A useful CES budget separates the custom booth cost from CES and venue charges. Mixing them can turn a low booth quote into a much larger event bill.
How Much Should You Budget for the Custom Booth Itself?
“Booth package” has no standard inclusion list. The following 2026 USD figures are planning references for the US market, not quotations.
| Booth size | Practical editorial rental band based on higher-scope references | Published purchased custom-build range | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | USD 8,000–15,000 | USD 8,000–20,000 | Booth package or fabricated asset only |
| 10 x 20 ft | USD 15,000–30,000 | USD 15,000–40,000 | Booth package or fabricated asset only |
| 20 x 20 ft | USD 30,000–60,000 | USD 50,000–120,000 | Booth package or fabricated asset only |
For 10 x 10, JET Exhibits publishes USD 10,000–15,000, Pure Exhibits USD 8,000–14,000, and Steadfast Displays USD 3,500–6,500. The USD 8,000–15,000 editorial band follows the first two references; Steadfast shows that vendor-specific packages may cost less.
For 10 x 20, JET publishes USD 20,000–30,000, Pure USD 16,000–26,000, and Steadfast USD 7,500–14,000. For 20 x 20, the ranges are USD 40,000–60,000+, USD 32,000–52,000, and USD 16,000–40,000. The table is neither an average nor the full source envelope. It uses JET and Pure as higher-scope planning anchors and rounds Pure’s USD 16,000 and USD 32,000 starts down to USD 15,000 and USD 30,000. These lower bounds are planning choices, not market cutoffs.
JET includes hardware, graphics, basic flooring, round-trip freight, and I&D coordination, but excludes space, material handling, electrical, rigging, and internet. Pure lists design, graphics, Las Vegas freight, I&D, and 20 x 20 supervision. Steadfast includes graphics, installation, dismantle, and freight. Check flooring, furniture, AV, supervision, labor, freight, and drayage line by line in the proposal.
The purchase column uses Steadfast’s 2026 custom-build ranges for the fabricated asset. Storage, maintenance, graphics, transport, I&D, and official services recur at later events.
Rental often fits one-off shows, new footprints, or changing designs. Ownership becomes more relevant with repeat configurations and manageable logistics. Freeman’s guidance suggests rental for one or two shows and possible ownership savings at three or more similar configurations—not a guaranteed break-even point.
Add the Official CES 2027 Exhibit-Space Fee
The official CES 2027 Benefits of Exhibiting flyer lists open exhibit space at USD 48/ft² for eligible CTA members and USD 53/ft² for non-members.
| Booth size | Area | 2027 member space-only calculation | 2027 non-member space-only calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | 100 ft² | USD 4,800 | USD 5,300 |
| 10 x 20 ft | 200 ft² | USD 9,600 | USD 10,600 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 400 ft² | USD 19,200 | USD 21,200 |
CES states that companies submitting a contract after May 1, 2026 had until July 1, 2026 to become fully paid CTA members, and that the member rate is unavailable after July 1. Not all space is eligible. For a new budget prepared after that deadline, use the non-member calculation unless CTA confirms that your contract qualifies.
The flyer lists drape and an identification sign for open spaces of 399 ft² and under, plus two complimentary hours of electrical labor for those spaces at LVCC only. Spaces of 400 ft² or more receive one hour of hanging-sign labor at LVCC only. It also lists nightly vacuuming for exhibitors at LVCC or Venetian Expo in open exhibit space or meeting rooms. These are limited official benefits, not a custom booth package or a complete list of project services.
What Should a Typical Custom-Booth Scope Cover?
A typical scope review should identify fixed, estimated, excluded, and directly ordered items. Consider:
- design, technical detailing, project management, structure, flooring, furniture, lighting, graphics, and storage;
- product displays, live-demo integration, AV interfaces, and cable management;
- fit checking, packing, outbound/return freight, I&D, supervision, and post-show storage;
- allowances, taxes, change orders, damage responsibility, and cancellation terms.
Some projects also require engineering stamps, permits, safety documents, specialized rigging, plumbing, compressed air, or venue approvals. These are conditional.
Which CES Show-Site Charges May Be Separate?
As of August 31, 2026, CES had posted 2027 topline rates but not the full 2027 exhibitor manuals. Its Exhibitor Manuals and Topline Rates page lists these LVCC examples.
| Item | Current CES 2027 official unit rate | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Material handling | USD 0.71/lb; 100 lb minimum | LVCC handling rate; not carrier freight |
| I&D labor | USD 98.50 ST; USD 157.85 OT | LVCC labor unit; total depends on hours and minimums |
| 500 W outlet | USD 115.35 advance; USD 173.05 regular | LVCC outlet unit; not a complete power plan |
| 2000 W / 20 A outlet | USD 243.10 advance; USD 364.60 regular | LVCC outlet unit; not a complete power plan |
ST means straight time and OT means overtime. Transportation freight moves a shipment to or from the venue or advance warehouse; material handling covers show-site receipt and movement under the official contractor’s rules. Electrical labor, rigging, internet, cleaning, plumbing, compressed air, security, and waste removal may also be separate. Use the manual for your assigned venue and hall because LVCC, ARIA, and Venetian rates can differ.
