All booths must be set by 4 p.m., Monday, April 20.  Any empty booths (i.e. no carpet, freight, ordered services) at 4 p.m., Monday, April 20 will revert back to Show Management to be used at their discretion.

No display material of any kind, including, but not limited to, signs, banners or logos may be suspended from the ceiling.  No balloons or blimps may be suspended or tethered. Island booths may hang truss for lighting purposes, but no signage or display materials may be attached to this truss. If your ground supported equipment needs special tie-offs to the ceiling for additional safety, please contact Shawn Boon, shawn@cemllc.com for approval in advance.

All floor space in your booth must be covered.  Show Management will authorize the official contractor to carpet, at the exhibitor’s expense, any booth space not covered by 4 p.m., Monday, April 20.

No "sold" signs or signs of any nature which designate prices or notices of sales are permitted. Signs identifying a machine or product (other than the nameplate that is factory installed) supplied by or manufactured by a non-exhibiting company may not be displayed. Electric flashers or signs involving the use of neon or similar gases are prohibited. Should the wording on any sign or area in an Exhibitor’s booth be deemed by Exposition Management to be contrary in any way to the best interest of the Exhibition, Exhibitor shall make such changes or remove signs as requested by Exposition Management’s decision will be final in such matters.

Machines may be exhibited in their normal commercial form, regardless of height, but please plan accordinly for oversized equipment. While the ceiling height is 40' equipment must fit through the dock doors. We encourage all exhibitors to contact Freeman with exact equipment specifications prior to finalizing equipment display plans.  All equipment must be placed at least one foot inside the booth from the aisle line.  Further, companies must try whenever possible to avoid blocking the view of a neighboring booth.

All draperies, back-drops, floor coverings or other decorative material must be flame-proofed.  All paper and other flimsy material used for decorative purposes are prohibited.

Cameras may be used to photograph your booth only.  Any other use of cameras (still or video) is prohibited unless permission is granted by individual exhibitors. Please be sure to inform your booth staff as well, this includes pictures from cell phones!

Badges will be required for entry into the exhibit hall at all times. Badges are not transferable. Business cards are not to be used in show badge holders. Temporary work passes obtained from show management may only be used during move-in and move-out. All EACs (exhibitor appointed contractors) must be pre-approved and submit all required forms to access the show floor. Click here for more information. They are not permitted on the show floor without an EXHIBITOR badge on show days.

Island booths are surrounded by four aisles, may be built to a maximum height of 20 feet.  An island booth with any dimension greater than 30 feet and a perimeter wall greater than 4 feet in height must have an opening of at least 10 feet wide every 20 feet.

You must also comply with the facilities guidelines if you plan on constructing a double deck booth or an enclosed meeting space within your booth space. These rules are listed under MULTI-LEVEL BOOTHS OR CEILINGS (INCLUDING TENTS) in the Booth Construction/Layout rules.

Perimeter booths are located along perimeter walls of the exhibit hall. The booths will back up to the buildings actual walls, with no other booths behind them.

Exhibiting companies may construct backwalls to a maximum height of 12 feet.  Partitions separating the sides of an exhibitor's booth from the neighboring booth(s) may extend to a maximum height of 12 feet, one-half of the distance from the backwall.  In the remaining half distance to the aisle line, no display material may exceed a height of 4 feet.

An Inline or standard linear booth is a booth of any length, that is 10' deep. Typically these booths are 10x10 to 10x40. The ability to have products or services easily seen by attendees as they walk the aisles is essential to all exhibitors, and that is the basis for including a Linear Booth Line-of-Sight setback rule.

No display material may exceed a height of 8 feet along the backwall line.  Side dividing partitions separating an exhibitor from the neighboring booth(s) may extend to a maximum height of 8 feet for one-half of the distance from the backwall line to the aisle line.  In the remaining half distance to the aisle line, no display material may exceed a height of 4 feet

Use of Space
Regardless of the number of Linear Booths utilized, e.g. 10ft by 20ft, 10ft by 30ft, 10ft by 40ft, etc., display materials should be arranged in such a manner so as not to obstruct sight lines of neighboring exhibitors. The maximum height of 8ft is allowed only in the rear half of the booth space, with a 4ft height restriction imposed on all materials in the remaining space forward to the aisle.

An Extended Header is permitted if the linear booth is 20ft or longer. Exhibitors with a 10x20 or longer booth may utilize a center (or corner) extended header. All other linear booth rules apply except that the center extended header has a maximum height of 8ft, a maximum width of 20 percent of the length of the booth, and a maximum depth of 9ft from the back wall.

