How much does a 10x10 trade show booth cost?

A 10x10 trade show booth typically costs $15,000-$40,000 for total program costs including the booth itself, shipping, labor, and show services. The booth structure alone ranges from $5,000-$15,000 for modular to $15,000-$30,000+ for custom builds.

Is it better to rent or buy a trade show booth?

If you attend 4 or more shows per year with a consistent booth size, buying typically makes financial sense — the per-show cost drops significantly after year one. For 1-3 shows annually, or if you're still testing which shows work, renting is usually more cost-effective.

What percentage of revenue should I spend on trade shows?

B2B companies typically allocate 1-3% of revenue to trade show programs when shows are a primary marketing channel. Within that, booth investment represents about 30-50% of per-show costs, with the remainder going to logistics, travel, services, and marketing.

How do I know if my trade show booth investment is worth it?

Evaluate booth investment through the ROI lens: total show investment should be 10-20% of expected pipeline generation. If a show typically generates $500,000 in qualified pipeline, investing $50,000-$100,000 total (including booth) is defensible.

How Much Should You Spend on a Trade Show Booth?

There’s no single answer to how much a booth should cost. But there are frameworks for thinking about booth investment that help you make smarter decisions for your specific situation.

The Wrong Question

“How much should a booth cost?” is actually the wrong starting question. The right questions are: What do you need this booth to accomplish? How many shows will it serve? What’s the expected lifespan? How does it fit into your broader marketing investment?

A booth is a tool. Like any tool, its value depends on how it’s used. A $200,000 booth used once a year at one show has a very different cost profile than the same booth used at six shows annually for five years.

The Per-Show Cost Framework

One useful way to evaluate booth investment is per-show cost. Take the total booth investment, add estimated storage and maintenance over its lifespan, and divide by the number of shows it will serve.

Example calculation:

Item	Cost
Booth construction	$120,000
5 years storage ($3,000/year)	$15,000
Maintenance/updates over 5 years	$25,000
Total investment	$160,000
Used at 4 shows/year × 5 years = 20 shows	$8,000/show

Compare this to renting a similar booth at $25,000-$35,000 per show. Ownership makes sense when show frequency justifies the investment.

Investment as Percentage of Revenue

Another framework: trade show investment as a percentage of marketing budget or company revenue. There’s no universal standard, but benchmarks exist. B2B companies often allocate 20-40% of their marketing budget to events and trade shows. Total trade show spending (including all program costs) typically runs 1-3% of revenue for companies where shows are a primary channel.

Within that, booth investment itself might represent 30-50% of per-show costs. So if your total show budget is $100,000, booth-related expenses (construction, depreciation, or rental) might reasonably run $30,000-$50,000.

The Booth Size Question

Booth cost correlates strongly with booth size. A 10x10 booth might cost $15,000-$40,000 to build. A 20x20 booth runs $50,000-$150,000. A 30x30 or larger island booth can easily exceed $200,000-$500,000.

But bigger isn’t automatically better. The right booth size depends on your show goals, typical traffic patterns, product demonstration needs, and meeting requirements. A well-designed 20×20 can outperform a poorly conceived 40×40.

Quality Tiers

Booth construction quality varies widely. At the lower end, you have pop-up systems and portable displays—functional but limited in impact. Mid-range modular systems offer more presence and flexibility. High-end custom construction provides maximum impact but at premium prices.

The right tier depends on competitive context. If your competitors all have basic setups, a mid-range booth might stand out. If you’re in an industry where major players invest heavily in their presence, a budget approach might hurt your brand perception.

The ROI Lens

Ultimately, booth investment should connect to expected returns. If a trade show typically generates $500,000 in pipeline for your company, what level of booth investment is justified to protect and grow that outcome?

This varies by sales cycle and close rates, but a common rule of thumb is that total show investment (including booth) should be 10-20% of expected pipeline generation. If you’re expecting $500,000 in qualified pipeline, investing $50,000-$100,000 total makes sense. For more on connecting costs to outcomes, see our guide to trade show ROI and cost planning.

Red Flags in Booth Pricing

Be cautious of quotes that seem dramatically lower than competitors—they often exclude important elements or use lower-quality materials. Also watch for quotes that bundle everything without line-item detail, making it hard to understand where the money goes.

Good exhibit houses provide detailed quotes that break down design, fabrication, graphics, and hardware costs. This transparency helps you make informed decisions about where to invest and where to economize.

Making the Decision

The “right” booth investment depends on your specific situation: show frequency, competitive context, brand positioning needs, available budget, and expected returns. There’s no formula that works for everyone.

What matters is making the decision intentionally, with full awareness of true costs and realistic expectations about outcomes. Use our trade show cost calculator to model different booth investment scenarios and see how they affect your total program cost. A well-considered $50,000 booth often delivers better results than an unconsidered $150,000 one.