Category,Suggested share of total,Line item,Estimated cost,Actual cost,Notes
Booth and space,35-45%,Floor space rental,,,Usually the single largest cost
Booth and space,35-45%,Booth design and construction,,,
Booth and space,35-45%,Furniture and equipment rental,,,
Booth and space,35-45%,Electricity and internet,,,Order early to avoid surcharges
Booth and space,35-45%,Graphics and signage,,,
Travel and accommodation,15-20%,Flights or transport,,,
Travel and accommodation,15-20%,Hotel,,,Book when you confirm the show
Travel and accommodation,15-20%,Meals and local transport,,,
Staff,10-15%,Team time at the event,,,Include setup and teardown days
Staff,10-15%,Temporary staff,,,
Staff,10-15%,Training and briefing,,,
Pre-event marketing,5-10%,Email and outreach campaigns,,,
Pre-event marketing,5-10%,Target account research,,,
Pre-event marketing,5-10%,Meeting scheduling,,,
Lead capture at the booth,5-10%,Lead capture app or lead retrieval,,,
Lead capture at the booth,5-10%,Giveaways and merchandising,,,
Lead capture at the booth,5-10%,Demos and printed material,,,
Post-event follow-up,5-10%,Follow-up campaigns,,,
Post-event follow-up,5-10%,CRM import and data cleaning,,,
Post-event follow-up,5-10%,Sales time for follow-up meetings,,,The step most budgets forget
Contingency,10-15%,Contingency reserve,,,On-site extras and price changes
Total,100%,,,,