Dayton Hamvention 2027Xenia exhibitor guide: booth costs, dates and deadlines
Antennas up, table set: Dayton Hamvention 2027 booth kits in Xenia
- Event dates
- May 21–23, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- May 21–23, 2027 (Fri and Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–1 p.m.)
- Venue
- Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, Xenia
4.9 star client rating10,000+ booths builtSince 20153,000+ exhibitors served
Quick answers
Dayton Hamvention 2027 in 30 seconds
The short version for Dayton Hamvention exhibitors. You will find the source for every figure further down the page.
- When is Dayton Hamvention 2027?
- May 21–23, 2027, at Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, Xenia.
- When is the Dayton Hamvention exhibit hall open?
- May 21–23, 2027, Fri and Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
- What does booth space cost at Dayton Hamvention?
- 10×10 $630 early bird, $705 after March 1; Building 4 $580 / $630, 2026 rates, paid to the organizer.
- What does a 10×20 Dayton Hamvention booth cost all-in?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental with design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Booth space and show services are billed by the show.
Official Dayton Hamvention 2027 links: Dayton Hamvention 2027 hotelsDayton Hamvention 2027 booth space
The lookXenia, Ohio 2027
Antennas up. Ohio spring.
Dayton Hamvention, May 21–23, 2027, at the Greene County Fairgrounds: 75 years since the first one in 1952, five buildings of radios and a flea market that grew past 2,000 spaces.
Everything about Dayton Hamvention 2027 in one place
Dayton Hamvention 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | Dayton Hamvention 2027 |
|---|---|
| Event dates | May 21–23, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | May 21–23, 2027 (Fri and Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) source |
| Venue | Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center 120 Fairground Rd, Xenia, OH 45385 |
| Organizer | Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) |
| Who attends | Licensed amateur radio operators, radio clubs, emergency communications volunteers, electronics hobbyists and students |
| Booth space | 10×10 $630 early bird, $705 after March 1; Building 4 $580 / $630, 2026 rates source |
| Nearest airport | Dayton International Airport (DAY) |
| Hotels | Hamvention sponsor hotels in Huber Heights, Cedarville, Beavercreek, Fairborn and Miamisburg, booked directly Official hotel page → |
| Official website | hamvention.org |
Official Dayton Hamvention resources
01 Purple at Dayton Hamvention 2027
Antennas up, table set: Dayton Hamvention 2027 booth kits in Xenia
Hams walk five fairground buildings to key a radio, read a spec sheet and buy on the spot, so a Hamvention space has to sell in ten feet of pipe and drape. We ship a complete booth kit through Tradeshow Services, the show's decorator, because Hamvention warns that freight sent straight to the fairgrounds may not arrive.
- May 21–23 · Xenia, Ohio
- 75 years since 1952
- 10×10 inside spaces only
What makes Dayton Hamvention different, and how we build for it
Hamvention is the amateur radio world's annual gathering, run since 1952 by the volunteer Dayton Amateur Radio Association and celebrating 75 years in 2027.The inside exhibits fill Buildings 1 to 5 at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, and the flea market outside grew from 200 spaces to more than 2,000, per Hamvention. Between forums, license exams, the Special Event Station, EmComm sessions and the Amateur of the Year awards, hams shop transceivers, antennas, test gear and kits, and they buy at the booth. Hamvention honors each vendor's booth position from the prior year, so regulars keep their spot.
Hams who already own a station and come to upgrade. They want to key the radio, read the receiver specs, compare antennas and leave with the box, so stock and a card reader matter.
Club officers and EmComm teams buying for repeaters, go-kits and field day. They ask about power, portability and group pricing, and they come back with the rest of the club.
People who just passed their license exam on site, plus electronics hobbyists. They need a plain explanation, a starter kit at a fair price and someone who will answer the basic question.
Your team in Xenia
Two shops and one project manager for Dayton Hamvention
Your Dayton Hamvention booth is built in our own production shop in Fishkill, NY, or at our Las Vegas hub, shipped to the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center and installed by vetted local labor with our own project manager on the floor. A predictable 30–45-day turnaround, secure storage and a pre-show QA before Dayton Hamvention.
Your team arrives at Dayton Hamvention to a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
New at Dayton Hamvention 2027
- The 75th anniversary Hamvention
Hamvention frames 2027 as a celebration of 75 years since the first event in 1952. Anniversary years bring returning hams and clubs, so plan stock and a booth graphic that speaks to long-time operators. source
Inside Dayton Hamvention 2027
Dayton Hamvention rules that shape your booth
Hamvention tells vendors not to ship to the Greene County Fair & Expo Center, because freight may not arrive; shipments go through Tradeshow Services, Inc. We label every case for the decorator's warehouse or direct-to-show days.
The 2026 contract requires an all-perils policy of $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence, with Dayton Hamvention named as additional insured and a certificate supplied. We remind you before the forms deadline.