Electrical: If uninterrupted power supply is required for the full duration of the show, please order 24 hour power. Electricity is turned on 30 minutes prior to show opening and turned off 30 mnutes after the show closes on show days. Power will be turned off immediately after final show closing. If you require power outside of actual show hours, special arrangements should be made in advance. Additional charges may apply.

If you require the lights be out over your booth you must notify show management in writing prior to March 13, 2020.  Lights out will only be permitted for large island booths where the light is 100% inside the perimeter of their booth. Exhibitor may also be charged if additional lighting is required for neighboring booths due to a lights out request. There will be a charge to you to have these lights turned out.  You must also be present on Monday, April 20 while this is being done.

Double-decker booths or booths with ceilings (including tents) were previously required to be equipped with fire safety devices. However, our Fire Safety Department and major show contractors have worked with the CFD to develop specific codes for the trade show environment that would offer a safe and cost-effective alternative to sprinklers.

These specific requirements apply to all exhibits that have a ceiling or second story.

Booths fall into one of the five following booth formats:

Format 1:          Exhibits with two stories fewer than 225 square feet

Format 2:         Exhibits with two stories at or over 225 square feet

Format 3:         Exhibits with ceilings under 225 square feet

Format 4:          Exhibits with ceilings at or over 225 square feet

Format 5:          Multiple-level exhibits, which require automatic sprinklers or any of the above exhibits with installed automatic sprinklers. Separate fire code items apply.

For booth formats 1–4, you will need to comply with the fire code items marked yes on the following table:

Fire Code Compliance

Exhibits with Multiple Levels or Ceilings

Fire Code Item	Booth	Format
	1	2	3	4
1. Max. Dimensions	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
2. Second Level	Yes	Yes	No	No
3. Exit Stairways	Yes	Yes	No	No
4. Smoke Detectors	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
5. Fire Extinguishers	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
6. Posted Certificate of Fire Retardancy	No	Yes	No	Yes
7. Certified Approval	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
8. Fire Marshal Review	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

 

For exhibits using automatic sprinklers, the amount and type of sprinkler coverage needed depends on the booth specifications. If automatic sprinklers are preferred, or are required, contact our Fire Safety Office to discuss your options.

Fire Code Items for Multiple Level Booths

• Maximum Dimensions: To avoid the sprinkler requirement, your exhibit must be less than or equal to 2 levels high (maximum 30-foot elevation) or 5,000 square feet of enclosed area.
• Second Level: Second levels must remain open and uncovered. If they are covered, sprinkler protection will be required.  Booths with a third level or more must also have special sprinkler coverage.
• Staircases: Staircases between levels must be in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and meet the following requirements:
  • Minimum of 3 feet in width
  • Provide a handrail on at least one side
  • Provide handrails a maximum of 1-1/2 inches in circumference and turned into walls
  • Not be spiral or winding
  • If the top deck is designed to hold over 10 people, or exceeds 1,200 square feet in area, a second staircase is required which must be remote from the main staircase and meet the same construction requirements.
• Smoke Detectors: All areas under the second level or ceiling, including closets, need to be equipped with a UL approved (or similarly approved), battery-operated smoke detector. If this space is enclosed after hours, the smoke detector must be audible outside the enclosed area.
• Fire Extinguishers: A UL-approved (or similarly approved) 2-1/2 pound ABC-type fire extinguisher must be posted in a clearly visible and readily accessible area for each 500 square-foot enclosure.
• Posted Certificate of Fire Retardancy: A certificate verifying the fire retardancy of your booth construction materials must be posted in a conspicuous place within the exhibit.
• Certified Approval: After the booth has been designed, the blueprints must be approved and stamped by a licensed professional structural engineer. These blueprints should include dimensions and an isometric rendering. This approval applies to all booth formats outlined previously.
• Fire Safety Review: Send stamped blueprints to McCormick Place for review with the Fire Safety Division and by the CFD at least 60 days before the show opens to allow sufficient time for any needed corrections. Be sure that plans show dimensions and an isometric rendering of your exhibit. In addition, all areas requiring sprinkler protection must be highlighted. If plans are not provided on time, it may cause delays or disapproval of your booth to occur during the pre-show fire inspection.
• Fire Guards: Once a multiple level booth or a booth with a ceiling is built and completed, and whenever the exhibit or show is closed for business, special fire watch coverage is required. Use of individuals designated as fire guards is subject to prior approval by the McCormick Place Fire Safety Manager.

