Massachusetts is not right-to-work, and the center has jurisdictional agreements with the Teamsters and the electricians. Outside display-house crews may supervise but not build unless they belong to the right local.
Exhibitor guide · Boston, MA · Updated
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Exhibitor Guide
Since July 2025 the sign says Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, but exhibitors still call it the BCEC: 516,000 contiguous sq ft on the South Boston waterfront, about three miles from Logan. Boston is a union city, yet the MCCA's own rules let your full-time staff build the booth with power tools. The costs that bite are drayage above $300 per hundredweight and a sprinkler, not a fire watch, under any big canopy.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: aerial view of downtown Boston by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, public domain.
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
The MCCA's exhibitor guidelines let bona fide full-time employees unpack, assemble, dismantle and pack the booth, with power tools. Some show kits are stricter, so check yours.
The building was renamed the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in July 2025. Kits now say MCEC; same building, same 415 Summer Street address.
The 2025 spec sheet lists 35 ft low clearance in all three halls, rising to 100 ft in Hall A, 92 ft in Hall B and 82 ft in Hall C.
Only at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center labor rule checker: can my own staff do this?
Boston has a reputation as a strict union town, and the BCEC does run on Teamsters and electricians. But the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's exhibitor guidelines give your own full-time employees more room than most exhibitors expect. Each row follows the MCCA's BCEC exhibitor guidelines and its exhibitor services page. Your general contractor's kit can be stricter for your show, and it governs.
| Task | Your full-time staff? |
|---|---|
| Unpack, assemble, dismantle and pack your display | Yes, with bona fide full-time employees of the exhibiting company |
| Use power tools to set up and dismantle | Yes, used safely |
| Unload your own vehicle at the dock | Yes: a company-owned or rented truck, or an employee's car, van or truck, under 24 ft |
| Move freight with hand trucks or flat trucks | Yes, hand-operated equipment you provide: two-wheel hand trucks and four-wheel flat trucks |
| Drive a forklift or pallet jack | No, mechanized equipment is for the general contractor's union crew |
| Let your AV or furniture vendor unload | No, the general contractor or the exclusive rigging provider unloads and pushes in all vendors |
| Send a display house crew to build the booth | Only to supervise, unless its workers belong to the appropriate local |
| Plug in your own electrical and internet devices | Yes, after MCCA personnel deliver the connection |
| Hang anything from the ceiling, columns or structure | No, rigging is an MCCA exclusive |
| Hand-carry through the front doors | One item, one time, carried by one person with no dolly; everything else goes through the dock |
| Hand out food or drink samples | Only with written approval from Levy Restaurants in advance |
Sources: MCCA BCEC Exhibitor Guidelines (Section D, exhibitor participation regulations) and the Signature Boston exhibitor services page, checked October 2026. One 2026 show kit at the building (ASGCT, Heritage Trade Show Services) was stricter: it required union labor for prefabricated exhibits unless one person could set up without hand tools in 30 minutes, and allowed hand-carried items only. Questions go to MCCA Exhibitor Services, 617-954-2230.
The building
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center history and the 2025 Menino renaming
Boston lost Macworld in the 1990s for want of a big hall, built one on about 60 acres of the South Boston Seaport, and twenty years later named it for the mayor who pushed it through.
- 1997The Legislature authorizes a new convention center and lets the state take about 60 acres in the South Boston Seaport. Rafael Viñoly Architects designs it with HNTB.
- 2004The $850 million center opens in June, and Macworld returns that summer as its first trade show.
- 2006The Westin Boston Waterfront, now the Westin Boston Seaport District, opens next door, joined by a skybridge.
- 2007The center hosts more than 1.6 million attendees, and the MCCA proposes an expansion.
- 2010PAX East moves in, and becomes one of the building's biggest shows.
- 2020In April the center becomes a 1,000-bed field hospital for COVID-19 patients.
- 2021The 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport opens across Summer Street.
