Show Floor

What the show floor is

At a trade show, the show floor, sometimes called the exhibit hall or expo floor, is the area where exhibitors display their products and services. Around it sit the conference sessions, registration, meeting rooms and food areas. Some events are mostly show floor with a few talks. Others are mostly sessions with a small exhibit area.

The floor is valuable because it brings buyers and sellers into the same room. Attendees come to compare options and meet suppliers. Exhibitors come to meet people and gather leads. Organizers earn from the space they sell and rely on the exhibit hall to give the event its reason to exist.

For the wider picture of how trade shows work, read the guide on what a trade show is. For booth ideas on the exhibitor side, see the trade show booth design guide.

The parts of a show floor layout

Floor plans use a few standard building blocks. Knowing the words helps when you read a plan or talk to a venue.

Traffic flow: getting people past every booth

A good floor plan moves people through the whole hall instead of letting them stop at the entrance. Think about where visitors come in, where they want to go, and what pulls them past the booths furthest from the door.

• Spread the draws

  Put popular features, such as a stage, a coffee area or a registration point, in different parts of the hall so crowds are pulled across the whole floor.

• Keep aisles clear

  Aisles should stay open for the crowd and for emergency access. Rules on aisle width and exits vary by place and venue, so check them with the venue and local authorities.

• Avoid dead ends

  A row with one way in and no way out leaves its booths isolated. Plan loops that bring people back to the main aisle.

• Use landmarks

  Large signs and recognizable features help people find their way and describe where they are going.

• Plan queues

  Lines for food, demos or lead scanning should not block an aisle. Leave room for them near the busiest booths.

• Think about move-in and move-out

  Exhibitors need space and time to bring in equipment and take it away. The venue's loading routes affect the plan.

How booths are assigned and priced

There is no single method. Organizers use a mix of approaches, and each event sets its own terms. In general terms:

• Size and location

  Larger booths and booths in high-traffic spots, such as near the entrance or the main stage, are usually priced differently from small ones in quieter areas.

• Priority for returning exhibitors

  Many organizers let past exhibitors choose first, then open booking to new exhibitors. Say clearly which rule you use.

• Sponsors and anchors

  Sponsors may receive prominent locations as part of their package. Keep this consistent with what you have told other exhibitors.

• First come, first served

  Open selling, where exhibitors pick from what remains, is simple to explain and easy to run on an interactive plan.

• Waitlists and changes

  Have a way to handle cancellations and moves, and a clear policy on deadlines and refunds.

Show floor rules

Exhibitor rules keep the floor safe and fair, and they are normally set out in an exhibitor manual. Fire, safety, power, rigging, insurance and local permit requirements differ from place to place. Check them with the venue, the local authority and your insurer or a lawyer, and do not copy another event's rules without checking.

• Booth height and sight lines

  Limits on how tall a booth may be, so that neighbors are not hidden. Set by you and the venue.

• Aisle and space limits

  Exhibitors stay inside their booth space. Giveaways and demos should not spill into the aisle.

• Sound, lighting and demos

  Limits on volume and effects so one booth does not drown out the next.

• Power, internet and rigging

  How exhibitors order services and what the venue controls.

• Move-in, move-out and show hours

  Times when booths may be built, staffed and taken down.

• Materials and food

  What may be handed out or sold, and any venue or local rules on food.

What attendees and exhibitors should expect

Both groups do better with a plan. Attendees want to find the right booths without wasting a day. Exhibitors study the floor plan before they commit, and a good location is not always the biggest or the cheapest. The right answer depends on what you want from the show.

• Attendees: plan your route

  Look at the exhibitor list and floor plan before you go, mark the booths you want and leave time to explore. Wear comfortable shoes.

• Attendees: expect crowds and noise

  A busy hall is loud. If you want a longer conversation, ask the exhibitor when it is quietest.

• Exhibitors: know your goal

  If you want many short conversations, a spot on a main route helps. If you want longer demonstrations, a quieter spot with space around it may work better.

• Exhibitors: look at what is nearby

  A booth near a stage, a coffee area or registration gets steady traffic. A booth next to a loud neighbor or a dead end may not.

• Exhibitors: check the sight lines

  Look at neighboring booth heights on the plan and ask the organizer what the height rules are, so you know who can see your sign.

• Exhibitors: ask about the extras

  Find out what is included, such as power, internet, tables and chairs, and what is charged separately.

• Exhibitors: plan staffing and leads

  Decide who staffs the booth, how long each person works, and how you will capture and follow up on leads. The guides on trade show marketing and trade show ROI go deeper.

Floor plan planning checklist

Work through this from the moment the venue is chosen to the day before move-in.

1. 1

   Get the venue's drawings

   Obtain the hall plan, dimensions, columns, doors, loading access and utilities.

2. 2

   Define booth sizes and counts

   Decide your standard sizes, how many you can fit and what you want to leave open for features and aisles.

3. 3

   Place anchors and features first

   Position the stage, food areas, registration and largest booths, then fill in the rest.

4. 4

   Draw the aisles and exits

   Confirm the layout with the venue and the authority that sets safety rules.

5. 5

   Set prices and rules for choosing

   Decide how booths are priced and who chooses first, and write it down.

6. 6

   Publish the plan and open booth sales

   Show available, reserved and sold booths clearly, and update them as they change.

7. 7

   Write the exhibitor manual

   Give exhibitors the hours, rules, services and deadlines in one document.

8. 8

   Walk the floor before opening

   Check booth numbers, aisle signs, exits and power, and fix what is wrong before the doors open.

Floor plans on Eventdex

Eventdex has floor plan and exhibitor tools for expo and trade show halls. Its pages state these points.

• Interactive floor plans

  Eventdex 2D interactive expo floor plans map booths, aisles, kiosks and open areas. Exhibitors can see the plan, choose a booth and book it online, and attendees can search for exhibitors by name or booth number.

  Event floor plan software

• Try one free

  You can upload your layout and place booths on it in the map editor, free for one event. Publishing the map to your event site and selling booths through it is what a paid plan adds.

  Free interactive floor plan

• Booths sold as tickets

  On the exhibitor management page, booths are sold as tickets and drawn on the floor map. You set colors for available, reserved and sold booths and can edit booth number, size and area when a booth moves.

  Exhibitor management software

• Sizes and color codes

  The floor plan page lists popular booth sizes such as 10x20, 5x10, 10x16 and 10x10 and describes color codes for booth status.

• Limits to know

  The floor plan is built for expo and trade show halls. For tables at a gala or dinner, Eventdex points to its event seating software. The pages do not describe a way to check fire or safety rules for you.