GET READY FOR THE EXCITING LAUNCH OF
THE MILWAUKEE SHOW
THE MILWAUKEE MINERAL, FOSSIL, GEM & JEWELRY SHOW
AUGUST 13-17, 2025
MILWAUKEE, WI
VENDOR INFO
Starting four weeks before the event our $220,000 billboard campaign will cover the Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison metro areas. Together, the 66 billboards will be seen 36 million times. If you are curious about where we are spending all that money, here is the Billboard Map (best viewed on a computer; you won't see much on your phone) showing the location, cost, and weekly views of our ad campaign. This is the most heavily advertised gem show in the Western Hemisphere, and exceeds all other US gems shows combined. Every penny of your booth fee goes towards advertising, while the ticket sales pay for the venue rental and associated costs.
PLEASE NOTE: Vendors coming from afar are required to stay at one of our four hotels (see the HOTELS tab) where we’ve negotiated low show rates. (However, if you are staying with friends, relatives or live nearby then no hotel stay is required) We receive no commission on your hotel stay. Rather, our contract with the city-owned Baird Center requires us to prove that we attracted 850 hotel room-nights to the area in 2025. Our compliance with this requirement allows us to offer such low booth fees. But we must provide the hotel “Pick Up Reports” after the show which is proof of our performance.
A 50% DEPOSIT RESERVES YOUR BOOTH
Single 10' x 10' Booth = $1,000
Double 10' x 20' Booth = $1,500 ​
Quad 20' x 20' Booth in Million Dollar Row (MDR) = $4,600
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The Quads in MDR include any combination of (5) counter height showcases and wall cases.
This row is for sellers of rare mineral specimens, pricier fossils, gemstones, fine jewelry and gold.
Booths in the Fine Jewelry & Gems area feature high-end dealers offering the finest quality at reasonable price to quality ratios.
All balances are due May 15, 2025.​
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GET YOUR BOOTH NOW
The above red button takes you to our live floorplan so that you can select your booth and reserve it instantly.
Green = available
Yellow = reservation processing
Red = reserved
We provide the generic floor plan here so that you can get an overview of the booth set-up for 2025. But to see up-to-the-second availability, click the red RESERVE YOUR BOOTH button above.
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The 2025 floor plan has 586 booths; mostly configured as doubles and "quads". In 2026 we will be 85% bigger and have 1,249 booths.
The booth fee includes: 8' tall drape on one, two or three sides (depending on location), two chairs, a booth ID sign and one electricity drop. (Bring your extension cord!) Tables are not included. However, you may bring your own tables, buy them from Home Depot, or rent brand new ones on-site for $45 -$60 each when ordered in advance. They are $100 when ordered on-site. Please provide your own table covers. Show cases and lighting packages are also available for rent.
MAILING TO THE VENUE? DON'T
Please do not mail packages to the venue. They do not have a receiving department and your shipment will be misplaced, lost or refused.​
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To get packages to the show, mail them to UPS at this SHIPPING ADDRESS
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UPS
Att: Milwaukee Gem & Mineral Show
Booth # / Company Name
7434 S 10th St, Suite A
Oak Creek, WI 53154
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The cost for UPS to receive, securely store and deliver to your booth before Tuesday morning set-up is $10 - $15 per package. They will bill you directly.
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BRINKS IS OUR HIGH VALUE SHIPPER
​Brinks is our preferred high value carrier. Please contact them at showus@brinksinc.com for more information.
Terms and conditions will apply.
UPS IS OUR PREFERRED SHIPPER
Ship your pallets with UPS Freight and they’ll have them waiting for you at your booth on set-up day before you arrive. Avoid the Do-It-Yourself hassle of having to jostle for an entry point to unload, find a pallet jack, dodge other vendors blocking aisles and the rest of the usual ordeal.
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UPS Freight rates to the show:
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$300 / pallet (up to 1,000 pounds) if you ship from these states:
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NV, NM, OH, OK, OR, TN, TX, UT, WA, WV, WI
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- Do not exceed 1,000 pounds
- Do not exceed a 6-foot height
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$400 / pallet (up to 1,000 pounds) if you ship from these states:
CT, DE, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VA
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- Do not exceed 1,000 pounds
- Do not exceed a 6-foot height
​$1.55 / pound for shipping pallets from these states: AK, HI, ID, MT, ND, SD, VT, WY
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Regardless of the number of pallets that you ship, there is an additional $65 Trade Show Fee for the entire shipment.
