Exhibitor Spending Trends For 2026
It was satisfying for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) to finally update exhibitor spending benchmarks that had not been refreshed since 2017. With the pandemic firmly behind us, this survey conducted in late 2025 quantifies both how exhibitors allocate their dollars across expense categories and how overall marketing budgets are distributed by channel. The first report, “How the Exhibit Dollar Is Spent,” was published recently.
The findings underscore the robustness of the B2B exhibition channel. Exhibitor direct spend at U.S. trade shows represents a $30 billion industry, without accounting for its full economic impact. What surprised me most is how consistent spending allocations remain compared to pre-pandemic patterns. Exhibit space now accounts for 40.5% of total spend, modestly higher than the 37.9% recorded in 2017. Importantly, exhibit space has always captured the largest share of spending; this is not new. Beyond that shift, spending across expense categories closely mirrors pre-pandemic norms.
To help brand marketers benchmark their practices against industry standards, the report breaks down spending by annual marketing budget size:
As expected, organizations with smaller budgets focus spending on must-have categories and limit discretionary investments, while those with larger budgets allocate more broadly across additional options.
Looking ahead, direct spending trends align with the number of trade shows that exhibitors plan to participate in during 2026. Nearly half (47%) plan to exhibit at the same number of events, while 28% expect to add more shows to their programs. Correspondingly, the report identifies the expense categories where increased spending is anticipated.
Exhibit build plans for 2026 also signal healthy market activity. While a majority of exhibitors (52%) plan to use their booths as is, a substantial share intend to refurbish, purchase new exhibits, or rent. It’s encouraging to see a notable percentage of exhibitors seeking to move beyond the “same old, same old” by refreshing their booth environments. The attendee experience on the show floor is heavily influenced by the quality of exhibiting approaches, and the exhibit itself—especially when refreshed and clearly communicating what is being showcased—is a core driver of trade show value.
This first report offers a laser-focused view of exhibitor direct spending patterns, but that is only part of the story. Watch for the soon-to-be-released “Marketing Spend Decision Report,” the first post-pandemic analysis to delineate how exhibitor marketing budgets are allocated across channels. It will reveal what share of marketing budgets B2B exhibitions command today and whether that share has grown, held steady or lost ground to other channels such as digital. The report will also explore why exhibitors continue to invest in the channel, how B2B exhibitions fit within the broader marketing mix and provide benchmarks on booth-size investment trends.
