Exhibitor guide · Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City Convention Center: the exhibitor's guide
Half a million square feet two blocks off the Boardwalk, two general contractors with different rules, and a self-install line drawn at the 10×20. Everything an exhibitor needs to know about the ACCC, from a builder ninety minutes down the Garden State Parkway.
ACCC · 1 Convention Center PlazaWhy this page exists
Atlantic City is the friendliest big union hall on the East Coast for a first-time exhibitor, and the easiest one to get wrong. The self-install line is drawn at 10×20, not at a size that matches every other city's rule, and the two general contractors booked into the building run different labor models: one uses carpenters and Teamsters, the other uses decorators only. Show up with a Javits-style assumption and you will over-order or under-order labor. Show up knowing the rule and the ACCC is one of the most exhibitor-friendly convention centers in the Northeast.
This guide covers the five halls after the 1997 build, a checker that tells you whether your booth qualifies for self-install, the two-contractor system and what each one covers, drayage that runs below Manhattan, a freight countdown built around the Atlantic City Expressway, the shows that fill the building from the Boat Show in February to the Car Show in June, hotels on and off the Boardwalk, and the history of a city whose 1929 predecessor hall still holds the world's largest pipe organ.
The building
The five halls
The ACCC sits on the second level above the Sheraton and the parking garage, with five contiguous halls that combine for the largest shows and split for smaller ones. Every hall is column-free.
| Hall | What it is | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest hall | 199,500 sq ft, the largest of the five, with clear heights suited to islands and double-decks. | Boat Show, Car Show and Auction, major consumer shows | Combines with Hall B and C for the full-building shows; docks are on the north side. |
| Halls B and C | Mid-size halls that combine with A or stand alone for smaller shows; exact dimensions are on the venue's floor plans. | Trade and consumer shows of 150 to 400 booths | Same column-free floor as Hall A; check the current show's floor plan for the split. |
| Smallest halls | Down to 29,400 sq ft; Hall A, at that size, doubles as a ballroom or banquet hall. | Regional trade shows, association exhibit halls | Good fit for a 100 to 200-booth show without renting the whole building. |
| 45 meeting rooms | 109,100 sq ft surrounding the atrium lobby, from boardrooms to large breakout rooms. | Conference tracks, association meetings | Pop-up and tabletop only; hand-carry rules apply. |
| Atrium lobby | A daylight-filled central lobby connecting all five halls and the meeting room floor. | Registration, sponsor activations | High-visibility real estate for sponsors; structures need center approval. |
| Docks and garage | Loading docks on the building's north side with direct access from the Expressway; a 1,400-space garage attached. | All shows | Straightforward truck access compared with a dense city center; no marshaling facility needed at this size. |
Hall areas from the Atlantic City Convention Center's published facility overview; individual hall breakdowns marked verify are being confirmed with center event services.
Free tool
Can I set up my own booth? The ACCC self-install checker
Atlantic City draws its self-install line at 10×20: a 10×10 or 10×20 booth may be set up by full-time employees of the exhibiting company, without tools or ladders. Anything larger needs Carpenters. Answer the same questions as our Javits checker and get the Atlantic City answer.
Based on Atlantic City exhibitor service manual rules published by general contractors operating in the building: self-install for 10×10 and 10×20 booths by full-time staff, no tools or ladders; hand-carry defined as under 30 lbs with no dolly, hand truck or wheeled item. Show management can set stricter limits; the show kit wins.
The labor map
Two contractors, two rulebooks
Atlantic City is unusual: depending which general contractor a show hires, the labor model changes. Check the exhibitor kit for the GC name before you plan your install.
| Contractor model | Who does the work | What that means for your booth |
|---|---|---|
| Carpenters and Teamsters model | Carpenters erect and dismantle booths over the self-install threshold; Teamsters handle freight, unloading and material handling to the booth. | Closer to a Javits-style union floor. Order labor through the GC; Purple supervises as your EAC. |
| Decorators-only model | A single decorator classification handles booth labor, carpet and drayage rather than splitting the work across trades. | Often simpler to order and can run cheaper per hour, but confirm what "decorator" scope includes for your booth before assuming it covers everything. |
The 10×20 line
Full-time employees may set up and dismantle a 10×10 or 10×20 booth without tools or ladders under either contractor model. Larger booths need contract labor regardless of which GC runs the show.
