How Much Does a Trade Show Booth Rental Cost?

A trade show booth rental usually runs $100 to $150 per square foot for the booth package itself. That puts a 10x10 inline around $10,000 to $15,000, a 10x20 around $20,000 to $30,000, and a 20x20 island around $40,000 to $60,000+. Where you land inside those ranges depends on the design, the graphics, and the add-ons. And the booth package is only part of your real show budget. The show itself charges for things the booth price never touches.

Here is the honest breakdown.

What the rental package covers

A good rental package is more than four walls. At JET, every rental includes booth hardware, printed graphics with your artwork, basic flooring, round-trip freight to the venue, and install and dismantle coordination on both ends. That is the number most people mean when they ask what a booth "costs."

Booth size - Footprint - Typical rental package

10x10 - 100 sq ft - $10,000 to $15,000

10x20 - 200 sq ft - $20,000 to $30,000

20x20 - 400 sq ft - $40,000 to $60,000+

These are industry ballparks, not a quote. A clean modular 10x20 with strong graphics sits in the middle. A 20x20 with a hanging sign, a second story of messaging, lightboxes, and a demo counter sits at the top.

What drives the price up or down

• Graphics. Large-format printing is real money. More printed surface, more cost.
• Structure. Backwall only is cheap. Towers, arches, hanging signs, and lockable storage add up.
• Add-ons. Monitors beyond the spec, upgraded flooring, furniture, lighting, and counters are line items.
• Lead time. Rush orders inside a tight window mean expedited production and freight surcharges.

The costs the booth price does not include

This is where first-time exhibitors get burned. The venue and the official show contractor bill these separately, not the booth vendor:

• Drayage (material handling): moving your crates from the dock to your space and back. Often the single biggest surprise. See our drayage explainer. (jetexhibits.com/field-notes/what-is-drayage)
• Electrical, rigging, internet: ordered through the venue or show.
• Labor: in many union cities the show controls who installs your booth.
• Booth space: you buy that from the show organizer, separate from the booth itself.

A simple rule: budget the booth, then budget roughly the same again for show services on top. It is not always that high, but plan for it so nothing surprises you on the invoice.

So what should I actually budget?

For a first 10x20 at a mid-size show, plan for the rental package plus show services and travel. The booth is the part you can lock down cleanly up front. The show services depend on the venue, the city, and your power and labor needs, which is exactly why we put the hard numbers and deadlines on your quote instead of making you find them.

Tell us your show, your booth size, and your dates and we will come back within one business day with a real number. Request a quote. (jetexhibits.com/quote/request)

Quick answers

Is it cheaper to rent or buy a booth? For one to three shows a year, renting almost always wins. Here is the full comparison. (jetexhibits.com/field-notes/rent-vs-build-a-trade-show-booth)

What is the cheapest trade show booth? A 10x10 modular inline with printed graphics. It still looks sharp if the design is good.

Does the rental include shipping? At JET, yes. Round-trip freight to the venue is in the package. Drayage at the show is billed by the show, not by us.