The shelf issue · 2027
Toy, licensing and retail trade shows 2027 in the U.S., 25 events in one guide: retail and store brands, brand licensing and promotional products, toys, games and juvenile products. The biggest names are NRF 2027 (January 10–12, Javits Center, New York; 41,000+ retail professionals a year, per NRF), Toy Fair New York (February 20–23, Javits Center; 720+ exhibitors in 2026) and Licensing Expo (May 25–27, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas; 12,500+ attendees in 2026). Toy Fair sells raw space at $40 per sq ft, and ECRM sessions run as pre-booked buyer meetings.
01 THE TOP 7
NRF, PLMA and Licensing Expo lead on published attendance, and Las Vegas hosts three of the seven. Toy Fair New York, the PPAI Expo and NACDS publish exhibitor or retailer counts instead of attendance, so they follow on those figures.
NRF 2027: Retail's Big ShowJanuary 2027 · New York41,000+ retail professionals each year, per NRF
PLMA Private Label Trade ShowNovember 2026 · Rosemont14,000 attendees (upwards of) in 2025, per PLMA
Licensing ExpoMay 2027 · Las Vegas12,500+ attendees and 1,500+ qualified retailers in 2026, per Licensing International
Prosper ShowMarch 2027 · Las Vegas1,000+ advanced marketplace sellers, per Prosper
The PPAI ExpoJanuary 2027 · Las Vegas~1,000 exhibiting companies and 2,500+ booths for 2027, per PPAI
Toy Fair New YorkFebruary 2027 · New York720+ exhibiting companies in 2026, 175+ of them first-time, per The Toy Association
NACDS Total Store ExpoAugust 2027 · San Diego250+ retail companies and 5,600+ booked meetings in 2026, per NACDSThe first four are ranked by each organizer’s latest published attendance; the last three by exhibiting or retail companies, which is what those organizers publish. Read each number with its label and year. Sources: NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show · PLMA Private Label Trade Show · Licensing Expo · Prosper Show · The PPAI Expo · Toy Fair New York · NACDS Total Store Expo.
The lookbookShelf life 2027
A drug chain buyer, a studio’s licensing lead and a toy store owner all picture the same thing at the booth: the shopper who will pick this up. Plan the booth, and the people in it, so they can see that shopper.
Face packaging front out so the shelf reads at a glance.
02 TWENTY-FIVE FLOORS, FROM THE PLANOGRAM TO THE PLAYROOM
Three kinds of floor sit in this guide. Retail and store brands: NRF 2027, PLMA, NACDS Total Store Expo, Shoptalk, Prosper and the ECRM sessions. Licensing and promotional products: Licensing Expo, the PPAI Expo, the ASI Shows and the three Impressions Expos. Toys, games and juvenile: Toy Fair New York, ABC Kids Expo, GAMA Expo, ASTRA Marketplace and the LA Spring and Fall Preview market weeks. Filter by month, region or city and build a shortlist.
Each card gives dates, city and venue, who buys, who exhibits, the companies it fits, what to know before you sign, and the organizer’s link.
Popular cities
When & where November 15–17, 2026 · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center · Rosemont (Chicago area), Illinois
Store-brand buyers from supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, mass merchants, wholesale clubs, dollar stores and e-commerce; upwards of 14,000 attendees in 2025.
1,900+ exhibitors from 63 countries in 2025; health and beauty, household and general merchandise share the floor with food and beverage.
Consider it if you manufacture household, personal care, health or general merchandise products for retailer store brands.
PLMA does not publish booth rates; exhibit space is by request through PLMA.
When & where Event: January 5–7, 2027 · Exhibits: January 6–7, 2027 · Orange County Convention Center, South Building, Hall A · Orlando, Florida
Promotional products distributors, decorators and their sales reps sourcing branded merchandise for corporate clients.
Promotional products suppliers: drinkware, bags, apparel blanks, writing instruments, tech accessories, awards and decoration services.
Consider it if you supply branded merchandise and want the first distributor show of the year in the Southeast.
The Expo Hall is open only two days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, so meetings need to be booked ahead.
When & where Event: January 10–12, 2027 · Exhibits: Expo open January 10–12, 2027: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday · Jacob K. Javits Convention Center · New York, New York
Retail executives and decision-makers in technology, operations, marketing and merchandising; more than 41,000 retail professionals attend each year, from more than 100 countries.
Retail technology, payments, store operations, supply chain, retail media and data providers, with a Startup Hub and the NRF Innovators Showcase.
