As others said, you probably have only one outlet (2 plugins) somewhere in the vicinity of your booth.

We carry an APC power backup/surge protector 500VA or two (depends on what we are taking and the size of the booth) - yes it weighs about 10 lbs but worth it. It gives us about 3-10 minutes to power down if necessary. Electricity at most of these places can range from good to very bad, so definitely protect your equipment. It has 8 plugins if I remember rightly and we plug it into the the outlet and use the extension cords from the power backup/surge protector. These cost about $60 if I remember right.

Extension cords should be heavy with a ground. Household type won't work and if the fire inspector is on the job, will make you get new ones. They don't have to be industrial strength, but heavier than household.

I've done shows where I wasn't allowed to use my own tables. They wanted a certain "look." I personally think they wanted the rental fee.

Patty

Was it run by some group that doesn't do many trade shows? At most large trade shows the companies with bigger budgets not only bring their own tables, but bring the whole booth. The only booths that usually look the same are the ones where people don't have the money for their own furniture or props/backdrop.

My brother has made some pretty good money designing trade show booths for high end companies.

It was a non-profit agency running a craft show that was more interested in appearances than traffic flow or space efficiency. The wanted matching tablecloths and floral centerpieces like it was a country club dinner instead of a workspace.

I firmly believe in attractive presentation of the merchandise. but when I lose 10% of the display space, I view it as 10% of potential lost business.

I have done a few shows.

Be very careful the promoters know if you have a high current need. Tell them what you will be running and the current draw. Current draw should be posted somewhere on any machines your taking.

Put it in writing and have them acknowledge it when you pay.

One rather large outdoor show that I have done has the worst electrical setup ever. There will be one receptacle with 15 extension cords hooked up through power strips. The promoters guaranteed 20 amp circuits to everyone. The circuit breakers tripped more times than I could count.

If you can't run your equipment there is no way to make money.