industrial machinery · Chicago
FABTECH 2027Booth costs, dates and deadlines: the Chicago exhibitor guide
Sparks, lasers and press brakes: FABTECH 2027 booths in Chicago, built to run
- Event dates
- September 13–16, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- Not confirmed yet
- Venue
- McCormick Place, Chicago
4.9 star rating from clients3,000+ exhibitorsIn business since 201510,000+ booths built
Quick answers
FABTECH 2027 in 30 seconds
The short version for FABTECH exhibitors. Sources for each FABTECH figure are further down the page.
- When is FABTECH 2027?
- September 13–16, 2027, at McCormick Place, Chicago.
- When does the FABTECH exhibit hall open?
- Not confirmed yet for 2027. In 2026 the Las Vegas expo opened October 21–23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing at 4 p.m. on the last day.
- How big is FABTECH?
- 42,000 attendees, 1,700+ exhibitors (2025 edition).
- What is the all-in cost of a 10×20 booth at FABTECH?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental at FABTECH with design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed separately by FABTECH.
Everything about FABTECH 2027 in one place
FABTECH 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | FABTECH 2027, North America's metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, produced with AWS, FMA, PMA, SME and IFCA |
|---|---|
| Event dates | September 13–16, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | Not confirmed yet In 2026 the Las Vegas expo opened October 21–23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing at 4 p.m. on the last day |
| Venue | McCormick Place 2301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616 |
| Organizer | FABTECH event partners: AWS, FMA, PMA, SME and IFCA |
| Size (2025) | 42,000 attendees · 1,700+ exhibitors source |
| Who attends | Owners and executives, manufacturing and design engineers, production supervisors, welders and machine operators, distributors and buyers from job shops and OEMs |
| Nearest airport | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O'Hare International Airport (ORD) |
| Hotels | onPeak was FABTECH's official hotel provider in 2026; 2027 Chicago housing not confirmed yet |
| Official website | fabtechexpo.com |
Official FABTECH resources
01 Purple at FABTECH 2027
Sparks, lasers and press brakes: FABTECH 2027 booths in Chicago, built to run
We build FABTECH booths where the laser cuts, the robot welds and the press brake bends while a shop owner watches the part come off. At McCormick Place, Teamsters still move every crate from the dock, so we consolidate freight and time move-in around your machine riggers.
- Sep 13–16, 2027 · McCormick
- 1,700+ exhibitors in 2025
- Weld, cut and bend live
What makes FABTECH different, and how we build for it
FABTECH is run by five associations, AWS, FMA, PMA, SME and IFCA, and covers the whole metal shop after the raw stock arrives: cutting, bending, stamping, welding and coating.The 2027 edition comes back to Chicago, where the 2025 show set FABTECH's largest floor to date. Buyers walk the Welding, Tube and Pipe, Stamping and Press Automation and Job Shop pavilions to watch parts made, and the FABTECH Conference, Women of FABTECH and the Emerging Leaders Program fill the rooms around the floor. In FABTECH's audience survey, 83% of attendees influence or approve equipment purchases, so a running machine and someone who can quote it are the brief.
Throughput, changeover time and a price for the machine in front of them, from someone who can talk financing and delivery without sending them to a website.
A clear view of the arc, the bend or the cut through a proper screen, the finished part to hold, and the parameters behind it on a screen beside the cell.
Hands-on time with the torch, the controls or the software, and staff who speak shop floor, since many will advise the owner who signs the order.
Your team in Chicago
Two shops, one project manager, every hall
We fabricate in our own Fishkill, NY shop and our Las Vegas hub, then ship to McCormick Place, where our own project manager leads the install with vetted local labor. A predictable 30–45-day turnaround, secure storage and a pre-show QA before FABTECH.
The booth is lit and stocked when your team reaches McCormick Place. You just show up.
Inside FABTECH 2027
FABTECH rules that shape your booth
Machinery, controllers and moving tables must sit two feet in from any aisle; a non-operating back panel with a low rail may sit one foot in on corners, peninsulas and islands (2026 rules). We plan the aisle strip as display space.
FABTECH limits exhibit materials and signage to 20 feet, subject to ceiling height, while machinery has no height limit; displays within five feet of the aisle stay under 4 feet near a neighbor (2026 rules). We let tall machines carry the skyline.
Robots in motion need solid panel, rail or fence barriers at least 36 inches high, placed 24 inches beyond the full work envelope and 24 inches from aisles, with no drapes, chains or rope (2026 rules). We build them into the booth.
Arc welding flash must be enclosed on all sides with flash sight screens, welding and spray painting need exhaust venting, and machines throwing chips, sparks or spray must be shielded (2026 rules). We design weld bays with screens, ducting and camera feeds.
