Skip to main content
Book a Demo

Trade Show Booth Layout Guide

How to turn an empty hall into a floor that moves people past every booth.

Book a demoBuild your floor plan free
900+
Organizers who have run shows on Map D
9,000+
Events powered since 2011
1.8M+
Booths drawn to date

Trusted by associations, expos and show organizers since 2011

In short

How do you lay out a trade show floor?

A trade show floor layout starts with the hall's usable space and fixed features, then fits booths in rows with aisles wide enough for traffic and for your venue's safety rules. Place anchor exhibitors and attractions to draw people through the hall, and price premium positions such as corners and ends accordingly.

Best for
Organizers laying out a show floor for the first time or rebuilding a layout
What to evaluate
  • Usable space and fixed features
  • Aisles and flow
  • Premium positions
How it works

From floor plan to sold show floor in four steps

  1. 1Build the floor planUpload the layout you already have or describe it to the AI Floor Plan Assistant, then place, number and size booths with snap-to-grid.
  2. 2Set booth types and pricesCreate booth types with their prices and mark booths open, reserved or sold. AI-assisted dynamic pricing can move prices inside the limits you set.
  3. 3Publish and sellPublish the interactive map to your event site. Exhibitors pick a space, check out and get their invoice without a back-and-forth email.
  4. 4Run the showExhibitors manage profiles, staff and assets in their portal, attendees find booths on the live map, and sales reports update as you sell.

How to lay out a trade show floor

01

Start With Usable Space

Get the venue's drawing and mark columns, doors, loading areas, utilities, and anything fixed. Only what is left is sellable.

02

Choose Booth Sizes

Decide the standard size and the larger formats you will sell. Fewer sizes make the grid simpler and the rates easier to explain.

03

Set Aisle Widths With the Venue

Aisle width is governed by the venue and the local fire authority, so confirm the requirement with them rather than assuming a number.

04

Plan Traffic Flow

Place registration, food, and sessions so the natural path leads through the hall, and avoid dead ends where visitors turn back.

05

Spread Anchors and Attractions

Put large exhibitors, theaters, and activities in different parts of the floor to pull people past the booths between them.

06

Price Premium Positions

Corners, ends, and booths near entrances typically earn more. Price them separately, using your own sales history to set the premium.

07

Plan for Change

Keep the plan editable so you can move exhibitors, add booths, and republish without redrawing.

Customer stories

What our customers say

See how event teams use MapD to run smoother events.

MapD is the best option for our expos. Our clients love the registration process! Data organization and exports are simple and easy. Fast reliable customer support feels like family. The wide variety of tools available for us allow us to grow and still feel well accommodated.

Experience ExpositionsKyle MichaudPresident @ Experience Expositions

MapD is indeed a welcome and needed change for the way we sell booths and handle our awesome exhibitors. With being in our 20th year, we needed a system that would take the guesswork out of exhibitor payments, accounting, floor plan assignments and more! MapD has helped us sell more booths in a shorter time frame and we will most definitely continue to use them!

Taliah WaajidTa'ron JoynerExhibitor Acquisitions Manager @ Taliah Waajid

MapD is one of the most user friendly systems I have found for floor plan software. The customer service received after signing up goes unmatched by any other systems I have used. MapD has truly made my job easier as an Exhibit Manager and helps to promote and sell booth space with the interactive floor plan I can deliver to my vendors.

KinsleyCasey HinerMeeting Architect @ Kinsley

The support of our vendors and partners allows us to put these events together, so again, thank you. I hope you have enjoyed this year's Virtual A-Day! The platform is amazing and so easy to use. :)

DFWAEAlyssa MeekEvents manager @ DFWAE

I am really excited about this. The staff met with me this morning and we all LOVE the platform. People are already filling out their booths.

Maine Insurance Agents AssociationLisa VereggeDirector, International Trade and Development @ Maine Insurance Agents Association

Map D is an amazing platform and easy to use! We worked with Map D for our virtual annual conference last year and it worked like a charm. When we held our annual conference in-person for the first time in two years, our first choice for our conference app was Map D!

Texas Society of CPAsRori ShawExecutive Director @ Texas Society of CPAs

I just came back from show site. This week I had my largest show ever. I had 247 exhibitors and I had 247 happy exhibitors. And a lot of that is a result of they were able to get their badges, update their profile, reach out to me anytime they want to.

Georgia Municipal AssociationYalonde TannerShow Manager @ Georgia Municipal Association

Exporting exhibitors is really helpful for me. Fern needs a list of all our exhibitors with their booth number and what size it's going to be. Just exporting that list and getting it to whoever I'm working with at Fern is so incredibly helpful.

Multi Family NorthwestLaura WebbEvent Coordinator @ Multi Family Northwest

I'm probably your only customer who uses it to sell campsites, but it works really well. I just give them a drawing and they put it all together for me. I don't have to do it - it saves me many hours.

High Lifter ProductsTracie EngiHigh Lifter Products
Pricing

One flat price per event, never per booth

Every plan is a flat rate per event — not per booth.

Compare plans
  • Free$0one event, no cardStart free. Build one event's floor plan.
  • Starter$1,500per eventPublish an interactive floor plan and run your event.
  • Growth$2,500per eventExhibitors buy their booth directly on your floor plan — pick a space, check out, invoice sent.
  • Scale$2,750per eventEverything in Growth, plus the exhibitor portal: personnel, products and assets, self-served, with lead capture in the Map D app.
Works with the tools you already use
  • Novi
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • QuickBooks
  • Stripe
  • Authorize.Net
  • PayPal
  • WordPress
  • Zapier
See all integrations
See it on your own floor plan

Stop reading about it. Build one.

Upload the floor plan you already have and place your booths on it yourself, in Map D’s editor. Free to build, no contract, and nothing to install.

Build your floor plan freeRequest a demo
900+
Organizers who have run shows on Map D
9,000+
Events powered since 2011
1.8M+
Booths drawn to date

“I am really excited about this. The staff met with me this morning and we all LOVE the platform. People are already filling out their booths.”

· Director, International Trade and Development @ Maine Insurance Agents Association

Related event solutions

FAQ

Your questions answered

Common questions about trade show booth layout.

Have more questions? Request Demo →

How wide should aisles be?

It depends on the venue and the local fire authority. Confirm the minimum with them, and then allow extra width where traffic will be heaviest.

How many booths will fit my hall?

Use the free booth capacity calculator with your hall dimensions, booth size, and aisle allowance.

How do I set prices for corners?

Start with your past sales to see which positions sold first, and price accordingly.

Can I draw the floor plan in Map D?

Yes. You can build your first interactive floor plan free.

Book a demo

Ready to launch your event with Map D?

Join a growing community of associations, event planners, and organizers who use Map D to run better events.

Organizers who have run shows on Map D
900+
Events powered since 2011
9,000+
Booths drawn to date
1.8M+