Can I Set Up My Own Trade Show Booth? Union Labor Rules Explained
Short answer: usually yes, if it's a portable display. Most venues let a full-time employee of the exhibiting company set up a 10 ft display that goes together without tools or a ladder in about 30 minutes. Hanging signs, electrical work under the carpet, forklifts and, at many venues, carpet belong to the show's labor crews. The rules change by city and by building, so check the work rules in your exhibitor kit.
"Do I really have to pay the union to set up a banner stand?" We've been answering that question since 1998. The answer depends on where your show is, what you're setting up, and who's doing it.
Who does what on the show floor
Convention centers and show contractors divide the work into jurisdictions. Depending on the city, different union trades handle different jobs: teamsters or decorators for display installation and freight, carpenters for building exhibits, and electricians for anything wired. Those crews are hired through the show's general service contractor (GSC) or through an exhibitor appointed contractor (EAC), an outside I&D (installation and dismantle) company you choose.
The good news for small exhibitors: nearly every venue makes an exception for exhibitors doing simple work in their own booth.
The classic pop-up rule
For decades, the standard rule in exhibitor kits has looked something like this one from GES: a 10 ft display can be set up by the exhibitor if one person can do it in 30 minutes or less, including uncrating and crating, and without tools or a ladder. Most kits add that the union steward has the final say on whether union labor is needed.
That rule is why portable displays are designed the way they are. A pop-up display, tension fabric tube display or retractable banner stand goes up by hand with no tools, and one person can handle it.
The rules have loosened in many cities
Several major venues now give exhibitors much more room than the 30 minute rule. A few examples from current exhibitor kits:
- McCormick Place, Chicago. Under its Exhibitor Bill of Rights, full-time employees of the exhibiting company (employed 6 months or longer) can work in a booth of any size using their own ladders, hand tools and power tools. They can't use forklifts, scissor lifts or other motorized equipment, and they can't pass those rights to a contractor.
- Las Vegas. Show kits at the Las Vegas Convention Center allow exhibitors to set up their own booth as long as the people doing it are full-time employees with credentials. At NAB Show, for example, exhibitors can plug equipment into outlets up to 20 amps, hang up to four small clip-on lights per 10 x 10, and mount their own monitors.
- Huntington Place, Detroit. In booths up to 400 sq ft, full-time employees can assemble and decorate using cordless hand tools and step stools of three steps or less, and roll in pop-up cases with built-in wheels. Ladders and power tools are reserved for union labor.
Rules can even change from building to building in the same city. In Las Vegas, the rules at the convention center, Mandalay Bay and Caesars Forum aren't the same, and New York's Javits Center is known as one of the strictest venues. Always read the labor or work rules section for your specific show.
What you usually can't do yourself
Even where exhibitors have broad rights, a few jobs almost always belong to the contractor:
- Laying carpet at many venues, even in a 10 x 10. Some shows let you put down interlocking floor tiles, so check before you ship flooring.
- Electrical distribution. You can plug into the outlet that's delivered to your booth, but running power under the carpet or to an island is the electrician's job.
- Hanging signs. Anything rigged from the ceiling requires the contractor and a lift.
- Forklifts and motorized equipment, including pallet jacks and scissor lifts.
- Work by anyone who isn't your employee. A friend, a temp or your local sign company usually doesn't count. Most kits require proof of full-time employment, like a pay stub or company ID, so bring it with you.
What installation labor costs
If you do need labor, it's billed by the hour, per worker, with minimums. According to The Exhibitor Advocate's 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates, display labor averaged $157.48 per hour at straight time, up 6.4% in one year. Straight time is normal weekday working hours. Evenings and Saturdays usually run 1.5 times that rate, and Sundays and holidays are often double time.
City makes a huge difference. In the group's 2022 survey, average straight-time I&D labor ranged from $99.66 an hour in Atlanta to $235.05 in New York.
Here's a simple illustration at the 2025 national average:
| Job | Straight time | Double time (Sunday) |
|---|---|---|
| Two workers, 2 hours | about $630 | about $1,260 |
Straight time: about $630
Double time (Sunday): about $1,260
That's before minimum charges, supervision fees if you're not there to direct the crew, and the same cost again at teardown. For a portable 10 x 10 at a few shows a year, that adds up fast.
How to pick a display you can set up yourself
- No tools. Frames that lock together by hand and graphics that attach with velcro, magnets or a fabric sleeve.
- One-person setup. Look for frames light enough for one person to lift into place.
- A case with wheels. At venues that allow hand carry, a rolling case can skip both labor and drayage. See our trade show shipping cases.
- Practice before the show. Set it up once in your office and time it, including unpacking. Thirty minutes goes fast the first time.
Shipping it, too? Labor isn't the only line item on the contractor's invoice. Read what drayage is and how to keep it down.
Before you book labor
- Read the labor, work rules or "exhibitor rights" section of your exhibitor services kit.
- If you're hiring an outside I&D company, find the EAC notification deadline. It's often several weeks before the show.
- Order labor before the discount deadline if you need it. On-site orders cost more.
- When in doubt, call the show's exhibitor services desk and ask about your exact display.
Displays that set up without tools
Swipe to see more →
EcoTube 10 ft Curved Display
A pillowcase-style graphic slips over lightweight aluminum tubing and zips closed along the bottom.
View the EcoTube
Backlit SEG Pop-Up 10ft Display
A backlit pop-up with SEG fabric graphics. Sets up with no tools required.
View the pop-upBrowse all 10 x 10 trade show booth kits.
Common questions
Is there a minimum charge for show labor?
Usually. Most contractors bill a one-hour minimum per worker and then in half-hour increments, at the rate for the day and time the work is done.
Do the same rules apply at teardown?
Yes. Whoever was allowed to set up the booth can take it down under the same rules. If you hire labor, teardown usually starts right after the show closes, which is often an overtime period.
What happens if I break the work rules?
A floor manager or union steward can stop the work and require you to hire show labor at the on-site rate. If you're not sure whether something is allowed, ask at the exhibitor services desk before you start.
Not sure which display fits the rules at your show?
Tell us where you're exhibiting and what you want to set up yourself, and we'll point you to displays that fit.
Labor rules change often and vary by show. This post is general information, not legal advice. Sources: GES exhibitor labor FAQs; McCormick Place Exhibitor Bill of Rights; NAB Show Las Vegas work rules; Huntington Place union regulations; Exhibitor magazine; The Exhibitor Advocate 2022 Material Handling & Labor Rate Survey (via TSNN) and 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates (via Exhibit City News).
