Trade Show Exhibit Design & Construction
Lakeshore designs and builds custom trade show booths in our own Chicago-area shop, 20 minutes from McCormick Place. Concept, 3D renderings, and fabrication happen under one roof, with our designers down the hall from our builders, and our crews install it on the show floor.
How we design a custom trade show exhibit
Before we even think about design, we partner with our client. We take the time to really get to know you, your goals, your vision, and your needs.
1. Discovery call
We talk through the show, the booth space, the timeline, and what the booth has to do.
2. Design and proposal
We show you a design in 3D, refine it with you, and send a complete proposal.
3. Build and install
Our shop builds it and our crews install it.
Through every step, you get quick, straight answers from people who know trade shows, and problems get solved in the shop, not on the show floor.
Designed around your products, services, and message
Each of these started from what our clients needed to show.
Machinery first
Hurco
100 × 100 island, IMTS
Hurco mapped out a 10,000 sq ft machine layout months in advance. We designed around it, adding meeting rooms, storage rooms, reception counters, a 98′ fabric graphic wall, and a 28′ rotating LED hanging sign.
Built to reuse
SCREEN Americas
60 × 60 island, PRINTING United
A reusable exhibit with a nod to SCREEN’s Japanese roots: wood-grain tension fabric walls, built-in shoji screens, and LED strip lighting. “Our competitors actually came over and complimented us on our booth!” Ken Ingram, President, SCREEN Americas
Twice the space
Aisin
40 × 80 island, AAPEX
Aisin’s booth was double the size of its previous show, with a 20′ × 40′ hanging logo sign and a 13′ × 8′ LED video wall. “Their creative team came back with a look that exceeded our expectations – and met our budget!” Dwayne Bates, Senior VP Aftermarket, Aisin World Corp. of America
No rigging charges
Libman
40 × 80 island, Inspired Home Show
An 18′ logo, ground-supported instead of hung, so it drew traffic from across the hall without the rigging charges.
Exhibit builders, with our own shop
Your trade show exhibit fabrication happens in our Chicago-area shop, by people who have built exhibits for decades. CNC routing, millwork, laminating, painting, light metal work, refurbishing, and repairs all happen in-house.
John Romero
Fabrication Shop Manager. 37 years building exhibits, and nothing leaves his shop until it’s right.
Karl O’Reilly
Creative Director. Over 20 years designing exhibits, leading our creative team.
Eric Montanez
Operations Manager and a mechanical engineer. Works out how your exhibit gets built, shipped, and installed.
Immense talent, personal pride, and years of experience go into every detail of every project our team touches, from painstakingly handcrafted elements to the latest custom materials. Graphics are designed in-house and produced for your structure.
Any booth size or type, from 10 × 10 to 100 × 150
We build inline, corner, and island exhibits, from 10 × 10 inlines to 100 × 150 islands. One booth tight on space: PRIMEdge’s Process Expo island was only 10′ deep, open on all four sides.
Need one exhibit for several booth sizes? We design custom exhibits that reconfigure from show to show. See SCREEN Americas
Showing once? Rent a custom exhibit instead of buying
After the show
We store your exhibit until your next show, then make sure it gets to the next location, safe and secure. Before each show, our team sets it up, inspects it, and refurbishes or reconfigures it as needed.
Questions we hear as trade show booth builders
How much does a custom trade show exhibit cost?
It depends on booth size, structure, materials, technology, and graphics. Floor space is separate: you book it with the show. When we build your booth, the design is part of our proposal. Tell us your booth size and show, and we’ll put one together.
Who will design and build our booth?
Our own team. Karl O’Reilly’s creative team designs it, Eric Montanez’s team of detailers plans the engineering and construction, and John Romero’s shop builds it.
Will we see the design before it’s built?
Before anything is built, we show you the design in 3D, refine it with you, and send a complete proposal.
How long does a custom trade show exhibit take?
From the discovery call to the show floor, a custom exhibit typically takes 3 to 6 months, depending on its size and complexity. Start early: reach out at least six to nine months before your show.
Can you build an exhibit another agency designed?
We do. Quantivly’s agency designed their RSNA booth, and Lakeshore built it.
Can one exhibit work at different shows and booth sizes?
Yes. SCREEN Americas, H.B. Fuller, and PCI all bought exhibits built to reconfigure across shows and booth sizes.
Do you install outside Chicago?
The Lakeshore crew works in every major trade show city, and internationally.
Have a show coming up?
Tell us about your booth and your show date, and we’ll start with a discovery call.
Or email info@lakeshoreexhibits.com