA MCE rendering and fixed proposal, usually within a week. No charge.
The booth we would build for ATA MCE 2027
The carrier boardroom booth
MCE is where the people who sign for a fleet walk a hall for hours, and ATA counts 78% of them spending several hours or more on the floor. This booth is a small boardroom with a demo in front: one striking claim for the aisle, then a table where an owner can sit and run the numbers.
Claim wall
A lit wall with one carrier result in plain numbers, such as claims down or drivers kept, and the fleet size it came from.
Cab-height screens
Two screens set high, showing a dashcam, telematics or safety-score view the way a driver would see it, for a fast walk-up demo.
Owner's table
A seated table behind a half wall, for ten-minute talks on cost per mile, insurance or financing with your most senior person.
The demo
Take one real incident or lane: the camera clip or route on screen, the cost it carried, and the cost after your product, finishing with the payback in months for a fleet the size of the visitor's.
The meetings
ATA publishes no MCE meeting scheduler, so book executive meetings before Tampa through ATA's pre-show attendee mailing list, which exhibitors receive, and hold them at the owner's table during the dedicated exhibit hours.
Fewer claims. Drivers who stay.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked ATA MCE booth. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
ATA MCE booths that win carrier executives
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at an industrial technology exhibition
KLEEMANN's booth explained a heavy engineered product to senior buyers through interactive displays rather than the product itself; at MCE, truck, safety and telematics vendors face the same task with carrier executives.
Read the KLEEMANN case study All case studies →“From start to finish, their team was professional, responsive, and incredibly easy to work with. They designed and built a beautiful trade show exhibit that exceeded my expectations and helped our company stand out. We received many compliments on our booth.”
Yossi Mouskup, Senior Insurance Broker, IGI Insurance Agency · client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for truck makers, fleet technology, safety, insurance, finance and service suppliers to trucking executives at ATA MCE
Designing an ATA MCE booth for trucking's decision makers
1Seat the decision maker
ATA says nearly three in four MCE registrants are involved in purchasing, and many are owners. We give every booth above a 10×20 a real seat and a table out of the aisle flow, because a carrier CEO will talk insurance or equipment terms sitting down, not at a counter.
2Plan around the general sessions
The floor competes with the State of the Industry address, ATRI's Big Reveal and the economic outlook. We schedule demos and the booth's staffing peaks for the dedicated exhibit hours, and keep the booth quiet and tidy when the sessions pull the crowd upstairs.
Bring the truck only if it sells
A tractor on the floor stops a CEO, but it eats a 20×30 and needs a drive-in plan. For safety, finance or software vendors, we build a cab-height screen wall instead, with dashcam or telematics views at the eye level of someone used to sitting high.
Speak in carrier economics
MCE visitors read freight markets and cost per mile all week from ATA's economists. We put one hard number on the wall, such as claims cut, fuel saved or turnover reduced, with the fleet size it came from, so an owner can compare it to their own operation.
Concept rendering
You get a rendering like this with your proposal
You see your ATA MCE 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 Aeroplay Entertainment.
Start my ATA MCE conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at ATA MCE 2027
ATA has not published its 2027 floor plan. These are the parts of the Tampa Convention Center that shape an MCE booth, from Purple's Tampa venue guide.
Exhibit Hall
About 200,000 square feet on one level, divisible, with concrete floors; islands and hanging signs are routine and the docks are on the east side off Channelside Drive.
Our advice A truck display needs a clear route from the east docks; we check it on the floor plan before choosing a spot.
Waterfront meeting rooms
18 rooms added in 2024, nine of them opening directly into the hall, with bay views.
Our advice A hall-connected room makes a private CEO meeting space a few steps from the booth, if ATA sells them to exhibitors.
Ballroom
36,000 square feet, carpeted and divisible, seating 2,000+, the room the building uses for general sessions and galas.
Our advice Session breaks send the crowd back to the hall in waves; staff the booth fully for the first 20 minutes after each one.
05 Tampa Convention Center · Tampa
ATA MCE 2027 move-in, freight and Tampa Convention Center rules
The Tampa Convention Center belongs to the city and Florida is right-to-work: exhibitor employees may assemble with hand tools, while outside labor comes through the contractor or Purple as your EAC, filed with the show and the city. Electrical, rigging and internet are in-house exclusives ordered from the center, with early-bird pricing closing about three weeks out, and docks sit on the east side off Channelside Drive. October falls in hurricane season on a waterfront building, so we ship to the advance warehouse with extra margin. Purple plans Florida material handling at around $155 per hundredweight and builds in Fishkill, NY.
This building's hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for ATA MCE exhibitors are in our Tampa Convention Center exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- Island and inline booths with seated meeting space for executives
- EAC filing with ATA and the City of Tampa
- In-house electrical, rigging and internet orders at the Tampa Convention Center
- Advance warehouse freight timed around hurricane season
- Truck and cab display planning with the dock and the show contractor
- Storage between MCE and TMC or other trucking shows
ATA MCE timeline, counted back from move-in
We need your ATA MCE design signed off by early August 2027.
