| IMEX America 2027 at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Show | IMEX America 2027 |
| Start date | Tuesday, September 28, 2027 |
| End date | Thursday, September 30, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall | September 28-30, 2027 |
| Venue | Mandalay Bay Convention Center |
| City | Las Vegas, NV |
| Official website | america.imexevents.com |
| Organizer | The IMEX Group (Regent Exhibitions Ltd.) |
A booth built by Methodex for Danish at IEEE 2024.
Photo: Methodex
IMEX America 2027 key facts
| 2026 edition | October 13-15, 2026, Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Convention Center |
| 2027 edition | Smart Monday, powered by MPI, September 27; exhibitor access from 7 a.m. September 28 and 8 a.m. September 29-30 |
| 2026 schedule | EAC registered with IMEX by August 7; booth design submission August 26 (August 19 for double-story booths and booths with vehicles); direct show-site deliveries October 12 only; booths finished by 8 p.m. October 12 |
| 2026 order deadlines | AV early order deadline September 14; electricity, plumbing, and internet early order deadline September 22; GES discount deadline September 25 |
| Show size | IMEX America 2026: 18,200 total participants, 3,800 exhibiting companies from more than 90 countries, and 96,000 meetings |
| Space price (IMEX published rates) | Space only $146 per sq ft ($14,600 minimum; no booth structure, furniture, or carpet); shell scheme $170 per sq ft ($17,000 minimum; essential furniture package and choice of carpet and wall colors; wall graphics, lighting, and power booked separately); 100 sq ft minimum |
| General service contractor (GSC) | GES (2027) |
| Height limit (2026 show rules) | 20 ft from the floor for any element in the booth; elements over 16 ft 6 in at least 4 ft in from the booth perimeter, with taller perimeter elements allowed only as part of a two-story structure; interior fittings in hardwall booths 10 ft; platforms no higher than 3 in, with a beveled edge and a ramp for inclusive access |
| Walls (2026 show rules) | Inline space-only booths need an 8 ft back wall and 8 ft side walls running full height to the aisle; every side shared with a neighbor, or facing an empty space with a venue column, needs a wall at least 8 ft high (no pipe and drape), with the reverse above that height finished in plain and even white and no branding |
| Open walls (2026 show rules) | Each aisle-facing wall at least 70% open; runs of wall longer than 6 ft prohibited along open perimeters |
| Design approval (2026 show rules) | Written application for a booth higher than 10 ft, with a completely or partially closed ceiling, or two-story |
| Hanging sign rules (2026 show rules) | Banners and other suspensions above the booth no higher than 20 ft and at least 4 ft from any adjoining booth; signs of 200 lb or more or needing electrical hook-ups installed by Mandalay Bay Convention Center, non-electrical signs under 200 lb by GES |
| Banner material (2026, GES graphics) | GES installs fabric banners only, not vinyl |
| Two-story booths (2026 show rules) | Up to 20 ft including any name sign or trademark; second stories for entertainment only, not product display; a second stairway if the upper story exceeds 300 sq ft; application with stair and railing details due to show management by August 19 |
| Covered ceilings (2026 show rules) | Up to 1,000 sq ft of contiguous ceiling may be covered per booth, but no more than 50% of the booth area; covered areas over 1,000 sq ft, or covered booths with vehicles, open flame, or hot works, need interior automatic sprinklers |
| Hall ceiling height (Mandalay Bay Convention Center exhibit halls; building figures) | Bayside Halls A-F 30 ft; Shoreline Exhibit Hall 30 ft |
| Vehicles (2026 show rules) | Vehicles need written permission (application by August 19), batteries disconnected, gas tank locked, and less than 1 gallon of fuel |
| EAC policy (2026 show rules) | Allowed; EAC registered with IMEX by August 7 and proof of insurance to GES; builders and their labor wear wristbands during move-in and move-out |
| Contractor insurance (Mandalay Bay rules) | General liability $3,000,000 per occurrence on carpet and $5,000,000 on concrete; auto $1,000,000 per accident; workers’ compensation at statutory limits and employer’s liability $1,000,000; Mandalay Bay, LLC named as additional insured |
The height, sign, wall, approval, and EAC rules come from the IMEX America 2026 rules. Ceiling heights are building measurements, not build limits. Confirm the rules in the IMEX America exhibitor manual before you design.
Last checked: October 2026
IMEX America 2027 runs September 28 to 30 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, following a 2026 edition held October 13 to 15. Smart Monday, powered by MPI, takes place the day before, on September 27. The 2026 rules capped every element of an IMEX America trade show booth at 20 feet from the floor, below the 30-foot ceiling in each of Mandalay Bay’s exhibit halls.
The 2026 show logged 96,000 meetings and 4,857 hosted buyers, so plan most of the floor as seated meeting space, with product displays kept to the edges.
Height and wall rules
Under the 2026 rules, any element taller than 16 feet 6 inches had to sit at least 4 feet in from the booth perimeter unless it was part of a two-story structure. On a 20×20 island, that confined taller elements to the 12×12 center. Each wall facing an aisle had to stay at least 70 percent open, and runs of wall longer than 6 feet were prohibited along open sides. The 2026 rules also required a written application for a booth higher than 10 feet, a booth with a completely or partially closed ceiling, or a two-story booth. Up to 1,000 square feet of contiguous ceiling could be covered, but no more than half the booth area, and larger covered areas, or covered booths with vehicles, open flame, or hot works, needed interior automatic sprinklers. Two-story booths could reach 20 feet, including any name sign or trademark, and second stories were for entertainment only, not product display.
Space only or shell scheme
IMEX sells space by the square foot, with a 100-square-foot minimum. Space only is listed at $146 per square foot with no booth structure, furniture, or carpet, so a 10×20 comes to $29,200 before the booth itself. Shell scheme, IMEX’s package booth, is listed at $170 per square foot. It includes an essential furniture package and a choice of carpet and wall colors, while wall graphics, lighting, and power are booked separately. A space-only inline booth must also supply its own 8-foot back wall and 8-foot side walls running out to the aisle, since IMEX does not allow pipe and drape on shared sides.
Contractors and the 2026 timeline
GES is the general service contractor (GSC) under a contract extension that runs from 2026 to 2030. In 2026, an exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC) for installation and dismantle (I&D) had to be registered with IMEX by August 7. Mandalay Bay’s own contractor policies also require a certificate of insurance with general liability of $3,000,000 per occurrence on carpet and $5,000,000 on concrete. Booth designs went through the IMEX portal by August 26, or August 19 for double-story booths and booths with vehicles. Vehicles also needed batteries disconnected, a locked gas tank, and less than 1 gallon of fuel. Direct shipments to the venue were accepted only on October 12. Booths had to be finished by 8 p.m. that day, with a $500 penalty for each hour a booth stayed unfinished.
Methodex designs and rents booths for Las Vegas shows and installs them on site, working from its North Las Vegas warehouse. When your 2027 space is assigned, request a design and quote for IMEX America. For meetings in your booth, read how to host VIP guests on the show floor. If you book space only and don’t want to ship an exhibit, see how our booth rentals work.
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