Trade show booth cost in 2027: what 12 exhibitor price sheets actually say

IBS$63.00

World of Concrete$55.00

NPE2027$51.50

AIA27 (from)$48.50

AHR Expo$47.30

METALCON$46.50

Median of 11 showsAutomate counted at its $44 midpoint$46.50

AutomateA range; drawn at its $44 midpoint$37 to $51

MT Series (100 to 200 sq ft)$42.00

PACK EXPO Las Vegas$34.25

PACK EXPO SoutheastDrayage included$34.25

IPPE$30.00

Published 2027 booth space rates, per square foot

Item	Value ($)	Note
IBS	$63.00
World of Concrete	$55.00
NPE2027	$51.50
AIA27 (from)	$48.50
AHR Expo	$47.30
METALCON	$46.50
Median of 11 shows	$46.50	Automate counted at its $44 midpoint
Automate	$37 to $51	A range; drawn at its $44 midpoint
MT Series (100 to 200 sq ft)	$42.00
PACK EXPO Las Vegas	$34.25
PACK EXPO Southeast	$34.25	Drayage included
IPPE	$30.00

Nonmember or standard rate. ISA27 prices per booth: $3,250 for a basic 10x10. Not shown: ProMat, FABTECH, MD&M West, the Powder Show and Design-2-Part, which publish no rate. Source: Organizer rate sheets and exhibitor pages, opened Oct. 23 to 26, 2026.

A 10x10 booth at a major 2027 manufacturing show costs $3,000 to $6,300 for the floor space alone, based on the rates organizers publish. A 20x20 runs $11,500 to $25,200. Across the 11 shows that publish a per-square-foot rate, the median standard or nonmember rate is $46.50, so a typical 10x10 starts near $4,650 and a 20x20 near $18,600.

Most budgets get the space line right and miss the trade show booth cost that comes after it, from carpet, power, freight handling, labor and lead scanners to the hotel. At the one show that publishes its own estimates for those items, they add about 40% on top of a nonmember 10x10, before anyone books a flight.

What does booth space cost per square foot at the big 2027 shows?

Between Oct. 23 and Oct. 26, 2026, we opened the exhibitor pages, rate sheets and prospectuses for the shows in our verified 2027 manufacturing trade show calendar. Twelve publish a 2027 rate. Every figure below links to the page it came from, and the sizes are our arithmetic on the published rate.

Show (2027 dates, city)	Published 2027 rate	10x10 (100 sq ft)	20x20 (400 sq ft)	Also on the page
NAHB International Builders’ Show (Feb. 2 to 4, Las Vegas)	$63.00 nonmember; $55.50 NAHB member	$6,300 / $5,550	$25,200 / $22,200	$300 directory and insurance fee per exhibitor
World of Concrete (Jan. 19 to 21, Las Vegas)	$55.00 indoor, under 1,000 sq ft	$5,500	$22,000	Full payment due with contract after Aug. 18, 2026
NPE2027 (May 3 to 7, Orlando)	$51.50 nonmember; $30.50 PLASTICS member up to 400 sq ft	$5,150 / $3,050	$20,600 / $12,200	Floor 87% sold as of September 2026
Automate (May 10 to 13, Las Vegas)	$37 to $51	$3,700 to $5,100	$14,800 to $20,400	Discounts for A3 members
AIA27 (expo May 20 to 21, Philadelphia)	From $48.50	$4,850	$19,400	$550 per corner; required marketing package from $500
AHR Expo (Jan. 25 to 27, Chicago)	$47.30	$4,730	$18,920	Back drape, side rails and sign included
METALCON (Oct. 26 to 28, Louisville)	$46.50 regular; $41.50 MCA member (100 to 499 sq ft)	$4,650 / $4,150	$18,600 / $16,600	$300 per corner
SME MT Series (EASTEC, SOUTHTEC, Southwest, WESTEC)	$42 (100 to 200 sq ft); $40 (201 to 500 sq ft)	$4,200	$16,000	Small booths include furnishings; 201 sq ft and up includes material handling
PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Sept. 27 to 29)	$34.25 nonmember; $32.25 and $26.75 PMMI member tiers	$3,425	$13,700	25% deposit was due June 1, 2026 for priority selection
PACK EXPO Southeast (April 12 to 14, Atlanta)	$34.25	$3,425	$13,700	Drayage and material handling included
ISA27 (April 21 to 23, Indianapolis)	Priced per booth	$3,250 basic ($3,125 if booked by Nov. 30, 2026)	$11,500 island	Regular pricing from Dec. 1, 2026
IPPE (Jan. 26 to 28, Atlanta)	$30.00 standard	$3,000	$12,000	$250 per open corner; $500 application fee applied to balance

