How to build and set up a trade show booth

From the exhibitor manual to the last crate out: eight steps, the published labor rates and the contractor rules at three of the busiest US venues, each with its source.

By the Exhivo team · Updated 26 October 2026

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Step by step

Build and set up a trade show booth in 8 steps

01
Read the exhibitor manual
Move in and move out times, the rules for your hall and every order deadline are in it.
02
Order services early
Power, internet, labor, rigging and freight handling are ordered from the show's contractors; the manual lists the deadline for each rate.
03
Book the install crew
Your builder's crew or the official contractor, depending on the venue rules below and the size of your booth.
04
Ship to arrive on time
Use the advance warehouse or ship direct to the show on the dates the manual gives. Label every crate with your booth number.
05
Check in at move in
Go to the service desk, confirm your orders and find your crates on the floor.
06
Build from the floor plan
Flooring first, then structure, graphics, lighting and AV, then furniture and product.
07
Test and clean
Switch everything on, check sight lines from the aisle and clear packing before the show opens.
08
Dismantle and ship out
Pack in the reverse order, file the outbound shipping papers and leave by the move out deadline.

The published numbers

What install and dismantle labor costs

Rates and rules as published by show contractors and venues, with the source beside each.

What the source says	Source
The 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates (The Exhibitor Advocate with Tradeshow Logic, audited by EVOLIO Marketing) puts the national average display labor straight-time rate at $157.48 per hour, up 6.4%, with display labor overtime up 9.2%.	Exhibit City News
At the Mid-America Trucking Show 2026, Genesis charged $105.00 per hour straight time and $210.00 overtime for customer-supervised install labor, and $136.50 straight time and $273.00 overtime for Genesis-supervised install (2-person minimum). Straight time is Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; overtime is all other times plus all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays.	Genesis (Mid-America Trucking Show exhibitor kit)
Genesis labor at MATS 2026 carries "a 1-hour minimum charge per person ordered, with billing in 1-hour increments thereafter"; cancellations within 48 hours are billed a 1-hour minimum per person, and "Genesis Supervision for dismantle only is not permitted."	Genesis (Mid-America Trucking Show exhibitor kit)
The 2022 Material Handling and Labor Rate Survey (160 exhibitor manuals, 16 U.S. cities) found straight-time installation and dismantle labor ranged from $99.66 an hour in Atlanta to $235.05 in New York City.	TSNN
GES labor rules: a full-time employee of the exhibiting company may set up a simple booth that needs no power tools, but Exhibitor Appointed Contractor workers "cannot physically erect the booth, unless they are members of the appropriate Union Local", and EAC use requires an Exhibitor Notice of Intent by the stated deadline.	GES
Pennsylvania Convention Center rules for a 2026 show: "Exhibitors may contract with Exhibitor Appointed Contractors (EACs) to supervise the installation and dismantling", "Employees of an EAC are NOT exhibitors" and may not perform Show Labor; the Notice of Intent to use an EAC is due 30 days before exhibitor move-in.	NRPA / Pennsylvania Convention Center

More on crews and rates: trade show install and dismantle.

Venue rules

Who can set up what, by venue

The labor and contractor rules each venue publishes. Rules change; your show's manual has the current ones.

Las Vegas Convention Center

Exhibitors may hand carry their own materials in, if full-time company employees do the carrying and no material-handling equipment is used. source
Hand carts, pallet jacks and four-wheel dollies are not allowed for hand carry; luggage carts and pop-up displays in rolling cases are. source
With show management approval, full-time employees of the exhibiting company may set up their own booth, following OSHA safety standards. source

McCormick Place

Illinois law lets exhibitors and their employees set up and dismantle their own exhibit, in a booth of any size, with their own ladders and hand tools, including signs, graphics and props. source
Exhibitor employees may deliver, set up, plug in and operate their own electrical equipment in a booth of any size. source
Small packages, pop-up booths included, may be hand carried in; four-wheel dollies are not permitted for this. source

Javits Center

Exhibitors may put up and take down their own display if it is 250 sq ft or less, using company employees with ID and no tools or ladders. source
Pop-up displays 10 feet or less may be hand carried by one person, with only a two-wheel hand truck or baggage cart. source
Hand-carry vehicles are limited to a standard van, with 45 minutes to load or unload. source
Rigging is done by Javits employees, and Javits electricians handle wiring and power. source

Real booths

Booths built by vetted builders

From the portfolios of builders listed on Exhivo. Open a builder to see more of its work, then brief the ones you like.

Modular trade show booth, from the builder's portfolio — ModularSee the builder

Custom trade show booth, from the builder's portfolio — CustomSee the builder

Custom trade show booth for Wowza, from the builder's portfolio — Custom · WowzaSee the builder

Photos belong to the builders who built them. A brand is named only where the builder's own portfolio names it.

Questions

Common questions

Can I set up my own trade show booth?

It depends on the venue and the booth. Many venues let exhibitors set up small booths by hand within set limits, while structures, rigging and power go to the official or union contractors. The venue rules below and your exhibitor manual give the limits for your show.

How long does it take to set up a trade show booth?

A small inline booth can go up in hours; a large custom island can take days of move in. Your show sets the move in window, and your builder plans the crew to fit it.

What is the exhibitor manual?

The show's guide for exhibitors: move in and move out times, rules, deadlines and the forms for ordering power, labor, freight handling and furniture. Read it first.

More on trade show booths

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Upcoming shows

SEMA Show
Los Angeles Build Expo
Small Business Expo Dallas
The Liver Meeting (AASLD)
International Quilt Festival
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RSNA Annual Meeting
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