Alabama is right-to-work, and a Southern Shows exhibitor FAQ (2020) calls the convention center "not a Union facility." Overhead rigging is the exception: it goes through IATSE labor arranged by the BJCC.
Exhibitor guide · Birmingham, AL · Updated
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Exhibitor Guide
The BJCC is three exhibition halls of different heights (30 ft in the East Halls, 25 ft 10 in in the North Hall, 20 ft in the South Hall) wrapped around an arena, a concert hall and two hotels, with eight loading docks around the campus. Alabama is a right-to-work state. The thing that trips teams up here is the dock: your truck has to go to the door that serves your hall.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: “BJCC” by curtis palmer, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the BJCC
The BJCC's facilities guide assigns Dock 1 to the North and South halls, Dock 2 to the North Hall, and Dock 4 to the East Exhibition Hall. Your show kit names the door for your move-in slot.
The BJCC provides no carts or dollies. Exhibitors may use their own hand trucks and carts from the dock to the booth, but not through the glass doors at the main entrance.
The North Hall is 25 ft 10 in and the South Hall 20 ft, according to the BJCC facilities guide (August 2024). Your show sets the booth height limit; the 2027 Birmingham Home Show, for one, caps booths at 8 ft.
Labor & rules
BJCC labor rules: right-to-work, with a few exclusives
Alabama is a right-to-work state, and the BJCC's facilities guide sets no rule about who may build an exhibit. In current show kits, exhibitors unload and set up their own booths with their own carts. The building does control utilities, internet, catering and anything hung overhead. Rules below come from the BJCC Facilities Guide (August 2024) and 2026–27 show kits at the BJCC; check your show kit for anything your organizer adds.
✓Your own team
- Unload, install and dismantle your own exhibit: we found no BJCC rule that requires hired labor
- Bring your own hand trucks, dollies and carts from the dock to the booth; the BJCC provides none
- Drive-in unloading at your assigned dock and time slot, then move the vehicle
- Hand-carry small items through the main entrance (no carts through glass doors)
- Booth displays with secured balloons, and food samples of 3.5 oz or less when your show has arranged sampling
●Contractors and the BJCC
- Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services is exclusive for electrical, compressed air, natural gas, water and drain
- BJCC IT is the exclusive internet and voice provider; routers, streaming applications, VOIP, DHCP, NAT and proxy servers are not allowed on its connections
- Sodexo Live! is the exclusive caterer; no outside food or drink
- Anything hung from beams or ceilings needs BJCC approval and labor arranged with IATSE through your Event Manager
- Forklifts, drayage and freight run through your show's service contractor (Veal Convention Services and Hicks work BJCC shows)
!Watch for
- No tents, roofs or overhead covers in the sprinklered building without Fire Marshal approval
- Aisles at least 10 ft; no blocked exits, extinguishers or pull stations
- No double-faced tape on BJCC floors or walls, no tape on painted surfaces, and no stickers
- Vehicles on display: a quarter tank of fuel at most, locked or taped cap, battery disconnected
- Any balloon that floats to the ceiling costs $50 to remove; confetti is banned
Background photo: "1F4A2852" by adamchris1992, CC BY 2.0 Source
Floor plan & exhibit halls
BJCC floor plan: the North, East and South exhibition halls
The BJCC lists more than 220,000 sq ft of exhibition space in three halls built in different decades: the North Hall in 1971, the South Hall in 1982 and the East Halls in 1992. Each has its own ceiling height and its own dock. Tap a hall for size, booth count and dock.
Schematic. Widths are proportional to floor area, not an architectural plan, and the halls are not laid out in a straight line. Official floor plans and capacity charts are on bjcc.org (Venue Rentals, Event & Meeting Locations).
North Exhibition Hall
- 90,000 sq ft · three 30,000 sq ft sections
- 452 10×10 booths (all three sections)
- 25 ft 10 in ceiling
The original 1971 hall. North 1 alone charts 131 booths and North 1–2 charts 289. Freight comes in at Dock 1 (the roll-up door at 9th Avenue and Richard Arrington Jr Blvd) or Dock 2, across the boulevard from the Sheraton.
East Exhibition Hall 1
- 20,440 sq ft
- 85 10×10 booths
- 30 ft ceiling
The narrow end of the East Halls, next to the North Exhibition Hall and the North Meeting Rooms. Columns run along its south wall, so check your booth against the plan.
