Who exhibits at CES, and who walks the floor
CES is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which describes its exhibitors as manufacturers, developers, and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, and delivery systems. For 2026, CTA reported more than 4,100 exhibitors across more than 2.6 million net square feet, including some 1,200 startups in Eureka Park.
The audience is just as broad. CTA's audit of CES 2026 counted 148,392 attendees: 86,679 industry professionals, 7,037 members of the media, and exhibitor staff making up the rest. That mix shapes the booth. You're designing for buyers and partners who booked meetings, press looking for a story, and a steady stream of people who want to see what's new.
CES venues: the LVCC, Venetian, and C Space campuses
CES isn't one building. For 2027, CTA lists 12 official venues spanning more than 2.5 million net square feet of exhibit space, grouped into three campuses: LVCC, Venetian, and C Space. Exhibitor manuals are published separately for ARIA, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Mandalay Bay, Venetian Expo, the Venetian exhibit suites, and Fontainebleau, so the first thing to confirm is which venue's rules govern your space.
At the LVCC, the 2027 freight plans divide the campus into the West, North, Central, and South halls, the West Lobby, and two outdoor areas, Central Plaza and the Diamond Lot, each with its own targeted move-in. Height limits change from hall to hall, so a design that works in one hall may need to come down in another.
Press work starts before the floor opens. CTA's 2027 schedule lists two media-only days at Mandalay Bay on January 4 and 5, then four exhibit days from January 6 to 9.
CES move-in over the holidays
CES 2027 runs January 6 to 9, which puts the build in the holidays. Freeman's quick facts for the LVCC list move-in from December 26, 2026 through January 5, 2027, with each exhibitor's date and time assigned on the target floor plans. December 31 closes early, January 1 isn't a move-in day, and booths must be completely set on January 5, the last move-in day.
Freight works backward from there. For 2027, Freeman's advance warehouse starts receiving November 9, 2026, charges extra for anything arriving after December 11, and needs hanging signs and carpet by December 4. A Las Vegas-built exhibit can skip the long-haul leg and travel across town to meet its targeted slot, which removes one variable from a holiday schedule.
What CES booths need: demos, power, and private rooms
Most CES exhibits are judged on the demo. Visitors want to hold the device, watch the software respond, and put a hard question to the engineer who built it. That puts power and network at the center of the floor plan rather than the edges: each demo station needs its own circuit, hidden space for chargers and spare units, and a way to reset the product between visitors without crawling under a counter.
Plan for three kinds of space: open demo zones on the aisle, a semi-private area for scheduled walkthroughs, and closed meeting rooms for buyers, partners, and press. Sound control, a screen, and lockable storage in each room are worth drawing in from the first sketch. Lighting matters more than usual, because photos and video shot in your space travel well beyond the hall.
CES 2027 exhibitor rules that shape the design
The official CES rules are detailed, and several decide the design before it's drawn. A few from the 2027 rules and contractor documents:
- Island booths of 400 square feet or more can reach 30 feet in the West and North halls, 20 feet in Central Halls 1 and 2, 30 feet in Central 3 through 5, and 22 feet in South Halls 1 and 2, with truss and hanging signs counted in that limit
- Linear booths may build to 8 feet across their whole footprint, without line-of-sight limits
- Only island and peninsula booths of 400 square feet or more can hang signs; Freeman handles all suspended rigging, and signs over 200 pounds need a chain hoist and a rigging plan
- An occupied upper deck needs an approved plan stamped by an engineer registered in Nevada
- If you hire an outside builder, you designate it through the EAC portal (by November 6, 2026 for CES 2027); EACs can't perform exclusive services such as freight handling, electrical, or rigging
- Display vehicles carry no more than a quarter tank or five gallons of fuel, and electric vehicles can't be charged indoors
Getting around Las Vegas during CES week
With a dozen venues in play, CES week fills hotels, loading docks, and roads across the city at once. If your company exhibits on one campus and hosts meetings on another, build travel time into every schedule, and put a local contact on the build team who can reach any venue without waiting on a flight.
Keep a small kit in the booth for the first morning: spare graphics, hardware, touch-up paint, and replacement lamps. With the shop in Las Vegas, bigger fixes don't depend on freight either: a panel can be recut by The Job Shop and a graphic reprinted by Vegas Visual in the same building, then brought across town.
A CES planning timeline, counted back from move-in
As general guidance, count back from your targeted move-in slot rather than opening day. Our trade show checklist breaks each stage into tasks, and the Las Vegas trade show calendar lists CES alongside the rest of the season. For a custom CES exhibit, a workable schedule looks like this:
- Summer: set goals, confirm booth size and venue, and brief your exhibit partner
- September: concept and 3D design, with the budget checked before details are locked
- October: final design, engineering for rigging or an upper deck, and drawings for show review
- Early November: designate your EAC and finalize graphics copy
- November and December: fabrication, graphics, and a walk-through of the build before it ships
- December 26 to January 5: targeted move-in, testing, and rehearsal