How to Read Your Exhibitor Services Kit: Power, Wi-Fi and the Deadlines That Cost You Money
Short answer: the exhibitor services kit is the show's manual of rules, deadlines and order forms. Read the key dates page first, then order electrical, internet, carpet, furniture and labor before the discount deadline, which is usually two to four weeks before move-in. Ordering on site can cost 30% to 75% more for the same service.
A few weeks after you book your booth, show management sends a link to the exhibitor services kit, sometimes called the exhibitor manual or service kit. It can run 50 to 100 pages of forms, rules and price lists, and most exhibitors skim it. That's a mistake. Almost every surprise charge we hear about after a show was spelled out in the kit, along with a deadline that would have avoided it.
What's in the kit
Every show is different, but most kits include the same sections:
- Key dates. The discount deadline, advance warehouse dates, EAC (outside contractor) notification deadline, and your move-in and move-out times. Read this page first and put every date on your calendar.
- What's included with your booth. Often just pipe and drape and an ID sign. Some shows include a table, chairs and a wastebasket. Many don't include carpet, even though floor covering is required.
- Booth rules. Height limits, sightline rules, and what's allowed in a 10 x 10 inline versus a corner or island.
- Material handling and shipping. Rates, labels and addresses. See our post on drayage for how this is billed.
- Labor and work rules. What you can set up yourself. See can I set up my own booth?
- Order forms for electrical, internet, furniture, carpet, cleaning, lead retrieval and hanging signs. These are often from different companies with different deadlines.
The discount deadline is where the money is
Nearly every service in the kit has an advance price and a higher standard or on-site price. The advance deadline is usually about two to four weeks before move-in, and most require full payment with the order. One older kit puts the savings at up to 30%. For electrical, the gap can be much bigger.
At the Tampa Convention Center in 2026, a 500 watt outlet costs $117.42 if you order in advance and $206.00 if you order on site, about 75% more for the same outlet. That pattern repeats across every service in the kit.
Electrical: how much power do you need?
Power is almost never included with your booth, and the convention center won't let you plug into a wall outlet or your neighbor's. Here's what to know before you fill out the electrical form:
- It's priced per outlet, for the whole show, not per day. The smallest outlet is usually 500 watts (5 amps).
- Power is often on during show hours only. If you need it overnight, for a refrigerator or a charging cabinet, order 24-hour power. Some venues include it; others charge more.
- One outlet means one location, usually at the back of your booth. If you want power at a front counter or kiosk, you need a second outlet or a layout drawing, and the electrician runs it under your carpet before the flooring goes down.
- Bring power strips and extension cords unless the form says they're included. Renting them on site adds up.
To size your order, add up everything you'll plug in. These typical numbers come from Edlen Electrical's 2026 exhibitor guide for Tampa:
| Equipment | Typical power draw |
|---|---|
| Phone charger | 10 W |
| iPad or tablet | 10–20 W |
| Laptop | 20–75 W |
| Speakers | 20–100 W |
| TV under 40" | 200 W |
| TV 40" or larger | 500 W |
| Projector | 150–400 W |
| Laser printer | 500 W |
| Coffee maker | 500–1,500 W |
Typical power draw: 10 W
Typical power draw: 10–20 W
Typical power draw: 20–75 W
Typical power draw: 20–100 W
Typical power draw: 200 W
Typical power draw: 500 W
Typical power draw: 150–400 W
Typical power draw: 500 W
Typical power draw: 500–1,500 W
The TV numbers are conservative planning figures. Check the label on your monitor for its actual draw. LED display lights draw very little, so lighting rarely pushes you into a bigger outlet.
Our rule of thumb: add up your watts, add about 25% for safety, and round up to the next outlet size. A typical 10 x 10 with LED lights, a monitor on a kiosk, a laptop and a charging station fits in 1,000 watts. The step up from 500 to 1,000 watts is usually small, about $31 in the Tampa example, and much cheaper than a blown circuit on opening morning.
Internet and Wi-Fi
Internet is the other order that catches exhibitors off guard. The building's free Wi-Fi is fine for checking email, but it's shared with thousands of attendees and isn't something to run a demo or take payments on. Your options usually look like this:
- Single-device Wi-Fi. The cheapest paid option, priced per device. At the Seattle Convention Center in 2026, it's $79.99 per device per day, or $359.95 for five days.