East Exhibition Hall 2
- 32,843 sq ft · 209′ × 158′
- 174 10×10 booths
- 30 ft ceiling
Opens into Hall 3 for 68,793 sq ft and 379 booths. East Hall freight uses Dock 4.
East Exhibition Hall 3
- 35,950 sq ft · 209′ × 168′
- 205 10×10 booths
- 30 ft ceiling
The largest single section. All three East Halls together chart 473 booths, the most of any BJCC hall, and sit beside a 21,200 sq ft lobby.
South Exhibition Hall
- 21,182 sq ft
- 69 10×10 booths
- 20 ft ceiling
Completed in 1982 and the lowest ceiling of the three halls. It shares Dock 1 with the North Hall and the South Meeting Rooms.
47310×10 booths across East Halls 1–3 (92,234 sq ft), the BJCC's biggest booth count
14,045sq ft East Ballroom, 21 ft ceiling, up to 1,260 guests · splits into Ballroom A and B
70,000+sq ft of meeting space in the North, South and East wings
23,000+sq ft Forum Conference Center, reached by a temperature-controlled skywalk, with a 276-seat theater
47,100seats at Protective Stadium, plus the 11,569 sq ft Stadium Club for receptions
Only at the BJCC
BJCC loading docks: which of the eight docks serves your hall
The BJCC is a campus, not one box: an arena, a concert hall, a theatre, an office tower and three exhibition halls, each with its own dock. Send a truck to the wrong one and it drives around the block. This is the dock list from the BJCC Facilities Guide (August 2024); your show kit has the final word on which door your move-in uses.
| Dock | Serves |
|---|---|
| Dock 1 | North Exhibition Hall, South Exhibition Hall, South Meeting Rooms. Show maps put it at the roll-up door at 9th Avenue N and Richard Arrington Jr Blvd |
| Dock 2 | North Exhibition Hall and North Meeting Rooms, on Richard Arrington Jr Blvd across from the Sheraton |
| Dock 3 | Kitchens, East Meeting Rooms and the East Ballroom |
| Dock 4 | East Exhibition Halls 1–3 |
| Docks 5–8 | BJCC Concert Hall, BJCC Theatre, Legacy Arena and the Forum building, in that order |
Docks are BJCC property, not part of your licensed space: unload and move the vehicle, because parked or unattended vehicles can be towed without notice. Refrigerated trailers or storage at a dock need prior approval. Sources: BJCC Facilities Guide (August 2024), sections 6.2 and 6.3; Southern Shows BJCC facility map; Birmingham Home Show 2027 exhibitor kit.
Loading dock & move-in
BJCC loading dock and freight
Get directions to Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex →
- No advance freightThe BJCC has no shipping and receiving department for exhibitors and will not accept advance deliveries, C.O.D. shipments or uncoordinated freight. Ship to your show's service contractor; freight that reaches the building before move-in is refused.
- Queue on 9th AvenueFor North Hall shows at Dock 1, the Birmingham Home Show kit has vehicles line up in the eastbound center lane of 9th Avenue N; westbound traffic cannot turn right into the dock area.
- Hand-carry only at the frontCarts and heavy loads are not allowed through any glass doors, including the main entrance. Only hand-carried items come in the front; everything else goes through a dock.
- Marshalling yardExhibitor parking is in the marshalling yard. For the 2026 Christmas Village Festival it cost $12 a day for a car and $20 for a trailer or box truck, with a free shuttle to Docks 2 and 4. Rates vary by show.
- Day −35Design approved. Any covered booth (roof, tent, overhead cover) cleared with the Fire Marshal through show management.
- Day −30Gas connections ordered: they need a permit and inspection and must be next to a column with gas.
- Day −28Rigging plans with sketches, weights and hanging method to BJCC Operations at least four weeks out.
- Day −21Purple ships to Birmingham through our carrier network, to the contractor's advance warehouse.
- Day −10Electrical (Edlen) and internet (BJCC IT) orders paid for the advance rate.
- Day 0Truck to the dock for your hall; your own crew unloads with your own carts.
- Show +1Move-out through the same dock. All tape off the floor, or the BJCC bills the labor.
