Quick answer: Trade show venue cost has two parts: the exhibit hall rent, and the services the building bills on top of it. Many publicly owned convention centers publish their rates, and in the 2026 rate sheets we read, one exhibit hall ranged from $3,535 per day (Hall B at the Portland Expo Center, 36,000 sq ft) to $39,250 per day (South Hall S3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center). Some venues include a few free move-in and move-out days and charge for any days beyond that. Then you add the services the building controls: utilities, security and medical staff, cleaning, permits, catering, and labor, which often comes with hourly minimums and overtime rules. Exhibitors usually order and pay for their own booth furniture, freight, and booth power. Get each venue’s rate sheet and service price list before you compare quotes, because no single “average” price tells you what your show will cost.
Example scenario (fictional): An association events manager is planning the group’s first regional expo, with about 120 booths over two days. She asks three convention centers for pricing and compares the hall rent figures they send back. Then the service price lists come in, covering power, security, cleaning, permits, and a late-order rate for anything ordered within a week of move-in. By then the hall rent is only one line in a much longer budget, and the cheapest hall is no longer clearly the cheapest show.
This is for professional US event planners and agencies who run trade shows, expos, and conferences with an exhibit hall and need to budget the venue side before they sign. It explains how convention centers price exhibit space, what is usually included, which charges come later, and who pays for what, using published 2026 rate sheets from named venues. Every price below is that venue’s own published rate on the date shown. None of them is a national average. For the full planning process, see our guide on how to plan a trade show.
In this guide:
- What exhibit hall rent costs: 2026 examples
- How convention centers price exhibit space
- What the rent usually includes
- Venue charges beyond the hall rent
- Who pays for what: show organizer, exhibitors, contractors
- Worked budget (fictional)
- Copyable trade show venue cost checklist
- FAQ
What exhibit hall rent costs: 2026 examples
Convention centers are often owned by a city, a regional government, or a public authority, and many post their rates. The table below shows published 2026 rates from four of them. Each row is one venue’s rate for one hall or hall combination, so compare the rules and inclusions as well as the dollar figures.
| Venue (rate sheet date) | Space | Published 2026 rate | Basis and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR (July 2026 to June 2029) | Halls A and A1, or A1 and B: 60,000 gross sq ft | $11,472 per day; $5,736 per extra move-in/out day | Flat hall rate. About $0.19 per gross sq ft per day (our math). |
| Portland Expo Center, Portland, OR (July 2026 to June 2027, updated October 2026) | Hall C: 60,000 gross sq ft | $5,950 per day; $2,975 per extra move-in/out day | Flat hall rate for 12 hours of occupancy. About $0.10 per gross sq ft per day (our math). Halls A, B, and C have no air conditioning. |
| Henry B. González Convention Center, San Antonio, TX (2026 rate summary) | Exhibit Hall 1, Class I | Flat $12,159, or 32 cents per net sq ft between a $12,159 minimum and a $15,198 maximum; move-in/out $6,082 | Net square feet is the space you sell as booths. The summary does not define the classes; ask the sales team which one applies. |
| Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (rate sheet dated June 2025) | North Hall N1 | $18,400 per day in 2026 | The rate sheet lists halls by day rate. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported a board-approved rate of 36 cents per sq ft per exhibit day from January 1, 2026. |
Two halls of the same size in the same city, the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Expo Center, have different day rates in these examples. The rate sheets don’t explain the gap, but they do show that the buildings offer different things, such as the lack of air conditioning in three of the Expo Center halls. That is why the “average cost to rent a convention center” question has no useful single answer. The rate depends on the building, the hall, the year, how much space you use, and what the venue includes.
How convention centers price exhibit space
Flat rate per hall per day
The Oregon Convention Center, Portland Expo Center, and Las Vegas Convention Center sheets list a set price per hall, or per combination of halls, per day. Bigger combinations cost more: at the Oregon Convention Center, all five halls (A through E, 255,000 gross sq ft) are $48,708 per day, and at Las Vegas Convention Center, the full South Hall (S1 to S4) is $132,500 per day in 2026.
Per square foot, with a minimum and maximum
Some centers charge by square foot. The Henry B. González Convention Center 2026 summary prices Exhibit Hall 1 for a Class I event at 32 cents per net square foot, with a floor of $12,159 and a cap of $15,198. As we read the summary, a show with few booths still pays the minimum and a full hall stops at the maximum, but confirm how the venue applies it. Gross square feet is the whole hall, including aisles. Net square feet is only the booth space. Before you compare a per-square-foot quote with a flat hall rate, ask which one the venue means.
