Pennsylvania is not a right-to-work state, but the building's 2026 Event Planning Guide sets no union requirement for booth setup, and the venue says you can use a decorator or decorate yourself. Stagehands from IATSE Local 113 can be required on the stage. Your show contractor may add its own rules.
Exhibitor guide · Erie, PA · Updated
Bayfront Convention Center Exhibitor Guide
Erie's convention center sits on Sassafras Pier with Presque Isle Bay on three sides and two hotels bolted on, one of them built over the loading dock. The 28,800 sq ft Great Hall takes about 160 booths, the building runs its own dock-to-booth drayage at $0.50 a pound, and exhibitors can unload their own vans and park in the free lot next door.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: the Sheraton and the convention center from the bay. “Bayfront Convention Center” by catAsmith, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Bayfront Convention Center
The building's exhibitor instructions send vendors to the loading dock between the convention center and the Courtyard hotel. You unload, move the vehicle to the main lot, then come back and build. House carts are first come, first served.
Erie Events lists the Great Hall at 28,800 sq ft with room for 160 10×10 booths. The 13,500 sq ft Grand Ballroom and 15 meeting rooms add breakout and overflow space.
The Erie Sports Commission lists a 23 ft ceiling over a column-free Great Hall. The Grand Ballroom is listed at 20 ft. No rigging is allowed in the ballrooms or meeting rooms, so hanging signs go in the Great Hall only, with approval.
Only at the Bayfront Convention Center
Bayfront Convention Center and Bayfront Landing: a hall, two hotels and a dock on the pier
The convention center is one piece of a campus called Bayfront Landing. The Erie County Convention Center Authority owns the convention center and the Courtyard, and the Sheraton links in by sky bridge. For an exhibitor that means a short walk from room to booth, but a tight site on a pier where the dock, the hotel and the parking lot share the same strip of land.
| Fact | What it means for your exhibit |
|---|---|
| Water on three sides | The Great Hall has floor-to-ceiling windows on Presque Isle Bay. Daylight is great for attendees but can wash out screens, so ask which wall your booth faces before you pick an LED wall or monitor brightness |
| Nearly 400 rooms attached | The 200-room Sheraton Erie Bayfront connects by sky bridge and the 192-room Courtyard Erie Bayfront is attached directly. Book early: at a 160-booth show, exhibitors and attendees compete for the same rooms |
| A hotel over the dock | The Courtyard and its plaza stand on steel girders spanning 66 ft over the loading dock, per its structural engineer. The dock sits between the two buildings, so trucks queue on Sassafras Pier, where a security team directs traffic at move-in |
| Free event parking | Parking at the convention center is free with your event; the hotel garages cost extra. Vans unload at the dock and then move to the main lot |
| $121 million road project | PennDOT is rebuilding the Bayfront Parkway at Sassafras Street, State Street and Holland Street. The State Street bridge reopened in September 2026; Holland Street work runs into 2027, with lane limits on the parkway |
Sources: Erie Events venue, hotel and FAQ pages; the Bayfront Convention Center exhibitor services manual; Erie Sports Commission; Meetings Today (June 2016); Martin/Martin project page; PennDOT via TalkErie (Sept 3, 2026). Road work schedules change, so check PennDOT's project page the week you drive in.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the Bayfront Convention Center
Sky bridge
Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel
200 rooms at 55 West Bay Road, opened in 2008 and linked to the convention center by a glass sky bridge. Its garage costs extra.
Attached
Courtyard Erie Bayfront
192 rooms at 2 Sassafras Pier, opened in June 2016, with the 20,000 sq ft Anchor Plaza on its second floor. Owned by the convention center authority.
On Front St
Hampton Inn & Suites Erie Bayfront
About 94 rooms at 130 East Front Street, near the Erie Maritime Museum. Check the walk to the hall with the hotel before you book.
Free lot
Event parking
Parking at the convention center is free with your event, with more than 470 spaces listed. Overnight parking and unapproved RVs are not allowed.
About 6.5 mi
Erie International (ERI)
Roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car via 12th Street and the Bayfront Parkway. Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh are each about two hours away.
Floor plan & exhibit space
Bayfront Convention Center floor plan: the Great Hall, Grand Ballroom and meeting rooms
Everything is on one compact campus at the foot of Sassafras Street. Trade shows use the Great Hall, which the building splits into North and South halves with movable walls. Published sizes differ a little by source (28,000 to 30,000 sq ft for the Great Hall); the figures below are the operator's current ones. Tap a space for details.