Free tool
BJCC drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 at about $100 per hundredweight, a right-to-work rate for a mid-size Southern market with local service contractors. The BJCC itself does not handle exhibitor freight; your show's service contractor publishes the actual tariff in the show kit. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$1,500
Cut this with a lighter booth
Photos: "1F4A3047" by adamchris1992, CC BY 2.0 Source · "1F4A2956" by adamchris1992, CC BY 2.0 Source · "1F4A3009" by adamchris1992, CC BY 2.0 Source
A full house in the BJCC arena
Photo: "View from the not so cheap seats" by KE4SFQ, CC BY 2.0 Source
The calendar
BJCC trade shows 2026–2027
A national sports-events trade show opens the season, Alabama's music educators bring their exhibit hall in January, and the big public shows (boats, custom cars, home improvement) fill the halls through February. Confirm dates and exhibitor rules with each organizer.
TEAMS '26 Conference + Expo
Sports-event industry · trade only · SportsTravel, hosted by the Greater Birmingham CVB · 2026
Christmas Village Festival
Holiday shopping show · consumer · Exhibition Halls · 2026
AMEA Professional Development Conference
Alabama Music Educators Association · exhibit booths for music suppliers · 2027
54th Birmingham Boat Show
Boats, motors and outdoor gear · consumer · East & North halls · 2027
O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels
Custom car show · consumer · Exhibition Halls · 2027
Birmingham Home Show
Home and remodeling · consumer · North Exhibition Hall · 2027
TEAMS dates are from the organizer; AMEA dates from the association; Boat Show and Christmas Village dates from the BJCC and the organizers; Home Show dates from the 2027 exhibitor kit; World of Wheels dates from the BJCC event listing. The Alabama Home Show runs October 10–11, 2026, and the World Deer Expo filled all three halls in July 2026.
Insider tips
BJCC exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Put the dock on the paperwork
North and South Hall freight goes to Dock 1 (North also uses Dock 2); East Hall freight goes to Dock 4. Write the dock on your bill of lading and driver notes so nobody circles the campus.
Line up eastbound on 9th Avenue
For North Hall move-ins at Dock 1, the Home Show kit has trucks queue in the eastbound center lane of 9th Avenue N. Coming from the other direction, you cannot turn right into the dock area.
Pack a hand truck
The BJCC lends no carts or dollies, and carts cannot go through the glass doors at the main entrance. A folding hand truck in the van means you are not waiting on the contractor's forklift.
Never ship to the building early
The BJCC refuses freight that arrives before move-in and accepts no C.O.D. shipments. Send crates to your contractor's advance warehouse; for Christmas Village 2026 that was Veal's, on Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd.
Gas and rigging need a month
Gas only reaches booths next to columns with gas lines, and the connection needs a permit, an inspection and an order 30 days out. Hanging signs need plans to BJCC Operations four weeks ahead.
Leave the router at home
BJCC IT is the only internet provider, and its connections do not allow routers, streaming applications or VOIP. Order a hardwired line at least 10 days before move-in for the early rate, or ask for an engineered network.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the BJCC
Skywalk-connected
Sheraton Birmingham
757 rooms, which the BJCC calls Alabama's largest hotel. Owned by the BJCC's authority, with a $5 million lobby renovation finished in 2025.
Skywalk-connected
The Westin Birmingham
294 rooms on the campus, opened in 2013, with more than 7,000 sq ft of its own meeting space for a sponsor dinner.
Across the street
Uptown Entertainment District
Restaurants and bars on Richard Arrington Jr Blvd next to the Sheraton and Westin, plus the 31-acre City Walk BHAM public park.
4.5 miles
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM)
The airport is 4.5 miles from the BJCC, according to the complex; rideshare takes about 10–15 minutes.
Five hours or less
The drive-in region
The BJCC sits on the interstates within a five-hour drive of Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.
The building
From the 1971 exhibition hall to a 76-acre campus
The BJCC grew one building at a time. An exhibition hall came first; the concert hall, arena, two more halls, a hotel, a stadium and a park followed over five decades.
- 1965The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority is created as a public corporation to build and run the complex.
- 1971The Exhibition Hall, today's North Hall, opens on December 19. The design came from Geddes Brecher Qualls Cunningham, winners of a national AIA design competition.
- 1974–76The Concert Hall and Theatre open in October 1974; the Coliseum, now Legacy Arena, opens in 1976.
- 1982The South Exhibition Hall is completed.
- 1992The East Exhibition Hall and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame are completed, giving the BJCC its 30 ft halls.
- 2013The Westin Birmingham opens on the campus on February 14.
- 2021Protective Stadium opens on October 2, after a $123 million rebuild of Legacy Arena began in 2020.
