It goes without saying that regardless of the size or complexity of your booth, taking the proper steps to get your exhibit adequately powered on the show floor is a fundamental part of an exhibit manager's role – one that, if executed incorrectly, can have dire consequences. An electrical plan that delivers too little juice or too few electrical outlets will result in a costly last-minute scramble to secure the power you need. On the other hand, ordering enough electricity to power Times Square when all you need to plug in are a few monitors and lightboxes is akin to setting fire to a pile of cash.

To help you avoid both of these scenarios, here is my step-by-step guide to planning your booth's electrical needs. Since this is one of the most complicated topics in the exhibit-marketing world, I'll just be covering the basics here, as each exhibitor will likely have unique electrical needs. But by getting your watts in a row in advance and following this primer, you'll not only save money but also save yourself from a stressful on-site burnout.

1. Tally your power requirements.
The first step to placing any electrical order is determining which exhibit elements and equipment are going to need power and how much each of them requires. And for your order to be accurate, it's essential to consider everything from the obvious (e.g., touchscreens, backlit graphics, lighting fixtures, etc.) to the easy-to-overlook necessities such as outlets for charging lead-retrieval devices.

This is a case where a trusty spreadsheet and a copy of your exhibit's computer-aided design (CAD) diagrams will come in handy. What I usually do is look at an overhead CAD view of the booth, physically mark where all the electric elements are located, and then list these in a spreadsheet, noting multiple quantities as needed. I then add a few lines for miscellaneous items, e.g., laptop and cellphone chargers, as well as outlets for an in-booth meeting room, if applicable.

To determine how much power each element requires, I like to keep an electronic folder containing all the product spec sheets for my exhibitry, which indicate the power needs (either in watts or amps) and plug configurations of the equipment. Add a column to your spreadsheet containing the number of watts each item needs, using the formula Watts = Amps x Volts if necessary. The sum of this column is the number of watts you'll need to order.

2. Establish your main distribution point and compose your exhibit's electrical diagram.
The main distribution point is the location of your main electrical drop, aka "the doghouse." If you are exhibiting in an in-line, the default location for a doghouse, which you'll likely be sharing with your neighbors, is the back of the booth. Island and peninsula exhibits tend to have more flexibility, as electricity can often come from the ceiling, a column, or a floor port. So on your electrical diagram, mark where you'd like your main distribution point to be. It's also a good idea to indicate the location of adjacent stands and the hall entrance to clarify your diagram's orientation.

Now it's time to determine: 1) how many outlets you'll need the show electrician to provide, 2) where these outlets should be located, and 3) how many of your items can be powered by each outlet. Since you've already figured out where your electrical components will be on your CAD document, it's just a matter of you or your exhibit designer transferring these to a separate electrical diagram. Based on where these electrical components are placed in the booth and their individual power needs, look for opportunities to plug multiple items into one power strip or surge protector. The more items you can combine into shared power strips, the more savings you'll reap, as a 100-amp outlet can cost around $100 if ordered by the discount deadline.

Once you've calculated how many outlets you require and their locations, mark them on your diagram along with measurements in proximity to the perimeter of your booth so the electrician can easily lay the electrical lines on site. Finally, remember that if your exhibit includes any rigged elements requiring electricity (e.g., a backlit overhead sign, flatscreen monitors, or "flown" lighting), you will need to submit a separate overhead outlet order and electrical diagram.

3. Order electrical labor.
Electrical labor is handled by the show's exclusive contractor and is typically billed by the hour with a set minimum. When placing your labor order and analyzing your needs and budget, carefully review the exhibitor manual to determine what the show's particular regulations are regarding union jurisdictions and what work can be done by staffers.

When it comes to electrical services, labor is generally broken down into three categories: floor work, booth work, and ceiling work. Floor work (i.e., the placement and wiring of the doghouse, as well as the laying of electrical cables and outlets under your flooring) and ceiling work (e.g., installing rigged lighting and kinetic signage) must be done by the exclusive contractor. Booth work involves any components above your floor that need to be connected to power, and this is where the labor regulations tend to vary.

As a general rule in many cities and venues, an exhibit staffer can plug in an item that doesn't need any sort of plug reconfiguration or hardwiring. However, exceptions abound. At the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, full-time employees of an exhibitor may set up and dismantle their own lights only if they're in a 10-by-10 booth or smaller and do not require tools or ladders. At the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, exhibitors are required to order electrical labor to plug in any equipment operating on more than 120 volts. Therefore, it's crucial to know the local rules and plan your labor order accordingly.

4. Prepare for the show.
If you plan on packing your own extension cords, power strips, and/or surge protectors – which I recommend you do, as they take up minimal space and will cost an arm and a leg to rent on site – make sure they have three-prong plugs and are Underwriters Laboratories (U.L.)listed. While we're on the subject of power strips and surge protectors, it's important that you're able to recognize the difference between the two. A power strip merely gives you additional outlets, while a surge protector protects your equipment from spikes in electrical voltage.

I also suggest printing extra copies of your electrical diagrams for yourself, your installation-and-dismantle lead, and the electrician. And if your original documents were color coded, be sure your copies are in color as well, as on-site electricians rarely have access to color printers.

5. Review the electrical work on site.
Once you've made it to the show, your hard work will hopefully come to life. But before you get ahead of yourself, double-check the floor work. Count all of the lines that have been dropped, measure to make sure that they are the correct distance from the aisles, and ensure that their orientation is correct. If anything looks out of order, raise your concerns sooner rather than later. It's far easier to correct a mistake before your exhibit is installed than after the finishing touches have been put in place.

A fair amount of planning goes into ensuring your electrical order is correct, but if you break the process into steps, you'll likely have a good handle on things by the time you get to the show. And should you find that you did miss something, the good news is that on-site electricians can usually make magic happen in just a little more time than it takes to flip a switch. E