Exhibitor Timeline: What to Order and When

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 by the ConventionVendor.com rental team.

Show services depend on each other. You cannot size an electrical order until you know what will run in the booth, and you cannot finish a floor plan until you know where each screen and counter will sit.

Many show services also carry an advance-rate deadline, after which orders are often billed at standard rather than advance rates. Working backward from those dates keeps your technology plan from forcing a late or rushed order.

Every show sets its own schedule, even when two shows use the same convention center. Read the timings below as typical patterns and confirm each one in your exhibitor manual.

The table runs from booking through equipment return. Relative timings are common patterns rather than rules, and your show may move any of them earlier or later.

Fill in the actual date next to each task as soon as the exhibitor manual is released. Shared calendars work well when several people place orders for the same booth.

Once the booth is booked, record its number, size, booth type, and the aisles it faces. Those details shape screen placement, outlet locations, and sight lines from the aisle.

When the exhibitor manual or service kit comes out, read it end to end rather than skimming the order forms. Rules on hotspots, booth height, hanging signs, and outside contractors often sit in sections far from the order links.

Copy every deadline into one calendar and assign an owner to each task. A single missed date, such as the EAC form, can complicate a delivery that would otherwise be simple.

This is the busiest planning window. Settle on screens, tablets, kiosks, and charging, then use that list to size the electrical order and choose between a wired drop and venue Wi-Fi.

Place your rental order during the same window so the quote can confirm the delivery method and timing. ConventionVendor.com can align delivery with your show's move-in schedule and list what each device needs from your power order.

If an outside company will deliver or set up equipment in your booth, add it to the EAC form now. Many shows also want that company's certificate of insurance before move-in begins.

The last two weeks are for confirming, not ordering. Late orders are sometimes possible, but they leave less choice and less time to test.

Use this window to make sure every delivery knows exactly where to go and who will meet it. A single printed contact sheet for the booth team helps on move-in day.

On move-in day, check that electrical and internet are live where your floor plan shows them before connecting equipment. Report a missing or misplaced outlet to the service desk right away, because fixes take longer as the hall fills.

During show days, charge every tablet overnight and sync leads at the end of each day. Secure small equipment after hours, since many crews work in the hall once the doors close.

At move-out, pack rentals in their original cases, keep cables with the devices they belong to, and follow the pickup or return instructions in your quote. Paperwork for outbound freight usually goes through the general service contractor's service desk.