What Goes in a Trade Show Schedule
A trade show schedule is the hour-by-hour plan for the days you are in the venue. It is different from your event timeline, which covers the months of planning before the show. Build the schedule from your venue contract (when you get the hall and when you must be out), then fit move-in, show hours and move-out inside it.
| Phase | Who it is for | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| Move-in | Exhibitors, contractors | Days and times by booth size or type, freight targets |
| Exhibitor registration | Exhibitors | Badge pickup times and location |
| Show hours | Attendees, exhibitors | Open and close each day, exhibitor access before opening |
| Sessions and demos | Attendees | Times that don't compete with peak floor hours |
| Receptions | Attendees, exhibitors, sponsors | Time, location, who is invited |
| Move-out | Exhibitors, contractors | Start time, freight pickup, the time the floor must be clear |
Organizer Schedule for a 2-Day Show
This is the full schedule for a 2-day show with a day and a half of move-in. Lines marked [STAFF] are organizer-only and are removed for the public version. All times are examples; replace them with your venue contract times.
Public Schedule for Exhibitors and Attendees
Remove the [STAFF] lines, keep move-in and move-out for exhibitors, and keep show hours, sessions and events for attendees. Many shows publish the two audiences separately: exhibitors get move-in and move-out in the exhibitor manual, attendees get show hours and sessions on the website.
How to Build Your Own Trade Show Schedule
- 1
Start From the Venue Contract
Your venue contract sets when you get the hall and when it must be empty. Every other time fits inside those two lines, so start there.
- 2
Move In Big Booths First
Large custom exhibits need lifts, forklifts and space; schedule them first while the aisles are empty. Inline booths with pop-up displays go last. The exhibitor move-in schedule guide covers target times in detail.
- 3
Protect Floor Time
Leave at least one block each day when no sessions compete with the exhibit hall, so exhibitors get the traffic they paid for.
- 4
Hold Exhibitors Until Close
Set a move-out start time and say that no dismantling is allowed before it. Early teardown makes the hall look empty for the last hours. See the exhibitor move-out schedule guide.
- 5
Tie It to Your Deadlines
Work back from move-in to set deadlines for drawings, freight and service orders with the trade show timeline calculator.
For the minute-by-minute plan of a keynote or reception, use a run of show template. Trade show management software keeps the floor plan, booth sales and the show program together, so exhibitors know which move-in slot their booth size falls in when they book.