Participating in a trade show event is a wonderful way to gain attention for your business and attract potential customers. When participating in a trade show event, you’re able to bring the most important aspects of your company and place them right in front of hundreds of people, if not more. However, as amazing as it is to be a part of a trade show event, there are many factors that go into the preparations for it.

You’ll need to spend time on the creation of your booth’s design, what important information you want to be displayed on a banner, and so much more. There’s also one crucial thing that you must have set in place before you can even begin to start any of these things, and that’s your budget.

If you’re looking to display your first trade show booth, then you might not be familiar with how to create the ideal trade show budget. Luckily, we’ve put together this guide to help you plan out your finances for your first trade show. Continue reading to get started!

Your Exhibit Booth Space

The first thing you’ll need to plan for is the cost of your exhibit’s booth space. This is something that is set in place by the venue and is something that you don’t have control over. With that being said, it should be at the top of your budget list.

This is a cost that you’ll have to pay no matter what, so plan for it in your budget now. The size of your booth space and its location in the venue all play a part in how much it’ll cost you to rent it. Renting out the booth space is something that needs to be done ahead of time, so call the venue where the trade show is to be held and speak to them about booth space prices.

Your Trade Show Exhibit Setup

Your trade show exhibit setup itself is what’s going to set you apart from the competition, or the other booths around you. You need something that’s unique and grabs the attention of those walking by. The larger your booth is, the larger of a display you’ll need.

Think about what type of display you want your booth to have, and then factor its cost into your budget. Without a display, you won’t be able to show off all of the wonderful things about your company.

This is why it’s so important to have a display for your booth and to spend time ensuring that the one you select is going to provide you with all of the features that you need.

Transportation, Setup, and Dismantling

You also need to keep in mind that there are also fees involved with transporting, setting up, and dismantling your booth display. One fee known as a “drayage” fee is the fee associated with transporting your display to the venue’s loading dock or to your booth’s space for setup.

Once your display arrives at your booth, you also need to take into account the fees of having it installed and setup and the fees of having it taken down. It’s also important to keep in mind that making changes to your exhibit and display could also cause you to pay more fees.

Although this might not have been something that you thought about before, it’s an important factor in your budget and having professionals install and dismantle your display is the best way to have it done.

Trade Show Services

Another important factor that you might not have considered is the fee associated with trade show services. There are many things that go into your display behind the scenes. These are the services that you must pay for.

For example, a service fee normally includes the cost of using wifi, electricity, plumbing, and more! These are things that a good trade booth display will need to have. And in some cases, this fee even goes as far as to cover the cost of vacuuming that’ll need to be done after the event.

It might be a bummer to hear about these extra fees, but they’re all apart of the trade show industry, so start finding a place for them in your budget now.

Traveling and Lodging

If you’re having to travel for a trade show, do keep in mind the cost of your travels and your lodging. This is something that you don’t want to look past when planning for your event.

How much will your flight there and back cost? Have you budgeted in the cost of your hotel room? Do some research ahead of time and look up plane tickets and the average hotel room cost for nearby hotels.

This is a great way to get an idea of what to expect when it comes time to book your flight, room, and booth space.

The Design and Marketing Campaigns

Designing a trade show booth display that’s going to bring in more customers takes a lot of time and hard work. This is another cost to factor into your budget. Your team might spend weeks planning for the design and marketing campaign that you’re going to display.

You’ll also need to plan for the marketing that’ll be done to promote your booth at the trade show before the big day. It’s another thing to add to your budget, but it’s also a must.

Creating the Ideal Trade Show Budget Is Easy!

If you’re considering partaking in your first trade show event, then you’ll want to keep this guide handy. Following the simple steps listed above is the best way to ensure that you’ve created a great budget for your event!

Are you ready to start planning for your display’s design? Contact us today to see how we can help you!

Gene Friedman
Live Chat Software