Are you thinking about exhibiting at a show like ad:tech or Affiliate Summit? I want to give you a breakdown of the real costs of exhibiting, thoughts and my two cents. Try to keep in mind that this was the actual cost of Tatto Media’s participation, and can definitely vary depending on the company and level of sponsorship.

Costs:

Booth & Furniture: $120,000

The cost of your booth is really going to depend on two things: size and whether you want to rent or buy. For ad:tech New York 2009, Tatto Media decided to launch the first double-decker booth of its kind exhibited at a direct response conference. Because of the size and scale of this beast and the amount of construction that it took to build the booth, this wasn’t something that we had the option of renting.

Also it is important to note that if you plan on bringing your own furniture or buying it at a store like Ikea – forget it! The Union will let you bring furniture but they charge an arm and a leg for drayage, so you are most likely going to save money by renting it from the show’s decorator at a premium (at NY it was Freeman).

Shipping: $20,000

Here is where they get you. For a normal 10×10 booth, shipping is usually $3,000 - $4,000 roundtrip when you add in Union dismantle fees. For a 10×20 booth, shipping is usually $7,500 for both ways. For a 20×30 double-decker booth, shipping costs range around the $15,000 - $20,000 mark.

Booth Setup: $20,000

Think you can setup a booth yourself? Absolutely not, and even if you did have a couple of people on your team that know how to throw up a 10×20 or 20×30, the Union will stop you and request that you pay them first. The Union has a monopoly over labor at most of the industry trade shows.

I remember during our first show, in which we exhibited (2008), we tried to put up our 10×20 booth ourselves. Within 3 minutes time, and before the hammer even hit the nail, the New York Union stopped us and threatened to tear down our booth unless we paid them specifically to do it. This wasn’t a friendly warning, they really shook us down.

Carpet: $2,000

A big tip for all exhibiters is to pad your carpet with foam. It cost a little bit extra but your feet will thank you after you stand on the carpet for 8 hours straight. Also the women will thank you too in their high heels.

Sponsorship: $50,000

Sponsorship is all based on your marketing strategy and budget. We chose to align our booth size with the size of our sponsorship at ad:tech. Sponsorship could cost you as little as $5,000 or over $100,000 depending on your budget and what you’re looking for.

Swag: $4,000

Every booth needs a catchy giveaway, and doing it right means you could have the chance to be the next staple on somebody’s desk. For the New York show we chose to give our Tatto Media branded breathalyzer and 2GB USB drives. Let’s just say, the breathalyzers definitely got a lot of attention and we ran out by mid-day!

Travel and Hotel: $35,000

To be able to properly man a 10×20, I believe you would need a team of 8-10 people so that enough people can stay at the booth while others are at meetings or at lunch. For a 20×30, we had 16 people present and that wasn’t really enough as our meetings generally ran long, and many people were pulled away from the booth. However, it helped that we had a private conference room inside our booth, although it was usually taken.

Especially in New York and San Francisco, two of the largest ad:tech conferences, prices for food, hotel and flights are going to be sky high so book plenty early in advance. Another tip is to check hotel sites such as Priceline, and don’t always assume going with the conferences suggested hotels are cheaper.

Total Cost Approximately: $250,000

Summary:

Yes, the cost to exhibit is extremely high but it all should be based on what your strategy and budget is and how early you plan ahead. However, one important note is that in my experience an exhibiting strategy within your overall marketing plan shouldn’t be based on one show, it needs to be based on at least a minimum of 3-4 shows in at least two cities. Attendees will rarely remember your booth or your brand with just one show.

Tips:

· Start to create your booth at least 4-5 months ahead of the show date to avoid excessive build fees or late fees

· If this is your first show and you have a descent size exhibit budget always BUY your booth with the intension to exhibit at least 4-5 times with the same booth. This will save you money in the long run.

· To rent furniture, cater food or Internet usually means you will have to go through a company called “Freeman”. Freeman always gives you price breaks if you book 2 months before the show.

· Sponsorships: In my experience, the best bang for your buck in terms of sponsorships is very LARGE signs. Small signage or sponsoring the “lunch break” gives you very limited exposure. Aim for the large aisle signs.

· Don’t forget the padded carpet. Your women will thank you!

· Hire a photographer to save the moments so you can use again in follow up materials

· When negotiating booth setup, always go with the minimum as the labor cost will always be 20-30% higher than what they quoted.

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