Consider it if you sell technology, services or store solutions to retailers; product brands mostly attend rather than exhibit.
Booth rates are not published; exhibit sales go through NRF's sales team.
When & where Event: January 11–14, 2027 · Exhibits: January 12–14, 2027 · Mandalay Bay Convention Center · Las Vegas, Nevada
Promotional products distributors, branded merchandise buyers, decorators and agency teams.
Branded merchandise suppliers across apparel, drinkware, bags, technology, writing instruments, wellness and decoration, with product pavilions and new exhibitors.
Consider it if you sell promotional products or decoration services and want the largest distributor audience of the year in one hall.
PPAI describes about 1 million square feet, nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies and 2,500+ booths for 2027, so a small booth needs pre-show outreach to be found.
When & where Event: January 21–23, 2027 · Exhibits: January 21–23, 2027 · Long Beach Convention Center · Long Beach, California
Decorated apparel shops, screen printers, embroiderers, promotional products decorators and apparel brand owners.
Blank apparel and headwear suppliers, decoration equipment (screen printing, embroidery, DTF, heat transfer), inks, supplies and software.
Consider it if you supply blanks, decoration equipment or supplies to the West Coast decorated apparel and promo market.
Impressions Expo is an Emerald show with a conference alongside the floor, and it runs three editions a year (Long Beach, Atlantic City and Fort Worth).
When & where Event: February 20–23, 2027 · Exhibits: February 20–23, 2027 · Javits Center · New York, New York
Toy buyers from mass, specialty and online retailers, licensors, media and inventors; 2026 buyers came from all 50 states and 68 countries and territories, including all top 25 U.S. toy retailers.
720+ exhibiting companies in 2026, including more than 175 first-time emerging toy companies: toys, games, hobby, youth entertainment and licensed products.
Consider it if you sell toys, games or play products to U.S. and global retailers.
Raw space is $40 per square foot; returning exhibitors had to renew by May 13 for priority booth assignment, so new companies are placed after renewals.
When & where Event: March 1–3, 2027 · Exhibits: March 2–3, 2027 · Fort Worth Convention Center · Fort Worth, Texas
Promotional products distributors, decorators and sales reps from Texas and the central U.S.
Promotional products suppliers: drinkware, bags, apparel, writing instruments, tech accessories and decoration services.
Consider it if your distributor customers are concentrated in Texas and the central states.
Expo Hall hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
When & where March 18–20, 2027 (Expo & Conference) · Atlantic City Convention Center · Atlantic City, New Jersey
Decorated apparel shops, screen printers, embroiderers and promotional products decorators from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Blank apparel and headwear suppliers, decoration equipment, inks, supplies and software.
Consider it if your decorator customers are on the East Coast.
This is the East Coast edition of Impressions Expo; the January show in Long Beach and the November show in Fort Worth reach other regions.
When & where Event: April 25–29, 2027 · Exhibits: April 28–29, 2027 · Baltimore Convention Center · Baltimore, Maryland
Hobby game store owners, distributors and retailers of tabletop games.
Tabletop game publishers and manufacturers: board, card, miniatures and role-playing games, plus accessories.
Consider it if you publish or make tabletop games and sell through hobby game stores and distributors.
2027 is the first Baltimore edition after Louisville; the booth application deadline is November 30, 2026.
When & where Event: May 12–14, 2027 · Exhibits: May 12–14, 2027 · Mandalay Bay Convention Center · Las Vegas, Nevada
Juvenile and baby product retailers, buyers, distributors and media; attendee registration opens January 2027.
Strollers, car seats, nursery furniture, feeding, baby gear, gifts and children's products; the show sold out in 2023 and in 2024 for the third straight year.
Consider it if you sell baby and juvenile products to specialty, mass and online retailers.
The show runs Wednesday to Friday and registration closes at 1 p.m. on Friday, so most business happens on May 12 and 13.
When & where Event: May 17–21, 2027 · Exhibits: May 17–21, 2027 · The Toy Building · El Segundo, California
Toy buyers and retailers, licensors and industry partners previewing lines ahead of the holiday season.
Toy companies from global brands to emerging businesses showing in the Toy Building at 101 Continental Blvd. and dozens of showrooms in the LA Toy District.
Consider it if you sell toys and need early meetings with the big U.S. toy buyers based on the West Coast.
It is a showroom market, not a hall show: you need a showroom or a shared suite, and meetings are by appointment.
When & where Event: May 25–27, 2027 · Exhibits: May 25–27, 2027 · Mandalay Bay Convention Center · Las Vegas, Nevada
Retail buyers, manufacturers and licensees, licensing agents, brand owners, studios and marketers.
