AV checklist for trade show exhibitors

Short answer: order power early, confirm rigging rules before you design, bring your own network and keep a tech on the floor for opening. Those four items prevent most trade show AV failures.

Eight weeks out

• Read the exhibitor manual for labor, rigging and height rules.
• Decide what hangs, what stands and who is allowed to install each.
• Calculate real power draw and add 25% headroom.

Four weeks out

• Place the electrical order before the discount deadline.
• Order a hard internet line if any demo depends on it.
• Lock content specs: resolution, aspect ratio, loop length.
• Confirm shipping and move-in times with the general contractor.

Show week

• Pre-build and burn in the full system before it ships.
• Pack spares: one of every cable, a backup player, a spare mic.
• Label every case with booth number and contents.

Do not trust show-floor WiFi

Thousands of phones share that spectrum. Anything that matters runs on wire or on your own managed network, with demos able to run offline if the line drops.

On-site support

The first two hours of day one are when problems show up. Keep a tech in the booth for opening, then on call for the rest of the show.

The bottom line

Show services are expensive to change on site and cheap to order early. A booth that was fully tested before shipping needs a calm half day to install.