Booth Assignment Methods
| Method | How it works | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| First come, first served | Booths go to whoever books and pays first | Simple, fast, rewards early commitment | Long-time exhibitors can lose their spot; launch day can be a scramble |
| Priority points | Exhibitors choose in order of points earned | Rewards loyalty and spend; predictable and defensible | Needs good records and clear rules; slower to run |
| Organizer assignment | Exhibitors request, the organizer places them | Lets you build a balanced floor and separate competitors | Feels opaque unless criteria are published |
| Onsite rebooking | Exhibitors rebook for next year during the show | Locks in revenue early; keeps loyal exhibitors in place | Depends on next year's floor plan being similar |
First-year shows usually start with first come, first served, because there is no history to rank. From year two, most shows move to rebooking plus priority points for returning exhibitors, with open sales after that.
How Priority Points Work
Points should reward the behavior you want more of, and be easy to check. Most systems use some combination of the following. The values below are illustrative; set your own and publish them.
| Criterion | Example value | Why shows use it |
|---|---|---|
| Consecutive years exhibiting | 1 point per year | Rewards loyalty; the most common criterion |
| Space contracted this year | 1 point per 100 sq ft | Rewards larger exhibits |
| Sponsorship spend | 1 point per $1,000 | Rewards sponsors without a separate deal for every one |
| Association membership | 2 points | A benefit for member-run shows |
| Advertising or other show spend | 1 point per $1,000 | Counts total investment, not just booth space |
| Paid in full by a deadline | 1 point | Encourages early payment |
| Rule violations last year | Minus points or loss of priority | Discourages early teardown and other breaches |
- Break ties by the date the contract and deposit were received, then by total years exhibited
- Decide whether points belong to the company or the brand when companies merge or rebrand
- Decide whether a year skipped resets consecutive years to zero
- Cap sponsorship points if you don't want a single large sponsor to dominate selection
- Publish each exhibitor's points before selection so errors are fixed before they matter
Run a Booth Selection Process, Step by Step
- 1
Rebook Onsite
During the show, offer current exhibitors next year's space, usually their current booth or an equivalent, with a deposit and a firm rebooking deadline.
- 2
Finalize the Floor Plan
After the show, finalize next year's floor plan and get it approved before you open selection, so exhibitors are choosing from booths that will exist.
- 3
Publish Points and the Order
Calculate points, publish the ranked list, and give exhibitors a few days to query their total.
- 4
Run Selection Appointments
Give each exhibitor, in points order, an appointment time to choose. Appointments of 10 to 15 minutes are common for in-person or phone selection; online, a window of a day or two per group works well. Exhibitors who miss their slot choose at the end of their group.
- 5
Open Sales to Everyone
Once returning exhibitors have chosen, open the remaining booths to new exhibitors on a first come, first served basis.
- 6
Confirm Every Assignment in Writing
Send each exhibitor their booth number, size, type, price and payment schedule in writing, and add them to the published floor plan.
Competitor Separation, Pavilions and Waitlists
Exhibitors care who is next to them. Some want to be near their competitors, because that is where buyers compare; most want not to be directly beside or across from one. A clear policy saves dozens of awkward conversations.
- Ask exhibitors to name direct competitors in writing at booking, and set a deadline for requests
- Commit to effort, not a guarantee: 'we will try not to place listed competitors side by side or directly across the aisle'
- Group exhibitors by product category or zone if your audience shops that way
- For pavilions (country, startup, association), sell a block to the pavilion organizer and let them assign booths inside it under your rules
- Decide whether pavilion booths count toward each company's priority points or the pavilion's
- Keep a waitlist for sold-out zones and premium booths, with the date each request came in, and offer released booths in that order
Publish the Rules to Exhibitors
Whichever method you use, publish the rules before anyone chooses. Put them in the exhibitor prospectus and the exhibitor agreement, and say clearly that the organizer may relocate booths if the floor plan changes for safety or venue reasons.
- The assignment method and the order of each phase, with dates
- How points are calculated, the tie-breakers and how to query a total
- Deposit and payment deadlines, and what happens to the booth if a payment is missed
- Competitor separation and adjacency requests: how to make them and what you promise
- Booth sharing and subletting rules
- The organizer's right to relocate booths, and how exhibitors will be told
Booth numbers are what exhibitors remember, so have your booth numbering scheme settled before selection opens. For filling the floor in the first place, see how to get exhibitors and exhibitor retention strategies.
How Online Self-Select Booth Sales Work
Online booth selection replaces the spreadsheet-and-phone-call version with the floor plan itself. Exhibitors see which booths are open, what each costs and where it sits, and choose on the map. The details depend on the platform, but the moving parts are the same.
| Step | What happens online |
|---|---|
| Who can buy which booth | Booth types or prices limited to members, registration types or invited exhibitors |
| Keeping a booth for a returning exhibitor | A private code or a manual hold so only that exhibitor can take it |
| Holding booths for sponsors | Booths marked reserved so they can't be bought online |
| Preventing double booking | A booth is held in the buyer's cart for a short time while they pay |
| Organizer control | Orders are either final on payment, or wait for organizer approval |
| Ranked requests | Exhibitors list preferred booths in order; the organizer assigns in priority order |
| Opening phases | Sales open and close by date, and can be paused between phases |
A priority-points selection maps onto this well. Use approval or ranked requests for the returning-exhibitor phase, then switch to direct purchase for open sales. See booth sales software for how this works in Map D.
Copy-Ready Priority Points Policy
Adapt this to your show, then publish it in the prospectus and exhibitor manual. Have your contract terms reviewed by a qualified adviser.
BOOTH ASSIGNMENT AND PRIORITY POINTS POLICY: [SHOW NAME] [YEAR] 1. Order of assignment Booths for [YEAR] are assigned in this order: a. Onsite rebooking at [PREVIOUS SHOW], deadline [DATE], deposit [AMOUNT] b. Returning exhibitors in priority points order, selection window [DATES] c. All other exhibitors, first come, first served, from [DATE] 2. Priority points Points are earned as follows: - [1] point for each consecutive year exhibited - [1] point for each [100] sq ft contracted for [YEAR] - [1] point for each $[1,000] of sponsorship and advertising for [YEAR] - [2] points for current [ASSOCIATION] membership - [1] point for payment in full by [DATE] Points are reduced by [NUMBER] for [EARLY DISMANTLE / OTHER VIOLATION] at the previous show. Skipping a year [RESETS / DOES NOT RESET] consecutive years. Points belong to the [CONTRACTING COMPANY]. Ties are broken by the date the signed contract and deposit were received, then by total years exhibited. 3. Points list Points will be published on [DATE]. Questions about a total must be sent to [EMAIL] by [DATE]. 4. Selection Each exhibitor will be given a selection time in points order. Exhibitors who miss their time may choose at the end of their group. Booths are confirmed only when [DEPOSIT IS PAID / THE ORGANIZER APPROVES]. 5. Competitors and adjacency Exhibitors may list up to [NUMBER] direct competitors in writing by [DATE]. The organizer will try not to place listed competitors side by side or directly across an aisle, but does not guarantee placement. 6. Pavilions Pavilion space is sold to the pavilion organizer as a block and assigned inside the pavilion under these rules. 7. Waitlist Requests for sold-out booths or zones are kept in the order received and offered as booths are released. 8. Relocation The floor plan is subject to venue and fire marshal approval. The organizer may relocate a booth for safety, venue or show-wide layout reasons and will notify the exhibitor in writing. Contact: [NAME, EMAIL, PHONE]
