Exhibitor Kit
May 29, 2026
505 1st Ave S, Seattle
KEY DEADLINES
April 28, 2026
Reserve hotel room for guaranteed CougsFirst! discounted rate. Rooms are based on availability.
May 8, 2026
Show Preview Promotions and Logos Due
May 15, 2026
Last day to RSVP for Exhibitor Lunch
May 15, 2026
Last day to order A/V & Electrical Power
May 15, 2026
Register All Exhibitor Staff
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Exhibitor Lunch
505 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA
7th Floor
Friday, May 29, 2026
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
WSU Keynote Address
505 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA
7th Floor
Friday, May 29, 2026
2:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Show & Career Expo
505 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA
7th Floor
Friday, May 29, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
After Party
Flatstick Pub
240 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Friday, May 29, 2026
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
CougsFirst! Lead and Exhibitor Packet should be used for the ease of show preparation and where the CougsFirst! brand is represented.
SHOW & EXPO LOCATION
CougsFirst! Show & Expo
505 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA
Paid parking is available on site for vehicles 6'8" and under. Please reach out to Jessica Duren if you need to make arrangements for vehicles 6'9" and above.
SHOW & EXPO HOURS
CougsFirst! Show & Expo
Friday, May 29th, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
*Please note that packing up your booth before 7:00pm, will result in your organization not being eligible to exhibit next year.
STAFF REGISTRATION
We ask that you register ALL exhibitor staff to include those working the booth and networking the Show floor. To increase your company exposure we encourage you to bring additional staff to capitalize on networking opportunities.
Register all exhibitor staff no later than May 15, 2026.
IMPORTANT: Registering your staff prior to the Show allows for them to easily obtain a name badge indicating they are an exhibitor at the show.
We will also be hosting a lunch for all Exhibitors. This event is invite-only and is intended to facilitate networking between fellow exhibitors and Coug companies.
Each Essential Exhibitor is allotted two complimentary seats at lunch. Featured Exhibitors and Sponsors are allotted up to five complimentary seats.
Additional seats may be purchased for $25 per seat.
All exhibitors must register their lunch attendee count by May 15, 2026.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Silver Cloud Inn, Stadium
1046 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134
Must book prior to April 28, 2026 to guarantee the CougsFirst! starting rate of $219/night. Rooms are based on availability.
For hotel accommodation questions including additional options, please contact Jessica Duren.
SHIPPING
Please contact Jessica Duren if you need to ship materials to the venue. Alternatively, you may hand carry freight on the day of setup.
SHOW & EXPO SERVICES
All Show services must be ordered in advance of the event.
Venue WiFi is unavailable for this event. If you have unreliable service in Downtown Seattle, please consider bringing a HotSpot for any data needs you may have.
If you are in need of Electrical or Audio/Visual equipment, you must order directly from CougsFirst by Friday, May 15th - click here for order form.
Services will be provided by Adam's DJ Service.
COUGSFIRST! NETWORKING LUNCH
New this year, we will be hosting an Exhibitor Only Networking Lunch on Friday, May 29th, from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm. This is intended to serve as time for you to connect with other exhibitors, build community and connection.
This event is RSVP only with limited seats. Essential Exhibitors are allotted 2 complimentary seats. Featured Exhibitors and Sponsors are allotted 5 complimentary seats. Additional seats are available for purchase for $25 per seat on the Exhibitor Lunch registration.
RSVPs must be completed by May 15, 2026.
COUGSFIRST! CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions about:
- The Show, exhibitor logistics, or other Show-related activities, please contact Jessica Duren at events@cougsfirst.org.
- CougsFirst! Memberships, registration, or other upcoming events, please contact Angela Lenssen at angela@cougsfirst.org.
- Marketing and promotion, logos and branding, website and social media, or public relations and press, please contact us at marketing@cougsfirst.org.
Any other general questions or inquiries, including lead sponsorship opportunities, can be sent to info@cougsfirst.org.
EXHIBITOR BOOTHS
Essential Exhibitors:
- 8' x 10' booth space
- 8' x 30" black draped table
- Two chairs
- Company ID sign
- 7' high draped back-wall and 3' high draped side walls
Featured Exhibitors:
- 16' x 10' booth space
- Two 8' x 30" black draped table
- Four chairs
- Company ID sign
- 7' high draped back-wall and 3' high draped side walls
*CougsFirst! Cancellation Policy, click here
NOT INCLUDED: Electrical power and AV rental equipment must be ordered separately and in advance. Deadline to order is May 15th, 2026.
SET-UP
CougsFirst! Show & Expo
Friday, May 29th, 2026
9:00 am - 4:00 pm (Doors open to attendees at 4:00 pm)
Detailed information for load in, load out, and parking will be provided here in the coming weeks.
MOVE-OUT
CougsFirst! Show & Expo
Friday, May 29th, 2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Detailed information for load in, load out, and parking will be provided here in the coming weeks.
STORAGE
During the event empty cases and crates must either be kept inside your booth space or stored off-site.
Cases, crates and boxes containing materials cannot be stored on the loading dock.
SHOW FLOOR MAP
You will receive communication from CougsFirst! or Jessica Duren about selecting your booth space in late April. We recommend selecting at least your top 3 locations to ensure you end up with a space you are happy with. In the case that none of your preferences are able to be accommodated, Jessica will reach out to discuss additional options.
All booths will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you haven't selected your booth space or submitted preferences by May 15, 2026, you will instead be assigned.
*Please note that all booths that will be sampling alcohol (i.e., Wine, Beer, Cider, etc.) will be assigned randomly across the Show floor in order to distribute traffic.
HELP US PROMOTE THE SHOW & EXPO
Let's spread the word to Coug nation that this is the biggest WSU event of the year in the Seattle region!
Please use these approved promotional graphics to share on your social media networks and company newsletters. Feel free to add it to your website as well.
INCLUDE YOUR COMPANY IN OUR SHOW PREVIEW
CougsFirst! will be sending out a newsletter ahead of the Show to give a preview of the exhibitors that will be attending, exciting activities and booth attractions, and exclusive offers, giveaways, or discounts that will be available.
Please let us know if you'll be offering a special promotion for attendees at the Show so that we can include you in those pre-event communications.
Please provide to us by Friday, May 8th:
- Graphic, Image, or Logo (at least 720px x 420px, 72 dpi or higher; jpg or png)
- Promotion details (giveaways or savings can help entice).
- If hiring, please let us know what roles you're looking to fill!
- Click here for an example newsletter and what others have offered in the past. (Please note, we reserve the right to change the formatting and included content for this year's newsletter)
COMPANY INFORMATION
You should have submitted your company logo while registering your booth. If you have not submitted this file, or you need to update the file submitted, please contact Jessica Duren. Your logo must be received by Friday, May 8th, 2026 in order to be included in the Show brochure and on the website.
Click here to update your logo
IMPORTANT: Logo files need to be high-resolution (300 dpi). We will accept logos in the format of .ai, .eps, .jpg, or .png.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE
Flying in and out of SEA-TAC and need transportation to Seattle?
Visit Seattle can help provide information about transportation to and from Seattle. Learn more and book your ride today by clicking here.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Thanks to our partners at Visit Seattle, click here for more activities and local resources available in Seattle, WA.