Entertainment studios, character and media brands, corporate and lifestyle brands, sports properties, art and design houses and licensing agencies.
Consider it if you own a brand to license out, or if you make products and want to license characters or brands for them.
The 2026 show had 410 exhibiting companies, 130 of them first-time, and 1,500+ qualified retailers; meetings with licensors and retail teams are booked before the show.
When & where Event: July 27–29, 2027 · Exhibits: July 28–29, 2027 · McCormick Place, West Building · Chicago, Illinois
Promotional products distributors, decorators and their sales reps.
Promotional products suppliers: drinkware, bags, apparel, writing instruments, tech accessories, awards and decoration services.
Consider it if you supply branded merchandise and want ASI's largest summer distributor audience.
ASI's Chicago page names McCormick Place without a hall or daily schedule; the January Orlando and March Fort Worth shows run an Education Day plus two Expo Hall days.
When & where Event: August 14–16, 2027 · Exhibits: not confirmed yet · San Diego Convention Center · San Diego, California
Category managers, buyers and executives from drug, food, mass, specialty, natural, e-commerce and value retailers; 250+ retail companies in 2026.
Consumer health, OTC, household, personal care, beauty, wellness and front-store suppliers meeting retailers in pre-scheduled Meet the Market meetings.
Consider it if you sell OTC, personal care, household or front-store products to chain drug and other retailers.
2027 booth prices rise on March 1, 2027; a non-member 10×10 costs $11,480 against $6,600 to $6,700 for members.
When & where September 13–24, 2027 · The Toy Association's Toy Building and LA Toy District showrooms · El Segundo, California
Toy buyers and retailers, licensors and industry partners setting the following year's assortments.
Toy companies in the Toy Building and LA Toy District showrooms, with education from Circana and the X Tracks Licensing Summit.
Consider it if you sell toys and want buyer meetings before line reviews for the next year.
The Toy Building's original four floors are almost fully leased; the Association is adding two floors, about 50,000 square feet.
When & where November 4–6, 2027 (Expo & Conference) · Fort Worth Convention Center · Fort Worth, Texas
Decorated apparel shops, screen printers, embroiderers and promotional products decorators from Texas and the central U.S.
Blank apparel and headwear suppliers, decoration equipment, inks, supplies and software.
Consider it if your decorator customers are in Texas and the central states.
The show is branded Impressions Expo Dallas but is held at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
When & where November 15–16, 2027 (show floor) · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center · Rosemont (Chicago area), Illinois
Store-brand buyers from supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchants, clubs, dollar stores and e-commerce.
Private label manufacturers of food, health and beauty, household and general merchandise.
Consider it if you manufacture store-brand nonfood products and plan a year ahead.
The 2027 floor days come from the venue's event calendar; PLMA's own site lists only the 2026 show so far.
No show matches those filters.
03 BOOKED ROOMS, NOT OPEN AISLES
The four ECRM sessions, Shoptalk Spring and Fall, Prosper and ASTRA Marketplace trade the long aisle for scheduled time with buyers. ECRM books one-on-one meetings in private rooms, Shoptalk sells sponsor spaces and hosted meetings, and Prosper and ASTRA put an expo hall beside the sessions. Each card says how exhibiting works there.
Showing the conferences that match your filters above.
When & where Event: March 2–3, 2027 · Exhibits: not confirmed yet · Wynn Las Vegas · Las Vegas, Nevada
Advanced Amazon and multichannel marketplace sellers; Prosper cites 1,000+ advanced sellers.
130+ solution providers for marketplace sellers: agencies, software, logistics, financing and sourcing services.
Consider it if you sell services or software to Amazon and marketplace sellers.
It runs the same week as ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, so hotel rates climb.
When & where Event: March 22–24, 2027 · Exhibits: not confirmed yet · Mandalay Bay · Las Vegas, Nevada
Retail and consumer brand executives in e-commerce, marketing, digital and store operations.
Retail technology, commerce, retail media and data companies as sponsors; brands mainly attend for hosted meetings.
Consider it if you sell commerce, marketing or retail technology services to retailers and brands.
Primarily a conference with sponsor spaces and hosted meetings, not a product show.
When & where Event: May 3–5, 2027 · Exhibits: not confirmed yet · Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center · Atlanta, Georgia
Category buyers from grocery, drug, mass, dollar, club and online retailers and distributors.
Suppliers of household cleaning, laundry, paper goods and food storage products.