Building products shows sit at the top of the table: IBS, World of Concrete, AIA27, AHR Expo and METALCON all land between $46.50 and $63 for a nonmember. Membership matters more at some shows than others; at NPE, the PLASTICS member rate is 41% below the nonmember rate, which is $8,400 on a 20x20. Two shows fold services into the rate. PACK EXPO Southeast includes drayage, and SME’s MT Series includes a decorator package for booths up to 200 square feet and unlimited material handling from 201 square feet up. Compare those two on the total you will pay.

Which shows will not tell you the price?

Five shows in our dataset did not publish a 2027 space rate on any page we could open: ProMat (its 2027 exhibitor brochure covers audience and membership but not rates), FABTECH (no rates on the site), MD&M West and the Powder Show (both FAQs say pricing varies and to contact sales), and Design-2-Part (custom quotes). The International Roofing Expo prices only its First Look package for emerging brands: an 8x8 turnkey space for $3,725 plus a required $1,305 media package. GlassBuild America is taking 2027 exhibitor applications but still shows 2026 rates ($45 nonmember for 100 to 1,500 square feet).

For those shows, get the rate sheet in writing before your budget meeting, and ask for the service kit at the same time.

What does a 10x10 trade show booth cost once services and travel are in?

Of the shows we checked, only NAHB publishes what exhibitors typically spend beyond space, which makes the International Builders’ Show the one place to see a full 10x10 budget built from organizer numbers. Its 2027 fee sheet and inclusions sheet list these estimates, which it describes as early-rate prices that may be higher at standard rates:

Item (IBS 2027 estimate)	Cost
Carpet, 10x10	$340
Electricity, 500 watts	$180
Lead retrieval unit	$600
6-foot draped table	$220
Drayage, 500 lbs	$650
Labor, set-up and dismantle, 2 hours	$250
Services subtotal	$2,240

Add the $300 directory and insurance fee and a nonmember 10x10 at IBS reaches $8,840 before travel. Space is $6,300 of that. The services and fees add another 40%.

Then send two people for four nights. The federal per diem for Las Vegas in February 2027 is $173 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidentals ($64.50 on the first and last day). At those rates, two people cost $2,158 before airfare. Hotels near a big show can price above the government rate, so treat that as a floor.

The total for a small, nonmember IBS presence is about $11,000 before flights and before any booth display. Space is 57% of it.

For a 10x10 with a pop-up you already own, then, space is still the biggest line. It drops below half once you add airfare, new graphics or a third person, and it falls further at bigger booths, where drayage is billed on weight and labor on hours.

Space, 100 sq ft at $63.0057% of the total$6,300

Services (NAHB early-rate estimates)Carpet $340, electricity $180, lead retrieval $600, table $220, drayage $650, labor $250$2,240

Travel, two people, four nightsGSA FY2027 Las Vegas rate: $173 a night, $86 a day for meals$2,158

Directory and insurance fee$300

A nonmember 10x10 at IBS 2027, before airfare: $10,998

Item	Value ($)	Note
Space, 100 sq ft at $63.00	$6,300	57% of the total
Services (NAHB early-rate estimates)	$2,240	Carpet $340, electricity $180, lead retrieval $600, table $220, drayage $650, labor $250
Travel, two people, four nights	$2,158	GSA FY2027 Las Vegas rate: $173 a night, $86 a day for meals
Directory and insurance fee	$300

Booth display and airfare not included. Hotels near a big show can price above the government rate, so treat travel as a floor. Source: NAHB IBS 2027 fee and inclusions sheets; GSA FY2027 per diem rates, Las Vegas; our arithmetic.

