Exhibiting at trade shows in the United States is notoriously expensive. International exhibitors in particular are often shocked at their invoices. They assume exhibit houses add huge profit margins, when in reality, most of the money goes directly toward labor and mandatory services. Understanding the breakdown of trade show labor costs helps explain why U.S. shows cost so much more than those abroad.
The Cost of Labor
The single most important factor is labor. Convention centers contract with local trade show unions, and those unions set the pay rates. Straight time rates can exceed $90 an hour, with some cities charging as much as $220 an hour. Benefits—including health and welfare contributions, vacation pay, pensions, and training programs—add another $24 to $36 or more per hour. This structure explains why trade show labor costs dominate exhibitor budgets.
For international clients, especially from countries where skilled and unskilled labor costs range from $1 to $10 per hour, these charges seem incomprehensible. Yet in the U.S., they are unavoidable. Exhibit houses cannot bypass union rules on the trade show floor.
Installation and Dismantle (I&D)
Installation and dismantle can consume up to 50% of an exhibitor’s order total. Each union contract defines which hours qualify as straight time, overtime, or double time, and costs escalate quickly for nights, weekends, or holidays. This is not a profit center for exhibit houses; it is simply the reality of how trade show labor costs are structured.
Booth Space and Drayage
Exhibitors also pay heavily for booth space and drayage (material handling). Associations and show organizers bundle space rental with drayage fees to cover convention center rental, year-round staff salaries, and event operations. High booth space costs often correlate with lower drayage, and vice versa, but either way, exhibitors bear the expense.
Exhibit Construction Differences
Outside the U.S., many exhibits are built on raised floors with wiring underneath. In America, the preferred choice is carpet with padding, as raised platforms are more costly to install. Walls are modular, laminated, or graphic-applied panels assembled on site. Seamless, spackled, and painted walls are rare—and extremely costly when requested.
Manufacturing labor adds another layer. While most exhibit houses do not employ union shop workers, they still must pay skilled craftsmen fair wages, overtime, and double time. This is why early client commitments are essential: they allow exhibit houses to schedule within standard hours, minimizing extra labor charges.
Food and Beverage Rules
Unlike in some countries, food and beverage service is tightly controlled at U.S. convention centers. Unless the show is food-focused, all catering must be purchased from the onsite vendor. Exhibitors cannot shop for better pricing or bring in outside providers, which further adds to costs.
Shipping and Logistics
Shipping exhibits across the U.S. is not usually excessive, but hidden costs exist. Deliveries to advance warehouses are more expensive than direct-to-show-site, but direct shipping requires drivers to wait at marshalling yards until they are called. That wait may last ten minutes or ten hours, yet drivers must be paid the entire time.
No “Build and Burn”
In many countries, “build and burn” is standard—stands are constructed, used once, and discarded. In the U.S., that model is almost nonexistent. Exhibits are built to be installed, dismantled, stored, and reused. While this saves money long-term, it makes initial construction more expensive.
Why It Adds Up
In the end, exhibiting in the U.S. is costly not because exhibit houses inflate prices, but because of the entrenched structure of unions, service providers, and convention center contracts. Labor, booth space, drayage, mandatory catering, and strict logistics all contribute. Exhibit houses provide service and coordination, but the bulk of invoices go straight to labor and services mandated by the venue.
The Takeaway
Trade show labor costs remain the single largest factor in U.S. exhibiting expenses. International exhibitors should anticipate higher rates, factor in overtime schedules, and work closely with their exhibit houses to budget realistically. Planning ahead helps minimize overtime and surprise fees, but there is no avoiding union contracts.
For a deeper breakdown of where exhibitor money goes, see TSNN’s analysis of trade show costs.
