AAEP 2027 in Phoenix: Booth Rules From the 2026 Convention

A booth built by Methodex for Citro Fresh at Global Produce & Floral Show 2025.

Photo: Methodex

AAEP 2027 key facts

The height rules come from the AAEP 2026 show rules, which set no island height limit. Confirm the rules in the AAEP exhibitor manual before you design.

Last checked: October 2026

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) 72nd Annual Convention was scheduled for December 7 to 11, 2026, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, with the trade show in Bayside Halls A, B, and C. The 73rd convention runs December 5 to 8, 2027, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. For an AAEP trade show booth, the 2026 show rules set no height limit for islands and keep tall items in 10×10 inline and corner spaces to the back 5 feet.

Booth rules from the 2026 show

Under the 2026 rules, anything 5 feet or taller in a 10×10 inline or corner space must sit in the back 5 feet of the booth. A 6-foot literature tower can stand against the 8-foot back drape AAEP supplies, but not at the front. Booths are not carpeted, and the 2026 rules require every exhibitor to rent or provide carpet or approved flooring.

Islands have no height restriction under the same rules, as long as no part of the exhibit hangs over or extends past the booth perimeter. No height limit in the 2026 AAEP rules does not mean an unlimited build: venue, fire, and engineering requirements still apply, and AAEP has not published 2027 rules for Phoenix. In Phoenix, the convention center requires a building permit and inspection for multilevel booths.

Rigging and live animals

The 2026 rules bar posting, tacking, nailing, taping, or screwing material to ceilings, painted surfaces, fire sprinklers, columns, or fabric or decorative walls. The AAEP rules do not address hanging signs. At the Phoenix Convention Center, the 2027 venue, AV Concepts is the exclusive rigging service provider, and signs may hang only in designated areas, no less than 18 inches below sprinklers.

AAEP’s 2026 rules allowed animals other than guide, signal, and service animals only with prior written approval. The Phoenix Convention Center’s own policy (May 2026) permits service animals and prohibits all other animals, so ask AAEP before you plan a live animal for 2027.

Vehicles in the booth

AAEP’s 2026 rules allowed display vehicles with disconnected battery cables and a sealed or lockable gas cap. For 2027, plan to the Phoenix Convention Center’s own policy (May 2026): no more than one quarter of the tank capacity or 5 gallons, whichever is less, and no fueling or defueling on city property.

Contractors and labor

The 2026 show rules name Freeman as the general service contractor (GSC); AAEP had not announced a 2027 contractor as of October 2026. The 2026 rules also allow exhibitors to use an exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC) instead. Exhibitors using an EAC file a form, and the EAC sends its certificate of insurance at least 30 days before move-in. Every exhibitor must carry a $1 million general liability policy and give AAEP a certificate of insurance before move-in. AAEP encourages exhibitors to pre-order labor, furniture, electricity, and signs at least two weeks before move-in.

Exhibiting at AAEP 2027 in Phoenix? Get a free booth quote from Methodex for custom booth design, rentals, installation, and dismantling. For an inline or corner space, browse our 10×10 booth displays and rentals, and for budgeting, read about trade show costs that are easy to miss.