Custom trade show exhibits, designed and built for your brand

Custom trade show booths typically cost $100 to $250 per square foot to build: $8,000 to $20,000 for a 10×10, $15,000 to $40,000 for a 10×20 and $50,000 to $120,000 for a 20×20 island. Double decks and large islands start around $100,000. Owning usually pays for itself in about 18 months if you exhibit three or more times a year.

A custom 20×20 island typically costs $50,000 to $120,000 to build, or $16,000 to $40,000 per show to rent. Tension fabric 20×20 kits start from $7,658.50.

Start with what visitors should do in the booth, then give a designer your size, show, products, brand guidelines and budget. Expect two or three concepts, a 3D render of the one you pick, rounds of revisions and build drawings for the show's approval.

A booth designed and fabricated only for your brand and your floor space, rather than assembled from rental or modular parts. You own it, and the builder usually stores and ships it between shows.

About 6 to 8 weeks from an approved design, or 3 to 4 weeks as a rush build, according to Steadfast Displays, which suggests starting 3 to 4 months before the show. Give builders your show date in the brief and they will confirm the schedule before you commit.

Some can, if the builder designs it in sections from the start. Tell builders every size you expect to use so they can plan for it, or look at modular booths if sizes change often.

Design and renders, fabrication, graphics, lighting and AV, shipping, install and dismantle, and storage. Ask for each as a separate line so you can compare builders fairly.