Ask a first-time exhibitor what a trade show costs, and
they’ll usually quote you the price of the booth. Ask someone who’s been doing
this for ten years, and they’ll laugh — because the booth is often the smallest
surprise in the final invoice.
The line items below are the ones that consistently blow
past first-draft budgets. None of them are hidden on purpose — they’re just
easy to underestimate until you’ve been burned by one. Here’s what to actually
plan for, with rough benchmark ranges to work from. (Exact numbers vary by
show, venue, and market — always confirm current rates in your specific show’s
exhibitor service kit.)
Drayage (material handling)
This is the fee for moving your freight from the dock to
your booth space and back — and it’s routinely the line item that shocks people
most. Expect somewhere in the range of $1.50–$3.00 per pound, billed by the
hundredweight. A modest 600-pound exhibit can easily generate $1,800 or more in
drayage alone. Bigger, heavier exhibits scale accordingly — mid-size booths
often land in the $1,500–$5,000+ range for this line item alone.
Freight and shipping
Budget for the round trip, not just the trip out. A 10×20
booth shipped cross-country can run $3,000–$8,000 round trip, and exhibitors
who only budget the outbound leg are consistently surprised when the return
shipment costs just as much.
Installation and dismantle labor
At most major venues, I&D work is union labor, billed
hourly — and typically represents 8–15% of total show budget. The number that
catches people off guard is the overtime multiplier: if freight is delayed and
your install runs into overtime hours, that labor rate can jump to 1.5–2x the
standard rate.
Electrical and show services
Electrical, rigging, internet, and cleaning are usually
ordered through the venue or general service contractor — and timing matters
more than people expect. Advance orders typically run about 40% less than
ordering the same service on-site, where overage and rush pricing can add $200–$800
per circuit.
Storage
Between shows — and even in the days before move-in —
storage isn’t free. Advance warehouse storage (holding your freight before the
show floor opens) typically runs $150–$400 flat, on top of whatever you’re
paying for between-show storage the rest of the year.
The line that ties it together
None of these costs are unreasonable on their own. What
sinks budgets is treating the booth price as the whole number, and then
discovering drayage, labor overtime, electrical overages, and return freight
one invoice at a time — usually after the show, when there’s no room left to
adjust.
The bottom line
A realistic 2027 trade show budget isn’t booth cost plus a
cushion. It’s booth cost plus drayage, freight (both ways), labor, electrical,
and storage — priced out before you commit to the show, not discovered after.
Want help building a realistic budget for your 2027 show
calendar? [Reach out to our team] — we’ll walk through the full cost picture
before you’re locked into a show.