- 2024The Legislature's fall economic development act, signed in November, renames the building for Thomas M. Menino, Boston's mayor from 1993 to 2014 and its longest-serving.
- 2025The renaming takes effect with an event on July 12: the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center.
Photos: "PAX East 2013 Tabletop Room" by srslyguys, CC BY 2.0 Source · "PAX East 2013" by Schezar, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston MA" by 6SN7, CC BY 2.0 Source
Floor plan & exhibit halls
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center floor plan: Halls A, B and C
One exhibit level of 516,000 contiguous, nearly column-free square feet that can run east-west or north-south in ten configurations. Tap a hall for its size and clearance.
Schematic. Hall widths are proportional to floor area, not an architectural plan. Official floor plans and the spec sheet are on signatureboston.com.
Exhibit Hall A
- 170,000 sq ft
- 35 ft low · 100 ft high ceiling
- 15,418 theater seats
The tallest hall, under the highest part of the roof. Good for tall structures and hanging signs, within your show's height rules.
Exhibit Hall B
- 184,000 sq ft
- 35 ft low · 92 ft high ceiling
- B1 + B2 92,000 sq ft each
The largest hall, and the one that splits: B1 and B2 can run as two separate 92,000 sq ft halls for mid-size shows.
Exhibit Hall C
- 162,000 sq ft
- 35 ft low · 82 ft high ceiling
- 14,729 theater seats
Combines with A and B for the full 516,000 sq ft, or runs alone as a big single hall.
40,020sq ft column-free ballroom with a 19,340 sq ft pre-function area · general sessions and dinners
82meeting rooms, 151,781 sq ft in all, on the exhibit level and two meeting levels · 16′6″ ceilings on Level One
300,000+sq ft of registration and function space in eight areas on two levels
2.1Msq ft building on a site of about 60 acres on the South Boston waterfront
Loading dock & move-in
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center loading dock and freight
Get directions to Boston Convention & Exhibition Center →
- 62 covered baysSpread evenly to serve each hall, with five drive-on "elephant doors," 14 dock levelers, a separate freight access road and a 45 ft wide indoor pre-fab area.
- Check in firstExhibitors check in at the general contractor's marshaling lot trailer, or go straight to the South Parking Lot if told to, then badge at Southwest Badging with a government photo ID.
- Dock onlyAll exhibitor move-in goes through the loading dock. Passenger elevators are off limits for freight, and the one-item hand-carry rule is enforced at the Westin skybridge too.
- Under 18No one under 18 on the docks, in the truck bays or in the halls during move-in and move-out.
- Day −90Multilevel or large covered booth: stamped plans to show management for MCCA engineering and public safety review.
- Day −60Design approved. Electrical, internet and rigging ordered through the MCCA portal; sprinkler connection ordered if needed.
- Day −30EAC form and certificate of insurance filed. Flame certificates in hand, issued by the Boston Fire Department within six months.
- Day −21Purple ships to Boston through our carrier network, to the advance warehouse.
- Day 0Check in at the marshaling lot, badge in, move in through the dock. Straight time in one 2026 kit ran 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
- Show +1Move-out. Empties return, MHA turned in.
Labor & union rules
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center union rules and exclusives
Massachusetts is not a right-to-work state. The center has jurisdictional agreements with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for move-in, installation, dismantle and move-out. Within that, the MCCA's rules give full-time exhibitor staff real freedom; your show kit sets the final limits.
