Booth Relocation Policy: Copy-Ready Clause and Notice for Organizers

Every floor plan changes between the first sale and move-in. A relocation policy decides in advance what happens when that change lands on a booth someone already bought: who can move it, why, with how much notice and what the exhibitor gets. It belongs in the exhibitor agreement so it is part of the contract, and in the exhibitor manual so staff can point to it. The policy protects both sides: you can fix a safety problem without a dispute, and the exhibitor knows a move won't leave them worse off without a remedy.

Fire and venue changes are the most common and the least negotiable: if the fire marshal widens an aisle or adds a clear zone in front of an exit, booths have to move. See fire marshal floor plan requirements for what reviewers look for, and catch problems early by drawing the hall to scale with event floor plan software before you sell.

Paste this into the booth assignment section of your exhibitor agreement and repeat it in the exhibitor manual. Replace every bracketed field.

Price the remedy from your own rate card: if corners carry a premium, the premium booth pricing you charged is the amount to refund when a corner becomes an inline. Non-cash offers, such as an extra listing or a sponsorship item, often settle a move faster than a refund.

1. 1

   Fix the Floor Plan First

   Redraw the hall to scale with the new constraint, so the relocation fits the first time and doesn't trigger a second move.

2. 2

   Choose the New Spaces

   List every booth the change touches. Offer the affected exhibitors comparable spaces in the order they booked, or by priority points if that is how you assign.

3. 3

   Call, Then Write

   Phone the main contact before the email lands. A move heard first from a map update feels like a demotion.

4. 4

   Publish the Updated Map

   Publish the change so every view of the map shows the new booth, and link that map in the notice. Send the general service contractor the updated plan the same day.

5. 5

   Update Freight and Orders

   Remind the exhibitor to tell their exhibit house, change freight labels and move any service orders placed under the old booth number.

An interactive floor plan that updates everywhere when you publish keeps attendees, exhibitors and sponsors on the same version. For more on handling changes calmly, read how to handle floor plan changes without confusing exhibitors and sponsors.

Use this after the phone call. It adds the remedy and a reply deadline, which a simple change notice leaves out.

For exhibitor-requested changes, send a booth change confirmation instead; see the booth confirmation email templates.