How much does trade show sponsorship cost?
For a company weighing a trade show sponsorship, the cheapest package a show publishes has a median of $2,000 across 217 shows, and half sit between $800 and $4,900. The top package has a median of $20,000. These are the published prices only, so a negotiated deal can differ.
The figures come from the package prices ConferenceDB collects from each show's own site, US dollars only, each show counted once at its latest priced edition.
What trade shows charge
One row per measure, each show counted once. The cheapest package can be a booth or a small sponsored item.
| Package | Shows | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest package | 217 | $800 | $2,000 | $4,900 |
| Top package | 200 | $7,300 | $20,000 | $35,378 |
ConferenceDB, live as of 10 November 2026. Shows that publish no US-dollar price are not in the count, so the figures describe shows that print a price, not every show. The top package counts only shows with more than one price, which pushes that median up.
Published prices at the largest shows
The priced trade shows with the most companies on their current list.
| Trade show | Companies listed | Cheapest package | Top package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Fancy Food Show | 2,577 | $350 | $50,000 |
| Natural Products Expo West | 2,354 | $17,000 | $45,000 |
| PACK EXPO Las Vegas | 2,317 | $250 | $1,350 |
| SEMA Show | 2,203 | $499 | $27,000 |
| International Manufacturing Technology Show | 1,850 | $750 | $5,000 |
| AHR Expo | 1,774 | $1,100 | $8,450 |
| RE+ | 1,218 | $7,500 | $50,000 |
| National Restaurant Association Show | 1,209 | $1,000 | $85,000 |
| ProMat | 1,201 | $500 | $50,000 |
| MODEX | 1,107 | $500 | $40,000 |
| International WorkBoat Show | 1,024 | $500 | $20,000 |
| InfoComm | 856 | $2,000 | $35,000 |
ConferenceDB, live as of 10 November 2026. Each range is the show's published US-dollar packages of $250 or more at its latest priced edition, so a smaller item on the show's own page can sit below it.
Named levels, across all conferences and shows
Level names are not limited to trade shows here. Every published package with the level in its name counts.
| Level | Packages | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 1,177 | $10,000 | $20,000 | $35,000 |
| Gold | 909 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Silver | 739 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $10,975 |
| Bronze | 619 | $1,738 | $4,000 | $7,750 |
ConferenceDB, live as of 10 November 2026. Platinum includes Diamond, Title and Presenting; Gold includes Premier; Bronze includes Supporter and Community.
How to use these numbers
Start with the show. A median tells you what is normal, and the show's page tells you what that show asks and which companies paid it last time. Its package table sits beside its sponsor and exhibitor lists.
Then compare a sponsorship with a booth. Booth fees by industry gives the other side, and the trade show cost calculator adds travel, staff and break-even sales.
Organizers pricing their own packages can read sponsorship pricing by level, what goes in a sponsorship prospectus and the sponsorship proposal template. Upcoming shows are on the trade show calendar.
Questions
How much does trade show sponsorship cost?
At the 217 trade shows that publish package prices in US dollars, the cheapest package has a median of $2,000, and half sit between $800 and $4,900. The top package has a median of $20,000 at the 200 shows that publish more than one price.
What is trade show sponsorship?
A company pays the organizer for visibility beyond its own booth: its name on a level such as Gold or Platinum, or on one item such as the lanyards, the registration area or a reception. What a package includes varies by show, so read its prospectus before comparing prices.
Is it cheaper to sponsor or to exhibit at a trade show?
At the low end they are close. The cheapest package has a median of $2,000 at 217 trade shows, and that package can itself be a booth. The cheapest booth, table or space fee has a median of $2,525 across 312 conferences and trade shows. A top package has a median of $20,000. See booth fees by industry.
How do I see who already sponsors a trade show?
Open the show on ConferenceDB. Its page lists the companies on its sponsor and exhibitor lists, with booth numbers where the show publishes them, free and with no account. Browse the free lists.
Sources
- Sponsorship pricingpackage prices and the method behind them, updated 10 November 2026
- Trade show booth costpublished booth, table and space fees, updated 10 November 2026
- ConferenceDB company factshow the prices are collected, updated 7 October 2026