The short answer: a typical 20 m² booth needs 2-3 kW total power for lighting + screens + demo equipment. Most venues provide 16A (3.5 kW) outlets. Critical decisions: separate circuits for high-demand items, LED voltage planning, surge protection. Below is the complete electrical planning guide with real load calculations.

Why electrical planning matters

Booth electrical failures on show day = catastrophe:

Demo equipment failure: lost lead opportunities
Lighting goes out: booth looks unprofessional
Tripped breakers mid-show: several minutes of dead booth
Fire safety inspection failure: booth doesn’t open

Pre-planning electrical avoids 95% of these issues.

Power requirements per element

Lighting

LED spots (10-20W each): 8-12 fixtures for 20 m² booth = 80-240W total LED strips (15W/m): 6-10m around booth = 90-150W Backlit graphics (LED panels 40W/m²): 2-4m² = 80-160W Architectural LED features: 50-200W Total lighting: 400-750W for a 20 m² booth

Display equipment

55” LED TV/monitor: 100-150W 65” LED TV: 120-180W 75” TV/larger: 150-250W Video wall (modular): 200-500W Touch screen: 50-100W Demo computers: 50-150W each

Audio

Booth-fill speakers (60W each): 120-180W for typical setup Mini sound system: 100-200W Live audio (DJ booth, etc.): 500-1,500W

Demo and interactive equipment

Tablet stations: 20-30W each Charging stations: 100-200W total Coffee machine: 1,000-2,000W Mini fridge: 50-100W Demo machinery: varies (always check specs)

Lead capture equipment

Badge scanners: 5-10W each (USB powered) Printers: 50-300W Wi-Fi routers: 5-15W

Realistic power budgets

For a 20 m² booth, typical totals:

Light usage booth (basic):

Lighting: 500W
One screen: 150W
Audio: 100W
Charging: 100W
Total: 850W (under 1 outlet)

Medium usage booth:

Lighting: 700W
Two screens: 300W
Audio: 200W
Demo equipment: 200W
Charging: 100W
Total: 1,500W (well within 16A outlet)

Heavy usage booth:

Lighting: 1,000W
Video wall: 500W
Audio: 300W
Demo machinery: 800W
Coffee/catering: 1,500W
Total: 4,100W (needs 2× 16A outlets or 32A)

Outlet types at venues

Standard outlets

16A single-phase (most common): 3.5 kW capacity

Standard for 20-30 m² booths
1-2 outlets typically included in floor space

32A single-phase: 7 kW capacity

Required for heavy demo equipment
Extra cost €100-300

63A three-phase: 43 kW capacity

Industrial booths only
Significant extra cost

Connection types

CEE 16A “Blau” (Type CEE 7/4): standard EU industrial outlet, blue colour Schuko (Type F): standard household outlet (Germany, Austria, Greece) French Type E: France, Belgium UK Type G: United Kingdom USA Type B: US shows only

Circuit planning

Don’t put everything on one outlet. Distribute load:

Booth circuit organisation:

Circuit 1 (Lighting): all booth lighting Circuit 2 (Display): TVs, screens, video walls Circuit 3 (Demo): demo equipment, computers Circuit 4 (Catering/Misc): coffee, charging, ancillary

Benefits:

One circuit fails, others continue
Easier troubleshooting
Compliance with venue rules

Load balancing

Avoid putting all high-demand items on one outlet. Distribute:

Bad: 2.5 kW on one 16A outlet = 90% capacity, risky Good: 1 kW + 1 kW + 0.5 kW spread across 2-3 outlets

Cable management

Cable types

Power cables: 3-core, 2.5 mm² standard. CE marked. LED ribbon cables: low-voltage (12V/24V) cables Data cables: Ethernet for demos requiring internet

Cable routing rules:

Avoid walking paths
Use floor protectors over crossing points
Cable trays for multiple parallel runs
Colour-code for identification

Cable hiding:

Inside booth walls (preferred)
Under raised flooring (premium)
Cable management panels (visible but neat)
Floor protectors (basic but functional)

LED specifics

LEDs are 95% of modern booth lighting. Plan carefully:

Voltage

12V LED strips: lower brightness, shorter runs (max 5m) 24V LED strips: higher brightness, longer runs (max 10-15m) 220V mains LED: standard fixtures, no voltage conversion

Drivers (power supplies)

Each LED installation needs a driver:

Calculate total wattage
Choose driver with 20% headroom
Quality drivers cost €30-150 each

Voltage drop calculation

Long LED runs lose voltage. For 24V:

Up to 5m: minimal drop
5-10m: 5-10% drop
10m+: requires multiple feed points

Sign of voltage drop: LED strips dimmer at end of run.

Safety considerations

RCD/RCBO protection

Residual current devices that trip on electrical fault. Mandatory in the EU.

RCD: single trip for whole booth RCBO: individual protection per circuit (preferred)

Surge protection

Important for demo equipment, screens. Cost €30-100. Worth installation.

Emergency shutoff

Visible kill switch for emergencies. Required at large booths.

Grounding

All metal structures grounded. Aluminium booth = full grounding needed.

Pre-show electrical checklist

2 weeks before show:

Total power calculation done
Outlet types confirmed with venue
Extra outlets ordered if needed
All equipment specs documented
LED drivers selected
Cable lengths planned
Surge protection ordered
Licensed electrician booked (if required by venue)
Test connections planned

At-show electrical testing

Day -1 (during setup):

Test 1: all circuits power on Test 2: each fixture works Test 3: full load test (everything on at once) Test 4: check for overheating circuits Test 5: cable safety check

Day 0 (before opening):

Final power-on test
Walk-through with electrician
Backup plans documented (e.g., switching to backup outlet)

Common electrical mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting demo computer wattage. Adds up quickly with 3-4 demo stations.

Mistake 2: Single circuit for everything. One blown = booth dark.

Mistake 3: Cable trip hazards. Visitors trip = liability issue.

Mistake 4: Wrong voltage equipment. US equipment in EU = transformer needed.

Mistake 5: No surge protection. One power spike = €1,000+ damage.

Mistake 6: Insufficient lighting circuit. Lights flicker, look cheap.

Mistake 7: No backup plan. When electricity fails, no contingency.

Frequently asked questions

Are venue electrical systems reliable? Generally yes at major venues. Smaller venues can be flaky. Plan for backup.

How much does electrical capacity affect demos? Significantly. Underpowered = demos run slow or crash. Plan for 30% headroom.

Is UPS battery backup necessary? Recommended for critical demos. Cost €200-1,000.

Is cable thickness important? Yes. Undersized cables overheat. Use 2.5 mm² minimum for 16A circuits.

How long do LED systems last in continuous operation? Quality LEDs: 25,000+ hours. Show usage (30-50 hours/show) = 500+ shows.

Is sharing outlet with neighbour ethical? Usually prohibited by venue rules. Causes overload issues.

How early should I order extra outlets? 4 weeks before show. Last-minute orders cost double.

Is circuit breaker info necessary for insurance? Yes — document electrical setup. Insurance claims require evidence.

How do I handle international electrical differences? Hire local electrician at the venue location. Adapt equipment or transformers.

Are floor power strips reliable? Yes if CE marked. Floor positioning critical to avoid trip hazards.

Designing a booth with complex electrical needs? Send us the details and we’ll design an electrical plan for your equipment. Also read permits & fire safety and exhibition booth lighting.

Booth electrical and power planning: complete guide