Schematic. Widths are proportional to floor area, not an architectural plan. Ask Erie Events for the official floor plans for your dates.
Great Hall
- 28,800 sq ft
- 160 10×10 booths
- 23 ft ceiling
Column-free, with floor-to-ceiling windows on Presque Isle Bay. It divides into North and South halves; the 2025 PA Library Association expo used the North hall on its own. The 2027 PMEA floor plan marks a loading-dock entrance on the side of the hall.
Grand Ballroom
- 13,500 sq ft
- 90′ × 150′
- 20 ft ceiling
Seats up to 1,929 theater-style or about 900 at banquet. A 2010 profile said it can split in two or join the Great Hall for about 43,000 sq ft. Large events here also move in through the covered loading dock.
Meeting rooms
- 15 rooms
- 25–385 people
- 11.5–15 ft ceilings
More than 14,000 sq ft in total. Combined suites such as 130 A/B/C and 160 A/B/C run about 2,300 to 2,700 sq ft. No rigging is allowed in rooms 100 to 170.
128,000+sq ft of event space on the campus, by Erie Events' count, including the hotels' ballrooms and plazas
8,800sq ft Sunset Terrace, the building's outdoor event space
$25for a 110V / 20-amp outlet ordered on time on the 2025 venue form, $50 on site. Floor boxes are building staff only
3 ozmaximum food or drink sample, and it must be your own product and fit the show's theme
Loading dock & move-in
Bayfront Convention Center loading dock and freight
Get directions to Bayfront Convention Center →
- The dock is between the hall and the CourtyardThe building's exhibitor instructions send every vendor through the loading dock between the convention center and the Courtyard Marriott. A security team member on Sassafras Pier directs traffic. A 2010 profile counted five loading docks and two 16 × 16 ft truck entries; confirm the current count with your event manager.
- Unload, park, come backAfter you bring your materials in, move the vehicle to the main lot and return to build. Carts and flatbeds wait in the loading area, first come, first served. Move-out runs the same way.
- The building is your drayage contractorOn building-run shows, the venue's service form lists drayage from dock to booth at $0.50 per pound. Shows with an outside decorator, such as General Exposition Services for PMEA 2027, set their own rates in their kit.
- Ship close to the datePackages that arrive more than three business days before move-in pay storage on top of drayage, under the 2026 planning guide. Label each box with the show name, booth number, company and "1 of 2" style counts.
- No freight in the passenger elevatorsThe five elevators are for people only. Freight comes in through the dock, and only rubber-wheeled, non-motorized carts are allowed in the concourse, ballroom and meeting rooms.
- Day −60Show management sends the exhibitor list and kit to the building. Design approved; hanging signs only in the Great Hall.
- Day −30Safety data sheets for any hazardous material are due. Security plans are due too, or the building hires security at the show's cost.
- Day −14All event details must be approved by the building. The 2025 venue service form closed orders two weeks before move-in; later orders pay a late fee.
- Day −10Water and drain requests close ten business days out. Purple ships to Erie through our carrier network.
- Day 0Freight should land no earlier than three business days before. Drive to the dock off Sassafras Pier, unload, park in the main lot, build.
- Show closeDismantle after the hall closes. Leave labeled return shipments in the booth; building staff take them to shipping and receiving.
Labor & building rules
Bayfront Convention Center labor rules: what your team can do itself
Pennsylvania is not a right-to-work state, but this building does not publish a union rule for booth work. These points come from its 2026 Event Planning Guide (revised February 10, 2026), its exhibitor services manual and service forms, and the Bayfront Landing FAQ. Each show's contractor can add limits, so your show kit is the final word.