Optional Services
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$85 = add this Residential Service Fee to the shipment if shipping from a home
​$85 = add this Lift-gate Service Fee to the shipment if the shipping origin lacks a loading dock
Optional Supplies
$45 = Shrink Wrap Roll
$25 = Pallet
$25 = Shrink Wrap
$125 = Pallet Container
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After the show, UPS can ship your remaining pallets to Denver, store them, and then have them at your Denver booth on set-up day for $300 / pallet + one $65 Trade Show Fee for the entire shipment.​
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To ship to the show using UPS Freight this is the SHIPPING ADDRESS
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UPS
Att: Milwaukee Gem & Mineral Show
Booth # / Company Name
7434 S 10th St, Suite A
Oak Creek, WI 53154
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To arrange your shipment, email UPS at least THREE WEEKS before you need to ship. Reach them at TradeShow@UPS.com
Be specific with your request as they do 100+ trade shows a year and the person who replies is probably at one of those shows.​​
UNLOADING & SETUP
If you wish to use your own vehicle or trailer to bring your merchandise, rental carts will be provided free of charge by signing in and leaving your drivers license and credit card with the show decorator. Carts are available for half-hour time slots only. Or bring your own "wheels".
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VENDOR MOVE-IN & SETUP
Mon, Aug 11 Noon – 9 pm (only those with 10 booths or more)
Tue, Aug 12 8 am – midnight (16 hours of set up time)
Wed, Aug 13 8 am – Noon (you must be cleaned-up by Noon opening time)
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SHOW DATES & TIMES
Wed, Aug 13 Noon – 7 pm
Thur, Aug 14 10 am – 7 pm
Fri, Aug 15 10 am – 7 pm
Sat, Aug 16 10 am – 7 pm
Sun, Aug 17 11 am – 6 pm
VENDOR MOVE-OUT
Sunday, August 17 6 pm – Midnight
Monday, August 18 8 am – 5 pm
OVERNIGHT LOCK-UP
We will have a Security Room (near the entry) built with Octanorm walls. While this room will have no roof, it will be staffed overnight by an armed, off-duty Milwaukee police officer from show closing until 1-hour before show open. However, the service begins Tuesday evening at 6pm on set-up day. It will end on Sunday morning at 10am. The cost is $100 and we offer unlimited capacity. So you can easily wheel your entire cart into the room. You must order this service in advance so that we know how large to build the room. ​​​​​
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SECURITY GUARDS
We will have uniformed, unarmed guards 24 hours a day beginning with move-in. However, an armed off-duty Milwaukee police officer will be stationed overnight in the Security Room. Our professional security guards are from Arizona Preventive Crime Unit which has provided security services to our shows since 2010.
LICENSES & PERMITS
While the city of Milwaukee does not require a license or permit to sell in the convention center, the state of Wisconsin does require that you obtain a business license to charge sales tax like every other state that has a sales tax. The fee is $20 and you can do it in 15 minutes online here: https://tap.revenue.wi.gov/BTR
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SHOWCASES BY R&R SHOWCASE
R&R Showcases is the same outfit that rents high quality showcases at dozens of shows in Tucson. R&R will be hauling their inventory to Milwaukee and will offer them at the same low Tucson rental prices. Rent their Quarter vision, Half vision and Full vision counter cases, whether 4-foot, 5-foot or 6-foot long, for only $300 + tax. Their towers and wall cases range in price between $300 - $400 + tax.
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But you must order before June 30, 2025 else the quoted prices increase by $100.
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Reserve now with no deposit required. Click here to reserve.​​​​​​​
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BUY PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING
We receive NO COMMISSION on these lights and highly recommend them. They are by Show Off Lighting which is synonymous with heavy duty, professional grade LED light poles. They pay for themselves after 4-6 shows by not having to rent lesser grade lighting as well as increased sales from a more attractive booth. These units collapse into little more than 2 feet long and completely wake up your booth. One double light will illuminate two 8-foot tables. There are lots of options to consider, so we'll send you to Show Off Lighting's website for their MILWAUKEE specials. You must reserve in advance! Take me to Show Off Lighting's website.
FUTURE SHOW DATES AND HALL SIZE
These are our contracted dates and halls with the Baird Center. Next year we will be America’s largest mineral, fossil, gem & jewelry show under one roof. Will you join us and be part of the excitement? Our ad budget is $220,000 in 2025 and will be $300,00 in 2026.
A GLIMPSE OF 2026
For next year, our 2025 vendors will have the right to keep their 2025 booth or move into the new section with a larger booth. After our 2025 vendors are finalized we will then start placing vendors who get on the 2026 Wait-List.
