Latest5 min read
Latest5 min read
Every custom booth comes with two budgets. The show bills for the floor space and the venue services you order. The booth covers what gets designed, fabricated, shipped, installed and stored.
Most shows publish their space rates, so the first budget is easy to check. The second depends on what the booth has to do, which is why two quotes for the same footprint can land far apart.
We design and build custom trade show booths in the same shop that has fabricated scenic for film and TV for 20 years.
The floor space is not the booth, and local shows package it in different ways. The 2026 Vancouver Fall Home Show priced a 10′ x 10′ space at CA$2,529, plus CA$229 for the exhibitor listing and Wi-Fi. CHFA NOW Vancouver lists a standard 10′ x 10′ booth for its May 2027 show at CA$2,825 plus tax, with carpet, drapery, badges and dock-to-booth material handling included. CPMA's 2027 convention lists CA$3,500 before GST at its member rate.
That puts a standard 10′ x 10′ space at roughly CA$2,500 to CA$3,500 before tax. Each package includes different services, so read the exhibitor manual before you compare rates.
Paying for the space gives you somewhere to stand. It doesn't give you a custom wall, a counter, storage, lighting, crating or an install plan.
Square footage matters, but it doesn't price the booth on its own. A 10′ x 10′ backwall with a counter is a different build from a 10′ x 10′ room with millwork, locked storage, integrated lighting, a monitor and four finished sides.
Structure is usually the first big decision. A fabric backwall on an aluminum frame takes less shop time than hard walls with corners, doors, shelves, counters and hidden storage.
Materials and finish follow from the structure. Lumber, paper-faced plywood, MDF, acrylic, aluminum framing, fabric, vinyl, printed graphics and custom paint all cost differently to buy and to work. A wall that holds one graphic isn't built like a wall that carries a monitor, product or cabinetry. Tight seams, rounded corners and camera-facing surfaces take bench time because people see them up close.
Demos, meetings, hospitality, storage and screens all need structure, wiring or hardware. A counter that hides shipping cases and staff bags earns its place. A decorative piece that blocks the demo doesn't.
Graphics, lighting and AV need planning even when another supplier provides them. The builder needs dimensions, weights, mounting details and cable paths before the walls close.
Crating, delivery, installation, dismantling and storage all take crew time.
A booth for one show and a booth for three shouldn't be built the same way. Reuse can add cost at the start. Walls need clean connections, graphics need to change without damage, and every part needs protection in transit.
That work can lower the cost of the next show because the main structure already exists. We can store, refresh or rebrand booth elements between events, so one build supports more than one show.
If a full custom build is more than the brief needs, our reusable wall-flat rentals give you hard walls, corners and finished backgrounds without fabricating every panel. If the job is a logo backdrop and a folding table, an off-the-shelf display may be the better answer. We'll say so.
Check the exhibitor manual before you sign off on a budget. Depending on the show, these can be billed separately:
Ask every builder what their quote covers. Two quotes can look far apart because one includes crating and installation and the other stops at the shop door.
We handle logistics, installation, dismantling and storage between shows. For out-of-town shows, travel, shipping and crew are part of our quote. Power, internet and other services the venue bills directly usually stay on the show side.
Timing changes that bill. The Vancouver Convention Centre's September 2026 rate sheet puts a 15A exhibit outlet at CA$165 when ordered at least 21 days ahead and CA$247.50 within 48 hours of move-in. One exhibitor Wi-Fi code is CA$158 for a day or CA$415 for the event. Rates are before tax and can change.
Spend on the parts people touch, use and photograph. A demo counter matters if staff work there all day. So does storage when the booth holds equipment and personal bags.
Simplify what doesn't support the brief. The back of a wall may not need the front's finish, and a standard monitor size can save custom hardware. We protect the part that makes the booth yours and simplify the rest.
Send the information that changes the build:
Six to twelve weeks is a good window for most custom booths. Faster turnarounds are possible, but they usually mean fewer finish options and less time to revise. The earlier we see the floorplan and manual, the sooner we can flag costs that have nothing to do with carpentry.
FAQs
Recent local shows put a standard 10′ x 10′ space at roughly CA$2,500 to CA$3,500 before tax. Each package includes different services, such as carpet, drapery, badges or material handling, so check the exhibitor manual to see what yours covers.
The biggest factors are structure, materials, finish, graphics, lighting, AV, logistics and whether the booth will be reused. Footprint matters, but two booths on the same 10′ x 10′ space can be very different builds. Hard walls, millwork, storage and integrated screens take more shop time than a fabric backwall.
Usually. A modular display uses an existing frame and changes the graphics or accessories around it. Custom makes sense when the shape, function, finish, storage, demo setup or reuse plan calls for something a kit can't do cleanly.
Usually not. Exhibitors book floor space through the show organizer, and the venue may bill power, internet, rigging, material handling or required labour separately. Read the booth quote and the exhibitor manual together so both budgets are visible.
Six to twelve weeks is a good window for most custom booths. Larger builds, unusual materials, complex AV or slow approvals need more time. A faster turnaround is possible with simpler finishes and fewer revision rounds.
Send us the floorplan and exhibitor manual. We'll tell you what should be custom, what can stay simple, and what the venue is likely to bill separately.