No remote-controlled aircraft may fly in any building or over the Greene County Fairgrounds complex during Hamvention, including demos, under the 2026 contract. We plan drone or aerial products as static displays with video.
Vendors must staff the booth 30 minutes before each day's opening and through open hours; leaving before the official close may cost next year's booth (2026 contract). We pack the kit so teardown starts only after the Sunday close.
Any contractor beyond Tradeshow Services must be pre-approved by Dayton Hamvention, and EAC forms went to the decorator by May 5 in 2026. We file our EAC form for you on the decorator's schedule.
Programs worth planning for
Amateur of the Year (given since 1955), Technical Achievement, Special Achievement and Club of the Year, chosen by the Hamvention Awards Committee.
Presentations through the weekend listed on the forums page; the first Hamvention in 1952 already ran six of them.
Amateur radio license exams held on site during Hamvention, so new and upgrading hams often walk the floor right after passing.
Hamvention, long billed as the world's largest amateur radio gathering, is the ham channel's show; choose it over IWCE or APCO when your customers are licensed hams and clubs buying for their own stations rather than public safety and enterprise radio managers. Every telecom and wireless show we build for, side by side →
02 Booths & pricing for Dayton Hamvention 2027
Popular booth sizes at Dayton Hamvention
Hamvention sells inside space in one unit: 10×10 in Buildings 1, 2, 3 and 5, and 10 wide by 8 deep in Building 4, each with a table, two chairs and pipe and drape (2026). We do not build a 10×10 booth; we supply the kit that fits the unit: back-wall graphics, a counter, a screen, lighting and shipping.
When Hamvention assigns two adjoining spaces: a continuous back wall, a working radio bench with an antenna feed, and a checkout counter so sales do not block the demo.
Pictured: data-pixel, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
Multiple product lines, a small meeting nook
Above: Barantech, a Purple inline booth
See 10×30 rental booths →
Also not sold at Hamvention; a full critical communications booth for the larger commercial shows, with the Hamvention kit stored and reused as a meeting corner.
Above: LeadSquared, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's Dayton Hamvention price
- Design work and a 3D rendering, with revisions until the Dayton Hamvention layout is right
- Structure, graphics printed for Dayton Hamvention, counters and storage as specified
- Lighting and power distribution inside your Dayton Hamvention booth
- Installation and dismantle at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, with our project manager on the floor
- Tracking of every show-service order and deadline
Billed by Dayton Hamvention and its contractor
- Booth space, paid to Dayton Amateur Radio Association
- Material handling / drayage, if the Dayton Hamvention space rate leaves it out
- Electrical service, internet and rigging at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center
- Booth cleaning, and union labor where the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center requires it
Rates to plan with for Dayton Hamvention:
- Booth space 10×10 $630 early bird, $705 after March 1; Building 4 $580 / $630, 2026 rates source
- Material handling $0.65 per lb advance warehouse, $0.59 per lb direct, 200 lb minimum, 2026 rates source
- Labor $80 per hour straight time, $160 overtime, Tradeshow Services 2026 rates source
- Admission $30 at the gate; students free, per Hamvention source
We estimate each of these on your Dayton Hamvention proposal, so the total is on paper before you sign.
All-in 2026 rental ranges: design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle are included, and custom Dayton Hamvention builds are quoted per project. Run your Dayton Hamvention numbers in the booth cost calculator and the 2026 booth cost guide.
Tell us your Dayton Hamvention booth size and what the space has to do. Expect a reply within one business day and, usually within a week, a rendering and a fixed proposal for Dayton Hamvention. No charge.
In Xenia, your team walks into a booth that is already lit and stocked. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
Our booths, designed, built and installed, to compare for Dayton Hamvention
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at an 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.
Our KLEEMANN booth let engineers touch real product and read the specs up close; a Hamvention space does the same for hams who key the radio before they buy, only in ten feet.
Read the KLEEMANN case study All case studies →“If you’re looking for a trade show booth expert who shows up and gets the job done right, Purple Exhibits is the real deal.”
Magdalena Kulisz, Service Manager, Miss Immigrant USA · read more client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for amateur radio transceiver, antenna, test gear, component and kit makers at Dayton Hamvention
Four things we get right for Dayton Hamvention exhibitors
1The table cannot wear a skirt
Hamvention's 2025 exhibitor quick facts state the included 8-foot by 30-inch table cannot be skirted. So the branding goes on the back wall and on risers that stand on the table, and we build a front counter case when you need a finished face.
2600 watts is the budget
Each space comes with about 600 watts of 120-volt power. A transceiver on receive, a power supply, a screen and LED strip lights fit inside that; amplifiers on transmit do not. We plan the load per device and file the extra electric form when needed.
