Budget Guidelines for Trade Show Marketing

From Tradeshow Training:

Trade shows are the second largest expenditure of corporate marketing dollars in the US. Only the field salesperson costs a company more.

How much of that money is wasted? Oodles - if you don’t know what you’re doing and how to track it.

Clients often ask, “How much does it cost to do a trade show?” It can be a little or a lot. Remember - a tabletop show at a Chamber of Commerce networking event will cost you significantly less than a 10-day international event, but these EIGHT major components are good guidelines in budgeting.

1. The Rent on your Space - The only constant in trade shows is the real estate -that piece of gray concrete you rent. Some shows are priced by a flat fee. Most are priced according to a square foot (sq. meter) standard for the show. Generally, it’s 10sq ft or 3sq meters (about 100 sq. feet). Prices will range from $10-$100/sq ft, or $1,000 to $10,000 per space. Check your calculations carefully.

2. On-floor Expenses - Anything that requires labor or utilities for your exhibit. This includes all labor (i.e. - I&D installation and dismantling - to setup and tear-down your exhibit) and utilities - electricity, gas, water, compressed air, etc.

3. Your Exhibit, Graphics and Accessories - All of the physical parts of your exhibit, including design fees and production, and crating.

4. Freight and Drayage - These can be confusing terms, so here is the easy way to remember. Freight is how your exhibit gets from anywhere (your office, warehouse or another show) to the current show’s loading dock. You can put it in a car, send it by plane, ship, bus or truck. Drayage, on the other hand, has a very specific meaning. It is only the movement of your exhibit from the loading dock to your exhibit space and back to the loading dock. Then “freight” takes it from the loading dock to its next destination. More.