✓Your full-time staff
- Unpack, assemble, dismantle and pack the booth, with power tools
- Unload a company, rental or employee vehicle under 24 ft
- Use your own two-wheel hand trucks and four-wheel flat trucks
- Plug in your own devices once the MCCA delivers power and internet
- Stage up to a one-day supply of product and literature in the booth
●Exclusive to the MCCA
- Electrical, telephone and internet
- Rigging, crank-ups and theatrical lifts
- Plumbing and compressed air and gases
- Cleaning, medical and the business center
- Food and beverage through Levy Restaurants
- Forklifts and mechanized freight equipment: the general contractor's union crew
!Watch for
- Multilevel booths, and covered areas over 300 sq ft, need a temporary sprinkler system; Massachusetts does not accept a fire watch instead
- Flame certificates must come from the Boston Fire Department, within six months
- No fabric attached to a ceiling or covering any part of an exhibit, unless it meets the code exceptions
- No caution tape, glitter, confetti or adhesive decals
- Platforms over 30 in need a 42 in guardrail
- Butane only from Levy, two 1 lb canisters per device
Background photo: "PAX East 2013 going strong" by Schezar, CC BY 2.0 Source
Free tool
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center drayage cost estimator
Set to about $324 per hundredweight, the crated advance-warehouse rate in a published 2026 kit for this building (ASGCT 2026, Heritage Trade Show Services). That kit listed $360.23 for crated freight direct to show site, a 200 lb minimum, and $52.50 for small packages up to 30 lbs. Boston is among the most expensive drayage markets in the country; your show kit carries your actual tariff. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$4,860
Cut this with a lighter booth
PAX East on the BCEC floor
Photo: "PAX East 2019" by Sergey Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
The calendar
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center trade shows 2026–2027
Engineering, dental, seafood, boating and gaming fill the halls, with life-science and medical meetings in between. Attendance figures are planning ranges; confirm each event with its organizer.
WE26: Society of Women Engineers Annual Conference
Engineering careers and recruiting · career fair and expo · ~15,000 · 2026
Rockwell Automation Fair
Industrial automation · 2026
Yankee Dental Congress
Dentistry · Massachusetts Dental Society · 2027
New England Boat Show
Boats and marine, consumer · 2027
Seafood Expo North America
Seafood and processing, trade only · 2027
PAX East
Gaming and pop culture, consumer · 100,000+ · 2027
Dates are from the Signature Boston event calendar and each organizer (checked October 2026). The calendar also lists the Boston RV & Camping Expo (January 15–17), the National Science Teachers Association convention (March 18–20), the New England Restaurant & Bar Show (March 21–22) and the AOTA conference (April 8–11), all in 2027. Advanced Therapies USA (November 4–5, 2026) and the MRS Fall Meeting are at the Hynes Convention Center, not the BCEC.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, transit and crew logistics
One hotel connects by skybridge, another sits across the street, and the Silver Line runs from Logan to the Seaport. Crews badge in at the loading dock side of the building.
Skybridge, Level Two
Westin Boston Seaport District
The connected hotel, opened in 2006 as the Westin Boston Waterfront. The hand-carry rule applies on the skybridge too.
Venue guide →Across Summer Street
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
1,055 rooms at Summer and D Streets, opened in September 2021. A two-minute walk.
Walking distance
Seaport District hotels
A growing cluster of newer hotels between the center and the harbor.
About a block
Silver Line, World Trade Center
The MBTA Silver Line SL1 runs from the Logan terminals through the Seaport to South Station.
About 3 miles
Logan International (BOS)
A short run through the harbor tunnels; allow more at rush hour.
Crew parking
South Parking Lot
1,345 spaces plus 200 valet spaces, with no overnight or 24-hour parking. For big shows, nearly 10,000 spaces in nearby garages can be blocked for the event.
Crew arrival
Back BayDock pass and badging
Staff unloading at the dock get 20 minutes with a dock parking pass on the dashboard, or risk a tow. Everyone badges in at Southwest Badging with a government photo ID.
Hynes Convention Center
Boston's other MCCA convention center, in the Back Bay.
Venue guide →Insider tips
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Send payroll staff, not freelancers
The MCCA's setup freedoms belong to bona fide full-time employees. A display house can send supervisors, but its crew cannot physically build unless they are in the right local, so plan who is on the floor before you book flights.
Rent a truck under 24 ft
Your staff may unload a company-owned or rented truck, or their own car or van, if it is under 24 ft, using your own hand trucks and flat trucks. At over $300 per hundredweight in one 2026 kit, that can save thousands.
