I ran labor budgets for a general service contractor for most of my career. Labor is where exhibitor budgets go to die, and it's almost never because the hourly rate was high. It's because of when the hours happened, how many were billed, and who was watching.
The three rates
Every labor order is billed against a time-of-day grid that's printed in your kit and varies by city:
- Straight time (ST): normal business hours on weekdays — commonly something like 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Overtime (OT): before and after those hours on weekdays, and typically all day Saturday. Usually 1.5× straight time, sometimes more.
- Double time (DT): Sundays and holidays in most kits; in some cities, late-night hours too. 2× straight time.
The grid is per city and sometimes per venue, because the underlying labor agreements differ. A Monday 7:00 a.m. start is overtime in one city and straight time in another. Always read your show's grid, and always plan the install around it.
The rules that multiply the hours
One-hour minimum per worker. Every laborer you call is billed at least an hour, even for ten minutes of work.
Half-hour increments after that. Time rounds up.
Start time is only guaranteed at the start of the day. Order labor for 1:00 p.m. and the crew arrives when the previous job finishes. Order for 8:00 a.m. and they're there at 8:00. If timing matters, book the first call of the day.
Cancellation. Cancel in writing at least 24 hours ahead or you pay a one-hour minimum per worker ordered. Change of plans on move-in morning costs a crew's worth of minimums.
Supervision. You can supervise the crew yourself, or have the contractor supervise. Contractor supervision typically adds a percentage — around 30% is common, sometimes 25% or 35% — with a minimum charge. It also means the crew works to the contractor's schedule, not yours, and starts when they get to you. Exhibitor supervision means someone from your team is physically present, picks up the crew at the labor desk, and releases them when the work is done. Your presence is the cheapest labor-saving device there is.
Dismantle is billed on its own. And it's usually on overtime, because show close is late afternoon and move-out runs into the evening and the weekend. Confirm your dismantle call when you check in your install labor on day one, not on the last afternoon when everyone wants a crew.
A worked example
Install for a 20×20: four laborers, 6 hours each, contractor-supervised, starting Saturday at 8:00 a.m. in a city where Saturday is overtime.
- 24 hours at an OT rate of, say, $165 = $3,960
- Supervision at 30% = $1,188
- Total: $5,148
Same install moved to Friday at 8:00 a.m., exhibitor-supervised, ST rate $110:
- 24 hours × $110 = $2,640
- Supervision: $0
- Total: $2,640
Same booth, same crew, same hours. One day and one checkbox. That's a $2,500 difference, and it's typical.
What you can do yourself
This is the question every first-timer asks, and the honest default is: less than you think. In major halls, plan on the contractor's labor handling your freight and on hiring labor for anything beyond a simple pop-up — and on hand-carry not being allowed at all. Exceptions exist, more often in right-to-work states, but they're decided per show, per city and per union, and the kit is where they're written. Confirm with the contractor before you plan around it — it's one of the questions we help exhibitors settle before a show. Where self-setup is permitted, the general shape:
- Hand-carry: where allowed at all, what one person can carry in one trip, without a dolly, through the front doors. In most major halls it isn't allowed; budget for material handling.
- Self-setup: many venues allow an exhibitor's own full-time employees to set up a small booth — commonly a 10×10 pop-up — if it can be done in a short time (30 minutes is a common limit) without tools. Some venues allow no tools at all, some allow hand tools, some require union labor for anything beyond unpacking.
- Anything with power, rigging, or plumbing: electricians, riggers and plumbers, full stop. There's no city where you plug your own booth into the floor.
The rules are stricter in some cities than others, and the kit is the final word. A good rule: if your booth needs more than two people, a ladder, or a tool, plan on hiring labor, and plan it for straight time.
Exhibitor-appointed contractors
If you bring your own install crew — an exhibit house, an I&D company — show management needs notice and the contractor's insurance certificate by a deadline, usually 30 days before move-in. Miss it and your crew can be limited to supervising while the GSC's labor does the work at the GSC's rates. The EAC route is often cheaper for larger booths and for exhibitors who do many shows a year; it's rarely cheaper for a single 10×10.
The labor ticket
Every call generates a labor ticket. Someone on your team signs it with the start and end times. Those signed tickets are your invoice audit. Sign only for the hours actually worked; note the real start time if the crew arrived late; keep a photo of every ticket. A labor line on the final invoice that doesn't match a signed ticket is a dispute, and disputes are won with photos.
Habits that keep labor cheap
- Design for straight time. If your install is six hours, start at 8:00 a.m. on a weekday, not 1:00 p.m. — the second half of a 1:00 p.m. start is overtime.
- Book the first call of the day. It's the only one with a guaranteed start.
- Supervise it yourself when you can. Be at the labor desk at call time.
- Confirm dismantle on day one. Then confirm it again on the last morning.
- Ship lighter, ship crated, ship consolidated. Labor hours track freight weight and freight condition more than booth size.
- Bring the right drawings. A crew that has to guess how the booth goes together is a crew on the clock.
- Cancel in writing, 24 hours ahead, if plans change.
- Sign tickets with real times, and photograph them.
The planner's labor calculator splits a call across your show's straight-time, overtime and double-time windows automatically, applies the minimums and increments, adds supervision if you choose it, and compares the same install on different days — so you can see the Friday-versus-Saturday number before you book.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between straight time, overtime and double time at a trade show?
- Straight time covers weekday business hours (often around 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Overtime, usually 1.5×, applies before and after those hours and on Saturdays. Double time, 2×, applies on Sundays and holidays in most kits. The grid is set per city in the exhibitor kit.
- Can I set up my own trade show booth?
- Often yes for a small pop-up that one or two full-time employees can assemble quickly without tools, and hand-carry rules let you bring in what one person can carry in one trip. Anything involving power, rigging or plumbing requires the contractor's trades. Rules vary by city and the kit governs.
- What is a supervision fee on trade show labor?
- The percentage added when the contractor, rather than you, supervises the crew — commonly around 30% with a minimum charge. Supervising the crew yourself avoids it and lets you control start and release times.
- Why was I charged for labor I cancelled?
- Most kits require written cancellation at least 24 hours ahead. Inside that window you pay a one-hour minimum per worker ordered.
More exhibitor guides
Every figure in this guide is a typical range. Your show's exhibitor service manual governs the actual dates, rates and rules.