Consider it if you sell cleaning, paper or storage products and want guaranteed buyer meetings.
ECRM sessions are pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings in private rooms, not an open trade show floor.
When & where Event: June 6–9, 2027 · Exhibits: not confirmed yet · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Independent specialty toy store owners and buyers, members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.
Specialty toy, game, puzzle, book and educational product makers and sales representatives.
Consider it if you sell toys, games or learning products to independent specialty toy stores.
The Pittsburgh venue is not confirmed yet on ASTRA's future-dates page. The show moves each year (Milwaukee in 2026, Reno in 2028).
When & where June 14–16, 2027 · Las Vegas, Nevada
Baby and infant category buyers from drug, grocery, mass, club and online retailers.
Suppliers of baby care, feeding, diapering and infant products.
Consider it if you sell baby care or infant products into chain retail.
ECRM sessions are pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings in private rooms, not an open trade show floor.
When & where August 3–5, 2027 · Cape Coral, Florida
Toy, learning and seasonal buyers from mass, drug, grocery, dollar and online retailers.
Toy, game and learning product suppliers.
Consider it if you sell toys or learning products and want guaranteed meetings with chain buyers.
ECRM sessions are pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings in private rooms, not an open trade show floor.
When & where September 20–22, 2027 · Bonita Springs, Florida
Housewares, home decor, candle and seasonal buyers from mass, drug, grocery, dollar, club and online retailers.
Kitchen and home essentials, home decor, candles and home fragrance, and seasonal holiday, gift wrap and party suppliers in parallel sessions.
Consider it if you sell housewares, decor or seasonal goods and want guaranteed meetings with chain buyers.
ECRM sessions are pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings in private rooms, not an open trade show floor.
When & where October 5–7, 2027 · Nashville, Tennessee
Retail and consumer brand executives in e-commerce, marketing and digital.
Retail technology, commerce, retail media and data companies as sponsors.
Consider it if you sell commerce or retail technology services and want a fall meeting with retailers and brands.
Primarily a conference with sponsor spaces and hosted meetings, not a product show.
No conference matches your filters.
04 BY CITY
Las Vegas hosts six of the twenty-five events, from the PPAI Expo in January to Licensing Expo in May. New York, Fort Worth, El Segundo and Rosemont hold two each. Pairing events in one city saves freight and travel.
The PPAI Expo in January, Prosper and Shoptalk Spring in March, ABC Kids Expo and Licensing Expo at Mandalay Bay in May and ECRM Baby & Infant in June. Our Las Vegas shop builds in the same city.
The LA Spring Preview in May and the LA Fall Preview Market Weeks in September, in the Toy Building and LA Toy District showrooms.
The ASI Show in March and the Impressions Expo branded Dallas in November, both at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
NRF 2027 in January and Toy Fair New York in February, both at the Javits Center.
PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show in November 2026 and November 2027 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center near O’Hare.
Bring the cost sheet to the table and the finished pack to the shelf.
05 THE YEAR, AISLE BY AISLE
PLMA opens the run in Rosemont in November 2026. January is crowded: the ASI Show in Orlando, NRF in New York, the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas and Impressions in Long Beach. Toy Fair takes February at the Javits Center, March brings ASI Fort Worth, Prosper, Impressions Atlantic City and Shoptalk Spring, and GAMA moves to Baltimore in April. May stacks ECRM Household, ABC Kids, the LA Spring Preview and Licensing Expo, June brings ASTRA and ECRM Baby, and the summer and fall carry ASI Chicago, ECRM Toy, NACDS, the LA Fall Preview, ECRM Kitchen, Shoptalk Fall, Impressions Dallas and PLMA 2027.
Conference marks conferences & summits. Everything else is a trade show.
The international fairs U.S. toy, baby and licensing companies plan around: Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, Kind + Jugend in Cologne, Brand Licensing Europe in London and the Canton Fair in Guangzhou. They are not counted in the U.S. totals on this page.