- Shared wired internet. A cable to your booth on a network shared with other exhibitors. Seattle's light wired service is $895 in advance, $1,140 regular and $1,368 on site.
- Dedicated wired internet. Guaranteed bandwidth for live demos, streaming or cloud software. Expect several thousand dollars.
A few things to know before you order:
- Wired service needs a floor plan in advance. The cable runs under your carpet, so it has to be installed before flooring goes down. Late changes are expensive.
- Wired doesn't mean Wi-Fi. A wired drop gives you an ethernet cable. If you want Wi-Fi in your booth from it, you'll need a router, and some venues charge more for that or require you to rent theirs.
- Personal hotspots are allowed but unreliable. A 2015 FCC ruling means venues can't block your personal hotspot, but cellular signals are often weak inside exhibit halls and slow down when thousands of phones are on the same tower.
- Don't stream what you can download. Save your videos and presentations to the device so a dropped connection doesn't leave you with a black screen. Most digital signage players can loop video with no internet at all.
The rest of the kit
- Carpet and flooring. Booths usually need floor covering, and renting carpet and padding is one of the fastest-rising costs in the kit. If you exhibit more than once or twice a year, owning trade show flooring often pays for itself. Check the labor rules for who's allowed to put it down.
- Furniture. Rented tables and stools are priced for the whole show and add up fast. A counter you own does the same job show after show.
- Cleaning. Booth vacuuming is usually a separate order. Rates rose 30% in 2025, according to The Exhibitor Advocate.
- Lead retrieval. Usually ordered through show management, with its own early pricing.
A simple ordering timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks out | Read the kit. Put every deadline on your calendar. Order new graphics or displays now; our printed graphics take 5 business days after proof approval, plus shipping time. |
| 6 weeks out | Sketch your booth layout. List everything that needs power and internet. Decide advance warehouse or direct to show. |
| 4 weeks out | Place electrical, internet, carpet, furniture and labor orders before the discount deadline. File EAC paperwork if you're using an outside installer. |
| 2 weeks out | Set up your display once in the office. Print shipping labels, ship to the warehouse, and confirm every order. |
| Show week | Bring printed copies of your orders, proof of employment for setup, power strips, tape and zip ties. Fill out your outbound shipping paperwork early. |
What to do: Read the kit. Put every deadline on your calendar. Order new graphics or displays now; our printed graphics take 5 business days after proof approval, plus shipping time.
What to do: Sketch your booth layout. List everything that needs power and internet. Decide advance warehouse or direct to show.
What to do: Place electrical, internet, carpet, furniture and labor orders before the discount deadline. File EAC paperwork if you're using an outside installer.
What to do: Set up your display once in the office. Print shipping labels, ship to the warehouse, and confirm every order.
What to do: Bring printed copies of your orders, proof of employment for setup, power strips, tape and zip ties. Fill out your outbound shipping paperwork early.
Own it instead of renting it
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Common questions
Where do I find the exhibitor services kit?
Usually in the exhibitor portal or on the exhibitor page of the show's website. Show management emails the link after you book your space. If you can't find it, ask your show contact.
Who do I call, show management or the contractor?
Show management sells the booth space and sets the show rules. The general service contractor, such as Freeman or GES, handles freight, labor, carpet and furniture. Electrical, internet and catering often come from the venue's own providers. Each order form lists who to contact.
Do I need insurance to exhibit?
Many shows require a certificate of insurance that names show management as an additional insured. The coverage required and the deadline to send it in are listed in the kit.
Need a hand planning your booth?
We've helped exhibitors get ready for shows since 1998. If you need a display, counter or kiosk in time for your next deadline, tell us your show date and we'll help you plan.
Prices shown are examples from published 2026 exhibitor forms and change by show. Sources: Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services, Tampa Convention Center 2026 exhibitor rates; Seattle Convention Center 2026 telecom order form; Exhibitor magazine, "In-Booth Internet"; The Exhibitor Advocate 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates (via Exhibit City News).