✓Your own staff
- Set up your own booth: the venue says clients can decorate themselves or use a decorator it approves
- Unload your own vehicle at the dock, then park it in the main lot
- Use the house carts and flatbeds, first come, first served
- Order power, internet and furnishings on the venue's service form
- Bring your own booth carpet: at PaLA 2025 the building did not provide carpet or padding
●Building exclusives
- Electrical, air, water, drain and internet hookups: the building or its approved designee only. Floor boxes are staff only
- Food and drink: the in-house caterer only, with a 24% service charge
- Movable walls and house equipment: building personnel only
- Rigging: approved by management and done by qualified riggers; none in the ballrooms or meeting rooms
- Stage work: the building may call IATSE Local 113 stagehands, booked 15 days ahead
- Forklifts and lifts: authorized, trained and insured operators only
!Watch for
- Tape of any kind is banned everywhere, including on tables and chairs, and no adhesive stickers can be handed out
- No helium balloons without written permission
- Crates and packing can't stay on the floor, and in-booth literature is limited to a one-day supply
- Propane: one 16 oz non-refillable cylinder for demos, with Fire Marshal approval
- Display vehicles: 1/4 tank or 5 gallons, tank locked, a battery cable disconnected
- No heat or air conditioning and 50% hall lighting during move-in and move-out
Free tool
Bayfront Convention Center drayage cost estimator
Set at $50 per hundredweight, the $0.50 per pound that the building's own service forms charged for dock-to-booth handling in 2023 and 2025. Treat it as a planning number: shows with an outside decorator set their own tariff in the show kit, often higher, and many exhibitors here skip drayage by driving in. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$750
Cut this with a lighter booth
The calendar
Bayfront Convention Center trade shows 2026–2027
The Bayfront mixes statewide association conferences with trade halls, an energy-industry conference and Erie Promotions & Expos' seven consumer shows. Dates are from the organizers' and venue operator's sites; confirm each event with its organizer.
Holiday Craft & Gift Festival
Crafts and gifts, consumer · Erie Promotions & Expos · 2026
Erie Auto Show
New vehicles, consumer · Erie Promotions & Expos · 2027
Erie Boat & Fishing Expo
Boats and fishing, consumer · Erie Promotions & Expos · 2027
Erie Home Show
Home improvement, consumer · Erie Promotions & Expos · 2027
PMEA Annual In-Service Conference
Music education · Music Education Marketplace in the Great Hall · 2027
CCAP Annual Conference and Trade Show
Pennsylvania county government · vendor exhibit hall · 2027
ComiCon Erie
Comics and pop culture, consumer · Erie Promotions & Expos · 2027
Held here recently: SHALE INSIGHT, the Marcellus Shale Coalition's Appalachian Basin energy conference with an exhibit area of industry and supply-chain companies (September 22–24, 2026), and the Pennsylvania Library Association conference and expo (October 2025). SHALE INSIGHT had not announced 2027 dates or a venue when we checked. Erie Promotions & Expos also lists Erie RV & Outdoor Adventure (February 11–14, 2027) and the Spring Craft & Gift Festival (April 10–11, 2027).
The building
From an empty pier to Bayfront Landing
Erie built its convention center low and close to the water at the north end of Sassafras Street, then kept adding hotels and terraces around it until the whole pier became one campus.
- 2007The Bayfront Convention Center opens with an open house on August 3, owned by the Erie County Convention Center Authority.
- 2008The attached Sheraton opens on April 10. Construction manager Barton Malow wins an AGC Build America Award for the project.
- 2010A trade-press profile counts 160 booths in the Great Hall, five loading docks and two 16 × 16 ft truck entries.
- 2016The 192-room Courtyard Erie Bayfront opens in June, built over the loading dock, bringing the attached room count to nearly 400.
- 2025–2027PennDOT's $121 million Central Bayfront Parkway project rebuilds the road in front of the pier. The State Street bridge reopens on September 3, 2026.
- 2027CCAP holds its annual conference and trade show here August 1–4, and PMEA brings its music education conference in April.
Insider tips
Bayfront Convention Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Send two people to the dock
The dock sits between the hall and the Courtyard, and you have to move the van to the main lot before you build. One person drives and parks while the other stages the freight, and the house carts don't sit idle.
Ship inside the three-day window
Boxes that arrive more than three business days before move-in pay storage on top of the $0.50-a-pound handling. The 2025 PaLA form said not to ship before October 16 for an October 19 move-in.
Order power before the deadline
A 20-amp outlet was $25 in advance and $50 on site on the 2025 venue form, with a fee for card payments. The order window closed two weeks before move-in.
Pack zero tape
The building bans tape of any kind everywhere, even on tables, and bills for damage. Bring clamps, freestanding sign holders and printed, easel-ready signs, because handwritten signs are not allowed.
