IOU What For I&D? – information from The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)

Is there a formula for calculating the average cost per square foot for I&D?

Yes. According to the Trade Show Bureau, the average hourly labor rate for setup and dismantle is $39. This wage is based on straight time and does not include the use of mechanical equipment. The average setup/dismantle time for an island or peninsula exhibit is one hour per eight square feet; for an in-line booth, one hour per ten linear feet.
To calculate I&D costs, multiply the hourly labor rate by the number of hours required to set up your exhibit. Let’s say you have a 400-square-foot island exhibit. Setup/dismantle time would be 50 hours (400 sq. ft. divided by 8 sq. ft./hour = 50 hours). Multiply this figure by $39, and your total I&D bill should run about $1950.
These are just averages. The amount you actually pay depends greatly on the difficulty of your exhibit installation and the location of the show. (Overtime is another factor to consider. Find out when straight time and time-and-a-half begins in each show city.) To more accurately calculate projected I&D costs for each show, multiply the total by the appropriate regional cost adjustment:
New York – 1.3 percent
Northeast, Chicago and California – 1.25 percent
Midwest and Southwest – .95 percent
Florida – .90 percent
Using the previous example, if the show is in Chicago, you would multiply $4,387.50 by 1.25 percent, which means your labor costs would be $5,484.38.