Programs worth planning for
The education program beside the floor: 200+ sessions across 13 tracks at the 2025 Chicago show, a draw for engineers who then walk the booths.
New at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago and listed again among the 2026 pavilions alongside AI, Welding and Tube and Pipe, so job shop buyers have one area to start from.
FABTECH's program for women in the industry, which marked its 10th anniversary at the 2025 Chicago show with a keynote session.
Pairs early-career manufacturing professionals with mentors and industry leaders; it ran for its second year at FABTECH 2025.
FABTECH covers metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing, with 1,700+ exhibitors in Chicago in 2025; choose it over IMTS when your machine bends, cuts, joins or coats metal rather than machining it. Every industrial machinery show we build for, side by side →
industrial machinery at FABTECH
The industry behind FABTECH, in pictures
02 Booths & pricing for FABTECH 2027
Popular booth sizes at FABTECH
FABTECH floors mix 10×20 inlines for consumables, software and tooling with large islands where laser cutters, press brakes and robotic weld cells run all day. We recommend a 20×20 when one machine must run with room to watch it, and 20×40 or larger for a connected cut, bend and weld sequence.
Welding consumables, abrasives or nesting software on two counters, kept under 4 feet in the front five feet where FABTECH protects a neighbor's sightline.
Shown: a Purple inline booth for IMS
See 10×20 rental booths →
A single benchtop cobot weld cell behind solid 36-inch barriers in the center bay, sample weldments on one side and a quote table on the other, two feet back from the aisle.
Shown: a Purple inline booth for ABC Compressors
See 10×30 rental booths →
One running machine, such as a fiber laser or press brake, with its controller set two feet in from the aisle, a parts wall and a 20-foot structure.
Above: SMOXH, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×20 rental booths →
A full cut, bend and weld sequence across several machines, flash-screened weld bays with exhaust venting, a closed meeting room and a hanging sign.
Shown: a Purple large-format exhibit for Bonomi
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's FABTECH price
- A 3D rendering of your FABTECH booth, revised until you approve it
- Structure, printed graphics, counters and storage, as specified for FABTECH
- Lighting and power distribution inside your FABTECH booth
- Installation and dismantle at McCormick Place, with our project manager on the floor
- Every FABTECH show-service order and deadline tracked for you
Billed by the show and its contractor
- Your FABTECH booth space, paid to the organizer
- Material handling (drayage) at McCormick Place, where the space rate does not include it
- Electrical service, internet and rigging at McCormick Place
- Booth cleaning and whatever union labor the FABTECH venue requires
Rates to plan with for FABTECH:
- Drayage (Purple venue guide) About $210 per cwt, 200 lb minimum, Purple's 2026–27 McCormick Place planning figure source
Before you sign, your proposal already estimates each of these show charges, so the FABTECH total is on paper.
The prices above are all-in 2026 rental ranges covering design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; custom builds for FABTECH are quoted per project. Want an exact number for Chicago? Use the booth cost calculator or the 2026 booth cost guide.
Send your FABTECH booth size and what the space needs to do for your team. We reply within one business day and send a rendering and a fixed proposal, usually within a week. No charge.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
Our booths, designed, built and installed, to compare for FABTECH
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 showed heavy machinery with simulations and a guided floor plan at an industrial exhibition, the same mix of running equipment and explanation a FABTECH fabricator needs.
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 Purple client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for metal forming, fabricating, welding, cutting and finishing equipment brands at FABTECH
Four things we get right for FABTECH exhibitors
1Screen the arc, show the weld
FABTECH requires arc welding flash to be enclosed on all sides with flash screens and welding or spray painting to run with exhaust venting. We design the weld bay so the screens frame the demo, with a monitor fed by a camera inside showing the bead to the crowd outside.
2Robot barriers 24 inches out
FABTECH's robot rules ask for solid barriers at least 36 inches high, placed 24 inches beyond the robot's full work envelope and 24 inches from any aisle; drapes, chains and rope do not count. We size the cell enclosure first, then fit counters and graphics around it.
3Two feet off the aisle
Machinery, including controllers and moving tables, must stand two feet in from any aisle at FABTECH, or one foot when only a non-operating back panel faces it on a corner, peninsula or island. We use that strip for sample parts and lighting that pull people in.
4Let the machine be the tower
FABTECH caps exhibit materials and signage at 20 feet but sets no height limit on machinery. A tall laser gantry or press brake already reads across the hall, so we keep structure lighter and spend the budget on lighting the part coming off the machine.
Concept rendering
Your FABTECH proposal comes with a rendering like this
Layout, graphics, lighting and product positions are all in the 3D view, revised until right, before a single panel is cut for FABTECH. Shown: a Purple concept for RPS.
Start my FABTECH conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at FABTECH 2027
FABTECH has not published its 2027 hall plan, so here are the four McCormick Place buildings the show can draw on and what each means for heavy fabrication equipment.