Where do trade show budgets break?

In the organizers’ own documents, budgets break on freight, late orders, payment timing and required add-ons.

Freight and handling

Drayage is billed on weight, so a demo machine changes the math entirely. If you ship equipment, get the material handling rate from the service kit before you commit to a booth size. Shows that include handling (MT Series from 201 square feet, PACK EXPO Southeast) remove the biggest variable.

Late orders

IBS states that its service estimates are early-rate prices. Its 10x10 furnishing package ($900, with table, two chairs, carpet, wastebasket, sign and a 5-amp outlet) has an order deadline of Jan. 13, 2027. Read every service kit for the same early-rate cutoffs and put them on the calendar.

Payment schedules

Several 2027 shows wanted money in 2026. World of Concrete required a 50% deposit by April 17, 2026. PACK EXPO Las Vegas required a 25% deposit by June 1, 2026 for priority space selection. IPPE contracts issued from Dec. 16, 2026 through Jan. 15, 2027 are due in full at signing. If your fiscal year turns over in January, these deposits land in the prior year’s budget.

1. April 17, 2026

   World of Concrete: 50% deposit due

2. June 1, 2026

   PACK EXPO Las Vegas: 25% deposit for priority space selection

3. Aug. 18, 2026

   World of Concrete: full payment due with contracts signed after this date

4. Nov. 30, 2026

   ISA27: last day for the $3,125 basic 10x10 rate

   $3,250 from Dec. 1, 2026

5. Dec. 16, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027

   IPPE: contracts issued in this window are due in full at signing

6. Jan. 13, 2027

   IBS: furnishing package order deadline

If your fiscal year turns over in January, these deposits land in the prior year's budget. Source: Organizer exhibit pages and rate sheets (World of Concrete, PACK EXPO Las Vegas, ISA27, IPPE, NAHB IBS), opened Oct. 23 to 26, 2026.

Required add-ons

AIA27 requires a marketing package starting at $500. IBS charges $300 per exhibitor for the directory listing and insurance. Corner fees run $250 at IPPE, $300 at METALCON and $550 at AIA27. None of these show up in a per-square-foot quote.

A trade show budget template you can copy

Put every line on one sheet before you sign:

1. Space (rate times square feet, plus corner or premium fees)
2. Required fees (directory, insurance, marketing package, application fee)
3. Booth display and graphics (owned, rented or new)
4. Furnishings, carpet and electrical, ordered by the early deadline
5. Freight to the warehouse or show, drayage and labor
6. Lead retrieval
7. Travel: airfare, hotel and meals per person, per night
8. Staff time away from accounts
9. Pre-show and post-show marketing (invites, ads, follow-up)

Then run the total through our Trade Show ROI Calculator with your expected leads, close rate, first-year order value and margin. It tells you how many customers the show has to produce to pay for itself, and our trade show ROI worksheet shows how to set that number with the owner before signing and how to hold the show to it afterward.

In your industry

Building products makers face the highest rates in this table and the most crowded January, with World of Concrete, AHR Expo and IBS inside three weeks. Pick one primary show.

In plastics, NPE comes every three years. At $51.50 nonmember against $30.50 member, compare the membership dues to the space savings before you apply; our NPE2027 plan covers whether a molder should exhibit at all.

In metals and machining, IMTS is off in 2027 and FABTECH does not publish rates. The MT Series, at $40 to $42 with furnishings or material handling included, is the easiest show to budget accurately.

For industrial distribution suppliers, ISA27 prices by the booth, so a basic 10x10 is a fixed $3,250 ($3,125 if booked by Nov. 30, 2026) and the main variable is travel.

What to do before you sign

Email the sales contact for every show on your 2027 list and ask for three documents: the rate sheet, the exhibitor service kit with order deadlines, and the payment schedule. Put the service deadlines on your calendar the day they arrive. Then price a 10x10 and a 10x20 with every line above, and take both totals to whoever approves the budget.