DISTRIBUTECH Logistics and Exhibiting Tips

DISTRIBUTECH International is the biggest annual transmission and distribution event in the United States, making it a major networking and sales opportunity in the power distribution industry. Indeed, hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees attend each year, opening the door to a host of potential business connections.

If your company works in the transmission and distribution industry, then designing an eye-catching, interactive trade show booth is key to making your mark. Equally important is efficiently managing your DISTRIBUTECH logistics, ensuring all products, equipment, and technology is shipped securely and set up on time. Fortunately, these tasks have never been easier than with the help of Cardinal Expo.

We have three generations of experience in end-to-end trade show booth management, giving us the knowledge necessary to make your exhibit stand out and perform its best. For years, we’ve helped clients exhibit at DISTRIBUTECH—in fact, all of the photos in this post are booths we built and managed!

We’re here to share our expert knowledge about how to exhibit successfully at this show. To learn more about how Cardinal can support you at the next DISTRIBUTECH show, read on or get in contact with our team.

Table of Contents:

• Reasons to Exhibit at DISTRIBUTECH 2026
• How Much Does DISTRIBUTECH Cost?
• How to Handle Your DISTRIBUTECH Logistics and Shipping
• Designing a Successful Booth for the DISTRIBUTECH Trade Show
• Tips for Working the DISTRIBUTECH Show Floor
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Hire Cardinal Expo to Take Care of Your Booth’s Needs

Reasons to Exhibit at DISTRIBUTECH 2026

Stay on the Cutting Edge

As a conference dedicated to the power distribution industry, DISTRIBUTECH International is focused on innovating the future. Discussions at the conference will explore how the U.S. is moving away from utilizing fossil fuels, opting to explore electricity’s potential instead. Attending DISTRIBUTECH 2026 will allow your company to pave the future of transmission distribution.

Connect with Other Professionals

One of the DISTRIBUTECH conference’s main advantages is the large crowds it draws each year. Here’s a glimpse into who attended the conference in 2025:

• There were over 18,100 professionals in attendance, many of whom made new business connections. The event’s mobile app facilitated 3,893 connections and 1,403 meetings.
• 72% of attendees were at the managerial level or higher, and 81% had authority in making decisions.
• There were attendees from 87 different countries and 50 states in 2025, providing potential to make domestic and international connections.

Explore a Variety of Fields

Distribution and transmission are influential fields, driving the future of energy. Within the industry, there exist several subsectors. When you attend the DISTRIBUTECH conference and exhibition, you may meet leaders in the following areas:

• Electric utilities
• Public power
• Energy service providers
• Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC)
• Investment firms
• Financial services
• And more!

How Much Does DISTRIBUTECH Cost?

How Much Does It Cost to Exhibit at DISTRIBUTECH?

As an exhibitor, the cost of DISTRIBUTECH can vary widely depending on how much you budget for your exhibiting space, exhibit design and management, show services, premiums, and staffing and travel. To start, we recommend setting a target total budget as well as a maximum total budget.

Once you know how much you can spend, determine where you want to prioritize your budget. We generally recommend the following as a starting point:

• 15% for exhibiting space
• 35% for exhibit design and management
• 20% for show services
• 10% for premiums
• 20% for staffing and travel

If you know you’ll need more or less budget for a specific area, you can tweak these percentages as needed. For example, if your staff are located in the same city where DISTRIBUTECH is being held, you can spend less on travel.

At DISTRIBUTECH in particular, consider how the following might impact your budget:

• There are usually a number of major companies exhibiting at DISTRIBUTECH. You may want to get a larger booth to command more attention, raising the cost of your exhibiting space and your exhibit design and management.
• If you have any products you’d like to demo, you’ll need to account for their material handling and shipping costs. These costs could go up if your products are especially heavy or require extra care. Prepare in advance to avoid paying even more to ship things at the last minute.
• Technology is an important way to stand out at DISTRIBUTECH, allowing visitors to interact with your booth and positioning your company on the cutting edge. Depending on your needs, you may have to pay more for high-speed internet. If possible, use a demo server or localized solution to save money.

After you’ve settled on a budget total and breakdown, you can calculate how much money is allocated to each category and see if it fits your needs. If not, consider using our free trade show budget template and continuing to adjust as necessary.

How much does it cost to attend DISTRIBUTECH?

The cost of attending DISTRIBUTECH ranges from $0 to $1,595, depending on who you are, how much access you want, and whether you buy in advance. Share discounted options with your customers, leads, and followers to increase the chances of seeing them at the show.

• Utility all-access passes cost $1,095 in advance or $1,195 on site.
• Utility expo only passes cost $375 in advance or $400 on site.
• All-access (non-utility) passes cost $1,495 in advance or $1,595 on site.
• Expo only (non-utility) passes cost $599 in advance or $625 on site.
• Students can attend for free if they participate in the Future Energy Leaders program. If they do not, they can purchase a pass for $350.
• The press can attend for free.
• Members of the Utility Partner Program can attend at discounted rates.
• Attendees’ families can be added to a participant’s registration for an additional cost of $15 for children and $60 for spouses.

