What is the average cost of participating in a trade show?

Exhibiting at a trade show costs two main things: the floor space you book from the show organiser, and the stand you put on it. On the published rate cards of four recent and upcoming shows, checked in October 2026, a 3m x 3m shell scheme space was priced between $4,140 and $7,704, with GST extra where the page states it.

On our own price lists, the stand itself starts at $848 ex GST for a portable kit, $5,551.80 ex GST for a three-wall fabric stand, and $8,690 to $9,820 ex GST for a complete hire kit. Custom stands are quoted per project. Budget for both, then add the running costs.

Who do I pay for floor space and who supplies the stand?

The organiser sells the floor space, usually priced per square metre. A stand builder supplies what goes on it.

What is the difference between shell scheme and space only?

Organisers usually offer two kinds of space:

• Shell scheme. The organiser supplies basic walls, a fascia sign with your name, lighting and a power point. You add graphics, a counter and furniture.
• Space only. Bare floor, sometimes with carpet. You bring a complete stand, so this suits hire kits and custom builds.

What does floor space cost at Australian shows?

These are the rates each organiser published on its own website, checked in October 2026. ARBS 2026 and WALGA 2026 have already run and are shown as past editions. The 3m x 3m and 6m x 6m figures are our arithmetic. Rates change with every edition, so check the current rate card for your show.

Why do floor space rates vary so much?

• The same hall can cost very different amounts. Two 2026 shows at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre priced shell scheme space between $620 and $856 per square metre, depending on the show, membership and booking date.
• Booking early and membership both matter. At the ISSA expo, shell scheme space was $620 per m² for a member booking by 31 March 2026, and $856 for a non-member booking from 1 April.
• Check what the package includes. The WALGA standard stand came with three exhibitor passes, carpet, walls, a fascia sign, two spotlights, a 4 amp power outlet, Wi-Fi and a small furniture package. The ARBS and ARBSQLD shell schemes include installation and removal. The AHG page doesn't say whether its prices include GST.

What is the lowest-cost stand?

Portable exhibition kits are packages your team carries in, sets up and reuses. There are twelve numbered kits. Two of them are below, with our SuperWall Expo fabric stand for comparison. Prices are ex GST and freight:

Lead times run from order and print-ready artwork. SuperWall Expo add-ons include an LED light kit ($215 a pair) and a wheeled carry case ($275). One person can put up each 3m wall frame in about five minutes, with no tools.

How much does it cost to hire an exhibition stand?

Exhibition hire kits give you a complete stand for the days of the show. After bump-out it comes back to us, so you have nothing to store. Prices are ex GST:

• Foot Traffic Hire Kit: $9,820. We built it for space-only bookings, where the organiser supplies no walls. Space: 3m x 3m as priced (also suits 3m x 4m). Included: white raised floor with ramp edges, lockable counter, two side modules with shelves, overhead sign; printed graphics on the counter, the overhead sign and both faces of each side wall. Hire period: up to 5 days.
• Food and Beverage Sampling Hire Kit: $8,690. Space: 6m x 6m. Included: raised floor with ramp edging, counters, central console with shelves, two 43-inch screens, overhead Sky Banner, custom printing. Hire period: up to 2 weeks.

Neither price includes delivery to the venue or on-site installation, which we can add to the quote. The sampling kit also excludes artwork file preparation and any venue rigging charge for hanging the Sky Banner. Both kits have a two-week production lead time from order and print-ready artwork.

Should I hire or buy a stand?

Hire suits one or two shows a year, a first try at a new show, or a team with no storage. Buying pays off when the same display goes to several shows a year with graphics that seldom change.

How are custom exhibition stands priced?

Custom exhibition stands are designed around your space and objectives, so they are quoted per project rather than priced from a list. The common sizes are 3m x 3m and 6m x 3m, with larger island stands at major shows.

A custom quote from us covers the concept and 3D visuals for your approval, in-house manufacturing, a pre-build check, freight, installation and bump-out anywhere in Australia. A typical build needs four to eight weeks once you have signed off the brief. We can also store the stand between shows and change the graphics or layout for the next one, which spreads the build cost over several shows.

What drives exhibition stand costs up or down?

• Size. A bigger space costs more floor space and needs more walls, graphics and floor.
• Shell scheme or space only. On every rate card above that prices both, shell scheme space costs more per square metre than space only, but it includes walls, lighting and power.
• Raised flooring. Both hire kits include a raised floor with ramp edges. On a build of your own, price the floor and its ramp edges as a separate line.
• Screens, lighting and overhead signs. Hanging signs can bring a venue rigging charge on top of the sign itself.
• Installation. Portable kits are built for your own team to set up. Hire kit prices exclude installation, which we can quote separately, and custom quotes include it.
• Reuse. A stand used at four shows costs a quarter as much per show as one used once, before storage.
• Booking date. Early rates cut the floor space cost.

What other costs should I budget for?

The space and the stand are rarely the whole budget. Plan for:

• Freight and storage. Our product prices exclude freight, and hire kit prices exclude delivery.
• Power and services. Shell scheme packages include only basic power: one 4 amp power point at ARBS and ARBSQLD regardless of stand size, one per 9m² at AHG, and one per standard stand at WALGA. WALGA sold additional power, and ARBS takes orders for catering, freight and loading dock access through its Exhibitor Resource Centre.
• Exhibitor passes. WALGA, for example, sold extra three-day passes at $310 ex GST each.
• Travel, accommodation, meals and staff time for the show days, bump-in and bump-out.
• Promotional material and pre-show marketing.
• Insurance, as the exhibitor manual requires.
• Contingency for late changes.

Our exhibition budget template lists each line, with a column for the quote and one for the actual cost.

What does a small stand add up to?

Two worked examples at ARBSQLD 2027. Both combine published rates with our prices, ex GST, before freight, installation and other running costs:

• 3m x 3m shell scheme with Exhibition kit 1: floor space $4,140 (9m² x $460) plus stand $848 = $4,988 before running costs.
• 3m x 3m space only with the Foot Traffic Hire Kit: floor space $3,690 (9m² x $410) plus stand $9,820 = $13,510 before running costs.

What do you need from me for an accurate quote?

Send us:

1. The show, venue and dates, and whether you've booked shell scheme or space only.
2. The stand size, its number of open sides and its position on the floor plan.
3. Height, rigging and flooring rules from the exhibitor manual.
4. What happens on the stand: meetings, demonstrations, sampling or product display.
5. How many shows the stand needs to do, and whether you want to hire or buy.
6. Whether your artwork is ready or you need our designers.

Call 1300 240 250 or send the details through the enquiry form on the custom exhibition stands page. We reply within one business day.