GUN SHOW SCHEDULESThe short version
- Tables come bare — not skirted or draped. Bring your own covering; it is the highest-return item you will pack.
- Electricity is never included. Pre-order it, and bring a heavy cord and power strip anyway.
- Take the Friday load-in. Saturday's first two hours are the best selling window of the weekend.
- Displays must grow upward, not outward — nothing may sit in the aisle, and cheater boards are prohibited.
- Price everything, legibly. People will not ask. They will walk.
You are renting eight feet of bare folding table in a concrete building, and so is everyone else in your row. The vendors who do well are not the ones with better inventory — they are the ones whose table can be read from six feet away while someone is walking past it at conversational pace.
Everything below assumes what promoters actually provide, which is less than most first-timers expect.
What you actually get
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Table | Typically one 8-foot table per space; some shows use 2.5 ft × 8 ft, and 6-foot tables appear in end-cap configurations |
| Covering | None. Tables are not skirted or draped — bring your own |
| Chairs | Usually two per space |
| Electricity | Not included. Pre-order and pay separately, commonly $25–$75 |
| Behind-table space | Varies by position; wall tables commonly have around 2.5 ft behind them |
| Layout | Tables placed end to end in rows, often with three-table end caps forming a horseshoe |
Based on published promoter vendor information. Confirm specifics in your vendor letter — configurations differ by venue.
Position matters more than anything you put on the table. Interior row positions get traffic from both sides. Wall tables get less traffic but more space behind them, which is worth real money if you are working from cases. End caps sit at the head of a row where everyone turns. Ask what is available when you book.
The eight things to bring that nobody tells you
- Table covering. Dark, heavy, floor-length on the customer side. It hides your bins, and it makes everything on top of it look better. This is the highest return item on the list.
- Heavy-duty extension cord and a power strip. Even with electricity ordered, the outlet will not be where you want it.
- Your own lighting. Venue overheads are dim and flat. Two clamp lights change how everything on your table reads.
- Risers. Anything that gets product off the flat plane. A table at eye level beats a table at waist level.
- Zip ties, and spares. You need them for compliance and you will run out.
- Price tags on everything. The single most common complaint from attendees is unpriced merchandise. People will not ask; they will walk.
- A stool that puts you at standing eye height. Sitting low behind a table reads as closed.
- Your own bags. Nothing signals amateur faster than handing someone a loose item.
Find your next show
Filter the national calendar by state and month, then contact the promoter straight from the listing. Every entry shows the date we last verified it.
Load-in
Typical weekend schedule: load-in Friday afternoon into the evening, with a short Saturday morning window for anyone who could not make Friday. Doors open Saturday morning, Sunday runs late morning to mid-afternoon, and you are expected out of the building Sunday evening.
Take the Friday window if it exists. Saturday morning load-in means you are still unpacking when the first customers walk the aisle, and the first two hours of Saturday are the best selling window of the weekend.
Setup order that works
- Covering down first, before anything else touches the table.
- Power run and lighting positioned, cords taped down where anyone walks.
- Risers and cases placed — the structure of the display before the contents.
- High-value and eye-catching product at the ends and centre, where the eye lands.
- Everything secured and zip-tied per the show rules.
- Prices on. All of it.
- Stand in the aisle and look at your own table from six feet. Fix what you cannot read.
Layout rules that constrain your display
These are enforced, and they shape what is possible:
- Everything stays on or below your table. Nothing in front, nothing beside, nothing in the aisle.
- No cheater boards — boards between or behind tables to manufacture extra surface are specifically prohibited and promoters look for them.
- Work from behind your table. Not the aisle, not the entrance.
- Signage stays within your rented space.
- Keep the noise down. Radios, video with sound and flashing lights are commonly restricted.
The practical consequence: your display has to grow upward, because it cannot grow outward. Vertical risers, a backdrop banner behind your chair, and product elevated into sight lines are the only expansion available to you.
Reading well from six feet
- One clear category per table section. A table that reads as one thing pulls people in; a table that reads as everything reads as nothing.
- Leave gaps. A packed table looks like a junk bin. Space around an item signals it is worth something.
- Big legible prices. Handwritten is fine. Small is not.
- One banner with your name. Repeat customers are the entire business, and they cannot come back to a table they cannot name.
- Put cards out. Most of what happens at a show happens after it.
Stay to the end. Some promoters require attendance both days, and early teardown is noticed. Sunday afternoon buyers are the ones who came back to buy the thing they thought about overnight — and an aisle of empty tables at two o'clock is what kills next year's Sunday gate.
Not legal or tax advice. Licensing, sales tax, and private-sale rules vary by state, county, and city, and they change. This article is general information only. Confirm your obligations with the promoter, your state revenue department, and a licensed attorney before you sell anything.
Run shows? Get them listed free
Send us your season schedule and we will publish it. Listings are free permanently — a calendar with holes in it is not worth visiting.
Questions vendors actually ask
Do gun shows provide table coverings?
Generally no. Published promoter information commonly notes tables are not skirted or draped and instructs vendors to bring their own coverings.
How big is a gun show table?
Eight feet is the common standard, though some shows use 2.5 ft by 8 ft tables and 6-foot tables appear in end-cap configurations. Confirm with your promoter, since it changes what display equipment fits.
Is electricity included with a gun show table?
Almost never. It is ordered and paid for separately, commonly in the $25 to $75 range, and the venue often sets the fee rather than the promoter. Bring a heavy-duty extension cord and power strip regardless.
When can I set up my table?
Typically Friday afternoon into the evening, with a short Saturday morning window before doors. Take the Friday slot if offered — Saturday morning is the strongest selling window and you do not want to spend it unpacking.
Can I put displays or boxes in the aisle?
No. Merchandise must stay on or below your rented table, and aisle obstruction is explicitly prohibited in most vendor agreements. Displays have to grow upward, not outward.
How many chairs come with a table?
Usually two per space. If more people are working your table, bring your own seating.