You are based in Washington, and you are exhibiting in Las Vegas. That is the most common situation on a Las Vegas show floor — most exhibitors here are not from here. This page is about how to do that well from Washington, District of Columbia.
Shipping a trade show booth from Washington to Las Vegas
You have two routes. Ship to the advance warehouse, which gets the crate into Las Vegas early and has the general contractor deliver it to your space on move-in day; or ship direct to show site, which means your carrier has to hit a targeted move-in window at the venue. Advance warehouse costs more per pound and removes most of the risk. Direct-to-show is cheaper and unforgiving — a missed window at the Las Vegas Convention Center during a big move-in week is measured in hours of queue, not minutes.
Either way, material handling — drayage — is charged by weight, and it is the single most underestimated line on a show budget. A crate that leaves Washington heavier than it needs to be costs money at every touch: outbound freight, inbound handling, storage, delivery to the space, empty storage during the show, return delivery and return freight. Packaging and weight are budget decisions, not shipping-department decisions.
Or rent the exhibit in Las Vegas instead
The alternative is to not ship at all. We rent trade show exhibits from a facility in Las Vegas, about a mile from the convention center. Your graphics are printed here, the exhibit is built here, it travels across town to your booth space, and it goes back to our building afterward. For a Washington-based exhibitor that removes the inbound freight, the advance-warehouse gamble, the return freight and the storage bill between shows — and the booth still carries your brand on every surface, because the graphics are printed new for your show.
It also removes the thing nobody budgets for: the crate that does not arrive. We have never had to explain to a client that their booth is in another state, because it never leaves this one.
What you still have to plan from anywhere
Ceiling clearance at the Las Vegas Convention Center is not uniform, and it decides whether your hanging sign flies. North Halls 1 and 2 reach 35 feet and North 3 and 4 reach 33; the North air-wall track drops to 28 feet and the area below the second level to 12. Central 1 is 25 feet, Central 2 is 20, Central 3 through 5 reach 35 and the Central 3 concourse 31. South 1 is 25 feet, South 2 is 30 and South 4 is 25. Ground-level halls are rated at 450 pounds per square foot; the South Hall upper level at 300.
Labor and exhibitor-performed work rules depend on the show, venue, task and current exhibitor manual. Review the permitted work, contractor arrangements and move-in procedures for your assigned space before scheduling the installation.
What we can do for you
Rent you a Las Vegas exhibit from 10x10 to 40x40, with your graphics printed new
Design and build a custom exhibit for your Las Vegas show
Print and install graphics on an exhibit you already own
Receive, store and deliver your owned exhibit in Las Vegas between shows
Place the labor call, supervise install and handle dismantle and return
Order and coordinate electrical, rigging, drayage and show services against the discount deadlines
Common questions
Is it cheaper to rent in Las Vegas than ship from Washington?
Very often, yes — and the comparison people make is usually the wrong one. Compare the rental against the full cost of owning: the exhibit itself amortized, storage between shows, round-trip freight from Washington, material handling in both directions, refurbishment when the design dates, and the labor either way. Exhibitors who do that math properly are frequently surprised. We will run it with you honestly, including the cases where owning wins.
Can you store our exhibit in Las Vegas between shows?
Yes. If you exhibit in Las Vegas more than once a year, storing the exhibit here instead of shipping it back to Washington every time removes two freight legs per show. We inspect components on return, flag repairs before the next show rather than during it, and track what you actually own.
Get a quote
Tell us the Las Vegas show, your booth number and the square footage, and whether you are shipping from Washington or would rather rent here. Call (702) 760-4036.