Who exhibits and buys at WasteExpo
Informa Markets produces WasteExpo in collaboration with the National Waste & Recycling Association and calls it North America's largest show for solid waste, recycling, organics, food waste recovery, and sustainability. Its site counts more than 14,500 participants, more than 9,000 buyers, and more than 600 exhibiting brands, with visitors from over 100 countries.
The buyers run fleets and facilities. The organizer lists private and publicly traded refuse firms, landfill owners and operators, municipalities, county agencies, and regional authorities, secondary materials processors and recyclers, composting and organics professionals, and fleet managers, along with consulting engineers and equipment dealers. It's trade only, and attendees must be 18 or older.
WasteExpo 2027 dates and the switch to every other year
WasteExpo 2027 runs May 3 to 6 in the Las Vegas Convention Center's West Hall, with conference sessions starting May 3 and the expo hall open May 4 to 6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday. That short last morning leaves about two and a half selling days, so put the important meetings on the first two.
In May 2025, Informa and NWRA moved WasteExpo to a biennial format, with an event called The Waste Summit taking the years in between, starting in 2026. The 2025 show ran May 6 to 8 in the same West Hall with GES as general contractor. The organizer says the 2027 exhibitor services kit will be posted closer to the show, so the rules below come from 2025, and every date in them will move.
WasteExpo booth rules from the 2025 regulations
Informa's 2025 booth regulations for WasteExpo set these limits. Check each against the 2027 kit once it's posted:
- All booths submit diagrams, hanging sign drawings, or photos for approval, due March 28 in 2025
- Carpet isn't included with the space and is required, rented from GES or brought in
- Inline and corner booths: nothing over 4 feet within 5 feet of the aisle, a maximum of 8 feet 3 inches in the back 5 feet, and no logos facing a neighbor; when three or more are combined, the 4-foot limit applies only within 10 feet of an adjoining booth
- Inline booths are entirely ground supported, with no aerial rigging or hanging signs
- Island booths: structure up to 16 feet, with roofed or double-deck exhibits only by advance written approval from show management and the fire marshal; multi-story exhibits are allowed only in islands
- Anything over 16 feet, and every multi-story exhibit, keeps drawings on hand for inspection, and pop-up tents and umbrellas aren't allowed
WasteExpo hanging signs, and a height to confirm in writing
Hanging signs and aerial rigging are allowed only over island booths of 20 by 20 feet or larger, set back 10 feet from adjacent booths. A booth's structure can rise above 16 feet only to support an identification sign in place of a hung one. Hanging light systems belong in the drawings submitted for approval, and no overhead lighting may reach past the booth's edges.
The 2025 document disagrees with itself on height: its island page says no higher than 20 feet to the top of the sign, while its hanging sign page allows 24 feet where the ceiling permits. Design to 20 feet unless show management confirms the higher figure in writing for 2027. Either way, signs ship to the GES advance warehouse before the show, since a sign sent straight to the convention center may not get hung, and one hung without approval comes down at the exhibitor's expense.
Showing collection trucks and heavy equipment at WasteExpo
Trucks are a big part of this floor. GES says the 2025 move-in brought in more than 100 large vehicles, most of them waste management trucks. Each one needs show management's approval, placement coordinated with GES, and someone from the exhibitor on hand while it's positioned. The show rules call for disconnected battery cables, a protective covering under the vehicle, and a fuel tank taped shut or locked, with no more than a quarter tank.
The convention center adds its own limits: a quarter tank or 5 gallons, whichever is less, no fueling or battery charging indoors, no moving vehicles during show hours, 36 inches of clear access, and at least 20 feet to an exit. Electric vehicles need prior approval, with specs sent to the LVCVA's booth plans office. A covered or multilevel area over 1,000 square feet that contains a display vehicle needs sprinklers, so think twice before putting a canopy over a truck.
Designing a WasteExpo booth for fleets, cities, and recyclers
Buyers here compare equipment they'll own for a decade, so give them a reason to stay past the truck. A compactor or baler cutaway, a wall of carts and containers, and screens running routing or scale-house software explain what a parked vehicle can't, and a meeting area with tables lets fleet managers and city staff talk specifications. Finishes and flooring around a vehicle should be easy to clean and tough under tires, and graphics should read over the top of a cab from down the aisle.
The 2025 show rules shape the demos: sound no higher than 85 decibels measured from 10 feet away, barriers and supervision for moving or hazardous machines, written approval for anything that makes dust, fumes, sparks, or flames, no liquefied petroleum gas on display, and demonstrations and sampling tables at least 3 feet inside the booth. Because the show skips a year, a booth built for reuse, with modular frames and graphics that swap out, pays off, and exhibit storage between editions belongs in the budget.
WasteExpo move-in, GES freight, and contractor rules
In 2025, freight was targeted by booth number from Thursday, May 1 through Monday, May 5, and GES could refuse or surcharge off-target freight. The target time is when a truck may check in at the marshaling yard at 2982 West Post Road, not when work starts, and GES recommends booking installation labor for the day after. The advance warehouse at 7000 Lindell Road received crated freight from March 27 to April 28. Move-out ran from 1 p.m. on closing day to 2:30 p.m. the next day, with carriers checked in by 8 a.m., and nothing could be packed before the show closed.
Teamsters Local 631 handles material handling and any exhibit installation not done by your own full-time employees. Exhibitors can hang up to four small clip-on lights, electricians take over beyond one 20-amp circuit, and stagehands handle LED walls and programmable lighting. An outside builder files GES's notice of intent as your exhibitor-appointed contractor at least 30 days before move-in, one per booth, with $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate in general liability plus $1 million in auto coverage, and holds the convention center's annual contractor permit.
A WasteExpo 2027 planning timeline
As a rough guide, with the 2025 deadlines moved to a show that opens May 4, 2027. The Las Vegas trade show calendar keeps the date, the guide to what a custom booth costs frames the budget, and our trade show checklist and RFP template cover the rest:
- Late 2026: book space, settle whether a truck or machine is coming, and brief your builder
- Winter: concept and 3D design around the vehicle footprint, demos, and meeting tables
- Late March 2027: booth diagrams and hanging sign drawings to show management for approval
- Late March to late April: freight to the GES warehouse, discounted service orders (April 10 in 2025), and contractor paperwork at least 30 days before move-in
- Early May: targeted move-in, then three expo days ending at 1 p.m. on May 6