TAPPICon 2027 · April 24–28, 2027 · Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
TAPPICon 2027 booth design & build in Indianapolis
Custom and rental exhibits for pulp, paper, tissue and packaging suppliers, built around one mill question, one real component and a table where an engineer can work. Union labor, drayage and the TAPPI exhibitor rules handled by Purple's Indianapolis crew.
Bellmer paper machine; paper manufacturing
Purple at TAPPICon 2027
What makes TAPPICon different, and how we build for it
TAPPICon is TAPPI's own conference for pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting mills, and the 2027 theme is Driving Innovation and Fueling Sustainability. The 1,500+ attendees are mill managers, engineers, buyers and executives from 10+ countries, and the program keeps them on the floor: lunch is served in the TAPPICon Café inside the exhibit hall, the Monday Night Welcome Reception opens the show, and the Sunday Night Awards Dinner, the Women's Summit and the Leadership Pathways Breakfast fill the days around it. A booth here wins by putting one mill problem, one real component and one working table in front of the engineer who came to solve it.
A process-stage diagram that shows in ten seconds which part of their line you touch, one representative component or output, and a host who answers their operating question rather than reciting a catalog.
A close look at the part, the access feature or the service deliverable, a model or section when the full machine cannot travel, and a drawing surface where they can check a detail without blocking the display.
Paper, tissue and packaging samples organized around one defined comparison, labels stating the conditions you can back up, and a seat where scope and commercial terms can be discussed.
Purple in Indianapolis
Local crew, national shop
Serving the Indiana Convention Center and surrounding venues, our Indianapolis team coordinates transport, local labor and setup.
Predictable 30–45-day turnarounds, secure storage and pre-show QA. Your booth ships from our production shop in Fishkill, NY or our Las Vegas hub, and our project manager is on the floor for install and dismantle.
Booth options for TAPPICon 2027
Pick a footprint. We’ll price it as a rental, a custom build, or a hybrid.
TAPPI sells TAPPICon space in 10×10, 10×20 and 20×20 units with pipe and drape on the inlines, so the floor is supplier booths at that scale plus a few larger equipment islands. Most Purple clients here take a 10×20 with a component wall and a working table, or a 20×20 island with a demo piece and a meeting corner.
One mounted component or a single sample story on a clean process-stage backdrop, a compact counter and two stools for a technical conversation.
See 10×10 rental booths →
A component or scale model beside a labeled sample library, a shared drawing table and lockable storage for reference specimens and case material.
See 10×20 rental booths →
A running demo or full-size assembly set 3 feet back from the aisle, a hanging sign, an open drawing table and a semi-private meeting nook under it.
See 20×20 rental booths →
Several mill applications from one supplier group under common labels, a large equipment section, a product theater and a closed office for contract talks.
See 20×30 rental booths →All-in 2026 ranges for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; booth space, drayage and show services are separate. A custom-built booth runs roughly $100 to $250 per square foot depending on finish level. A rental of the same footprint usually lands at 35 to 50 percent of the purchase price for one show. Get an exact number for TAPPICon with the booth cost calculator or read the 2026 booth cost guide.
Send the show, your booth size and what the space needs to do. We return a fixed proposal, usually within two business days.
Built by Purple
Booths we have designed, built and installed
Case study · KLEEMANN
KLEEMANN at 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.
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 client reviews
Designing for pulp, paper and packaging mill suppliers at TAPPICon
Four things we get right for TAPPICon exhibitors
Lead with the mill question
We open every TAPPICon layout with one operating concern you can credibly solve, placed on a clean process diagram that shows where your scope begins and ends. The component, sample or report that answers it sits directly under that statement, so an engineer reads the story without a presenter.
Engineer the component display first
Heavy parts get their support, packing and viewing angle planned before any decorative structure. We mount the part in the orientation that reveals its purpose, add a scale reference and a small assembly diagram, and keep the original geometry readable for a maintenance engineer.
Separate touch samples from references
Paper, tissue and board samples are grouped by the distinction you want evaluated, labeled with the conditions you can substantiate, and split into replenishable handling pieces and protected reference specimens. Restock storage lives inside the furniture so a worn sheet never replaces the reference.