Learn more and register here.

How to Handle Your DISTRIBUTECH Logistics and Shipping

One of the main considerations to keep in mind for DISTRIBUTECH International is how your exhibit and its components will be wired. If you want to bring technological products for live demonstrations, you need shipping that is reliable and secure. This way, you can ensure your wares go undamaged and all necessary supplies—such as screens and cables—arrive on time so they can be installed correctly before the show.

Also, keep in mind whether shipping to an advance warehouse versus directly to the DISTRIBUTECH site works best for you logistically. Advance warehouses’ advantages are that they provide larger shipping windows and that they’re cheaper, though the additional handling does mean your wares are more likely to go missing or be damaged.

Direct shipping, by contrast, is more expensive, limits your shipping window, and may experience delays. However, you are less likely to incur handling-related damages to your booth, its components, your product, or other shipped items.

Designing a Successful Booth for the DISTRIBUTECH Trade Show

Go Big with Your Display

DISTRIBUTECH International is a major draw for leaders in the distribution industry. Past exhibitors have included IBM, GE, Oracle, AWS, and Caterpillar, and these companies make an impact on the trade show floor by name recognition alone.

In order to make your display stand out, go as big with your booth as your budget allows. Having a large presence at DISTRIBUTECH will enable you to stand out from the crowd and draw wide audiences.

Keep Your Design Modern

Given that DISTRIBUTECH is future-focused and driven by energy innovation, it is key to have a display that looks sleek and modern. Your booth creates your company’s first impression, so it’s important that it appears professional and forward-thinking. Consider adding LED video walls, touchscreens, or virtual reality elements in order to maintain a futuristic look and wow potential clients.

Make It Interactive

Interactivity allows your team to hold audiences’ attention for longer, while also better educating them about your products and services. This is an additional reason to install touchscreens in your exhibit. They can walk your customers through your various products and teach them more about your company.

As you design your interactive presentations, take care to explain how your power distribution source benefits municipalities and why this appeals to local engineers or other audiences likely to be at the DISTRIBUTECH show. Given that you can’t bring power distribution centers with you to conferences, you will have to determine how to keep your presentations exciting and educational, even without a tangible product on hand.

Tips for Working the DISTRIBUTECH Show Floor

Work the Whole Booth

As mentioned previously, the booths at the DISTRIBUTECH show tend to be larger than many other expos. While a bigger booth makes it easier to achieve a big visual impact, it also introduces the challenge of keeping every part of the booth functional and engaging for audiences.

As you plan for DISTRIBUTECH 2026, consider that you may have to hire more staff to work this exhibit than usual. This ensures that there is always a knowledgeable employee available to talk to booth visitors.

When designing and setting up your booth, provide several different spaces for your team to congregate with expo attendees. Balance your meeting, networking, presentation, and demonstration spaces with areas that do not require staff, such as touchscreen or interactive displays. This allows for more people to learn about your products and services, even when staff are busy.

Book Meetings in Advance

Prior to arriving onsite for the conference, review who else will be present at DISTRIBUTECH 2026 (see our FAQs section for a link to other exhibitors). By arranging with potential business partners and clients in advance of the expo, you can always be sure that your booth will have an audience and your staff’s time is being used wisely. This is especially beneficial if your brand already has pre-existing leads with other individuals and organizations who will be at DISTRIBUTECH.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people attend DISTRIBUTECH?

There were over 18,100 professionals at DISTRIBUTECH 2025 and 723 exhibitors.

When and where will the next DISTRIBUTECH show be?

DISTRIBUTECH International will next take place from February 2–5, 2026, in San Diego, California.

Where can I find DISTRIBUTECH’s exhibitor list?

Check the Exhibitor Resource Center for up-to-date information regarding who will exhibit at DISTRIBUTECH.

How do I access DISTRIBUTECH’s floor plan?

Click here to review the floor plan for 2025. We expect to see the 2026 floor plan added closer to the show.

What is the agenda for DISTRIBUTECH 2025?

Details for DISTRIBUTECH’s agenda have not been released yet, though we expect to see them as the show gets near.

What are the best hotels for DISTRIBUTECH?

There are plenty of great hotels in San Diego! Look for those closest to the event to save time and money on transportation.

Hire Cardinal to Take Care of Your Booth’s Needs

At Cardinal Expo, we pride ourselves on taking care of all of your trade show booth’s needs. From designing to building to shipping and more, we provide exceptional service to our clients.

If you are ready to level up your DISTRIBUTECH exhibit, contact Cardinal today by calling 504-930-3545 or by filling out the form below. We look forward to working with you soon.