Trade Show Electrical, Internet & AV Costs (What to Expect)

Electrical, internet, and AV are the utility costs of trade show exhibiting. They don’t get the attention that booth design or shipping costs do, but they add up fast—and they catch a lot of teams off guard because the pricing doesn’t work like anything you encounter in normal business.

Understanding how these costs are structured helps you budget accurately and avoid overpaying. Here’s what to expect across all three categories.

Electrical Costs: Two Fees, Not One

Most first-time exhibitors assume electrical is a single line item. It’s not. At most shows, you’ll pay two separate charges: a connection fee (getting the outlet installed at your booth) and a power consumption fee (the electricity you actually use).

Connection Fees

The connection fee covers running electrical service from the venue’s infrastructure to your booth space. This varies based on your booth location and power requirements:

• Standard 5A/500W outlet: $300-$600
• 20A/120V dedicated circuit: $600-$1,000
• 30A/208V circuit (for larger equipment): $1,000-$1,500
• 50A or higher: $1,500-$3,000+

Island booths typically pay more for connections because the electrical has to travel farther under the floor. Perimeter booths against the wall are usually the cheapest to service.

Power Consumption

On top of the connection fee, some venues charge for actual power consumption, metered or estimated. This is separate from the outlet itself. It might add $100-$400 depending on your usage and the show duration.

What You Actually Need

Before ordering electrical, add up the wattage of everything in your booth: monitors, lighting, computers, charging stations, product demos. Most 10x10 booths can get by with a single 5A circuit. A 20x20 booth with multiple monitors and lighting typically needs 20A-30A service. Large island booths with LED walls or heavy equipment may need 50A or more.

Order more capacity than you think you need. Running out of power during the show is a problem you don’t want—and adding service on-site costs 25-50% more than pre-ordering.

Internet: The Most Overpriced Utility

Convention center internet pricing is notoriously high. There’s no way around this—venues and general contractors hold exclusive rights to provide connectivity, and they price accordingly.

What You’ll Pay

• Shared wifi (basic browsing, email): $500-$800
• Dedicated wifi (guaranteed bandwidth): $800-$1,500
• Hardwired ethernet connection: $1,000-$2,000
• High-bandwidth dedicated line (streaming, heavy demos): $2,000-$3,000+

These are per-show prices, not monthly rates. Yes, you might pay $1,500 for three days of internet access.

When You Actually Need It

Here’s the honest question: do you really need a dedicated connection? If your team just needs to check email and access a CRM, a mobile hotspot on your phone might suffice. Cell signal varies by venue, but it’s often good enough for basic connectivity.

You genuinely need show-provided internet when:

• You’re running live product demonstrations that require reliable bandwidth
• Your lead capture system needs a stable connection
• You’re streaming video or running cloud-based applications in real time
• Your booth has interactive screens that pull data from the internet

If none of those apply, test cell coverage at the venue during setup before committing to an internet order. Many exhibitors pay for internet they don’t actually need.

Tips to Reduce Internet Costs

• Pre-load everything: Download presentations, videos, and demo content to local drives
• Use offline-capable apps: Many lead capture tools work offline and sync later
• Share a connection: If you have neighboring exhibitors you trust, splitting a dedicated line can cut costs
• Order early: Advance pricing is typically 15-25% less than on-site rates

AV Equipment: Rent, Buy, or Skip

Audio-visual equipment is where show services costs can spike dramatically. A single 85-inch monitor rental might cost $1,500-$3,000 for the show. An LED video wall can run $10,000-$30,000+. But not every booth needs a massive screen.

Common AV Costs

Equipment	Show Rental Cost
42-50” monitor on stand	$800-$1,500
55-65” monitor on stand	$1,200-$2,500
75-85” monitor on stand	$1,800-$3,500
LED video wall (per panel)	$500-$1,000
Projector + screen	$1,000-$3,000
PA/sound system	$500-$2,000
Lighting package	$800-$3,000
Microphone (wireless)	$200-$500

These are rental rates for the show duration, typically 3-5 days including setup and teardown.

Buy vs. Rent

For monitors 50 inches and under, the math often favors buying your own. A quality 50-inch commercial display costs $500-$800. Renting the same monitor at a show costs $800-$1,500. If you exhibit at two or more shows per year, buying pays for itself quickly—even when you factor in shipping costs.

For larger displays, LED walls, projectors, and complex audio systems, renting usually makes more sense. The equipment is heavy, fragile, requires specialized setup, and depreciates. Let the AV company handle it.

LED Walls: The Big Spend

LED video walls have become popular for creating visual impact, but the costs are substantial. A 10x8-foot LED wall might cost $15,000-$25,000 to rent for a single show, including setup, operation, and teardown. Add content creation costs on top of that.

Before committing to an LED wall, ask yourself whether a well-placed 85-inch monitor at $3,000 would accomplish the same communication goal. Sometimes it does.

Lighting Matters More Than You Think

Good lighting is often more impactful than a bigger screen. A well-lit booth looks professional and draws attention. A poorly lit booth with an expensive LED wall still looks flat.

Budget $800-$2,000 for lighting, depending on your booth size. This might include overhead spotlights, backlit graphics, and accent lighting. Some of this can be built into your booth structure at the design phase, which is usually more cost-effective than renting separate fixtures.

How to Read the Exhibitor Manual for Services

The exhibitor manual (sometimes called the exhibitor services kit or ESK) is your pricing guide for all show services. It arrives 2-4 months before the show, and it’s dense. Here’s what to focus on:

Discount deadlines: Most services have an advance order deadline. Ordering before this date saves 15-25%. After the deadline, rates jump. On-site ordering is the most expensive option.

Electrical order forms: Look for the specific circuits available, connection fees, and any separate consumption charges. Note whether the price includes the outlet or just the power.

Internet packages: Compare shared vs. dedicated options. Check whether bandwidth is guaranteed or “best effort.”

AV equipment lists: The official contractor’s AV pricing is often the most expensive option. Ask if third-party AV companies are allowed—many shows permit them, and rates are typically 20-40% lower.

Bundled packages: Some shows offer service packages that combine electrical, internet, and carpet at a discount. These can be a good deal for smaller booths.

Putting It All Together

For a typical 10x10 booth, budget $1,500-$3,000 for electrical, internet, and basic AV combined. For a 20x20 booth with monitors and good lighting, plan for $4,000-$8,000. Large island booths with LED walls and full AV setups can easily reach $15,000-$30,000 for services alone.

These costs are part of your total exhibiting investment—they sit alongside booth construction, shipping, labor, and travel as essential line items that need to be planned from the start. If you only budget for the “big” costs and treat services as an afterthought, you’ll blow your budget.

The brands that manage show services costs well share a few habits: they read the exhibitor manual early, order before discount deadlines, question whether they truly need every service, and bring their own equipment when the math makes sense.

Use our trade show cost calculator to see how electrical, internet, and AV costs fit into your overall budget. For a deeper look at costs that often get overlooked, read Hidden Trade Show Costs Most Teams Forget. And for a complete view of every cost category, check out The Real Cost of Exhibiting at a Trade Show.