Budget a sprinkler, not a fire watch
Multilevel booths and covered areas over 300 sq ft need a temporary sprinkler from an MCCA-approved licensed company, and Massachusetts will not take a fire watch instead. Open mesh with 70% openings, fusible-seam fabric or open-grate ceilings can avoid it.
Get flame certificates from Boston
The Boston Fire Department does not accept certificates from other cities, and they must be dated within six months of the show. Send fabric samples ahead for testing if your certificates came from another jurisdiction.
Plans go in 90 days out
Multilevel plans need show management approval first, then MCCA engineering and public safety review, at least 90 days before move-in. They must be signed by a registered architect or engineer, with a floor-loading schedule and stair details.
Build stairs with risers
Massachusetts code wants 7 in maximum risers, 11 in treads, 36 in width and closed backs. Many open-riser deck stairs fail; a fitted piece of fire-rated plywood behind the treads is the cheap fix.
FAQ
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center FAQ for exhibitors
Can I set up my own booth at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center?
Yes, with your own bona fide full-time employees. The MCCA's exhibitor guidelines let them unpack, assemble, dismantle and pack the booth and use power tools. Some show kits are stricter, so check your general contractor's work rules. Outside display-house crews may only supervise unless they belong to the appropriate union local.
Is the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center union?
Yes. Massachusetts is not a right-to-work state, and the center has jurisdictional agreements with the Teamsters and the IBEW electricians for move-in, installation, dismantle and move-out. Forklifts and other mechanized equipment are run by the general contractor's union crew.
How big is the BCEC?
516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space in Halls A (170,000), B (184,000, divisible into two 92,000 sq ft halls) and C (162,000), in a 2.1 million square foot building on about 60 waterfront acres. There are 82 meeting rooms and a 40,020 sq ft ballroom.
How much is drayage at the BCEC?
One published 2026 kit for this building (ASGCT 2026, Heritage Trade Show Services) listed $323.95 per hundredweight for crated advance-warehouse freight and $360.23 crated direct to show site, with a 200 lb minimum and small packages at $52.50. Boston is among the most expensive drayage markets in the country; your show kit has your rate.
Is the BCEC the same as the Menino Convention Center?
Yes. The building was renamed the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center, marked with an event on July 12, 2025. Show kits now say MCEC, but "BCEC" is still the name most exhibitors use.
Where is the BCEC loading dock?
There are 62 covered dock bays spread to serve each hall, plus five drive-on elephant doors and 14 dock levelers, reached by a separate freight road. Check in at the general contractor's marshaling lot trailer first, then badge in at Southwest Badging.
What is the ceiling height in the exhibit halls?
The 2025 spec sheet lists 35 ft at the low points in Halls A, B and C, rising to 100 ft in Hall A, 92 ft in Hall B and 82 ft in Hall C. Your show sets the booth height limit.
Do covered or double-deck booths need a sprinkler?
Yes. The lowest level of any multilevel exhibit, and any single-story covered area over 300 sq ft, needs an automatic sprinkler from an MCCA-approved licensed company, and Massachusetts does not accept a fire watch instead. Every covered exhibit also needs a battery smoke detector and a 10 lb ABC extinguisher.
Can I hand-carry my booth in?
One item, one time, that one person can carry without a dolly. Everything else, and all move-in, goes through the loading dock, and passenger elevators cannot be used for freight.
What's the biggest show at the BCEC?
PAX East, the gaming and pop-culture convention that moved here in 2010 and draws well over 100,000 attendees. Its 2027 dates are April 22 to 25.
Which airport should I use?
Logan International, about 3 miles from the building. The MBTA Silver Line SL1 runs from the terminals to World Trade Center station, about a block away.
Is there a connected hotel?
Yes. The Westin Boston Seaport District connects to the center by a skybridge on Level Two, and the 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is directly across Summer Street.
Exhibiting in Boston?
Your show, your booth number, one clear quote.