Under 30 pounds, no cart
Hand-carried material is defined as small cartons or a laptop under 30 lbs with no dolly, hand truck or wheeled case. Everything heavier goes through the dock.
Exhibitor-appointed contractors
Purple files the EAC form and certificate of insurance by the show deadline and works under whichever contractor's rules apply to your show.
Union labor only
Regardless of GC, power tools on the floor are operated by union labor, not exhibitor staff, even inside a self-install booth.
History
From Boardwalk Hall to the ACCC
Atlantic City built the country's most extravagant convention hall in 1929, filled it with the world's largest pipe organ, and didn't need a second one for almost seventy years.
The city builds Convention Hall on the Boardwalk, designed by Lockwood Greene: a 456-by-310-foot main hall with a 137-foot barrel-vault ceiling on steel trusses spanning the width with no interior columns, extraordinary for its time.
The hall's pipe organ is completed: over 33,000 pipes, eight chambers, a console with seven manuals and more than 1,200 stop tabs. It remains the largest musical instrument ever built, including a stop the Guinness Book of World Records once measured as six times louder than the loudest train whistle.
The Miss America Pageant, founded in Atlantic City in 1921, runs annually at Convention Hall from 1940 until 2004, making the building's name synonymous with the pageant for two generations of television viewers.
Convention Hall hosts the Democratic National Convention that nominates Lyndon B. Johnson, nine months after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The new Atlantic City Convention Center opens on May 1: 500,000 sq ft of column-free exhibit space, 45 meeting rooms and an attached Sheraton, built to take the citywide trade show and consumer show business that had outgrown the old hall.
Boardwalk Hall undergoes a three-year renovation and stays in service for concerts, hockey and events too large for a single ACCC hall.
The Miss America Pageant returns to the renamed Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for six years before relocating; the Pageant now rotates among venues, most recently the Palm Beach County Convention Center for Miss America 2027.
The ACCC and Boardwalk Hall run as a pair: the ACCC for exhibit-driven shows, Boardwalk Hall for concerts, hockey and events that want 14,770 seats and a landmark room. Purple builds for both from the same Fishkill shop, roughly two hours up the Garden State Parkway.
Rules of the floor
Rules of the floor
Union building, two contractor models
New Jersey has no right-to-work law; the ACCC is a union floor under either contractor. Self-install only for 10×10 and 10×20, tool-free, by full-time employees.
Below Manhattan, above the Sun Belt
Planning rates run about $140 per hundredweight with a 200 lb minimum and surcharges for uncrated, off-target and special-handling freight. Meaningfully cheaper than the Javits, still a union rate.
Dock access off the Expressway
Trucks reach the north-side docks directly from the Atlantic City Expressway; there is no marshaling facility to check into, which keeps targeted move-in simple compared with Manhattan.
Under 30 pounds, no wheels
Small cartons and laptops only, no dolly or hand truck. Everything else is drayage.
NJ Division of Fire Safety
Covered and multilevel exhibits need plan review and flame-certified fabrics; double-decks need engineer-stamped drawings submitted by the show deadline. Purple prepares the package.
Center-exclusive services
Electrical, rigging, internet, cleaning and catering are exclusive to the ACCC or its designated providers; the show kit carries the current list. Order at the deadline; on-site orders cost more.
Shore season and nor'easters
Summer weekends compete with beach traffic on the Parkway and Expressway; fall and winter carry nor'easter risk. Purple ships with a weather margin either season.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on unpack; MHA before leaving or freight goes to forced routing. Purple routes the booth back to storage or on to your next show.
Free tool
ACCC drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 and 2027; your show's exhibitor kit has the tariff, and rates differ by contractor model. All-venue comparison and a glossary on the drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight countdown for an ACCC show
The calendar
Shows at the ACCC, 2026–2027
The ACCC calendar runs from the Boat Show in late winter through the fall association season. These are the shows exhibitors ask Purple about most.
