IAAPA Expo Space Allocation

• The Seniority and priority of a company is determined by membership status, the number of exhibiting years, followed by the number of consecutive years of membership, followed by receipt of contract date and receipt of deposit. Current members will be assigned prior to non-members. Starting with the 2022 Expos, if a company elects to not exhibit for three consecutive years then their exhibiting years history will revert to zero. View a detailed breakdown of space allocation process and procedure.
  • Exhibit seniority is tied to a company, not an individual. Seniority is considered an asset during a merger and/or acquisition. A company must provide official documentation showing proof of ownership to IAAPA.
  • An exhibiting company may co-locate with another company if they have 51% or greater ownership. Proof of ownership must be provided to IAAPA prior to assignment.
  • An exhibiting company’s booth must be branded with contracted exhibitor’s name/logo. Proof of the sales agreement must be provided to IAAPA upon request.
  • An exhibiting company can promote a third-party company’s product/service in their booth if they are at least a minority stakeholder in the third-party company’s product/service or are a distributor for the third-party company. Only the third-party product/service can be promoted in the booth and may not be the sole product/service being promoted. The third-party company name/logo cannot be displayed as an exhibitor.
• The decision of IAAPA, where the Good of the Tradeshow is concerned, is final.
• Booths may be combined into bigger spaces at current rates, but IAAPA must approve creation of island booths. A minimum of 400 square feet must be purchased in a 20’ x 20’ or 10’ x 40’ configuration to occupy a corner location.
• Any inline booth that indicates going above the eight (8) foot height limit regardless of product will be placed along the perimeter of the tradeshow floor.
• In order for a company to purchase booths on two sides (across) of a “main” aisle, exhibitors must purchase a minimum of eight (8) booths on each side of the aisle. IAAPA determines which aisles are “main” aisles.
• Exhibitors may purchase a minimum of four (4) booths on two sides of aisles not considered to be main aisles as determined by IAAPA.
• Companies who purchase three (3) islands of 1,000 square feet apiece (3,000 square foot minimum), may carpet the aisle between these islands in their own company carpet. They may not place product or display items in these aisles. Exhibitors may not block through aisles; all aisles must remain open to attendee traffic at all times.
• A more senior exhibitor can decide if he wants a competitor near their booth or not near their booth during seniority assignment during the Space Allocation meeting. These requests will be honored whenever possible, but are not guarantees that competitors will not be placed next to or within close proximity due to space limitations on the tradeshow floor. IAAPA will determine what is considered “proximity” based on individual product categories. The IAAPA Staff will make every effort to recognize competitor concerns / issues during the booth space assignment process following IAAPA assignments, but does not guarantee that competitors will not be placed next to or within close proximity.
• An exhibitor may not use his seniority to “bump” or force another company to move from a space selected during the seniority assignment process. IAAPA reserves the right in all cases, for the Good of the Tradeshow, to deny additional booth move requests.
• Two or more companies who want to be placed next to each other must both have previously submitted paperwork agreeing to this request. Contracts and the full 50 percent down payments (or full payments after August 1) must have been received. If the seniority difference between two companies is different, then assignments will be made based on the seniority of the lowest rated company. Any request for additional companies to be next to or near must be clearly indicated on the contract of all parties in exhibitor grouping. The most senior exhibitor, must clearly indicate if the “next to or near” request is primary or secondary to the senior exhibitor’s requested location. Throughout the meeting, attempts to honor the exhibitor groupings will be made without denying space to more senior exhibitors if alternative space is not available or acceptable. In the event that acceptable space is not available, the senior exhibitor (and grouping) will be moved to the next best possible location, only if the “next to or near” request is the senior exhibitor’s highest priority. IAAPA will rule on each request by considering the exhibitor’s requested location and next to or near indication.
• Island or Split Island Booth’s with solid back walls eight (8) feet high or higher may not back up or front main aisles as determined by IAAPA, for the Good of the Tradeshow.
• Island or Split Island Booths under 800 sq. ft. include a $1,000 Island/Split Island fee.
• Inflatable Booths, Theaters and Tall or Oversized exhibits as determined by IAAPA will be placed on exterior or perimeter walls or in designated areas approved by IAAPA as to not adversely affect the exhibiting experience of the surrounding exhibitors.
• Exhibits that create any emissions including, but not limited to Fog, Confetti and/or Noise, may be restricted in their booth location or operation for the Good of the Tradeshow. All companies must adhere to all applicable IAAPA Rules and Regulations indicated on the exhibit contract and in the exhibitor services guide.
• Products displayed must not impede line of sight of neighboring booths.
• The only name an exhibitor may use for their booth space labeling is the IAAPA Membership Company of Record.