Give reports a working surface
Service and inspection suppliers need a table with depth for a drawing, a laptop and two sets of notes, placed beside the physical evidence. We add organized case-material storage and a capture point for the visitor's asset and question, so every conversation leaves with a named follow-up owner.
Concept rendering
Every proposal comes with a rendering like this
You see the 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 Apex Valves.
Start my TAPPICon conceptIndiana Convention Center · Indianapolis
Logistics for TAPPICon 2027, handled
The Indiana Convention Center is a union building: installation, dismantle and drayage run through union labor, dock and freight-door access is restricted to Teamsters crews, and Purple plans drayage at about $135 per hundredweight with a 200-pound minimum. TAPPI's rules add their own layer, and we build to them: every exhibit ready by 10:00am Monday, running machinery held 3 feet back from the aisle, flame-resistant materials, empty crates stored through the official service contractor, and a $1,000,000 certificate of insurance naming TAPPI for our install crew. We read the Exhibit Service Manual, file the forms, ship to the advance warehouse and staff the floor from the skywalk hotels next door, the JW Marriott among them.
Hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for this building are in our Indiana Convention Center exhibitor guide.
What Purple handles
- Exhibit Service Manual reading, forms and service orders
- Certificate of insurance naming TAPPI and union labor at the ICC
- Structural mounts for heavy components and demo equipment
- Sample furniture, labels and graphics printed in house
- Freight to the advance warehouse and drayage paperwork
- Installation, dismantle and return shipping with our Indianapolis crew
Timeline, counted back from move-in
- December 1, 2026TAPPI booth balance due; we lock your footprint and start concept work.
- Mid-February 2027Design sign-off, component weights and sample lists final, drawings prepared for the Exhibit Service Manual rules.
- Late February to March 2027Production in Fishkill, NY; graphics proofed against your real samples and brand files.
- Early April 2027Booth, mounts and sample furniture ship to the Indianapolis advance warehouse; app listing and forms filed before the April 1 cutoff.
- April 24–25, 2027Move-in with Purple's Indianapolis crew; exhibit complete before the 10:00am Monday deadline.
- April 26–28, 2027Show days with a Purple project manager on call, then same-day dismantle, packing and return shipping.
TAPPICon exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before TAPPICon
How much does a 10×20 or 20×20 at TAPPICon cost?
A complete 10×20 rental runs $7,500 to $15,000 and a 10×20 custom build $15,000 to $45,000. A 20×20 island lands between $16,000 and $40,000 as a rental and $50,000 to $120,000 custom, covering design, structure, graphics and installation. Component mounts and demo power move the number, so send us weights and we return a fixed quote.
Can you install heavy mill components at the Indiana Convention Center?
Yes. We design the mount from your part's dimensions, weight and viewing face, book the union drayage and rigging the ICC requires, and hold any running equipment 3 feet back from the aisle as TAPPI's rules demand. Our Indianapolis crew sets and levels every piece before your team lands.
Can we rent a booth for TAPPICon instead of buying one?
Yes. Rental structures with your graphics start at $3,500 for a 10×10 and $7,500 for a 10×20, and we build custom component walls or sample furniture into a rental frame. Most first-time TAPPICon exhibitors rent, then keep the custom pieces for the next paper or packaging show.
When do we need to decide on our TAPPICon booth?
TAPPI's booth balance is due December 1, 2026. Design sign-off by mid-February 2027 gives a comfortable 30-to-45-day build and an early April ship date to the advance warehouse. Later is possible; the trade-off is finish choices and expedited freight cost.
Do you handle the service contractor orders and drayage?
Yes. We read the Exhibit Service Manual, order labor, electrical and material handling through the official service contractor, file the certificate of insurance naming TAPPI, ship to the advance warehouse and keep you copied on every deadline so nothing depends on a form you never saw.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your TAPPICon booth
What happens next
- We reply within one business day with questions about your products, goals and footprint.
- You get a concept rendering and a fixed proposal, usually within a week.
- We build in 30–45 days, ship to the advance warehouse and install before the hall opens.