Electrical Information for Powering Your Show

Lights and audio visual in a tradeshow exhibit are like exclamation points at the end of a sentence.  You have created a beautifully designed display that incorporates strategically creative graphics, and the lighting and a/v are the icing on the cake.  If designed and positioned properly, it allows you to put special focus on and highlight your company and brand.

Before those lights and electronics are turned on, however, you must order electricity.  When you order your booth space at a tradeshow, most likely the only thing included in the cost is the concrete floor.  To order your electricity, you will need to pull your electrical order form from your event's services kit. 

Step 1: Identify your electrical needs.  Consider everything in your space that will require power such as lights, monitors, DVD players, laptops, and lead retrieval.

Step 2: Determine the number of drops you need.  For example, if you have a 10' x 20' space, you may want two drops - one on the left side to power your exhibit lights and lead retrieval, and one on the right side to power your monitor and laptop.  You will need to add up the wattage to determine the amount of power to order for each drop.  This is typically available in 500 watts, 1,000 watts, and 2,000 watts, but it can vary by show and sometimes sold by the amps (1 amp = 100 watts).

Step 3: When you order the electrical, you will need to include a scaled diagram indicating exact location of the drops and wattage, the booth dimensions, and neighboring booth numbers so the electricians can understand the orientation.

Before your exhibit is installed, your booth space may look something like this:

Once the flooring is laid down and the booth is erected, your booth will come alive!