CES Show Service Guide for Exhibitors

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In our previous CES guides, we covered booth registration, hotels, and transportation tips to help exhibitors plan their journey to Las Vegas. But there’s another critical factor that often surprises first-time participants: CES show services.

From electricity and internet to union labor, rigging, and drayage fees, every detail of a booth setup at CES comes with a cost. In this article, we’ll break down what’s included in CES show services, why they matter, and how exhibitors can save money while still making an impact on the show floor.

What is included in CES show services?

Every booth at CES requires a set of essential services — electricity, internet, drainage, furniture, and cleaning. The providers vary depending on the venue: Freeman at the LVCC, Venetian Order Service at the Venetian Expo, and direct orders through hotels like Aria or Mandalay Bay.

❗️A crucial tip: apply early.
CES show services offer early-bird pricing that can save around 20%. For a large booth, that discount alone can add up to thousands of dollars in savings.

What are CES show service costs and union labor rules?

Major U.S. trade shows—including CES—require union crews for specific work. Union electricians wire your booth; rigging teams hang ceiling structures; dedicated technicians install internet. Because everyone bills by the hour, on-site changes snowball into real money.

The most expensive parts of CES show service typically fall into three categories:

1. Booth carpentry – complex wooden builds require many workers and long installation times.
2. Labor hours – the more you adjust on-site, the more you pay.
3. Rigging – ceiling structures are among the most costly services.

Rigging in particular escalates quickly. Trusses are billed per meter, and you’re also charged for every screw, hook, rope, and chain. On top of that, a rigging crew often requires two workers to assemble, two to operate, and two for safety management. In other words, every single element has a cost — and those costs add up fast.

Cost-saving tip: If you are using a modular or prefabricated booth, finish details such as signage or graphics at the warehouse before shipping to Las Vegas. Every extra hour spent handling those details during installation means additional union labor fees.

👉 For a full list of official labor rules, see the CES Show Rules & Regulations manual.

What is the CES material handling fee?

Another hidden cost is material handling, commonly called drayage. Exhibitors cannot unload materials directly at the show floor. All shipments must go through official contractors.

There are two main delivery methods:

• Advance Warehouse: Ship your materials to a designated warehouse before CES, then they are delivered to your booth.
• Direct to Show Site: Deliver to the marshaling yard, where trucks are weighed upon entry and exit. Charges are based on the weight delivered.

At CES, material handling fees are weight-based, which means heavy wooden structures dramatically increase costs. This is why even large exhibitors often prefer fabric walls and lightweight materials — they reduce both drayage and labor fees.

What This Means for Your CES Planning

Plan early, design light, and minimize on-site adjustments. By doing so, you lower CES show service costs, protect your timeline, and keep the focus on your product story. Finally, lock deadlines on a calendar and assign owners for each order—missed cutoffs erase early-bird savings in a heartbeat.

See our CES Portfolio → Roborock CES 2025