- Spring 2027Space and sponsorship agreed with ATA from the MCE27 prospectus; booth number and neighbors known.
- Early August 2027Design sign-off, including any truck display, hanging sign and meeting nook.
- August–September 2027Production in Fishkill, NY; EAC paperwork and certificates naming ATA and the City of Tampa filed.
- Mid-September 2027In-house electrical, rigging and internet ordered from the center before early-bird pricing ends.
- Late September 2027Freight to the advance warehouse with extra margin for hurricane season.
- October 16–19, 2027MCE in Tampa; 2027 exhibit hours not confirmed yet. Our project manager runs move-in, show days and strike.
Purple's planning timeline for ATA MCE. Official move-in, freight target and order deadlines for ATA MCE come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; we confirm them against your booth when you book.
Print the ATA MCE budget & deadline sheetBefore you book ATA MCE 2027
ATA MCE exhibitor tips for the Tampa year
Exhibitors get ATA's pre- and post-show attendee mailing list; send your meeting invitation two weeks before Tampa, when owners are planning their floor time. source
The 2026 floor had over eight hours of dedicated exhibitor time across Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; staff your senior people for those blocks, not the general sessions. source
At the Tampa Convention Center, power, rigging and internet are bought from the center, and early-bird pricing closes about three weeks out. source
An October show on Tampa's waterfront sits in hurricane season; ship to the advance warehouse days earlier than usual and pack a printed backup of your graphics. source
Lightning home games at Amalie Arena, next to the center, close streets around the block; check the NHL schedule against your move-in day. source
Who you meet on the floor
They come for ATA's policy and economics program and walk the hall to pick strategic partners; nearly 75% of registrants help purchase, per ATA.
Litigation, tort reform and safety are on the 2026 program, so they compare cameras, training and insurance programs on the floor.
Truck makers, lenders and leasing firms sponsor MCE, and fleet finance leaders use it to compare equipment and terms for the next year.
Policy, regulation and tort reform run through the MCE program, so carrier executives who handle government affairs attend for the briefings and the people behind them.
Side by side
ATA MCE vs Vehicle Tech Week North America vs STN EXPO West: 2027 at a glance
| ATA MCE | Vehicle Tech Week North America | STN EXPO West | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | October 16–19, 2027 | October 26–28, 2027 | July 8–14, 2027 |
| Where | Tampa, FL · Tampa Convention Center | Novi, MI · Vibe Credit Union Showplace | Reno, NV · Peppermill Resort Spa Casino |
| Size | 3,000+ attendees at MCE 2026, per ATA | 3,000+ industry professionals, per UKi Media & Events | 62,000 square feet of Tuscany Ballroom for buses, chargers and booths (2026) |
| Main buyers | Carrier owners, presidents and CEOs | OEM test and validation engineers | District transportation directors |
| Booth space | Price not published | Price not published | STN 2026 booth rates: 10×20 $6,175; 20×20 $10,575; 20×40 $17,575; 50×50 $41,775; 10% more after the early date |
Figures carry the year and source shown on each show's own page.
Travel to ATA MCE 2027
Getting to ATA MCE 2027: airport, hotels and parking
Fly in
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
About 15 minutes from the convention center, per Purple's Tampa guide
Stay
2027 MCE hotel block not confirmed yet; Embassy Suites (skybridge), Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott Water Street sit next to the center
Park
The free TECO Line streetcar runs from the center to Channelside and Ybor City
Travel facts from purpleexhibits.com.
ATA MCE by the numbers
ATA MCE year by year
How ATA MCE 2027 compares with other automotive and transportation shows
The automotive and transportation shows closest to ATA MCE on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each name other than ATA MCE opens our exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATA MCEAmerican Trucking Associations (ATA) | October 16–19, 2027 | Tampa, FL | 3,000+ attendees · About 800 companies represented (2026) |
| Vehicle Tech Week North AmericaUKi Media & Events | October 26–28, 2027 | Novi, MI | First edition as Vehicle Tech Week, October 27–29 exhibitors (2026) |
| SEMA ShowSpecialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) | November 2–5, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 2,300 exhibiting brands (2025) |
| AAPEXAuto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers | November 2–4, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 2,500+ manufacturers and suppliers exhibitors (2026) |
| RVDA Convention/ExpoRV Dealers Association (RVDA) | November 8–12, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 1,715 attendees (2025) |
| IBEXNMMA and RAI Amsterdam | December 7–9, 2027 | Tampa, FL | 7,700+ attendees · 701 exhibitors (2026) |
| PRI ShowPerformance Racing Industry (PRI) | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Indianapolis, IN | – |
| LA Auto ShowLA Auto Show | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Los Angeles, CA | – |
| CoMotion LACoMotion | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Los Angeles, CA | 1,200+ attendees (2026) |
| American Towman ExpositionAmerican Towman Media (A.T. Expo Corp.) | 2027 dates not confirmed yet | Baltimore, MD | 260+ exhibitors (2026) |
ATA MCE exhibitor questions
ATA MCE 2027 questions exhibitors ask
When is ATA MCE 2027?