| Show | Next dates | Where | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spielwarenmesse (Nuremberg Toy Fair) ↗The world's largest toy trade fair; the 75th edition in 2026 had 2,313 exhibitors from 68 countries, 488 of them new, and 58,941 trade visitors from 123 countries. | February 2–6, 2027 | Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, Germany | Annual, late January / February |
| Kind + Jugend ↗Koelnmesse's trade fair for baby and children's products: strollers, car seats, nursery furniture, feeding and toys for the youngest. | 2027 dates not confirmed yet; the 2026 edition ran September 15–17, 2026 | Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany | Annual, September |
| Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair) ↗China's largest export fair, held in three phases; the second phase covers housewares, gifts and home decor, and the third covers toys, baby products and textiles. | Spring 2027 session dates not confirmed yet | Canton Fair Complex, Pazhou, Guangzhou, China | Twice a year, spring and autumn |
| Brand Licensing Europe ↗Europe's licensing show for brands, licensees and retailers; the organizer cites 11,500+ attendees, 300+ exhibiting companies and 70+ countries. | September 28–30, 2027 | ExCeL London, United Kingdom | Annual, autumn |
06 MERCHANDISED TO BE PICKED UP
Retail and licensing buyers want two things in the same booth: the product the way a shopper will meet it, and a quiet seat to talk terms. Here are real booths we built for a workwear maker, a glove manufacturer, a private label linen supplier, a mattress foam maker and a retailer’s walk-in storefront, and what fits in each booth size.
01 / THE DRESSED FLOORACI Workwear · Purple Exhibits
Hi-vis jackets and orange coveralls hang on racks and stand on mannequins inside a white frame under navy headers and spotlights, so a buyer reads the full range and the fit from the aisle, with a lit counter at the front for the conversation.
02 / THE COUNTER AND THE CHAIRSegebant · Purple Exhibits
An angled gray counter holds gloves at hand height under a backlit logo and a screen, and gray lounge chairs behind it turn the booth into a meeting space, so the first touch and the first price talk happen three steps apart.
03 / THE STORE-BRAND CORNERKSE Suppliers · Purple Exhibits
A white corner booth with a tall header and towel photo panels opens onto shelves of folded linens and hanging apparel, so a private label buyer sees colors, weights and sizes as they would sit in the store.
04 / THE PROOF WALLLatexGreen · Purple Exhibits
A white back wall carries one headline claim and a column of certification marks, stacked foam samples sit on a wood base for buyers to press, and a counter with a laptop holds the specifications a sourcing team asks for.
05 / THE STOREFRONTAmazon · Purple Exhibits
A brick storefront with blue awnings, orange shelves, a black counter and a checkerboard floor turns a booth into a street-corner shop, a retail stage that makes every visitor a customer for a minute.
07 WHO HOLDS THE PLANOGRAM
A drug chain category manager, a studio’s licensing director, a promo distributor and a specialty toy store owner shop four different floors. Store-brand and chain buyers come to PLMA, NACDS and ECRM; brand owners and licensees meet at Licensing Expo and the Sports Licensing calendar; distributors and decorators fill the PPAI Expo, ASI and Impressions; toy, game and baby buyers walk Toy Fair, ABC Kids, GAMA, ASTRA and the LA preview weeks.
For private label manufacturers, consumer health, household, personal care and front-store brands selling to supermarkets, drug chains, mass, club, dollar and online retailers at PLMA, NACDS Total Store Expo and the ECRM sessions.
What mattersCost per unit, capacity, compliance paperwork, case packs, lead times and a clear plan for the next line review.
For studios, character and lifestyle brands, sports properties, agencies and the manufacturers that license them, meeting retail teams at Licensing Expo.
What mattersThe property and its audience, categories still open, the partner’s distribution, the guarantee and a meeting booked weeks before the doors open.
For promotional product suppliers, blank apparel makers and decoration equipment companies selling to distributors, decorators and screen printers at the PPAI Expo, the ASI Shows and the Impressions Expos.
What mattersNew products and price points, decoration methods, turnaround time, samples they can carry to a client and booked time on a two-day floor.
For toy, game, hobby, nursery, gear, feeding and baby care brands selling to toy chains, specialty stores, hobby game shops and juvenile retailers at Toy Fair New York, ABC Kids Expo, GAMA Expo, ASTRA Marketplace and the LA preview weeks.
What mattersTest reports and certificates in hand, price and margin, packaging that sells without a clerk, and timing for holiday and line review.
08 EVERY BESTSELLER HAD A FIRST TABLETOP
New toy, promo and retail technology companies get in through a launch zone, a first-time package, a startup hub or a live pitch, not a full island. Here is how each route works, with the organizer’s source.
First-time exhibitors ↗ Toy Fair FAQs and pricing ↗ Central PLAYce ↗
Join the Startup Hub ↗ NRF Innovators Showcase ↗ Curated VC and startup meetings ↗
Registration open for The PPAI Expo 2027 ↗ The PPAI Expo 2027 schedule ↗ PPAI Expo Exchange ↗
Prices and rules are the latest each organizer published. Startup and first-time spaces are limited, so apply as soon as the window opens.
