DALLAS — The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) unveiled a report exploring exhibitor spending.
Titled How the Exhibit Dollar is Spent 2026, this resource outlines how exhibitors allocate their budgets across key expense categories and how these patterns are changing, answering key questions such as:
- Where exhibitors are investing the largest share of their budgets
- How spending differs by marketing budget size
- Where exhibitors are increasing and scaling back spend for 2026
- How exhibit strategies are evolving
“What’s most important about this report is that it provides meaningful benchmarks exhibitors can use to compare their spending allocations against industry norms,” Nancy Drapeau, IPC, CEIR’s Vice President of Research, explained. “By showing where spending patterns differ by marketing budget size, the report offers especially practical guidance for exhibitor planning. It also delivers valuable insight for organizers and suppliers, helping them better understand exhibitor direct spending practices and identify sales opportunities across key expense categories.”
TSE sat down with Drapeau to learn about CEIR’s findings.
Overall, Direct Spending Allocation Remains Stable
“Aside from a modest increase in spending on exhibit space, expenditures across other categories closely track pre‑COVID spending patterns,” Drapeau said. “In 2024, exhibitors are estimated to have spent just over $30 billion in direct expenses — representing a substantial contribution to the U.S. economy and to the broader trade show ecosystem, including suppliers, organizers and host communities.”
This report found that the largest share of exhibitor spending is on exhibit space (40.5%) and the next largest expenditures are for staff, show services, exhibit design, and graphics and shipping.
Spending is Shifting in Line with Expected Participation Levels
Drapeau explained that about half (47%) of exhibitors plan to maintain their current number of shows, while 28% anticipate adding events.
“As a result, most exhibitors expect spending across expense categories to remain stable, but a meaningful share plan to increase spending in multiple areas — consistent with plans to expand their annual show programs,” Drapeau said.
Spending Patterns Vary by the Size of an Exhibitor’s Marketing Budget
“As budgets increase, exhibitors allocate more dollars to discretionary expenses, while those with smaller budgets tend to take a more conservative approach to spending,” Drapeau explained.
CEIR found that exhibitors with the smallest marketing budgets devote the largest share of their spending to core necessities, exhibit space, and travel and entertainment costs for booth staff.
About Half of Surveyed Exhibitors Plan to Change Their Exhibit Properties
According to Drapeau, this is an encouraging sign, because companies are trying to avoid delivering a “same old” booth experience for attendees.
The largest share, 30%, plan to refurbish existing exhibits, while 14% want to purchase new ones, 9% want rentals and 52% want to remain as is.
Today’s Spending Patterns Closely Mirror Those Seen Before the Pandemic
“Exhibitors remain disciplined and intentional, allocating marketing dollars to their exhibit programs in ways that are largely consistent with past practices. While they are willing to evolve and experiment, changes are made deliberately and with careful consideration rather than abrupt shifts,” Drapeau added.
Looking to learn even more about exhibitor spending?
CEIR is publishing a companion resource soon: The Marketing Spend Report.
Drapeau shared that this will deliver CEIR’s first post‑pandemic measurement of how much of exhibitors’ marketing budgets are allocated to B2B exhibitions and how remaining marketing dollars are spent across channels.
“The report also examines why exhibitors continue to invest in B2B exhibitions, their plans moving forward and the role of integrated digital marketing — providing exhibitors, organizers and suppliers with a clear, forward‑looking view of exhibitor priorities and practices,” Drapeau said.
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