October 16–19, 2027, Saturday through Tuesday, at the Tampa Convention Center, per ATA's event schedule and the MCE site's save-the-date. ATA has posted no 2027 floor schedule yet; in 2026 exhibitors had the hall on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Where is ATA MCE 2027 held?
At the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S Franklin St in downtown Tampa, a city-run waterfront building. The 2026 meeting was at the Charlotte Convention Center, October 17–20.
How many people attend ATA MCE?
Over 3,000 trucking company owners, presidents, CEOs and senior managers from about 800 companies, per ATA's 2026 exhibitor page. ATA adds that 78% spend several hours or more on the floor and 81% expect to come back.
How much does a booth at ATA MCE cost?
ATA publishes MCE space rates in its exhibitor prospectus rather than on the site, so 2027 prices are not confirmed yet. For the build, Purple's 2026 planning range is $7,500 to $15,000 for a rented 10×20 and $50,000 to $120,000 for a custom 20×20, before Tampa labor and freight.
Who exhibits at ATA MCE?
Truck makers, fleet technology, safety, insurance and finance companies. 2026 sponsors included Daimler Truck North America, Volvo Trucks North America, Bendix, Samsara, Motive, Geotab, Lytx, Netradyne, Penske, Sentry Insurance, BMO Transportation Finance and U.S. Bank.
Is the Tampa Convention Center a union building?
No. The City of Tampa runs it under Florida's right-to-work law, so an exhibitor's own full-time staff may assemble with hand tools, per Purple's Tampa venue guide. Electrical, rigging and internet are in-house exclusives, and outside labor works through the contractor or a registered EAC.
Can Purple build our ATA MCE booth in Tampa?
We can: Purple registers as your Exhibitor Appointed Contractor with ATA and the City of Tampa, builds in Fishkill, NY, and a Purple project manager leads the install alongside whatever labor the show contractor and the center assign.
What happens at ATA MCE besides the exhibit hall?
Executive programming: 44+ sessions in 2026, Chris Spear's State of the Industry address, ATRI's Big Reveal of research priorities and Bob Costello's economic and freight market update, plus an opening night celebration and a closing night party.
Can we show a truck at ATA MCE?
ATA does not publish vehicle display rules on its site, and the Tampa hall's east docks take drive-in freight off Channelside Drive. We plan any tractor display with the show contractor once the 2027 exhibitor kit names the move-in times.
Does hurricane season affect ATA MCE in Tampa?
It can: the Tampa Convention Center sits on the water and fall shows carry storm-surge risk, per Purple's venue guide. We ship to the advance warehouse with extra days of margin so the booth is in Tampa before any October weather.
Which hotels are near the Tampa Convention Center?
The Embassy Suites with its skybridge, the Marriott Water Street and the JW Marriott Water Street, per Purple's Tampa guide. The 2027 MCE hotel block is not confirmed yet; Tampa International Airport is about 15 minutes away.
What is the difference between ATA MCE and TMC Annual?
Audience: MCE draws trucking owners, CEOs and senior managers to policy, economics and strategy, while ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council meeting draws maintenance and equipment specialists. Sell strategy, insurance and finance at MCE; sell parts and shop tools at TMC.
Is ATA MCE worth it for a small fleet-technology vendor?
It often is, because the people who sign enterprise contracts are in one hall: ATA says nearly 75% of registrants are involved in purchasing. A 10×20 with one sharp demo and a senior seller beats a larger booth with junior staff.
Before you sign for ATA MCE
Five questions to ask any exhibit builder for ATA MCE:
- Will you register as our EAC for ATA MCE with both ATA and the City of Tampa, with certificates naming each?
- Which in-house electrical, rigging and internet orders does our design need at the Tampa Convention Center, and by when?
- How much margin will you build into freight for an October show during hurricane season?
- If we bring a tractor, how will it reach the floor from the east docks off Channelside Drive?
- Can our booth go from MCE in Tampa to TMC or another trucking show without rebuilding it?
What ATA MCE exhibitors ask us
MCE is an executive conference. Will they leave the sessions? ATA says 78% of attendees spend several hours or more on the floor, and the program sets aside over eight hours of exhibit time. Plan the booth's busiest staffing for those blocks.
We cannot find booth prices. How do we budget? Ask ATA for the MCE27 prospectus, which carries space rates, and budget the build separately: Purple's range is $7,500 to $15,000 for a rented 10×20 with graphics, plus Tampa labor and handling.
The show moves from Charlotte to Tampa. What changes for the booth? The building rules: Tampa is right-to-work and city-run, with in-house power, rigging and internet and east docks off Channelside. The booth design carries over; the orders and freight plan are new.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your ATA MCE booth
What happens next
- Our reply comes within one business day, with questions on your products, goals and footprint.
- Within a week, usually, you have a concept rendering and a fixed proposal. No fee left off: every ATA MCE cost is listed upfront, on paper.
- Production runs 30–45 days, then we ship to the advance warehouse and install before the ATA MCE hall opens.