Plan winter shows around the snow
The National Weather Service gives Erie an average of about 100 inches of snow a season, mostly lake effect. For February shows, leave a weather day in the drive on I-79 or I-90.
Check the parkway before you go
The Bayfront Parkway rebuild runs into 2027. Lane limits and a roundabout at Sassafras Street Extension sit right at the turn to the pier, so check PennDOT's project page before a truck arrives.
FAQ
Bayfront Convention Center FAQ for exhibitors
Is the Bayfront Convention Center union?
The building does not publish a union requirement for booth setup. Pennsylvania is not a right-to-work state, and the venue may require IATSE Local 113 stagehands for stage work. Utilities, catering and movable walls are building-only. Your show's contractor may set its own labor rules, so check your show kit.
Can I set up my own booth in Erie?
Usually, yes. Bayfront Landing says clients can use a decorator or decorate themselves, as long as outside services are approved by venue management. Many exhibitors unload their own vehicles at the dock and build their own displays.
Where is the loading dock?
Between the convention center and the Courtyard Erie Bayfront, off Sassafras Pier at 1 Sassafras Pier, Erie, PA 16507. A security team member directs traffic at move-in. After unloading, park in the main lot. A 2010 profile listed five docks and two 16 × 16 ft truck entries; confirm the current setup with your event manager.
How much is drayage at the Bayfront Convention Center?
On building-run shows, the venue's 2023 and 2025 service forms listed drayage from the dock to your booth at $0.50 per pound, or $50 per hundredweight. Shows that hire an outside decorator, such as General Exposition Services for PMEA 2027, publish their own rate in the show kit.
How big is the Great Hall and how many booths fit?
Erie Events lists the Great Hall at 28,800 sq ft with room for 160 10×10 booths. It is column-free, has a 23 ft ceiling and divides into North and South halves. Other sources give 28,000 to 30,000 sq ft, so use your show's floor plan.
Can I ship my booth to the convention center?
Yes. Address it to the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier, Erie PA 16507, with the show name, booth number, company and box count. Shipments that arrive more than three business days before move-in pay storage fees on top of drayage.
Is parking free?
Parking at the convention center is free with your event. The Sheraton and Courtyard garages cost extra. Overnight parking on the property is not allowed, and RVs need prior approval.
Can I use tape or hand out stickers?
No. The 2026 Event Planning Guide bans tape of any type in all areas, including on tables and chairs, and adhesive-backed stickers may not be stuck on surfaces or handed out. Helium balloons need written permission.
Can I hand out food samples?
Yes, at trade and public shows, up to 3 ounces per sample. The product must be made or distributed by your company and fit the event's theme, and you must follow Erie County Health rules. All other food and drink comes from the in-house caterer.
Which hotels connect to the Bayfront Convention Center?
Two: the 200-room Sheraton Erie Bayfront, linked by a sky bridge, and the 192-room Courtyard Erie Bayfront, attached directly. Together they give nearly 400 rooms on the campus.
Exhibiting on Presque Isle Bay?
Tell us your hall and your drive.
Send your show, your booth number and whether you'll drive into the Sassafras Pier dock or ship to the building. Within two business days you get a design that sets up without a strip of tape, a drayage estimate at the building's per-pound rate, and a move-in plan for the dock between the hall and the Courtyard.
