How to Plan an RV Show: 10 Steps

To plan an RV show, pick the season and venue first, check that the building's doors, floor and fire rules can handle large vehicles, recruit dealers and sell space by the square foot, lay out units so visitors can walk through them, schedule a tight vehicle move-in, add accessory vendors and sponsors, and promote to buyers. As a planning assumption, allow six to twelve months for a first show. The 10 steps below explain how to organize an RV show from start to show day.

Step 1: Pick the Season and the Format

RV shows are buying events, so timing matters. Many shows run in winter and early spring, when buyers plan the camping season, and some run in fall when dealers want to clear current model year units. Check other RV, boat and outdoor shows in your region so you don't compete for the same dealers and buyers. Then decide the format:

• Indoor show: an exhibit hall or fairground building; weather-proof but limited by doors, floor loading and fire rules.
• Outdoor show: a fairground, stadium lot or dealer lot; room for large motorhomes but exposed to weather.
• Hybrid: smaller towables and accessories inside, large motorhomes outside.

Step 2: Check the Venue for Large Vehicles

An RV show lives or dies on whether the units physically fit. Before you sign a venue contract, walk the site with the venue's operations team and check:

• Door sizes: measure the height and width of every drive-in door. Large motorhomes and fifth wheels can be taller than standard freight doors, so compare each door with the tallest units your dealers plan to bring.
• Turning radius: check the path from the street to the door and inside the hall. Long units need room to swing; columns, ramps and tight corners can block them.
• Floor loading: ask the venue for the floor load rating of every space you plan to use. Ground-floor slabs usually handle vehicles; upper floors and some older halls may not. Get the rating in writing.
• Ceiling and obstruction heights: low beams, signs, sprinkler heads and lighting can limit where tall units go.
• Outdoor surfaces: grass can rut or soften in rain; paved or gravel lots are safer for heavy units.
• Staging area: a lot near the doors where units wait their turn to move in.

Once you know the usable area, the exhibit hall size calculator helps you estimate how much space your dealers and accessory booths need, based on your own numbers for unit count, booth sizes and aisles.

Step 3: Learn the Fire Rules for Vehicles Indoors

Fire marshals treat vehicles on display as a special case. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and venue, but commonly include:

• Fuel tanks low (often a set maximum) with locked or sealed fuel caps
• Batteries disconnected
• Propane cylinders closed, and sometimes removed from the building
• No running engines or generators inside the hall
• Fire lanes and aisles kept clear, with minimum widths set by the fire marshal
• Clear access to exits, extinguishers and fire hose connections

Get the rules in writing from your venue and local fire marshal, include them in your dealer agreement, and plan for an inspection before doors open. Submit your floor plan for review early, since large units can block exits if you lay them out carelessly.

Step 4: Recruit Dealers and Set Space Pricing

Dealers are your main exhibitors and your main revenue. Contact RV dealers within a reasonable driving distance, plus manufacturers' regional reps who may support dealers at shows. Most RV shows sell dealer space by the square foot, because dealers bring several units of different sizes. A simple pricing structure:

• Base rate per square foot for standard dealer space.
• Premium rate for space at the entrance, on the main aisle or in high-visibility outdoor rows.
• Minimum space so small dealers still get a usable footprint.
• Early commitment discount for dealers who sign and pay a deposit by a set date.
• Add-ons: power, extra badges, carpet or signage.

Rates vary widely by market, so work backward from venue cost, marketing and staffing. Ask each dealer for a unit list with types, lengths, heights and slide-out widths, and collect a deposit with the signed agreement to hold their space.

Step 5: Lay Out the Show for Walk-Through Traffic

Visitors don't just walk past RVs; they climb inside, which creates lines at each entry door. A good RV show layout plans for that flow:

• Draw every unit to scale with slide-outs open and awnings extended, since that is how they'll be shown.
• Face entry doors toward aisles and leave room for a short line and entry steps.
• Group each dealer's units together, with a sales desk or tent at the edge of their space.
• Place popular large motorhomes away from the entrance so crowds walk past other dealers to reach them.
• Use wider main aisles than at a typical trade show, and confirm minimums with the fire marshal.
• Put accessory vendors along main routes or in a dedicated hall.
• Keep fire lanes, exits and equipment access clear at all times.

Number every dealer space and accessory booth so dealers know exactly where to park and visitors can find them on the map.

Step 6: Plan Move-In and Marshalling

Moving dozens of large vehicles into a hall is the hardest part of an RV show. Units usually have to go in a set order, back of the hall first, because once a row is placed nothing can drive past it. Build a move-in schedule with timed slots per dealer, stage units in a marshalling area outside, and release them to the door in order. Our guide to running a trade show marshalling yard covers staging lots, check-in and dispatch.

• Assign each dealer a move-in window and a door.
• Use spotters and drivers who know the floor plan to guide each unit into place.
• Mark unit positions on the floor with tape before move-in starts.
• Move in vehicles before accessory vendors set up booths.
• Reverse the order for move-out, and don't let units leave early through crowds.

Step 7: Add Accessory Vendors

Accessory vendors fill out the show and give visitors more reasons to come. Good fits include campgrounds and RV parks, tourism boards, RV insurance and financing, towing and hitch suppliers, solar and generator sellers, outdoor gear, roadside assistance clubs and RV service shops. Sell them standard booths, such as 10x10 or 10x20 spaces, at a flat price rather than by the square foot, and keep them separate from vehicle space in your pricing.

Step 8: Sell Sponsorships

Sponsors who want to reach RV buyers include lenders, insurers, campgrounds, tourism offices and local media. Sponsorship ideas:

• Presenting sponsor: name on the show, ads and entrance signage.
• Seminar stage sponsor: talks on first-time RV buying, towing and campground tips.
• Map and app sponsor: logo on the printed and interactive show map.
• Shuttle or parking sponsor: visible to every visitor.
• Giveaway sponsor: a camping trip or accessory prize, where local rules allow.

Step 9: Promote to Buyers

RV shows draw serious buyers and families planning trips. Promote through dealer mailing lists and social channels, local TV and radio, camping and outdoor groups, community calendars and paid social ads. Share a list of brands and unit types in the final weeks, since many buyers come to compare specific models. Decide admission prices, consider free entry for children, and sell tickets online to shorten lines.

Step 10: Run Show Day

Finish move-in and the fire inspection before doors open. Keep staff at the entrance with maps, a show office for dealer issues and floor staff walking the hall to keep aisles and exits clear. Watch for lines at popular units and ask dealers to staff entry doors. At close, keep the public out while move-out runs in order. Afterward, ask dealers about traffic and sales, and adjust pricing and layout for next year.

RV Show Planning Timeline

• 9 to 12 months out: pick the season, check venues for doors and floor loading, book the venue.
• 6 to 9 months out: publish dealer pricing, recruit dealers, collect deposits.
• 3 to 6 months out: sell accessory booths and sponsorships, submit the floor plan for fire review.
• 1 to 2 months out: finalize unit lists, layout and move-in schedule; start promotion.
• 1 week out: send dealers their space numbers, move-in slots and fire rules.

Many of the same steps apply to marine shows; see how to plan a boat show for in-water and trailer display tips. When you are selling dealer space and accessory booths across indoor and outdoor areas, expo management software keeps the floor plan, space sales and exhibitor details in one place.