- TodayCity Walk BHAM (opened 2022) links the campus to downtown, and the Sheraton's lobby was rebuilt in 2025 with steel, iron and limestone nods to Birmingham's industrial past.
FAQ
BJCC FAQ for exhibitors
Is the BJCC a union facility?
No union rule applies to exhibitors. Alabama is a right-to-work state, the BJCC's facilities guide sets no exhibitor labor restriction, and a Southern Shows exhibitor FAQ (2020) describes the convention center as not a union facility. Overhead hanging and stage rigging are handled with IATSE labor arranged by the BJCC.
Can I set up my own booth at the BJCC?
Yes, in the show kits we found. Exhibitors unload and build their own booths using their own carts and hand trucks. Your show's service contractor still handles forklifts and freight, and your show kit may add rules, so check it.
Where is the BJCC loading dock?
There are eight docks around the campus. Dock 1 serves the North Exhibition Hall, South Exhibition Hall and South Meeting Rooms; Dock 2 the North Hall and North Meeting Rooms; Dock 3 the East Meeting Rooms and East Ballroom; Dock 4 the East Exhibition Hall. Docks 5–8 serve the Concert Hall, Theatre, Legacy Arena and Forum building.
Can I ship my booth directly to the BJCC?
Not in advance. The BJCC has no shipping and receiving department for exhibitors, does not accept advance or C.O.D. deliveries, and refuses freight that arrives before the contracted move-in. Ship to your show's service contractor, which delivers to the hall during move-in.
How much is drayage at the BJCC?
Plan about $100 per hundredweight for crated freight. This is a Purple planning number, not a published tariff; the BJCC does not handle exhibitor freight, and your service contractor's show kit carries the actual rates.
What is the ceiling height in the BJCC exhibit halls?
30 ft in East Exhibition Halls 1–3, 25 ft 10 in in the North Exhibition Hall and 20 ft in the South Exhibition Hall, according to the BJCC Facilities Guide (August 2024). The East Hall lobby is 15 ft 4 in. Your show sets the booth height limit.
Who provides electrical and internet at the BJCC?
Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services is the exclusive provider of electrical, compressed air, gas, water and drain, ordered at bjccordering.edlen.com. BJCC IT is the exclusive internet and voice provider and does not allow routers, streaming applications or VOIP on its connections. Order both about 10 days ahead for advance pricing.
Can I hang a sign from the ceiling?
Only with approval. The BJCC needs hanging and rigging plans with sketches, weights and installation method at least four weeks before the event, and hung items must use labor coordinated with IATSE through your Event Manager. Installations over 500 lbs may need a structural engineer's review.
Which hotels connect to the BJCC?
The Sheraton Birmingham (757 rooms) and The Westin Birmingham (294 rooms) are on the campus and linked to the BJCC by a temperature-controlled skywalk. The Uptown Entertainment District's restaurants are next to both.
How far is the BJCC from the airport?
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is 4.5 miles from the BJCC, about 10–15 minutes by car or rideshare.
Exhibiting in Birmingham?
Tell us your hall and we will tell you your dock.
Send your show, your hall and your booth number. Within two business days you get a design sized for that hall's ceiling, a freight plan routed to the right BJCC dock through your contractor's warehouse, and a drayage estimate at Birmingham rates. We ship and install from New York.
Background photo: "An evening view of Birmingham's west side from Vulcan" by acnatta, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex vs other trade-show halls within a day's drive of New York
How the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Jefferson Convention ComplexThis guide | 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 |
| 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 |
| Bayfront Convention CenterErie | 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 |
| 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 venue guides
Other convention centers near Birmingham
Chattanooga Convention CenterChattanooga, TN
Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta, GA
Music City CenterNashville, TN
Renasant Convention CenterMemphis, TN
Knoxville Convention CenterKnoxville, TN
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: BJCC Facilities Guide (July 2023 and August 2024 editions), BJCC Event & Meeting Locations and hall floor plans, Available Spaces, For Exhibitors, Conventions & Meetings, Our Story and event pages on bjcc.org, BJCC news release on the Sheraton lobby (February 2025), Birmingham Home Show 2027 exhibitor kit, Christmas Village Festival 2026 vendor information, Southern Shows BJCC exhibitor FAQ and facility map, TEAMS Conference + Expo and AMEA conference pages, Wikipedia (Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex, Legacy Arena).