The use of sound systems is permissible, provided they are not audible more than 3’0” into the aisle or into neighboring booths, and that the sound is directed exclusively into the exhibitor’s booth. Exposition Management shall have absolute control over this regulation, the intent of which is to ensure that sound systems shall not audibly objectionable to neighboring Exhibitors. Sound amplification may be used by an Exhibitor only for the dissemination of information to the IEEE PES audience directly relating to products and/or services of the particular company displaying such products and/or services at the IEEE PES T&D Conference. No image may be projected outside the booth space or to a height greater than ten feet from the floor.

The Exhibitor shall comply with any union requirements regarding the installation, operation and dismantling of its exhibit then in effect at the Exposition Facility and shall respect all Exposition Facility contracts and rules. Exposition Management may permit the Exhibitor’s own full time employees to perform some specific work within its exhibit space; in no event shall unauthorized independent contractor be permitted on the Exposition floor to perform work. The Group assumes no responsibility for failure to perform by contractors, their charges for services provided or for any other matter relating to contractors, unions or the Exposition Facility.

Exhibitor shall have sole responsibility for ensuring that its exhibit is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and any regulation under that Act. Exhibitors will ensure the accessibility of its exhibit space, and agrees to old harmless and indemnify Show Sponsor, Exposition Management and the Exposition Facility against any claims, damages, loss or exposure, including reasonable attorney fees and costs, arising out of or related to any alleged ADA violation. Information regarding ADA compliance is available from the US Dept of Justice ADA Information Line (800-514-0301) and from web site www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/infoline.htm.

EXHIBITOR BILL OF RIGHTS - McCormick Place

Exhibitors and Show Management, using their own full time staff, may perform work in a booth of any size. They can work within the booth using their own ladders or hand tools, cordless tools, power tools and other tools designated by the McCormick Place. In addition to the work currently performed, they may also begin performing the following work within the booth:

• Setting up and dismantling exhibits;
• Assembling and disassembling materials, machinery or equipment;
• Installing all signs, graphics, props, other decorative items and Show Manager or Exhibitor drapery, including the skirting of tables;
• Delivering, setting up, plugging in, interconnecting and operating Show Manager or Exhibitor electrical equipment, computers, audio-visual devices and other equipment;
• Skidding, positioning and re-skidding all Show Manager and Exhibitor materials, machinery and equipment using their own non-motorized hand trucks and dollies

Exhibitors can load/unload materials from automobiles and small utility vehicles at designated McCormick Place docks using their owned, non-motorized, non-hydraulic hand trucks an dollies.

ASUV (Automobile and Small Utility Vehicle) Program will be available for exhibitors that wish to load/unload their smaller privately owned vehichles (cars, vans, small trucks, etc.). Further details on the ASUV program will be available in the exhibitor manual, available in the fall.

McCormick Place allows exhibitors to bring food and beverage items into the facility for personal consumption either individually or collectively as described below:

    An exhibitor may bring an individual serving of food and beverage with them onto the premises. This will allow for an individual to consume food from an outside vendor on McCormick Place property. An example might be as follows:

• An individual leaves the facility and returns with a sandwich, a slice of pizza, or carryout, and consumes it on McCormick Place property.
•  An exhibitor may bring the equivalent of an individual serving for each of their employees onto the premises to serve to those employees. This will allow an organization to feed members of their staff without forcing each individual to bring their own food. Examples might include the following:
•  An exhibitor orders pizzas and beverages and feeds their staff.
•  An exhibitor ships a cooler and several cases of soda with their display to provide beverages to their personnel.
•  An exhibitor sends a runner out and has them pick-up a certain number of lunches to provide to their staff.

Any exhibitor or exhibitor employee who chooses to bring food onto the premises must adhere to the following additional requirements.

•     Any exhibitor who brings food and beverage onto the premises will be responsible for the clean-up of any resulting garbage or left-over food.

This policy is limited to exhibitors and their employees. Exhibitors are not allowed to bring food into the facility to serve to attendees beyond that which is currently permissible in the facility sampling policy.

• Exhibitors, Contractor, or Show Management are not allowed to authorize any outside caterer or restaurateur to set up cooking, assembly, or serving areas on McCormick Place property.
• Food and beverage companies are not allowed to sell or solicit sales on McCormick Place property.
• Deliveries by outside food and beverage companies are not allowed inside the facility, on the exhibit floor, or at back of house areas.
• Exhibitors and their employees are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onto the premises at any time for personal or attendee consumption.