MAKE IT A SHELF, NOT A SLIDE
The color stops the cart. A product the buyer can turn over and read, a test report at the counter and a price that fits the shelf next to it give a chain buyer, a licensee or a toy store owner a reason to write it into the next order.
Plan a booth that earns the order
09 LET’S GET YOU SHELF-READY
These floors run on booked meetings, safety paperwork, licensing calendars and showroom markets. Here it is in pieces: the buyer meeting, the store-brand pitch, the license, the promo floor, the toy and baby rules, the showroom week, the freight and the follow-up.
PLMA puts store-brand buyers from supermarkets, drug chains, mass, clubs, dollar stores and e-commerce in one hall, with upwards of 14,000 attendees and 1,900+ exhibitors from 63 countries in 2025, per PLMA.
PPAI describes about 1 million square feet, nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies and 2,500+ booths for the 2027 Expo, January 11–14 at Mandalay Bay.
The LA Spring Preview (May 17–21, 2027) and LA Fall Preview Market Weeks (September 13–24, 2027) run in The Toy Association’s Toy Building and the LA Toy District showrooms, not a hall.
Scan every badge with notes: the retailer or partner, the category, the season or license term and who signs. Send the line sheet, test reports, pricing and a sample request form within days.
Tag each lead as a chain buyer, a specialty store, a licensor, a licensee, a distributor or press. Store placements and license deals often close at the next line review or after a deal memo, so measure meetings that lead to a review or a memo, not only badges scanned.
THE BUYER’S BINDER
Category managers, licensing teams and toy buyers move from the booth to an internal review. Have this ready as a printed binder and a short digital pack, so the next meeting starts with numbers.
New to the terms? See the glossarySKU # SHELF-27STATUS: ON SHELF
ON SHELF
10 THE PRICE TAG BEHIND THE PRICE TAGS
Put numbers on it. Enter your full show budget and your own account economics to see what breaking even could look like across a retail buying cycle, from line review to the first reorder.
Ask for itemized quotes and keep a contingency. Sample product, test reports, meeting rooms, showroom fees and Las Vegas and New York hotels often outweigh the booth. These categories are a planning checklist, not a price estimate.
Average share of exhibitor spending by category.
Source: CEIR, How the Exhibit Dollar Is Spent (2012), via TSNN ↗ Retail, licensing and kids exhibitors often add meeting rooms, sample product, safety test reports, private suites and buyer hospitality on top.
What retail, licensing and toy organizers publish for space. Some price by the square foot, some by the 10×10 or the tabletop; add the build, samples, freight, labor and travel.
| Show | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Toy Fair New York2027 | Raw space $40/sq ft before member discount · tabletop $2,100 members / $2,800 non-members · first-time exhibitor 10×10 package $4,000 with one-year membership | Source ↗ |
| NACDS Total Store Expo2027 | Members: 10×10 $6,600 early bird / $6,700 · 10×20 $13,200 / $13,400 · 20×20 island $32,000 / $32,500 · non-member 10×10 $11,480 | Source ↗ |
| NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show (Startup Hub)2027 | 10×10 $7,000 NRF members · $8,000 non-members | Source ↗ |
NRF 2027 vs. Toy Fair New York vs. Licensing Expo vs. the PPAI Expo vs. NACDS Total Store Expo: the five U.S. events that cover this guide from the retail executive to the toy buyer, compared on what each organizer publishes.