What is the Space Allocation Meeting? 

IAAPA Expo booth assignment is completed during a space allocation process.  The assignment process is completed by the IAAPA Global Sales Team. Space will be assigned in seniority order by membership status, the number of years exhibiting, followed by consecutive years of membership, and finally the contract submission date and receipt of the 50% deposit. Getting your contract in early is the best way to secure a great booth location and take advantage of the discounted booth rate.  All contracts must be submitted by February 16, 2026, to be included in the Space Allocation meeting.  

IAAPA Expo is now a “Cubic Content” show so there will no longer be height restrictions in certain areas of the booth. All booths must be constructed per the booth guidelines provided within the specific type of booth space being leased. Please refer to the Booth Display Specifications to ensure your designs comply with the requirements.   

When is the deadline to submit your contract for assignment during the Meeting? 

The deadline for exhibitors to submit their contracts and participate in the Space Allocation Meeting is February 13, 2026.  

Who is assigned during the meeting? 

All exhibitors who have submitted their contracts by February 13, 2026.  Note: IAAPA’s  Top 25% Companies will be assigned to the trade show floor January 26 – February 6, 2026. 

As an exhibitor do I need to attend the Meeting? 

No, the IAAPA Global Sales Team will handle the booth assignments during the meeting. We do kindly ask that the primary contact remain available in case we have any questions regarding your placement. 

As an exhibitor I would like to attend the Meeting, am I allowed to? 

No, the meeting will be virtual and is limited to IAAPA staff only. However, we encourage all exhibitors to follow the live updates online. Assignments will occur in real-time and will be continuously updated. If you would like to change any of your selections before your booth is assigned, please email your request to  [email protected], and it will be reviewed by the IAAPA team throughout the process. 

How do I ensure I get what booth location I want? 

When completing the Booth application, please specify your preferred booth selections or the area of the trade show floor where you’d like to be located. The more information you provide, the easier it will be to assign your booth space. Please keep in mind that IAAPA Expo assigns booth spaces based on seniority, so your booth preferences are treated as requests and cannot be guaranteed. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Global Sales Team. 

What if I do not like the booth assigned to me? 

Once you are assigned a space on the trade show floor, the main booth contact on record will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the floor plan, booth number, and booth move request form. To request a new booth number, simply complete the booth move request form or email [email protected]. Please be aware that the process will not be held and will move quickly, so any delay in your response may impact booth availability. 

• Tabletop Exhibit – 3 badges
• 10' x 10' – 5 badges
• 10' x 20' – 7 badges
• 10' x 30' – 9 badges
• 10' x 40' / 20' x 20' – 11 badges
• 20' x 30' / 10' x 60' – 15 badges
• 20' x 40' – 19 badges
• 30' x 30' – 21 badges
• 20' x 50' – 23 badges
• 30' x 40' / 20' x 60' – 27 badges
• 30' x 50' – 33 badges
• 20' x 80' / 40' x 40' – 35 badges
• 30' x 60' / 20' x 90' – 39 badges
• 40' x 50' / 20' x 100' – 43 badges
• 30' x 70' – 45 badges
• 30' x 80' and larger – 50 badges