Move-in and move-out days
Setup and teardown days are priced separately. At both the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Expo Center, complimentary move-in and move-out time is given one-for-one with show days, up to two days. After that, you pay half the daily hall rate for each extra day. A two-day show that needs two days to move in and one to move out gets two free move days and pays for one. The general service contractor’s schedule, your vendors and suppliers, and your exhibitors’ freight all affect how many move-in days you need, so confirm the schedule before you sign.
Ask how the venue defines a day. The Portland Expo Center bases its daily rental on 12 hours of occupancy, with extra labor and utility charges after that. For more on timing, see how far in advance to book a conference venue.
What the rent usually includes
Inclusions vary by venue, so get them in writing. The Oregon Convention Center rate sheet lists these with exhibit hall rent:
- House lighting and heating or cooling during show hours.
- Registration space in the pre-function area.
- A number of meeting rooms based on the exhibit space you rent (up to three per 30,000 sq ft, for the number of show days, ballrooms excluded).
- A skirted stage, 32 by 16 feet, for each 30,000 sq ft rented.
- One basic Wi-Fi account for show management, for up to four computers at a time (from the services price list).
The same sheet makes the organizer responsible for exhibit setup, labor, and equipment such as pipe and drape, tables, and chairs, which you arrange with your decorator. If your program needs more breakout space than the venue includes, compare meeting room rental costs and check the capacity of each room by layout.
Venue charges beyond the hall rent
The rest of the venue invoice is service charges. Here are the main ones, using the Oregon Convention Center services price list for July 2026 to June 2027 and the Minneapolis Convention Center 2026 labor rates as examples.
| Charge | Example from a 2026 price list | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Order timing | Oregon Convention Center: advance rates for orders 21 or more days before the event, standard rates after that, and late rates that may apply within 7 days of move-in. A 120V 20-amp service is $212 advance, $266 standard, or $318 late. | What are the deadlines, and do they apply to show management orders? |
| Utilities | Oregon Convention Center: one in-house electrical contractor must make all connections over 120 volts. Minneapolis: utilities are exclusive to the building. | Which utilities are exclusive, and is there a labor charge to install and remove them? |
| Internet | Oregon Convention Center: Basic Trade Show Wi-Fi is $3,000 at the advance rate. Minneapolis: one exclusive internet and phone provider. | What is included for show management, and what do exhibitors pay? |
| Permits | Oregon Convention Center: public assembly permit from $247 (up to 25,000 sq ft) to $1,980 (over 250,000 sq ft); the price doubles for requests made fewer than 21 days before the event. | Which permits does the venue file, and which do you file? |
| Cleaning | Oregon Convention Center: aisle cleaning at $0.044 per sq ft per cleaning (advance). Minneapolis: the building controls all cleaning, including booths. | How many cleanings are required, and who pays for booth cleaning? |
| Security and medical | Oregon Convention Center: uniformed agent $92 per hour, medical technician $84 per hour, both with a 4-hour minimum. Portland Expo Center: security from an approved list for the contract term. | Who sets the staffing level, and is it required during move-in? |
| Catering | Oregon Convention Center: exclusive catering, no outside food or drink. Minneapolis: exclusive caterer. | Is there a food and beverage minimum, and does it change the rent? |
| Insurance | Oregon Convention Center and Portland Expo Center: at least $2 million in comprehensive general liability coverage. | Who must be named as additional insured, and by when? |
| Late paperwork | Oregon Convention Center: event requirements approved 30 days out, or a late fee may apply. | What is the deadline for floor plans and event requirements? |
Labor rules drive the labor bill
Hourly rates are only part of the labor cost. The Oregon Convention Center bills most labor in 4-hour minimums, overtime and after-hours work at time and a half, and holidays at double time. Oregon break law can also require extra staff, billed to the master account. The Minneapolis Convention Center 2026 labor rates list an electrician at $163 per hour straight time and $326 double time. They add a 15% service charge on guest services and security labor and a 25% fee for labor ordered on site without prior scheduling. Its 2026 meeting planners guide says labor follows labor agreements, with minimums, overtime, holiday pay, and meal penalties, and that equipment beyond the building’s inventory is billed at cost plus 20%.
