What Does a Trade Show Booth Actually Cost in Las Vegas?

Ask three vendors what a Las Vegas booth costs and you'll get three wildly different numbers — because "a booth" isn't one line item. The price you pay is the sum of seven or eight separate costs, several of which you pay to the show itself, not to your booth builder. That's why generic "a 10x10 costs $X" claims are useless.

This guide breaks the total down into its real components, explains what drives each one up or down, and gives honest ranges by booth size and by rent versus buy. We won't quote fixed dollar figures as gospel — every show, every hall, and every scope is different, and the only reliable numbers come from the show's exhibitor manual and a real quote.

The eight costs that make up your total

Whenever someone quotes you a single booth price, ask which of these it includes. A real all-in budget is the sum of:

• Booth space — the raw square footage you rent from the show organizer.
• Booth rental or build — the physical structure: walls, counters, hanging signs, flooring.
• Drayage (material handling) — the fee to move your crates from the dock to your space and back.
• Electrical and rigging — power drops, lighting circuits, and hanging points for overhead signs.
• Labor — union install and dismantle (I&D) crews.
• AV and LED — screens, LED video walls, monitors, players, and on-site techs.
• Graphics — large-format prints, SEG fabric, and backlit lightboxes.
• Shipping and storage — freight to Vegas, plus year-round storage if you own your booth.

Most budget surprises come from the four costs you pay to the show — space, drayage, electrical, and labor — because exhibitors mentally lump them into the "booth" number and they don't show up until later.

Booth space: what you pay the show

Space is sold per square foot and varies dramatically by show and by location on the floor. A corner or island commands a premium over an inline spot, and prime real estate near main entrances costs more than back corners. Bigger shows like CES and SEMA price differently than apparel events like MAGIC Las Vegas.

Space is also where booth size decisions begin. The common footprints:

• 10x10 inline — the entry point. One open side, back wall, limited height. Lowest space cost.
• 10x20 / 20x20 — more open sides, room for a meeting area and bigger graphics.
• 20x20 island and up — open on all four sides, which unlocks hanging signs and big LED, but also raises every other cost downstream.

Confirm the exact per-square-foot rate and any corner premiums in your show's official exhibitor manual — it's the only authoritative source.

The booth itself: rent vs. build

This is the line most people mean when they say "booth cost," and it's where size scales hardest. A clean 10x10 with SEG graphics is a modest spend; a 20x20 island with a custom structure, hanging sign, and integrated LED is several times that because you're adding more material, more engineering, and far more labor.

The bigger question is renting versus buying:

• Rent when you exhibit a few times a year, your design changes often, or you don't want to manage storage and refurb. Rental rolls the structure, prep, and turnaround into one show-specific fee — and there's nothing to warehouse afterward.
• Buy when you exhibit frequently with a consistent look. A custom build is a larger upfront cost, but spread over many shows the per-event cost drops below rental — as long as you account for storage and periodic refurbishment.

A useful rule of thumb: if you're doing fewer than three or four shows a year, or you're still iterating on your look, rent. Past that, run the math on ownership.

Drayage, electrical, and labor: the Vegas line items

These three are easy to underestimate because they're billed by the show's official contractors, not your booth vendor.

Drayage is charged by weight (typically per hundredweight, or CWT) to move freight from the dock to your space and back. Heavier crates, more shipments, and special handling all add up. This is why crate weight and consolidating shipments matters financially, not just logistically.

Electrical and rigging covers your power drops, the labor to run them, and any overhead hanging points. LED walls and heavy lighting need adequate power planned in advance — ordering electrical late almost always costs more.

Labor is the union I&D crew that installs and dismantles your booth. Las Vegas convention halls are union venues, so plan for it. Costs rise with booth complexity, overtime windows, and how many crew hours your build demands. A turnkey installer who knows the hall can keep these hours tight.

All three vary by show and venue — get current rates from the exhibitor manual and order early to avoid late deadlines.

AV, LED, and graphics: where impact lives

This is the most flexible part of your budget — and the part that most determines whether people stop at your booth.

Graphics range from simple printed back walls to tension-fabric SEG and backlit lightboxes. Backlit costs more than flat print but reads dramatically better on a busy floor.

AV and LED span a single monitor up to a full LED video wall. LED pricing depends on the panel pitch (resolution), total square footage, and whether you rent the wall with a processor and on-site tech. For most exhibitors, renting LED for the show beats owning panels you'd have to transport, store, and maintain.

The smart move: spend here intentionally. A modest structure with one striking LED wall often out-pulls a large, expensive build with no motion or light.

Putting it together: honest ranges by size

Because every component varies by show and scope, think in tiers rather than fixed prices:

• 10x10 inline — the lowest all-in spend. A rental structure, SEG graphics, a monitor, plus space, drayage, electrical, and labor. Best for first-timers and lead-gen.
• 10x20 / 20x20 — meaningfully higher. More structure, a real meeting space, larger graphics, often an LED wall, and more labor hours.
• 20x20 island and larger — the top tier. Custom structure, hanging sign, significant LED, the most rigging and labor. This is where renting versus building most affects your number.

Two booths the same size can differ 2–3x depending on LED, custom fabrication, and labor hours. That's exactly why a real quote beats any published price chart — and why we offer custom design before you commit a dollar.

Frequently asked

What's the single biggest hidden cost?

Drayage and electrical surprise the most exhibitors, because you pay them to the show's contractors, not your booth vendor — and they're easy to leave out of a back-of-napkin budget. Always pull current rates from the exhibitor manual and order early.

Is renting always cheaper than buying?

Per show, often yes — especially if you exhibit a few times a year. Buying wins only over many shows with a consistent design, and only after you factor in storage and refurbishment between events. See our buy-or-rent breakdown to run your own numbers.

Why won't anyone give me a flat price?

Because no two booths share the same space rate, freight weight, labor hours, LED footprint, or show. A flat price is either incomplete or padded. A scoped quote tied to your actual show and design is the only honest number.

Does the booth structure include the LED wall?

Not automatically. AV and LED are usually a separate line item. We can bundle an LED video wall into a turnkey package, but always confirm whether a quote includes screens, players, and on-site techs.

How early should I lock in my budget?

As soon as you book your space. Electrical, drayage, and labor have advance-order deadlines, and ordering late almost always costs more. Early planning is the cheapest cost control there is.

Do I need union labor in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas convention halls are union venues, so plan for union install and dismantle. A turnkey installer familiar with the hall keeps crew hours efficient and avoids overtime windows.