3Let them key the radio
Hams buy by hand and ear. We mount the rig at standing height on a stable riser with a microphone or paddle within reach, label the specs at eye level, and keep stock boxes under the table so a sale ends with a box in hand.
4Built for a fairground
The buildings at the Greene County Fairgrounds are not a convention hall: no traditional phone lines were offered in 2026, internet is sold through the Inside Exhibits office, and every vendor gets one parking pass. We pack light, rugged cases that one person can roll in.
Concept rendering
Your Dayton Hamvention 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 Dayton Hamvention. Pictured: a Purple concept for Netronix.
Start my Dayton Hamvention conceptFloor at a glance
Where you could be at Dayton Hamvention 2027
Hamvention fills the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center: four buildings of 10×10 inside spaces, one building of shallower spaces and a large outdoor flea market. Each sets what a vendor can show.
Buildings 1, 2, 3 and 5
Inside exhibit buildings sold in 10×10 spaces with a table, two chairs, pipe and drape and about 600 watts; $630 early bird in 2026.
Our advice A full back-wall graphic inside the drape and a lit riser on the table do more here than anything on the floor in front.
Building 4
Spaces 10 feet wide by 8 feet deep, priced $580 early bird in 2026, two feet shallower than the other buildings.
Our advice We cut the back wall and riser depth for 8 feet so staff still have room to stand behind the table.
Flea Market
The outdoor market that grew from 200 spaces to more than 2,000, per Hamvention, sold through its own Flea Market office and rules.
Our advice Flea market sellers need weather-ready gear; we supply printed tents, flags and tablecloths rather than booth walls.
05 Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center · Xenia
Logistics for Dayton Hamvention 2027, handled
Hamvention's decorator is Tradeshow Services, Inc. of Englewood, Ohio, and the show warns not to ship to the fairgrounds directly. In 2026 the advance warehouse took freight at $0.65 per pound with a 200-pound minimum, direct-to-show freight ran $0.59 per pound, and rigging, material handling and booth cleaning had to go through Tradeshow Services; any other contractor needs an approved EAC form. Setup in 2026 ran Wednesday and Thursday before the show, with a mandatory fire inspection Friday morning and teardown from Sunday 1 p.m. Our project manager files the forms and books the freight.
What Purple handles
- A booth kit sized for Hamvention's 10×10 or 10×8 unit
- Risers and counter cases built around the unskirted table
- Power plan inside the 600-watt allowance
- Tradeshow Services freight, EAC and electric forms
- Storage and reuse of the kit at IWCE or APCO
Dayton Hamvention timeline, counted back from move-in
Design sign-off for Dayton Hamvention is due by February 2027.
- January 2027Space renewed or extra booth requested; Hamvention asks for move requests by January.
- February 2027Design sign-off for the back wall, risers, counter case and screen.
- Before March 1, 2027Space paid early; in 2026 the early-bird rate ended March 1.
- March to April 2027Production in our Fishkill shop; decorator, electric and EAC forms filed.
- Days before May 21, 2027Freight to Tradeshow Services; setup led by your Purple project manager before the fire inspection.
- May 21–23, 2027Show days; teardown after the Sunday 1 p.m. close and the kit back to storage.
Purple planning timeline. The official Dayton Hamvention move-in, freight target and order dates come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; when you book, we confirm them against your booth.
Printable Dayton Hamvention budget & deadline sheetTravel to Dayton Hamvention 2027
Getting to Dayton Hamvention 2027: airport and hotels
Fly in
Dayton International Airport (DAY)
Stay
Hamvention sponsor hotels in Huber Heights, Cedarville, Beavercreek, Fairborn and Miamisburg, booked directly
Find the venue
Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center
120 Fairground Rd, Xenia, OH 45385
Travel facts from hamvention.org.
Dayton Hamvention by the numbers
Dayton Hamvention year by year
How Dayton Hamvention 2027 compares with other telecom and wireless shows
The telecom and wireless shows closest to Dayton Hamvention on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each show name opens our telecom and wireless exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| BICSI WinterBICSI | February 14–18, 2027 | Orlando, FL | 113 companies on the Winter 2027 exhibitor list |
| ISPAMERICAWISPA (Wireless Internet Service Providers Association) | March 1–4, 2027 | Cherokee, NC | 1,500+ attendees · 100+ exhibitors (2025) |
| SATELLITEAccess Intelligence (SATELLITE and GovMilSpace) | March 8–11, 2027 | Washington, DC | 14,738 attendees (2026) |
| IWCEInforma Connect (IWCE) | March 8–11, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 3,600+ attendees · 225+ with sponsors exhibitors (2026) |
| ITWtechoraco (Capacity Media events) | May 10–13, 2027 | National Harbor, MD | 120+ exhibitors, per ITW (2027 site) |
| Connect (X)Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) | May 10–12, 2027 | Phoenix, AZ | 3,100 registrants attendees · 238+ sponsoring and exhibiting companies (2026) |
| Dayton HamventionDayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) | May 21–23, 2027 | Xenia, OH | – |
| Fiber ConnectFiber Broadband Association (FBA) | June 13–16, 2027 | Nashville, TN | 5,028 attendees (2026) |
| Broadband Communities SummitBroadband Communities (Total Telecom) | July 20–22, 2027 | Houston, TX | – |
| APCOAPCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials) | July 25–28, 2027 | Anaheim, CA | 200+ exhibitors (2026) |
Dayton Hamvention exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before Dayton Hamvention
When is Dayton Hamvention 2027?
