What an End Cap Booth Is
Picture a block of booths: two rows of inline booths back to back, with aisles at both ends. An end cap is the booth that closes off one end of that block. It faces the aisle at the end, has aisles down both sides, and its back touches the end booths of the two rows. Because a block of two 10 ft deep rows is 20 ft wide, the end cap is usually 20 ft wide and 10 ft deep. Trade show booth types shows how it fits among the other types.
| Corner booth | End cap booth | Peninsula booth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open sides | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Typical size | 10x10 or 10x20 | 10x20 (20 ft wide, 10 ft deep) | 20x20 or larger |
| Backs onto | A neighbor on one side | The end booths of two rows | A row of inline booths |
| Typical height rule | Inline rules | Full height near the back line only, low elsewhere | Higher allowance away from the back wall |
| Typical price position | Inline plus a corner premium | Above corner, below peninsula | Above end cap, below island |
End Cap Booth Rules and Line of Sight
An end cap is seen head-on from the aisle, so it can block the view of the inline booths behind it. A common rule, based on widely used IAEE-style guidance, lets the back wall reach full height (often 8 ft) only within 5 ft of the back line, and keeps displays elsewhere in the booth to 4 ft. Your venue, fire marshal and own manual decide the real limits; see booth height restrictions for the full picture.
How to Price an End Cap Booth
An end cap takes the place of two inline booths, often two corners. Price it so that one end cap earns at least what those booths would. The figures below are planning assumptions built on an example $3,000 inline 10x10 and a $400 corner premium; replace them with your own numbers.
| Option | How it is priced | Example total |
|---|---|---|
| Two 10x10 corners in the same space | 2 x ($3,000 + $400) | $6,800 |
| End cap, flat premium | 2 x $3,000 plus a $1,000 end cap premium | $7,000 |
| End cap, rate per sq ft | 200 sq ft at $36 | $7,200 |
| End cap on the main aisle | 200 sq ft at $38 | $7,600 |
| End cap in a sponsorship | Included in a sponsorship level | Priced inside the package |
If end caps are the last space left each year, the premium is too high or the rules too tight; if they sell in the first week, raise it. Premium booth location pricing covers how end caps fit with corner, peninsula and island premiums, and the exhibitor pricing calculator helps test the totals.
Placing End Caps on the Floor Plan
- 1
Face the Traffic
End caps facing main aisles, entrances and feature areas are the ones exhibitors compete for. Ends facing a back wall or service corridor are worth less.
- 2
Keep It Splittable
Draw each end cap as two 10x10s that can be merged. If no one buys the end cap by your cutoff date, sell the two halves as corners.
- 3
Balance Block Length
Shorter blocks create more end caps, but each block adds a cross aisle. Check total booth count before shortening every block.
- 4
Label Them on the Map
Mark end caps with their own color and legend entry, so exhibitors see the type and price before asking.
The trade show booth layout guide covers block and aisle patterns. Once end caps are sold, exhibitor management software keeps their height rules, drawings and deadlines in front of the exhibitors who bought them.