From the Custom Rental Booth + CES Floor-Space Subtotal to a Full CES Budget
The headline figures above cover only two layers:
Custom rental booth + CES floor-space subtotal = custom rental booth planning band + applicable CES floor-space fee
Full CES budget = custom rental booth + CES floor-space subtotal + freight/material handling + official show services + staff/travel + marketing/lead capture + contingency
| Planning layer | 10 x 20 example | 20 x 20 example | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom rental booth + 2027 non-member CES floor-space subtotal | USD 25,600–40,600 | USD 51,200–81,200 | Editorial rental band plus floor space only |
| Official services and logistics | Quote required | Quote required | Freight, material handling, labor, power, rigging, internet, and related orders |
| People, marketing, and contingency | Plan required | Plan required | Travel, staffing, accommodation, promotion, lead capture, and defined risk allowance |
There is no defensible universal total for the final two layers without your venue, shipment, utility, labor, team, and marketing inputs. Do not turn the first row into an all-inclusive CES budget.
What Changes the Booth Price?
The largest cost shifts usually come from:
- footprint and configuration: inline, peninsula, island, open sides, or rooms;
- height, overhead structures, hanging signs, rigging, engineering, and approvals;
- material choice, finish quality, weight, packing volume, and reuse requirements;
- product and demo needs: power, heat, water, compressed air, data, sound, and safety controls;
- rooms, hospitality, secure storage, graphics, AV, lighting, and furniture;
- schedule, rush production, advance-order deadlines, overtime, and changes after approval.
Every price example should retain its year, currency, size, inclusions, source, and exclusions. A per-square-foot figure without those fields can be more misleading than useful.
How to Compare CES Booth Quotes?
- Use one baseline. Give every provider the same floor plan, product list, demo requirements, graphics, AV plan, and dates.
- List inclusions and exclusions. Replace “turnkey” or “all-inclusive” with line items.
- Label the cost type. Separate fixed price, allowance, estimate, official order, and reimbursable cost.
- Assign responsibility. Record who orders and pays for freight, material handling, I&D, power, rigging, internet, cleaning, storage, and return transport.
- Check change exposure. Review overtime assumptions, late graphics, revised utilities, taxes, damage, cancellation, post-show handling, and change-order terms.
Compare the same confirmed scope, not the lowest headline total.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CES booth space include carpet?
The official 2027 benefits flyer lists drape, an identification sign, limited LVCC labor benefits, and nightly vacuuming under stated conditions, but it does not list carpet as an included open-space benefit. Check your contract and current venue manual, and budget flooring unless the applicable CES document or proposal explicitly includes it.
What is drayage at CES?
Drayage is commonly used for the show-site movement called material handling in CES rate information. It covers receiving freight and moving it between the dock or advance warehouse and your booth under the official contractor’s rules; it is different from carrier freight to Las Vegas. The current 2027 LVCC topline rate is USD 0.71/lb with a 100 lb minimum, but that is a unit rate, not a project total.
Does CES charge material handling for small packages?
The current CES 2027 topline rates list no charge for small packages up to 30 lb at ARIA, LVCC, and Venetian. This is a topline venue note, not permission to classify any shipment as a small package. Confirm the assigned venue manual, weight and packaging conditions, and delivery method before budgeting zero material handling.
Can you use your own booth contractor at CES?
CES recognizes exhibitor appointed contractors, or EACs, as independent contractors hired by exhibiting companies. The current CES page states that EAC registration will open in fall 2026. That does not give an unregistered non-official provider automatic venue access. Check the current 2027 manual, registration steps, required documents, and applicable labor and access rules before assigning responsibilities in the booth quote.
How early should you order CES services?
Use the advance-order deadlines in the current manual for your assigned CES venue and service. As of August 31, 2026, the complete 2027 manuals were not yet posted, so there is no single verified deadline to quote here. Finalize quantities as early as practical and place orders before the applicable advance deadline; later ordering can move services to regular rates.
Final Thoughts
A practical custom CES booth budget keeps the booth package, CES floor space, and show-site services separate. Start with the size-based planning bands, then replace them with an itemized booth proposal and current venue orders.
For a scope-based discussion, send us the CES year, venue and hall, booth size and configuration, floor plan, demo and utility needs, rental or ownership preference, working budget, and decision deadline. We can then identify what can be fixed now, what needs an allowance, and which official costs still require confirmation.