| Topic | NRF 2027 | Toy Fair New York | Licensing Expo | The PPAI Expo | NACDS Total Store Expo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who attends | Retail executives in technology, operations, marketing and merchandising; 41,000+ retail professionals a year from 100+ countries, per NRF | Toy buyers from mass, specialty and online retail, licensors, media and inventors; buyers from all 50 states and 68 countries in 2026, including all top 25 U.S. toy retailers | Retail buyers, licensees, agents, brand owners and studios; 12,500+ attendees and 1,500+ qualified retailers in 2026 | Promotional products distributors, branded merchandise buyers, decorators and agency teams | Category managers, buyers and executives from drug, food, mass and online retail; 250+ retail companies in 2026 |
| Who exhibits | Retail technology, payments, store operations, supply chain and retail media providers, plus the Startup Hub | 720+ toy, game, hobby and youth entertainment companies in 2026, 175+ of them first-time | 410 exhibiting companies representing 5,000+ brands in 2026, 130 of them first-time | Nearly 1,000 branded merchandise suppliers on about 1 million sq ft for 2027 | Consumer health, OTC, household, personal care, beauty and front-store suppliers |
| When & where | January 10–12, 2027, Javits Center, New York | February 20–23, 2027, Javits Center, New York | May 25–27, 2027, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas | January 11–14, 2027, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas; trade floor January 12–14 | August 14–16, 2027, San Diego Convention Center |
| How you get space | Through NRF’s sales team; Startup Hub 10×10 $7,000 members / $8,000 non-members | Raw space $40/sq ft before member discount; tabletop $2,100 / $2,800; first-time 10×10 package $4,000 | Through the Licensing Expo sales team; rates on request | Through PPAI; The Pitch for new suppliers | Members: 10×10 $6,600 early bird, 20×20 island $32,000; non-member 10×10 $11,480; prices rise March 1, 2027 |
| Watch out for | Product brands mostly attend rather than exhibit | Returning exhibitors renew first, so new companies are placed after renewals | Meetings with licensors and retail teams are booked before the show | A small booth needs pre-show outreach to be found in the hall | Business runs through pre-scheduled Meet the Market meetings |
Figures are the latest each organizer published, with the year shown. Booth fees are space only; build, freight, labor and services are extra.
Several shows have been renamed or replaced. Here’s where they went.
Second lookTags, dice & knits
A blank hang tag waiting for a price, a set of dice for game night, a rail of small cardigans: the details a buyer turns over before agreeing to stock a line.
11 THE STORE IS OPEN. ASK AWAY.
By published attendance, NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show (41,000+ retail professionals a year, per NRF), the PLMA Private Label Trade Show (upwards of 14,000 attendees in 2025) and Licensing Expo (12,500+ attendees in 2026). Toy Fair New York publishes exhibitors instead: 720+ companies in 2026. The Top 7 on this page lists each figure with its source.
February 20–23, 2027 at the Javits Center in New York, Saturday to Tuesday. The Toy Association has set Javits dates through 2032, starting with February 26–29, 2028. The 2026 show had 720+ exhibiting companies, more than 175 of them first-time.
Raw space is $40 per square foot before the member discount. A tabletop costs $2,100 for members and $2,800 for non-members, and the first-time exhibitor package is $4,000 for a 10×10 plus a one-year Toy Association membership, per The Toy Association.
May 25–27, 2027 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The 2026 show had 410 exhibiting companies representing 5,000+ brands, 130 of them first-time, and 12,500+ attendees including 1,500+ qualified retailers.
May 12–14, 2027 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Wednesday to Friday. Registration closes at 1 p.m. on Friday, so most business happens on May 12 and 13. The show sold out in 2023 and in 2024 for the third straight year.
The PPAI Expo, January 11–14, 2027 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. PPAI describes about 1 million square feet, nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies and 2,500+ booths for 2027. ASI runs regional shows in Orlando (January 5–7), Fort Worth (March 1–3) and Chicago (July 27–29).
Member rates are $6,600 for a 10×10 inline at early bird and $6,700 after, $13,200 / $13,400 for a 10×20 and $32,000 / $32,500 for a 20×20 island. A non-member 10×10 costs $11,480. Prices rise March 1, 2027. The show runs August 14–16, 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center.
$7,000 for NRF members and $8,000 for non-members per 10×10, for companies founded in 2021 or later. General booth rates for NRF 2027 (January 10–12, Javits Center) are not published; exhibit sales go through NRF’s team.
At the PLMA Private Label Trade Show in Rosemont, Illinois: November 15–17, 2026, and November 15–16, 2027 (show floor) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. The 2025 show drew upwards of 14,000 attendees and 1,900+ exhibitors from 63 countries. PLMA does not publish booth rates.
A buyer meeting program, not an open trade show: suppliers meet category buyers in pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings in private rooms. The 2027 sessions in this guide are Household Cleaning, Paper & Disposable Food Storage (May 3–5, Atlanta), Baby & Infant (June 14–16, Las Vegas), Toy & Learning (August 3–5, Cape Coral) and Kitchen & Home Essentials and Home Decor (September 20–22, Bonita Springs).
At GAMA Expo, April 25–29, 2027 at the Baltimore Convention Center, the first Baltimore edition after Louisville. Hobby game store owners, distributors and retailers attend; the booth application deadline is November 30, 2026, with final payment due December 4, 2026.
ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, June 6–9, 2027 in Pittsburgh, for members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, and the LA Spring (May 17–21) and Fall (September 13–24) Preview Market Weeks in El Segundo, which reach toy buyers through showrooms and appointments.
