CES moves roughly 180,000 attendees, 4,000-plus exhibitors, and millions of pounds of freight across multiple venues in Las Vegas. If you are exhibiting, your freight deadline is the single most important date between now and January.
Here is the full calendar — by venue, by service type, with the cost implications of missing each window.
CES 2027 Key Dates (Projected)
CES is typically the first full week of January. Based on historical patterns, CES 2027 runs January 5-8, 2027.
| Venue | Target Ship Date | Service Type | Estimated Cost (per skid) | |---|---|---|---| | LVCC (all halls) | Nov 15 - Dec 13, 2026 | Advance warehouse | $145 - $280 | | LVCC (all halls) | Dec 14, 2026 - Jan 2, 2027 | Direct to show | $200 - $450 | | LVCC (all halls) | Jan 3-4, 2027 | Expedited | $300 - $600 | | Westgate | Nov 15 - Dec 13, 2026 | Advance warehouse | $130 - $250 | | Westgate | Dec 14, 2026 - Jan 2, 2027 | Direct to show | $180 - $400 | | Venetian Expo | Nov 20 - Dec 13, 2026 | Advance warehouse | $150 - $280 | | Venetian Expo | Dec 14, 2026 - Jan 2, 2027 | Direct to show | $220 - $450 |
Advance warehouse is always cheaper. That is because the general contractor can receive, store, and floor your freight on their schedule instead of reacting to a live dock.
Advance Warehouse (Nov 15 - Dec 13, 2026)
This is the lowest-cost option and the safest for your freight.
How it works:
- You ship your crates to the CES advance warehouse (typically a facility near McCarran, not the LVCC)
- The contractor stores them and floor-stocks your booth before move-in
- You arrive to find everything at your booth space
Cost range: $145 - $280 per skid depending on size and weight
Who should use this:
- Exhibitors with multiple shows in Q4 — ship early and check one thing off your list
- Exhibitors using pre-constructed booth elements that need time to re-set
- International shipments arriving by ocean freight (include customs clearance lead time)
Deadline to mark: December 13, 2026. After that, the warehouse closes and you pay direct-to-show rates.
Direct to Show (Dec 14, 2026 - Jan 2, 2027)
Your freight goes straight to the LVCC, Westgate, or Venetian loading dock.
Cost range: $200 - $450 per skid
The risk: The show contractor charges higher handling rates during direct-to-show because they staff the dock for peak volume. A single 500-lb crate can cost $250-$350 to unload and deliver to your booth.
The upside: If your booth was not ready to ship by November, direct-to-show keeps you in the game. Just budget 40-60 percent more than advance warehouse pricing.
Expedited (Jan 3-4, 2027)
Move-in starts. The dock is running at capacity. Every carrier competes for a slot.
Cost range: $300 - $600 per skid
The reality: At this point, you are paying a premium because the contractor has already organized the dock schedule. Late-arriving freight requires special handling — additional labor, overtime, and disruption priority.
Tip from experience: If you must ship during this window, make sure your BOL has the exact booth number, your labels match show requirements, and the driver knows which hall and which dock door. One wrong label can add $200 in re-handling fees.
The Drayage Math
Here is a real example from CES 2026:
- 8 crates, average 350 lbs each
- Advance warehouse delivery at $220/skid = $1,760
- Same 8 crates, direct-to-show at $350/skid = $2,800
- Same 8 crates, expedited at $450/skid = $3,600
The difference between advance warehouse and expedited on one booth: $1,840.
At 3-4 shows per year, that overspend covers the cost of a second exhibit component.
Labeling Rules (Get These Right)
CES uses specific labeling requirements. Every crate needs:
- CES show name and year (not just "CES")
- Booth number — verify after the show assigns it
- Hall and aisle — LVCC North, Central, South, Westgate, or Venetian
- Total weight — the contractor weighs on arrival; a discrepancy means hold
- Return label — for outbound shipping after the show closes
We include all labeling in our standard service. If you self-label, double-check against the CES Exhibitor Kit before shipping.
Calway Logistics: What We Handle
Before the show:
- We confirm your ship window based on venue and booth location
- We produce show-compliant labels for every crate
- We coordinate with the official contractor for drayage
- We schedule the return shipment at booking so you do not forget
During the show:
- We track delivery status at the warehouse or dock
- We resolve dock issues if a carrier misses the window
- We handle re-routing if the show changes hall assignments (it happens)
After the show:
- Return freight is staged at your booth, wrapped, and loaded
- We coordinate with your warehouse for receiving
The Bottom Line
For CES 2027, your single most important deadline is December 13, 2026 — the last day for advance warehouse delivery. Ship before that date, and you save $1,000-plus on drayage alone.
Book your freight now to guarantee space. The week before Thanksgiving is the heaviest inbound week for CES, and carriers fill up fast.
Need a Quote for CES 2027?
Tell us how many crates, from where, and to which venue. We will send you a price that beats the general contractor's rates.
Calvin Yee is the founder of Calway Logistics, based in Ontario, CA. His team has coordinated exhibit freight for over 300 booths across 50-plus shows, including seven consecutive CES.