Rules about who may do the work also vary by city. Under the McCormick Place Exhibitor Bill of Rights in Chicago, an exhibitor’s own full-time employees (with the company for at least six months) may set up and take down their booth with hand tools and plug in their own equipment. They may not use forklifts or other motorized equipment. Exhibitors cannot pass those rights to a hired contractor. Put your venue’s rules in the exhibitor kit so exhibitors can budget correctly.
Who pays for what: show organizer, exhibitors, contractors
Three parties usually split trade show costs. The show organizer signs with the venue. The general service contractor (often called the decorator) builds the floor and sells services to exhibitors. Exhibitors pay for their own booths. What lands on your budget depends on the contracts, so map it early.
| Cost | Usually paid by | Example from a 2026 document |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibit hall rent and move days | Show organizer | Venue rate sheets above |
| Venue services for the show (permits, aisle cleaning, security, show office power) | Show organizer | Oregon Convention Center services price list |
| Show setup such as pipe and drape, tables, and chairs | Show organizer, through the decorator or general service contractor | Oregon Convention Center rental rates: the organizer contracts this independently |
| Booth furniture, carpet, and graphics | Exhibitor | Ordered from the exhibitor kit |
| Material handling (moving freight from the dock to the booth) | Exhibitor | NYLA 2026 exhibitor manual, Saratoga Springs City Center: $90 per 100 lb, with a 200 lb minimum ($180) |
| Booth power and internet | Exhibitor | Ordered from the venue or its exclusive providers |
| Booth cleaning | Exhibitor, or the organizer at some venues | Minneapolis: the building controls booth cleaning |
Material handling is billed per hundredweight (100 lb), and the rounding adds up. The NACAC National College Fair exhibitor kit for the Pasadena Convention Center rounds a 211 lb shipment up to 300 lb, applies a 200 lb minimum, and adds a 35% surcharge for shipments outside the receiving dates. These are exhibitor costs, but exhibitors will ask about them, so publish the rates clearly in your exhibitor kit. If you are selling sponsorships to offset venue costs, see event sponsorship for planners.
Worked budget (fictional)
This example is fictional and uses only published Oregon Convention Center rates for July 2026 onward, ordered at the advance rate. A regional association expo uses Halls A and A1 (60,000 gross sq ft) for two show days, with two move-in days and one move-out day. It assumes 20,000 sq ft of carpeted aisles cleaned twice, staff working 8-hour shifts within normal hours, and no overtime or holiday time.
| Line item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hall rent, 2 show days | 2 × $11,472 | $22,944 |
| Extra move-in/out day | 3 move days − 2 complimentary = 1 × $5,736 | $5,736 |
| Public assembly permit (50,001 to 100,000 sq ft) | Flat, requested 21 or more days ahead | $750 |
| Aisle cleaning | 20,000 sq ft of carpeted aisles × $0.044 × 2 cleanings | $1,760 |
| Uniformed agents (security) | 2 agents × 8 hours × 2 show days = 32 hours × $92 | $2,944 |
| Medical technician | 1 × 8 hours × 2 show days = 16 hours × $84 | $1,344 |
| Dock marshal | 1 × 8 hours × 3 move days = 24 hours × $60 | $1,440 |
| Electrical for registration and show office | 2 × 120V 20-amp services at $212 | $424 |
| Total venue lines in this example | $37,342 |
The hall rent for the two show days is $22,944, and the full set of venue lines comes to $37,342. The example leaves out costs that you have to quote separately: liability insurance (priced by your insurer), catering under the exclusive contract, the general service contractor’s floor work, installation labor for the electrical services, a setup fee if you use theater or classroom sets in the hall, and anything ordered late. Orders placed within seven days of move-in could be billed at the late rates on the price list, and the permit price doubles if you request it fewer than 21 days before the event.
Write each assumption down when you build your own version. When the venue sends its proposal, compare its numbers with yours line by line. For approvals, our corporate meeting budget approval template has a format you can adapt. After the show, compare actual spend with the plan as part of measuring event ROI.
