What a booth really costs
The space is the smallest line. At HD Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, floor space was $59.75 per square foot at the early rate and $62.50 after the space draw1. At ICFF in New York, the smallest 5×10 booth with walls, carpet and drayage was $3,850 in 20232. Then come the stand build, shipping and drayage, electrics, install labour, hotel and flights for the team, samples, and the days nobody is at their desk. The Exhibitor Advocate’s 2025 rate survey found the same service in New York costing about 75% more than in Atlanta3 — so the city decides the bill as much as the booth does.
When a trade show is the right call
When buyers need to touch the product — finish, weight, fabric, build quality. When you are launching a collection and want press and existing accounts in one room. When being absent would be noticed. Shows are good at deepening relationships you already have. They are a slow, expensive way to start new ones.
When Atlas is
When you need new accounts, not just conversations with old ones. When the buyers you want — procurement leads, fit-out firms, dealers, operators — are not walking the aisles. White Gloves opened 64 trade accounts in 11 months by going straight to hospitality procurement and fit-out firms; a sauna brand opened 24 dealer and resort accounts in 90 days without a stand.
Both, done properly
If you are going to a show anyway, the weeks before it are the best time to send. Book the meetings before you fly, so the booth is a calendar, not a hope.