| Show | Next dates | Industry | Attendance | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover Boating Atlantic City Boat Show | February 25 – March 1, 2026 | Marine | 50,000 | Custom exhibits |
| Pool & Spa Show | January 26–28, 2027 | Pool, hot tub and outdoor living | 10,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| CHAMPS Trade Show | March 17–19, 2026 | Smoke, vape and specialty retail | 10,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| Impressions Expo Atlantic City | March 17–20, 2027 | Apparel decorating and printing | 8,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| Atlantic Builders Convention | Winter (NJBA) | Homebuilding and construction | 6,000 | Booth rentals |
| Annual Police Security Expo | June 23–24, 2026 | Law enforcement and public safety | 5,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| Atlantic City Auction & Car Show | June 11–13, 2026 | Automotive | 70,000 | Custom exhibits |
| Atlantic City Classic Car Auction | June 10–12, 2027 | Automotive | 40,000 | Custom exhibits |
Attendance is the organizer's or trade press figure, rounded. Dates from organizer sites in 2026; confirm before booking.
Logistics
Hotels, transit, crew logistics
- Airport: Atlantic City International (ACY) is 15 minutes; Philadelphia International is about 75 minutes and often cheaper to fly into.
- By road: the Atlantic City Expressway runs straight to the center's docks; the Garden State Parkway connects from North Jersey and New York.
- By rail: NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line runs from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal, a ten-minute walk from the center.
- Freight: north-side docks with direct Expressway access; no marshaling facility required at this scale.
- Crew: Purple's crews come down from Fishkill the same morning, about 165 miles via the Parkway and Expressway.
| Hotel | Distance | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel | Attached | Skip the weather entirely; the block is inside the show contract. |
| Caesars, Bally's, Tropicana (Boardwalk) | 10-min walk | Classic Boardwalk casino blocks, walkable to the center. |
| Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | 10-min walk | The rebranded former Trump Taj Mahal; large room blocks for big shows. |
| Borgata, Harrah's (Marina District) | 10-min drive | Newer towers on the marina; the show shuttle or a short cab ride. Venue guide. |
The shore
Atlantic City in pictures
Resources
Free resources you can link to
Embed the self-install checker
Cite the numbers
One-page cheat sheet
Self-install line, both contractor models, hand-carry, deadlines.
Related on purpleexhibits.com: New Jersey exhibit builder · Northeast booth builder · Custom trade show booth design.
Questions
Atlantic City Convention Center FAQ
Can I set up my own booth at the ACCC?
Yes, if it is a 10×10 or 10×20, set up by full-time employees of your company, with no tools or ladders. Anything larger needs Carpenters, regardless of which general contractor runs the show.
Why do two contractors matter?
Atlantic City shows run under one of two general contractor models: a carpenters-and-Teamsters system similar to other Northeast union cities, or a decorators-only system that bundles booth labor, carpet and drayage into one classification. Check your show kit for which one applies before ordering labor.
What can I hand-carry into the building?
Small cartons or a laptop under 30 pounds, with no dolly, hand truck or wheeled case. Anything heavier or wheeled goes through the dock as drayage.
How much is drayage at the ACCC?
Purple's planning estimate is about $140 per hundredweight in 2026 and 2027, with a 200-pound minimum and surcharges for late, off-target, uncrated or special-handling freight. Meaningfully below Manhattan rates.
How big is the ACCC?
500,000 square feet of showroom space across five column-free exhibit halls, the largest at 199,500 square feet, plus 45 meeting rooms totaling 109,100 square feet.
Is there a marshaling facility for trucks?
No. Docks are on the north side with direct access from the Atlantic City Expressway, so targeted move-in is simpler than at a dense-city venue like the Javits.
Which airport should I use?
Atlantic City International is 15 minutes away and the most direct. Philadelphia International is about 75 minutes and often has more flight options.
Is there a hotel attached to the ACCC?
Yes, the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel connects directly to the building. Boardwalk casino hotels are a ten-minute walk; marina district properties like Borgata and Harrah's are a short drive.
Where does Purple ship from for ACCC shows?
Fishkill, New York, about 165 miles up the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway. One truck, same day, with crews driving down the morning of the install.
What happened to the old Boardwalk Hall?
It is still in use, renamed Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, for concerts, hockey and events that want its 14,770-seat bowl and the world's largest pipe organ. The ACCC took over the exhibit and trade show business when it opened in 1997.
Exhibiting at the ACCC?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a self-install check, a drayage estimate at the right contractor's rate, and a build timeline within two business days.
Venue guides
Every venue we have a guide for
Same standard, every hall: the building, the rules, the tools and the calendar.