South Building
About 840,000 square feet across two levels, opened 1997, with docks on both levels.
Our advice If FABTECH places you here, we check which level your hall is on before planning crate sizes and rigging for a press brake or laser.
North Building
Roughly 700,000 square feet, opened in 1986; its loading docks face north.
Our advice We route crates to those docks and book move-in slots so the heaviest machine lands before the walls go up.
West Building and Lakeside Center
The West Building adds about 470,000 square feet with a walkway to the Hyatt Regency; Lakeside Center has 583,000 square feet and the Arie Crown Theater.
Our advice Good for conference-side exhibits and lighter equipment; we keep crews in the skywalk hotels to save walking time between buildings.
05 McCormick Place · Chicago
Logistics for FABTECH 2027, handled
At McCormick Place your own full-time employees may build the booth with their own tools, but every crate from the dock to your space is Teamster material handling billed by weight; Purple budgets roughly $210 for every 100 pounds, and no shipment is billed under 200 pounds. Freeman served as FABTECH's official contractor for 2026, and the 2027 contractor and move-in schedule are not confirmed yet. Each McCormick Place building has its own docks, so once FABTECH assigns space every crate label carries the building, hall and booth number; we then ship one consolidated load to the advance warehouse and schedule your machine riggers before our project manager starts the walls.
Hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for the building that hosts FABTECH are in our McCormick Place exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- Weld bays with flash screens and exhaust venting
- Robot barriers placed 24 inches beyond the work envelope
- Floor plan holding every machine two feet off the aisle
- Exhibitor kit orders, freight and rigging schedule
- Graphics matched to your machine colors and safety markings
- Install and dismantle led by our project manager
Your FABTECH timeline, from move-in back
We need your FABTECH design signed off by early July 2027.
- October 21–23, 2026FABTECH 2026 runs in Las Vegas; a good week to walk the floor and talk with FABTECH sales about Chicago space.
- Early July 2027Design sign-off with machine list, weights, power, air and exhaust needs fixed.
- July to mid-August 2027Production in our Fishkill, NY shop over 30 to 45 days; flash screens and robot barriers built into the structure.
- Mid-August 2027Crates to the advance warehouse in Chicago, addressed by building, hall and booth number.
- Days before September 13, 2027Move-in and machine rigging, with our project manager running the booth build around the machines.
- September 13–16, 2027Show days, then dismantle, machines crated to your return plan and the booth to storage.
Purple's planning timeline for FABTECH. Your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule set the official move-in, freight target and order deadlines, and we confirm each one against your booth when you book.
Print the FABTECH budget & deadline sheetTravel to FABTECH 2027
Getting to FABTECH 2027: airport and hotels
Fly in
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Stay
onPeak was FABTECH's official hotel provider in 2026; 2027 Chicago housing not confirmed yet
Travel facts from s36.a2zinc.net.
FABTECH by the numbers
FABTECH year by year
How FABTECH 2027 compares with other industrial machinery shows
The industrial machinery shows closest to FABTECH on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Select any name to open our exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| iVT Expo USAUKi Media & Events | August 25–26, 2027 | Rosemont, IL | 162 companies listed (2026) |
| IWF WestIWF West | August 25–27, 2027 | San Antonio, TX | 26,555 IWF Atlanta attendees · 1,094 IWF Atlanta exhibitors (2024) |
| FABTECHFABTECH event partners: AWS | September 13–16, 2027 | Chicago, IL | 42,000 attendees · 1,700+ exhibitors (2025) |
| ASM Heat TreatASM International and the ASM Heat Treating Society | October 5–7, 2027 | Columbus, OH | – |
| The Utility ExpoAssociation of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) | October 5–7, 2027 | Louisville, KY | 22,600+ attendees · 1,084 exhibitors (2025) |
| CAMXAmerican Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) | October 18–21, 2027 | Anaheim, CA | ~6,000 attendees · 500+ exhibitors (2025) |
| Turbomachinery & Pump SymposiaTurbomachinery Laboratory | October 18–21, 2027 | Houston, TX | 4,800+ attendees · 320 exhibitors (2025) |
| Equip ExpositionOutdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) | October 19–22, 2027 | Louisville, KY | Nearly 30,000 attendees (2025) |
| MT Series SOUTHEASTSME | October 19–21, 2027 | Greenville, SC | 5,000 attendees · 300 exhibitors (2025) |
| Motion + Power Technology ExpoMotion + Power Manufacturers Alliance (MPMA) | October 26–28, 2027 | Detroit, MI | 4,425 professionals with ASM Heat Treat · 170 exhibitors (2025) |
FABTECH exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before FABTECH
How much does a booth at FABTECH 2027 cost?
