Chicago Collective 2027Chicago booth costs, dates and deadlines: exhibitor guide

The Men's Edition runs Saturday, January 30 to Tuesday, February 2, 2027: Saturday is Preview Day from noon to 6 p.m., Sunday and Monday run 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday closes at 3 p.m. The second Men's market of 2027 is July 31 to August 3.

At THE MART, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza on the Chicago River in River North. The Men's Edition uses the entire 7th floor and 33,000 square feet on the 4th floor. The CTA Brown and Purple lines stop at Merchandise Mart and drop visitors on the building's 2nd floor.

The Women's Edition runs February 28 to March 2, 2027 on Floor 7 of THE MART. It launched in 2023 for women's apparel, accessories, footwear and lifestyle brands, uses the same open-booth format and offers the same discounted hotels and buyer travel reimbursement.

Chicago Collective is at capacity for new exhibitors, so new brands join the waitlist through the Apply to Exhibit form and are considered for future shows. Contracted exhibitors use their booth number as the passcode to register everyone working the booth and to open the Exhibitor Manual.

Every space includes hard white walls, gray carpet, a 120V 150-watt duplex outlet, four LED spotlights, a 1 by 4 foot ceiling fixture, an ID sign with company name and booth number, one chair and one wastebasket. Furniture, decals and photo murals are booth upgrades through the show.

Only if one person can finish the task in under 30 minutes, without tools, in a booth of 100 sq ft or less. Ladders, step stools and power tools are banned for exhibitors. Anything larger goes to THE MART's union crews or a registered EAC, which is how we install.

Booth space at Chicago Collective is quoted by THE MART's show sales team, with no 2027 rate card or size list on the site; the show is at capacity, with new brands on a waitlist. Our part is the dressing inside the supplied shell (graphics, rails, tables, added lighting), quoted on a fixed proposal, while union decal and electrical labor is billed by THE MART.

Pieces must fit 5 by 10 feet by 5 feet 8 inches and weigh under 2,000 lbs, or a $74.80 handling fee per item per trip applies. Each booth gets 7,500 lbs of drayage free, with overage at $74.80 per 100 lbs. Freight is accepted January 26–29, 2027 only.

Packages are accepted Monday, January 25 to Friday, January 29, 2027; anything earlier pays $74.80 per 100 lbs storage. The manual warns that even priority deliveries reach booths late during peak days and suggests sending express parcels to your hotel. Outbound parcels go through the Airways Freight desk at $15 an item.

Credentialed buyers only: owners and buyers of men's specialty stores and retail websites, who show photo ID plus a retail license, lease or tax ID and proof of employment. The show bars sourcing agents, factories, textile mills and consultants from soliciting, and it is closed to the public.

Models register at the 1st floor desk, wear a model badge and stay inside the booth; walking the aisles is not allowed. They change only in the booth, never in restrooms, and the café lunch is for retailers, so plan food for models in the booth. We design a screened changing corner for fit-model booths.

onPeak is the only travel partner for Chicago Collective, and the negotiated hotels are all within walking distance of THE MART. Buyers who book through onPeak can claim $50 a night for Saturday to Monday, up to $150, by filling in the form at the 7th floor show office.

Photographing, filming or recording on the floor is prohibited without prior written consent from show management. If you want lookbook shots or social video in your booth, we build the request into the pre-show checklist so the consent is in hand before Saturday.

For tailored, classic and contemporary menswear sold to independent stores, it is the largest gathering of that buyer in one room, with 750+ brands and appointments set before the doors open. Brands selling mainly to department stores or young streetwear accounts often fit PROJECT in Las Vegas better.