Toy Fair New York (February 20–23, 2027) is a hall show at the Javits Center with 720+ exhibitors and buyers from all top 25 U.S. toy retailers in 2026. The LA Spring and Fall Preview weeks are showroom markets in the Toy Building and LA Toy District, where you need a showroom or shared suite and meet by appointment. Many companies use Toy Fair for launch and LA for line-review meetings.
At the Impressions Expos, Emerald shows with a conference beside the floor: Long Beach (January 21–23, 2027), Atlantic City (March 18–20, 2027) and the show branded Dallas at the Fort Worth Convention Center (November 4–6, 2027).
Las Vegas, with six of the twenty-five: the PPAI Expo, Prosper, Shoptalk Spring, ABC Kids Expo, Licensing Expo and ECRM Baby & Infant. New York, Fort Worth, El Segundo and Rosemont host two each.
Third-party test reports and a Children’s Product Certificate for every item aimed at kids, kept at the counter where a buyer can read them, plus a clear try-it area for strollers, car seats and ride-ons. Buyers at Toy Fair, ABC Kids Expo and the ECRM baby and toy sessions ask for them early.
Yes. NRF’s Startup Hub sells 10×10 booths to companies founded in 2021 or later, and the NRF Innovators Showcase features about 50 companies. Toy Fair’s Launch Pad gives first-time exhibitors a dedicated area and account executive, with a $4,000 first-time 10×10 package. The PPAI Expo runs The Pitch, a live competition for new suppliers.
Shoptalk is a retail and commerce conference with sponsor spaces and hosted meetings rather than a product show. Shoptalk Spring runs March 22–24, 2027 in Las Vegas and Shoptalk Fall October 5–7, 2027 in Nashville. Retail technology, commerce, retail media and data companies take part as sponsors.
Yes. We design and build custom booths and showroom fixtures for consumer brands, licensors, promo suppliers and toy companies, from a 10×20 inline to a full island, with fixed proposals, 30–45 day builds and your own project manager on the floor. We build in our Fishkill, NY and Las Vegas shops.
12 SPEAK BUYER, LICENSOR AND DISTRIBUTOR
Store brand, slotting, property, decorator, ASTM, open-to-buy. The terms category managers, licensing teams, promo distributors and toy buyers use every day, in plain English, so nothing gets lost between the shelf, the deal memo and the exhibitor manual.
12 MORE CONSUMER PRODUCTS GUIDES
Purple builds for the whole consumer products calendar. These guides cover the rest of it.
Every U.S. consumer products trade show of 2026–2027 on one calendar, with the Top 10, cities and costs.
Open the full consumer products calendarHousewares, tabletop, decor and the gift and home markets where buyers walk showrooms.
Open the home & gift guideThe PGA Show, ICAST, Outdoor Retailer, MANTS, Cultivate and the outdoor, sporting goods and lawn and garden shows.
Open the outdoor & garden guide
YOUR LINE. YOUR LICENSE. YOUR SHELF.
From the first sample crate at the advance warehouse to the line review where a buyer adds your product to the planogram, let’s create a retail, licensing or toy booth that merchandises like a store, seats the meeting and keeps the paperwork in reach. Fixed proposals, 30–45 day builds and your own project manager on the floor.
Let’s plan your retail, licensing or toy boothResearched and written by the Purple Exhibits team. Updated November 9, 2026. Show dates, venues, prices and rules come from each organizer’s published pages, linked on every show card. Fit notes, booth ideas and planning tools are our editorial guidance from building booths for retail, licensing & kids exhibitors. Listings are not paid placements. The guide covers U.S. business-to-business events plus selected international shows.
Photos: Đan Thy Nguyễn Mai / Pexels · RDNE Stock project / Pexels · Atahan Demir / Pexels · Abdulkadir muhammad sani / Pexels · Ante Emmanuel / Pexels · Anna Shvets / Pexels · Kevin Malik / Pexels · Jesutobiloba Precious / Pexels · Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels · Anastasiya Doicheva / Pexels · Armando Are / Pexels · Antoni Shkraba / Pexels · Rumeysa Demir / Pexels · Eyup Beyhan / Pexels · Nikita Nikitin / Pexels · Zeynep Sude Emek / Pexels · Livia Covaliov / Pexels · James Collington / Pexels · Kaboompics.com / Pexels · Tessy Agbonome / Pexels · Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels · Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels · Speak Media Uganda / Pexels. Booth photographs: Purple Exhibits.
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