Trade Show Booth Sizes: What to Offer and What Fits

Trade show booth sizes in North America are built on a 10 ft module. A standard booth is commonly 10 ft wide by 10 ft deep, and larger spaces are multiples of it: two booths side by side make a 10x20, four in a square make a 20x20. By convention the first number is usually the frontage on the aisle and the second the depth, though shows vary, so check the floor plan. Shows in metric markets commonly work on a 3 m module instead.

Booth sizes describe floor space only. Height limits, which sides are open and what the booth may contain are set by the booth type and the show's rules. See trade show booth types for how inline, corner, peninsula and island booths differ.

The 10x10 booth is the default unit at most US trade shows and the size most first-time exhibitors buy. As an inline booth it typically comes with an 8 ft high back drape and lower side rails, commonly about 3 ft high, plus a sign with the company name and booth number. Carpet, furniture and electrical are usually ordered separately from the service contractor or venue.

• A pop-up or fabric backwall, or a banner stand, along the back
• One 6 ft or 8 ft table, or a counter or kiosk toward the front
• Two chairs, or none if staff stand
• A monitor on a stand or mounted on the backwall
• Two or three staff at a time without crowding visitors out

Keep the front open. A table across the full width of a 10x10 booth turns it into a barrier; set to one side, it leaves room for visitors to step in and talk.

A 10x20 booth is two standard booths side by side: 20 ft of aisle frontage and 10 ft deep. It is the usual step up for exhibitors who need to demonstrate equipment, hold short meetings or staff several people at once. Organizers often sell it as two adjacent 10x10s combined into one space, which keeps the hall grid simple.

• A 20 ft backwall, or two 10 ft sections with a graphic break
• A demo station or product display plus a reception counter
• A small meeting area with a high table and stools
• Four to six staff without spilling into the aisle

Placed at the end of a row, a 10x20 becomes a corner booth with two open sides, or an end-cap open on three sides. Each is usually priced above the inline rate because it draws traffic from more than one direction.

The 20x20 booth is the smallest common size for an island, open on all four sides, or a peninsula, open on three. At 400 sq ft it supports a custom or modular exhibit with walls, a storage closet, a meeting room and demo areas, and on islands at many shows, a hanging sign. Larger spaces such as 20x30, 30x30 and 40x40 follow the same pattern and usually belong to the show's anchor exhibitors.

Large spaces carry rules that small booths do not: taller height allowances, structural and rigging approvals, fire inspection for enclosed rooms or covered areas, and drawings submitted to the organizer by a deadline. Your exhibitor manual should state each one, and exhibitors buying a 20x20 booth or larger should read those rules before they design.

• A modular or custom exhibit with walls on one or more sides
• A lockable storage closet for literature, giveaways and coats
• An enclosed or semi-open meeting room for scheduled appointments
• Several demo stations or a product display area with clear walkways
• A reception counter facing the busiest aisle
• A full booth team on duty at once, with room left for visitors

The sizes you sell should match what your exhibitors buy, not what looks tidy on a drawing. Start from last year's sales or, for a new show, from conversations with target exhibitors about the space they usually take at comparable events.

• Make the 10x10 the base unit, so every larger booth is a multiple of it and booths can be combined or split as sales develop.
• Offer 10x20 and 10x30 inline runs for mid-size exhibitors, and create corners at every cross aisle.
• Reserve 20x20 and larger blocks for islands and peninsulas near entrances, the main aisle and feature areas.
• Consider a smaller 8x10 or tabletop zone for startups, nonprofits or first-time exhibitors with small budgets.
• Keep some flexible space you can sell either as several 10x10s or as one island until late in the sales cycle.

1. 1

   Start From the Venue's Plan

   Mark columns, exits, fire lanes, utility floor boxes, loading doors and the areas set aside for registration, food and education. These come out before any booth goes in.

2. 2

   Set Aisle Widths

   Main aisles are typically wider than cross aisles, and 10 ft aisles are common in US halls. The fire marshal and venue have the final say on minimum widths.

3. 3

   Lay Out Back-to-Back Rows

   Rows of inline booths are usually two 10 ft deep booths back to back, separated by aisles. Run them so the main entrance looks down an aisle rather than into the back of a row.

4. 4

   Block Out Islands and Peninsulas

   Place 20x20 and larger blocks where sightlines are strongest, then fill around them with inline rows. The trade show booth layout guide covers traffic patterns in more depth.

5. 5

   Check Capacity and Revenue

   Count booths by size and type and compare the total against your budget. The booth capacity calculator gives a first estimate of how many booths fit in a hall.

Most organizers price booth space per square foot or per booth, with a premium for open sides and prime locations. Pricing per square foot keeps larger spaces consistent with the base rate; pricing per booth is simpler to communicate when nearly everything is a 10x10.

For a closer look at rates, premiums and early-bird structures, read the trade show booth pricing guide.