How to rent a robot for an event or trade show

A robot rental normally includes the robot, delivery, set-up and a trained person who runs it. Published rates start at about $450 for a one-hour party booking and reach more than $6,000 a day for a full-size humanoid.

Many providers publish no rates and quote each event instead, so the table below shows only providers that do publish them.

What robot rental costs

Prices checked in November 2026. They change often; check the linked pages.

When you compare quotes, make sure they are on the same basis. Ask each provider if the rate includes the person who runs the robot, delivery, insurance and branding.

How much does it cost to rent a robot for a party?

For a short party booking, the published rates above start at $450 for the first hour of an LED robot performer and $550 for up to 3 hours of a robot arm photo booth. A robot dog from Airbot costs $479 to $1,279 a day, and a humanoid costs $2,899 to $6,499 a day.

The kinds of robot you can rent

Photo and entertainment robots

A robot arm draws a portrait or takes a photo. An "LED robot" at a party is usually a performer in a costume. These fit parties and receptions, where bookings are short, and they are the cheapest option.

Promotional humanoids and robot dogs

These robots walk, wave and dance. They draw a crowd and look good on video, but most are not built to answer questions about your product, so choose one if the goal is attention.

Robot bartenders and baristas

A robot arm makes drinks at a branded bar. Richtech Robotics rents its ADAM and Scorpion robot bars for trade shows and receptions. It sends at least one staff member to each event and gives its price by quote. This kind is the one to choose if a drink is the reason to stop at your stand.

A conversational robot with a person behind it

Starlife Bella is this kind. A trained person speaks through the robot, so it can hold a real conversation. Choose one if you want visitors to learn something and then act.

A checklist for the venue

Check these points with the venue and the provider before you sign.

• Is the floor flat and hard? Thick carpet, cables, ramps and steps cause problems for most robots.
• How many power outlets does the robot need, and where? Ask how long one charge lasts.
• Does the robot need the venue Wi-Fi? Trade show Wi-Fi is often slow and costs extra, so ask if the robot has its own mobile connection.
• How much clear floor does it need to move safely in a crowd?
• Does the venue ask for a certificate of insurance, and who is liable if the robot hurts a visitor or damages a stand?
• When can the robot enter the hall, and how long are set-up and testing?
• Does the provider send a person to run the robot? Check that this person is in the price, and ask who covers breaks.
• How much lead time does the provider need? Some need weeks, and Weston Robot states 10 weeks for North America.

What to measure

Decide which numbers you will count before the event. Three are enough.

The first is visitors stopped, which means the people who stop and interact and leaves out the people who walk past. The second is time per visitor, because a longer conversation gives more time to explain your offer. The third is leads or coupons: count the scanned badges, booked meetings or redeemed coupons that came from the robot.

Afterwards, compare the result with a normal stand or a human street team.

How Starlife Bella works at an event

Starlife Bella is a humanoid service robot with a friendly face and a chest display, and it moves on a wheeled base. At an event it greets visitors in more than 30 languages, with live translation both ways. It answers questions about the exhibitor and leads visitors to the stand or the offer.

Bella is not autonomous. A trained robot pilot controls it live from a laptop, with AI assistance, and visitors hear the robot's own voice. Starlife provides the robot pilot, the driving and the maintenance.

Bella has built-in 5G, so it needs no venue Wi-Fi. It needs one power outlet and runs a full 8-hour shift on one charge. It weighs 20 kg and works indoors only. The specs are on the Bella page.

Bella costs from $10 an hour, and most deployments cost $10 to $20 an hour. You pay by the hour and only for what you use. The lead time is about one week, and Bella is available in the United States and Germany. See pricing and event hire.

For some events another robot is the better choice, because Bella does not dance, walk on legs, serve drinks or hand out objects. For a stage show, rent a promotional humanoid, and for drinks, rent a robot bar.

Results from 14 days at American Dream

These results come from a mall and not from a trade show, but the job is the same: stop people, talk to them and send them to an offer.

In a 14-day pilot at American Dream mall, one robot had 2,222 guest engagements, and each lasted 53 seconds on average. Guests that the robot referred redeemed a coupon at 35.4%, while the rate for a human street team was 8.0%.

The American Dream case study gives the method and the full numbers.

To find out if Bella fits your event, tell us the date and the venue. Book a demo.