| Licensing Expo 2027 at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Show | Licensing Expo 2027 |
| Start date | Tuesday, May 25, 2027 |
| End date | Thursday, May 27, 2027 |
| Venue | Mandalay Bay Convention Center (main exhibit hall in the South Convention Center) |
| City | Las Vegas, NV |
| Official website | brandlicensingexpo.com |
| Organizer | Informa Markets |
The Korean Pavilion at Licensing Expo 2024.
Photo: Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), KOGL Type 1, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korean_Pavilion_at_Licensing_Expo_2024_-_KOCCA_(02).jpg)
Licensing Expo 2027 key facts
| Hall hours (2027) | 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 25-26; 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. May 27 |
| 2026 edition | Held May 19-21, 2026 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas |
| 2026 deadlines | Island Booth Review Form, hanging sign request, multi-story approval, and Show Management EAC approval were due April 20, 2026; advance warehouse opened April 15; GES EAC forms and discount orders were due April 30; last day for advance shipments without surcharge May 8, 4:30 p.m. |
| 2026 move-in and move-out (GES) | Targeted move-in May 15-18, with no shipments before May 15; move-out May 21, 3:30 p.m., to 12:00 p.m. May 23 |
| Held | Annually |
| Show size | Licensing Expo 2026: 410 exhibiting companies, more than 5,000 brands, and over 12,500 total attendees |
| General service contractor (GSC) | GES (2026 show) |
| Island height limit | 18 ft; 24 ft for islands with 3,000 sq ft or more contracted and paid for; hanging signs over islands 20×20 and larger up to 24 ft (2026 show rules) |
| Peninsula height limit | Peninsulas backing onto two inline booths: 16 ft in the center 10 ft of the backwall; 4 ft in the 5 ft at each end and within 5 ft of the two side aisles (2026 show rules) |
| Rigging (2026 show rules; Mandalay Bay) | 2026 show rules: GES hangs non-electrical signs up to 200 lb without truss and motors; Edlen Electrical hangs electrical signs up to 200 lb without truss and motors; Encore Event Technologies hangs signs over 200 lb and any sign with truss and motors. Mandalay Bay names Encore as its exclusive provider of rigging equipment and services |
| Hall ceiling height | Bayside Halls A-D: 30 ft |
| EAC policy | Allowed for display work only; the EAC must be a signatory to the union with local jurisdiction (2026 show rules) |
| Sound (2026 show rules) | 80 decibels maximum, measured at the edge of the booth; speakers directed into the booth |
The height limits come from the Licensing Expo 2026 show rules. Ceiling heights are building measurements, not build limits. Confirm the rules in the Licensing Expo exhibitor manual before you design.
Last checked: October 2026
Licensing Expo 2027 takes place May 25–27 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The main exhibition area is located in the South Convention Center. Bayside Halls A–D have 30-foot ceilings, but exhibitors should verify their specific hall assignment against the official 2027 floor plan. Under the 2026 show rules, islands are capped at 18 feet unless 3,000 square feet or more is contracted and paid for, so the size you sign for decides how tall your Licensing Expo trade show booth can be.
Island and peninsula heights
A 50×50 island (2,500 square feet) stays at 18 feet. A 50×60 island reaches 3,000 square feet, and the cap rises to 24 feet if the full area is contracted and paid for.
Islands must keep 25 percent of the perimeter open, with any wall there no taller than 3 feet or see-through, and have a 10-foot-wide entrance. A multi-story (double-deck) booth needs an engineer-stamped plan before move-in.
A peninsula that backs onto two inline booths can reach 16 feet only in the center 10 feet of its backwall. The 5 feet at each end of the backwall, and anything within 5 feet of the two side aisles, is limited to 4 feet.
Hanging signs and rigging
Over an island of 20×20 or larger, a hanging sign can go to 24 feet but can’t be wider than your contracted space. In Bayside Halls A–D, a sign at 24 feet would sit 6 feet below the 30-foot ceiling.
Under the 2026 show rules, GES, the general service contractor (GSC), hung non-electrical signs weighing up to 200 pounds, Edlen Electrical hung electrical signs up to 200 pounds, and Encore Event Technologies hung heavier signs and any sign with truss and motors. Mandalay Bay names Encore as its exclusive provider of rigging equipment and services, so confirm who will hang your sign with the show and the venue.
Contractors and union labor
GES was the GSC for the 2026 show, when an exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC) could do display work only and had to be a signatory to the union with local jurisdiction. GES required the exhibitor’s notice of intent 30 days before move-in, with a signed EAC agreement and certificate of insurance.
Under the GES work rules for the 2026 show, Teamsters Local 631 has jurisdiction over installing, dismantling, and repairing exhibits when anyone other than your full-time staff does the work. It doesn’t cover placing products on display.
The 2026 show rules also limited sound to 80 decibels, measured at the edge of the booth, with speakers directed into the booth.
For a lighted hanging sign, see our guide to trade show booth lighting, and for the build, our custom booth design and fabrication page. We also offer Licensing Expo booth rentals in Las Vegas.
With your island size settled, get a free booth quote for Licensing Expo.
A booth built by Methodex for Kontron at SCTE TechExpo 2025.
Photo: Methodex