For a running press brake or laser, plan a 20×20: $16,000 to $40,000 as a Purple rental or $50,000 to $120,000 custom. A 20×40 with a cut, bend and weld sequence runs $100,000 to $250,000 custom. FABTECH's 2027 space rates are not confirmed yet; machine weight and rigging move the total most here.
What is the deadline to book a FABTECH 2027 booth?
A 2027 space or exhibitor-kit deadline for Chicago is not confirmed yet; space is sold through FABTECH's sales team. From our end, a design approved in early July 2027 gives our Fishkill shop its 30 to 45 days and still gets crates to the advance warehouse in August.
Can we rent a FABTECH booth, and what comes with it?
A FABTECH rental from us is a reusable frame wrapped in your fabric graphics, lit with LEDs, with sample-part counters and a lockable closet; we also ship it, build it and take it down, all priced in one fixed quote. Expect $7,500 to $15,000 for a 10×20. We can add flash-screen panels and solid robot barriers to a rental so a weld demo meets FABTECH's rules.
Can our own team set up our FABTECH booth at McCormick Place?
Your full-time staff are allowed to build at McCormick Place, whatever the booth size, using their own tools. Every crate and machine still travels dock to booth as Teamster material handling, so machines arrive with the riggers and our project manager coordinates both crews.
Can we weld, cut or run robots in our FABTECH booth?
You can, inside FABTECH's 2026 rules: arc flash enclosed on all sides with flash screens, exhaust venting for welding and spray painting, shields for chips and sparks, and solid robot barriers at least 36 inches high, 24 inches beyond the envelope. FABTECH also wants a manufacturer's representative supervising each demonstration, ready to stop it.
What does drayage cost at FABTECH in Chicago?
Material handling at McCormick Place is billed by weight; for 2026 and 2027 we budget roughly $210 for every 100 pounds, 200 pounds at least, and late, off-target or uncrated loads cost extra. FABTECH's 2027 tariff is not confirmed yet, so we price your crates on the proposal and ship early.
Which hall will FABTECH 2027 use at McCormick Place?
The 2027 hall plan is not confirmed yet. McCormick Place has four connected buildings: North at about 700,000 square feet, South at about 840,000 on two levels, West at about 470,000 and Lakeside Center. Once your booth number arrives we plan the dock, freight path and hotel around that building.
Can we reuse our FABTECH booth at other shows?
We design modules that move on to IMTS in Chicago in September 2028, The ASSEMBLY Show or METALCASTING Congress, with new graphics per show. Between events we store the booth, swap panels when your machine line changes and ship it to whichever show is next.
Do you handle Freeman orders and machine rigging for FABTECH?
We do. Freeman was FABTECH's official contractor in 2026; once the 2027 exhibitor manual names the contractor, we file electrical, compressed air, rigging and material handling orders, book move-in, and send you a copy of every form.
When is FABTECH 2027?
FABTECH 2027 runs September 13–16, 2027 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The 2026 edition runs October 21–23, 2026 in Las Vegas; FABTECH Canada follows June 13–15, 2028 in Toronto.
How many people attend FABTECH?
The last Chicago edition, FABTECH 2025, drew 42,000 attendees and 1,700+ exhibitors, 300 of them first-time, on 885,000+ square feet, per the organizers. FABTECH 2024 in Orlando drew about 30,000 attendees and 1,500 exhibitors.
Who organizes FABTECH?
FABTECH is produced by five event partners: the American Welding Society (AWS), the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), SME, and the Industrial Finishing & Coating Association (IFCA).
How do we get a booth at FABTECH 2027?
Use the Request Space link on FABTECH's Exhibit page or contact a member of the FABTECH sales team; 2027 Chicago rates are not confirmed yet. Tell us your machine list first and we will tell you which footprint and pavilion fit before you sign the space contract.
Before you sign for FABTECH
Five questions to ask any exhibit builder for FABTECH:
- Are all fees on paper, including what the contractor at McCormick Place bills?
- Who builds the booth: your own shop or a subcontractor?
- Will your project manager be on the floor at McCormick Place for install and dismantle?
- What does the rental include, and what is billed by FABTECH?
- Where does the booth go after FABTECH, and what does storage cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? Bring it: we refresh the graphics, repair what is worn, ship it, install it at FABTECH and store it until the next show. The structure you paid for stays in use.
Exhibiting from outside the US? We handle the ground work for FABTECH: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, with one project manager replying to your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? In two to three weeks, a rental with your graphics can be ready for Chicago. We tell you on the first call what is realistic before FABTECH.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your FABTECH booth
What happens next
- You get a reply within one business day, asking about your products, goals and footprint at FABTECH.
- Usually within a week, you receive a concept rendering and a fixed FABTECH proposal. Every FABTECH fee listed upfront, in full, on paper.
- Production runs 30–45 days, then we ship to the advance warehouse and install before the FABTECH hall opens.