Hamvention 2027 runs May 21–23, 2027, Friday to Sunday. Gates open at 9 a.m. each morning for the inside exhibits and the flea market, closing at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday. The 2026 edition ran May 15–17.
Where is Hamvention held?
Hamvention is held at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 120 Fairground Road, Xenia, Ohio, east of Dayton. Hamvention moved to Hara Arena in 1964 and later to these fairgrounds.
How much is a vendor booth at Hamvention?
For 2026 a 10×10 inside booth in Buildings 1, 2, 3 or 5 cost $630 early bird and $705 after March 1; a Building 4 space, 10 wide by 8 deep, was $580 and $630. The 2027 rates are not confirmed yet. Our kit for the space is quoted separately.
What comes with a Hamvention inside booth?
Each 2026 space included an 8-foot by 30-inch table, two chairs, pipe and drape, about 600 watts of power, three vendor badges and one parking pass. Extra badges were $26, and no extra parking passes were sold.
Can we get more than one booth at Hamvention?
Hamvention takes requests for extra booths through its Inside Exhibits contact form and asks for move requests as early as possible, by January if possible. It honors every booth position from the prior year, so space next to yours depends on what frees up.
How do we ship to Hamvention?
Ship through Tradeshow Services, Inc., the show decorator, to its advance warehouse or on the direct-to-show days; Hamvention warns that freight sent straight to the fairgrounds may not arrive. In 2026 advance freight cost $0.65 per pound with a 200-pound minimum.
When is setup at Hamvention?
In 2026 vendors set up Wednesday and Thursday before the show and early Friday, followed by a mandatory fire inspection at 8:15 a.m. Friday. Teardown ran Sunday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The 2027 schedule is not confirmed yet.
How many people attend Hamvention?
Hamvention has not posted an attendance figure on its own site. Its history page says the first event in 1952 drew over 600 visitors, and the flea market has grown from 200 spaces to more than 2,000.
How much is admission to Hamvention?
General admission is $30 at the gate, and student tickets are free, per Hamvention. Tickets can also be bought online before the show.
What can vendors not sell at Hamvention?
The 2026 contract bars weapons and criminal tools of any type, including stun guns and lock picks, and any counterfeit goods. Hamvention may remove vendors whose goods do not fit the amateur radio and electronics hobbyist nature of the show.
Can we fly a drone at Hamvention?
The whole Greene County Fairgrounds complex is a no-fly zone for drones and any remote-controlled aircraft during Hamvention, inside and outside, including demonstration flights. Violators risk expulsion.
Which hotels are near Hamvention?
Hamvention lists sponsor hotels in Huber Heights, Cedarville, Beavercreek, Fairborn and Miamisburg, booked directly with each hotel. On-site RV camping runs through the fairgrounds office; tent camping is not allowed.
Is Hamvention or IWCE better for radio makers?
Hamvention reaches licensed amateur operators and clubs who buy for their own stations; IWCE reaches public safety, utility and enterprise radio managers. Makers with both lines often do both, and we store one kit for each.
Before you sign with any builder
Five questions to ask any exhibit builder for Dayton Hamvention:
- Will the proposal show every Dayton Hamvention fee, including show contractor charges?
- Who builds the Dayton Hamvention booth: your own shop or a subcontractor?
- Will your project manager be on the floor at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center for install and dismantle?
- What exactly is in the rental, and what does Dayton Hamvention bill?
- Where is the booth stored after the show, and at what cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? We refresh the graphics, repair what is worn, ship it to the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, install it and store it between shows. You keep the structure you paid for and bring it to Dayton Hamvention.
Exhibiting from outside the US? We are your team on the ground at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, with one project manager on your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? A rental with your graphics can be ready in two to three weeks. We tell you on the first call what is realistic before Dayton Hamvention.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your Dayton Hamvention booth
What happens next
- Our reply comes within one business day, with questions on your products, goals and footprint.
- Your Dayton Hamvention concept rendering and fixed proposal usually arrive within a week. Every Dayton Hamvention fee listed upfront, in full, on paper.
- The build takes 30–45 days; we ship to the advance warehouse and install before the hall opens at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center.