Background photo: "Smiling from ear to Erie" by US Embassy Canada, Public domain Source
Compare venues
Bayfront Convention Center vs other trade-show halls within a day's drive of New York
How the Bayfront Convention Center stacks up against other trade-show halls within a day's drive of New York. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfront Convention CenterThis guide | Convention center | 28,800 sq ft Great Hall · 160 booths | 23 ft (Great Hall) | No venue union rule · check kit | ≈ $50/cwt | ERI · about 6.5 mi |
| Atlantic Union Bank Convention CenterRaleigh | Convention center | 146,843 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–C | 47 ft listed max | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $110/cwt | RDU · 18 min drive |
| Baird CenterMilwaukee | Convention center | 300,275 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–E | 30 ft | Right-to-work · in-house utilities | ≈ $115/cwt | MKE · 8 mi |
| Birmingham-Jefferson Convention ComplexBirmingham | Convention center | 92,234 sq ft East Halls 1–3 · 473 booths | 30 ft East · 25 ft 10 in North · 20 ft South | Right-to-work | ≈ $100/cwt | BHM · 4.5 mi |
| Charleston Area Convention CenterNorth Charleston | Convention center | 76,960 sq ft, Halls A–C | 30 ft to beams | Right-to-work | ≈ $100/cwt | CHS · 2 mi |
| DeVos PlaceGrand Rapids | Convention center | 162,000 sq ft column-free hall, A–C | 37–72 ft (hall) · 28 ft (ballroom) | Self-unload · IATSE 26 stagehands | ≈ $125/cwt | GRR · 13 mi |
| Eastern States ExpositionWest Springfield | Fairgrounds | 129,400 sq ft Mallary Complex · 123,000 sq ft BLC | — | Check show kit | ≈ $125/cwt | BDL · about 25–40 min |
| Greater Richmond Convention CenterRichmond | Convention center | 178,159 sq ft · Exhibit Hall A–D | 35 ft | Right-to-work · non-union | ≈ $110/cwt | RIC · ~15 min |
| Greenville Convention CenterGreenville | Convention center | 125,000 sq ft Hall 1 (280,000 total) | 10–22 ft Hall 1 · 19–22 ft Hall 2 | Right-to-work | ≈ $105/cwt | GSP · 12 mi |
| Hershey Lodge & Convention CenterHershey | Resort ballrooms | 32,004 sq ft Great American Hall | 22 ft (Great American Hall) | In-house decorator · check kit | ≈ $50/cwt | MDT · ~20 min |
| Joseph S. Koury Convention CenterGreensboro | Hotel ballrooms | 40,000 sq ft Guilford Ballroom | 32 ft Guilford · 18 ft Imperial | Right-to-work | ≈ $95/cwt | GSO · ~12 mi |
| Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Pocono MountainsPocono Manor | Resort ballrooms | 38,000 sq ft Kilimanjaro Ballroom | 16–25 ft | Not right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $120/cwt | AVP · ≈40 mi |
| New York State Fairgrounds Exposition CenterSyracuse | Fairgrounds | 110,000 sq ft clear span, Exposition Center | 60 ft truss height | Show contractor · check kit | ≈ $95/cwt | SYR · about 10 mi |
| Philadelphia Marriott DowntownPhiladelphia | Hotel ballrooms | 34,300 sq ft Grand Ballroom · 31,962 sq ft Franklin Hall | 10.5 ft Franklin Hall · 22 ft ballroom | Union · check kit | ≈ $170/cwt | PHL · SEPTA to Jefferson Station |
| Vandalia Health CenterCharleston | Convention center | 50,086 sq ft Grand Hall · up to 256 booths | — | Right-to-work | ≈ $100/cwt | CRW · about 5 min |
| Vibe Credit Union ShowplaceNovi | Expo center | 305,000± sq ft, Halls A–C + Event Center | 24 ft clear (A–C) · 40+ ft (Event Center) | No venue union rule · check kit | ≈ $95/cwt | DTW · about 20 min |
| Virginia Beach Convention CenterVirginia Beach | Convention center | 150,012 sq ft · Halls A–D | 40 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $100/cwt | ORF · 20 min |
| York Expo CenterYork | Fairgrounds | 114,000 sq ft UPMC Arena (74,000 clear span) | 24–30 ft arena · 12–22 ft other halls | Show contractor · check kit | ≈ $90/cwt | MDT · roughly 30 mi |
Nearby guides
Other trade-show halls around Lake Erie and western Pennsylvania
Huntington Convention CenterCleveland, OH
Buffalo Convention CenterBuffalo, NY
David L. Lawrence Convention CenterPittsburgh, PA
Monroeville Convention CenterMonroeville, PA
Rochester Riverside Convention CenterRochester, NY
Kalahari Resorts SanduskySandusky, OH
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: Erie Events venue, spaces, visitor, hotel and calendar pages; the Bayfront Convention Center 2026 Event Planning Guide, exhibitor services manual and 2023 and 2025 exhibitor service request forms; Bayfront Landing spaces and FAQ pages; Erie Sports Commission; Cvent venue listing; Wikipedia (Bayfront Convention Center); Small Market Meetings (2010); Meetings Today (2016); Martin/Martin; PennDOT and TalkErie coverage of the Central Bayfront Parkway project; National Weather Service Cleveland; and organizer sites for PMEA, CCAP, the Pennsylvania Library Association, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (SHALE INSIGHT) and Erie Promotions & Expos.