Tell us your hall, your booth size and how many full-time employees you are bringing. Within two business days you get a design your staff can build under the MCCA rules, a drayage estimate at Boston rates and a plan that keeps any canopy or deck clear of the sprinkler requirement.
Background photo: "On to Faneuil Hall" by Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center vs other major U.S. convention centers
How the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center stacks up against other major U.S. convention centers. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Convention & Exhibition CenterThis guide | Convention center | 516,000 sq ft contiguous (Halls A–C) | 35 ft low · up to 100 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $324/cwt | BOS · 3 mi |
| America's Center Convention ComplexSt. Louis | Convention center | 574,000 sq ft contiguous, with Dome floor | 40 ft | Union · 300 sq ft rule | ≈ $150/cwt | STL · 14 mi |
| Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim | Convention center | 221,284 sq ft Hall D | 25 ft Hall D · 13 ft 8 in Hall E | Union · check kit | ≈ $172/cwt | SNA · 13 mi |
| Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention CenterSalt Lake City | Convention center | 515,000 sq ft contiguous, 10 halls | 30 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $120/cwt | SLC · ~6 mi |
| Charlotte Convention CenterCharlotte | Convention center | 280,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–C | 30 ft listed max | Right-to-work | ≈ $115/cwt | CLT · 7 mi |
| Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta | Convention center | 1M+ sq ft contiguous (Halls B, BC, C) | 30 ft to grid | Right-to-work | ≈ $150/cwt | ATL · 15–20 min |
| Huntington PlaceDetroit | Convention center | 623,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–D | 30 ft (A–D) · 18 ft 8 in (E) | Union · 400 sq ft rule | ≈ $155/cwt | DTW · 20 mi |
| Javits CenterNew York | Convention center | ~500,000 sq ft contiguous (Level 3) | Varies by hall · check plan | Union · 250 sq ft rule | ≈ $195/cwt | EWR / LGA / JFK · 45–70 min |
| McCormick PlaceChicago | Convention center | 840,000 sq ft Hall A (South) · 1.2M+ on one level | Varies by hall · check plan | Union · staff setup any size | ≈ $210/cwt | MDW · ~20 min |
| Minneapolis Convention CenterMinneapolis | Convention center | 376,200 sq ft contiguous, Halls B–E | 30 ft 6 in to truss · 85 ft domes | Union · open dock | ≈ $150/cwt | MSP · ~20 min |
| Moscone CenterSan Francisco | Convention center | 502,440 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–F | 37 ft Halls A–C · 28 ft Hall F | Union · check kit | ≈ $180/cwt | SFO · 25–40 min |
| Orange County Convention CenterOrlando | Convention center | 1,103,538 sq ft West Building | 30–40 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 mi |
| San Diego Convention CenterSan Diego | Convention center | 525,701 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–H | 27 ft 4 in A–E · up to 64 ft F–H | Union · check kit | ≈ $176/cwt | SAN · 3 mi |
| Seattle Convention CenterSeattle | Convention center | 205,700 sq ft Arch Halls 4A–4F | 25 ft Arch · 30 ft Summit | Union · check kit | ≈ $165/cwt | SEA · Link ~40 min |
More Massachusetts guides
Other venues near the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Hynes Convention CenterBoston · Back Bay
Westin Boston Seaport DistrictConnected by skybridge
Sheraton Boston HotelBoston · Back Bay
DCU CenterWorcester
MassMutual CenterSpringfield
Rhode Island Convention CenterProvidence, RI
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: MCCA BCEC Exhibitor Guidelines, Signature Boston floor plans and specs, MCEC spec sheet (July 2025), Signature Boston exhibitor services page and event calendar, MCCA press release on the Menino renaming, ASGCT 2026 Exhibitor Service Manual (Heritage Trade Show Services), Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Wikipedia (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center), organizer sites for the Society of Women Engineers, Yankee Dental Congress, the New England Boat Show, Seafood Expo North America and PAX East, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.