Copyable trade show venue cost checklist
TRADE SHOW VENUE COST CHECKLIST Show: ____________ Venue: ____________ Dates: ____________ SPACE AND DAYS [ ] Halls quoted: ______ Gross sq ft: ______ Net (booth) sq ft: ______ [ ] Pricing basis: flat per day / per sq ft (gross or net?) / minimum-maximum [ ] Daily rate: $______ x show days ______ = $______ [ ] Move-in days ___ Move-out days ___ Complimentary ___ Extra ___ x $______ [ ] Hours in a "day": ______ Charge after hours: $______ [ ] Rate sheet date and valid-through date: ______ INCLUDED (GET IN WRITING) [ ] Lighting, heating/cooling during show hours (and move-in?) [ ] Meeting rooms included: ___ Registration area: ___ Stage: ___ [ ] Show management internet: ___ VENUE SERVICES (ADVANCE / STANDARD / LATE) [ ] Order deadline for advance rates: ______ [ ] Utilities and who installs them: ______ [ ] Permits: ______ Fire marshal / police: ______ [ ] Aisle cleaning: ___ sq ft x $___ x ___ cleanings [ ] Security: ___ staff x ___ hrs x $___ (minimum ___ hrs) [ ] Medical: ___ staff x ___ hrs x $___ [ ] Dock staff: ___ hrs x $___ [ ] Overtime, after-hours, holiday multipliers: ______ [ ] Service charges, late fees, sales tax: ______ EXCLUSIVES AND CONTRACT TERMS [ ] Exclusive catering? F&B minimum: $______ [ ] Exclusive electrical / internet / rigging / security: ______ [ ] Insurance required: $______ Additional insured: ______ [ ] Deposit schedule: ______ Cancellation terms: ______ [ ] Deadline for floor plan and event requirements: ______ EXHIBITOR-PAID (PUBLISH IN THE EXHIBITOR KIT) [ ] Material handling rate per 100 lb: $___ Minimum: ___ lb [ ] Booth power, internet, cleaning, furniture price lists [ ] Who may set up booths (exhibitor staff rules)
For a broader move-in plan, use our event logistics checklist. If you have a choice of host city, look at the trade shows near you already booked there to see which buildings host shows like yours.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a convention center?
▾
It depends on the building and the hall. In the published 2026 rate sheets we read, one exhibit hall ranged from $3,535 per day (Portland Expo Center Hall B) to $39,250 per day (Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall S3), before services such as security, cleaning, utilities, and catering. Ask each venue for its current rate sheet and services price list.
Do convention centers charge for move-in and move-out days?
▾
Usually, beyond a complimentary allowance. The Oregon Convention Center and Portland Expo Center give free move-in and move-out days one-for-one with show days, up to two, and charge half the daily rate after that.
What is the difference between gross and net square feet?
▾
Gross square feet is the whole hall, including aisles. Net square feet is the space sold as booths. A per-square-foot rate means something different depending on which one the venue uses.
Who pays for drayage at a trade show?
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Exhibitors usually pay material handling (drayage) to the general service contractor, billed per 100 lb with a minimum. One 2026 exhibitor manual lists $90 per 100 lb with a 200 lb minimum.
Why do venue service orders cost more close to the event?
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Many venues price services in tiers by order date. The Oregon Convention Center charges advance rates for orders 21 or more days ahead, standard rates after that, and late rates may apply within seven days of move-in.
Can exhibitors set up their own booths?
▾
It depends on the venue and local labor rules. At McCormick Place, an exhibitor’s own full-time employees may set up their booth with hand tools, but they may not use motorized equipment.
Research and sources
Sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Prices are each venue’s published rates for the dates shown and change often. They are examples, not national averages. The opening scenario and the worked budget are fictional, and “our math” figures are simple division of the published rates. Confirm all rates with the venue before you budget.
- Oregon Convention Center: Rental Rates, July 2026 to June 2029, Metro, oregoncc.org.
- Oregon Convention Center: Equipment, Services, and Labor Rates, July 2026 to June 2027, Metro, oregoncc.org.
- Portland Expo Center: Venue Guide and Rental Rates, July 2026 to June 2027 (updated October 2026), Metro, expocenter.org.
- Henry B. González Convention Center: 2026 Rate Proposal Summary, City of San Antonio, sahbgcc.com.
- Las Vegas Convention Center: Rate Sheet 2025 to 2030 (June 2025), Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
- Renting Las Vegas Convention Center will cost more soon, Las Vegas Review-Journal, September 12, 2023.
- Minneapolis Convention Center: 2026 Labor Rates and Meeting Planners Guide 2026, City of Minneapolis.
- McCormick Place: The Exhibitor Bill of Rights, mccormickplace.com.
- New York Library Association 2026 Exhibitor Manual (Great Lakes Expo Services), nyla.org.
- NACAC National College Fair, Greater Los Angeles 2026 Exhibitor Kit, nacacnet.org.
- Events Industry Council, APEX glossary: general service contractor (GSC), material handling, and move-in, insights.eventscouncil.org.
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