Planning a CES 2027 Booth: A Month-by-Month Guide for Tech Exhibitors

Planning a CES booth for January 2027 works backward from opening day: design locks in October, fabrication runs through November, and the exhibit is staged and crated in December so it's ready for move-in in Las Vegas. Tech booths also need demo power, meeting rooms and secure storage built in. That calendar is tight, and the holidays leave less room in December than most teams expect. Here's how we plan CES builds at Exhibit Options.

What Is the Month-by-Month Timeline for a CES Booth?

CES 2027 runs January 6–9 in Las Vegas, according to CES's published show dates. Work backward from that date and October becomes the hard checkpoint: design has to lock then so engineering, fabrication and pre-show staging all finish before the winter holidays.

June to September: Goals, Footprint and Concept

Start with what the booth has to do. Decide which products you'll demo, how many buyer and investor meetings your team plans to book, and what you'll measure after the show. Those answers set the footprint and the layout. Brief your exhibit builder by early summer so you're reviewing concept renderings in August and September.

October: Lock the Design and Start Engineering

October is design lock. Approve the final rendering, then engineering takes over: structure, power distribution, AV and demo integration, and construction details for every meeting room. A change after this point sends drawings back through engineering and pushes every later date. If your design includes a double-deck or a hanging sign, check the structural drawing requirements and deadlines in the CES exhibitor manuals now.

November: Fabrication, Graphics and Show Orders

November is fabrication. The exhibit is built in the shop, final graphic files go to print, and demo software and screen content get finished. Your team also places show service orders for electrical, internet, rigging and material handling. For CES 2027, the discount deadline for show service orders is December 1, 2026. The exhibitor manual lists every other order deadline, so add them to the project calendar as soon as you have them.

December: Staging, Crating and Freight Before the Holidays

December is for pre-show staging, crating and freight, with the winter holidays in the middle of it. Your exhibit should be fully assembled in the warehouse so you can sign off on the real thing, then crated and shipped. For CES 2027, freight bound for the advance warehouse is due by December 11, 2026 to avoid a late surcharge, and direct-to-show-site freight arrives January 5 or later. Schedule staging and sign-off before the holiday break, so final approvals don't compete with holiday travel.

January: Move-In, Show Week and Dismantle

At the Las Vegas Convention Center, CES 2027 move-in runs December 26, 2026 through January 5, 2027, and crews install in the days before the doors open. Bring spares of every demo unit, test each screen and connection before opening morning, and keep your build team on call through the show. When the show closes, the exhibit is dismantled, crated and sent to your next show or back into storage.

What Does a Tech Trade Show Booth Need?

A tech trade show booth needs four things most booths can skip: demo stations built around the product, engineered power and connectivity, private meeting rooms, and lockable storage for prototypes. All four shape the structure, so each one has to be in the design before it locks in October.

• Demo stations built around the product. Counter height, screen placement, sightlines from the aisle, cable paths and product mounts all follow from what you're demonstrating. Design each station for the product first and the graphics second.
• Power, AV and connectivity. Map every screen, demo unit and charging point to a power plan during engineering. For any demo that has to work on cue, plan a hardwired internet connection and order it with your show services.
• Private meeting rooms. Buyer, partner and investor conversations need a room with a door, seating and a screen. One of our CES 2024 exhibits with private rooms, a VIP lounge and a theater shows how enclosed rooms, lounges and presentation space fit inside a CES exhibit.
• Secure storage for prototypes. Unreleased hardware needs a lockable closet inside the booth, for overnight and between demos. Size it at design for the demo units and the spares.

How Big Should a CES Booth Be?

Size a CES booth from what goes inside it. Count the demo stations and meeting rooms first, add room for visitors to move between them, and the footprint follows. Every design decision after that, from layout to structure, builds on that count.

When you need more meeting space than the floor allows, a double-deck puts private rooms on an upper level without a bigger footprint. Our CES 2024 work includes a 70x100 double-deck island at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Why Does a Las Vegas Exhibit Shop Matter for CES?

CES takes place in Las Vegas, across multiple official venues including the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). A builder with a Las Vegas shop can stage, store and service your exhibit in the same city as the show. That shortens the freight leg between staging and move-in, puts a shop close to the hall for repairs and changes, and gives you a place to keep the exhibit between Las Vegas shows. For your team, that means fewer handoffs and fewer surprises during move-in.

Exhibit Options runs a 22,000 square foot facility in Las Vegas alongside our 37,000 square foot headquarters in Cerritos, California. Design, engineering, fabrication, grand-format printing and installation all happen in-house, so one team owns your CES booth from the first rendering to dismantle. Our Las Vegas exhibit facility page has the location details, and our CES booth page covers rentals and custom exhibits built for the show.

How Do You Choose an Exhibit Builder for CES?

Choose a CES exhibit builder on four points: whether they've built at CES at your footprint, where their shop sits relative to Las Vegas, whether you'll see your exhibit fully staged before it ships, and whether the proposal prices total delivered cost, including freight, material handling and labor. Ask who your point of contact is from concept through dismantle, and which parts of the work happen in-house.

Frequently Asked Questions About CES Booths

What are the key CES 2027 deadlines for exhibitors?

The discount deadline for show service orders is December 1, 2026. Freight for the advance warehouse is due by December 11, 2026, and Las Vegas Convention Center move-in runs December 26, 2026 through January 5, 2027. The CES exhibitor manual for your venue lists the rest.

How far in advance should you plan a CES booth?

Start a custom CES booth six to nine months before the show. For a January show, design needs to lock in October so engineering, fabrication and staging finish before the winter holidays. Rental exhibits and reconfigured booths can move faster.

Is it too late to start a CES 2027 booth in October?

It's still possible, but decisions have to move quickly. With about three months to go, a rental exhibit or a refresh of a booth you already own carries less schedule risk than a new custom build. Call us with your footprint and we'll tell you what fits the calendar.

Can you rent a booth for CES instead of building one?

Yes. A rental exhibit gives you a custom look without owning the asset, and it suits companies that exhibit once or twice a year. Tech exhibitors still need demo power, AV and meeting space planned into a rental, so the October checkpoint applies either way.

What is an advance warehouse at a trade show?

An advance warehouse receives your exhibit freight before move-in and delivers it to your booth space once the hall opens to exhibitors. Check the CES exhibitor manual for the address and receiving window. Shipping there early lowers the risk of a late truck during move-in.

What happens to a CES booth after the show?

It's dismantled, crated and either shipped to your next show or put into storage. If you exhibit at other shows during the year, ask for a design that reconfigures to other footprints, and confirm storage and refurbishment costs before you sign.

Start Your CES 2027 Booth

Tell us your footprint, the products you're demoing and how many meetings you're booking, and we'll map the calendar back from opening day with you. The sooner we start, the more of the calendar works in your favor. Call 866.780.1555 or start the planning conversation for your CES 2027 booth.

About the author. Rena Patton is co-founder and owner of Exhibit Options, a veteran-owned and woman-owned single-source exhibit house founded in 2005, with design and fabrication facilities in Cerritos, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.