Exhibitor guide · Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Broward County Convention Center: the exhibitor's guide
Doubled to 1.2 million sq ft in 2025 with a 350,000 sq ft contiguous hall, a waterfront ballroom and an 801-room Omni on top, five minutes from the airport and next to the cruise capital of the world. Fort Lauderdale just became a first-tier venue.
Broward CC · 1950 Eisenhower BlvdWhy this page exists
Until 2025 Broward was a 600,000 sq ft regional center best known for the indoor half of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The East Expansion changed the category: a hall bigger than Tampa's whole building, a ballroom on the Intracoastal, and the first headquarter hotel, all next to Port Everglades and the airport.
This guide covers the new building, the rules under the new operator, drayage at South Florida rates, a travel-time planner, and a calendar that is filling up. Purple ships to Fort Lauderdale from Fishkill.
The building
The expanded campus
| Space | What it is | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Expansion exhibit hall | 350,000 sq ft contiguous, opened October 20, 2025; exact clear heights are on the venue's hall plans. | Boat show indoor halls, large expos | New concrete floor, modern docks, islands and rigging routine. |
| Original halls | The pre-2025 exhibit space, renovated; exact dimensions are on the venue's floor plans. | Mid-size shows | Check which building your show is in; docks differ. |
| Waterfront ballroom | 65,000 sq ft on the Intracoastal, new in 2025. | General sessions, galas | Carpet rules. |
| Omni Fort Lauderdale | 29 stories, 801 rooms, opened December 18, 2025, connected to the center. | Headquarter blocks | Book early; it is the only attached hotel. |
| Waterfront plaza and water taxi dock | Public plaza opening in 2026 with enhanced water-taxi access. | Receptions, activations | Permits through the venue. |
Free tool
Fort Lauderdale travel-time planner
History
From trailer park to $1.1 billion
Broward County studies sixteen sites; the leading one is a trailer park by the airport. Consultants warn the county has too few first-class hotel rooms for a real convention business.
The $48.9 million, 150,000 sq ft center opens on Port Everglades land off the 17th Street Causeway on September 5, chosen for the beach, the hotels and the port.
Expansion to about 600,000 sq ft; the indoor portion of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show settles in.
The county approves a $1.1 billion expansion with a headquarter hotel, the plan the 1985 consultants said the city needed.
The East Expansion opens October 20 with the 350,000 sq ft hall and the waterfront ballroom; the 801-room Omni opens December 18. The 62nd boat show is the first big tenant.
The waterfront plaza and enhanced water-taxi dock open, finishing the campus.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and port rules
Non-union
Full-time staff may set up with hand tools within show limits; outside labor through the contractor or Purple as EAC.
Venue-exclusive services
Rigging, electrical, internet and catering through the center's providers under the new operator; the show kit carries the current list.
South Florida rates
Planning rates around $165 per hundredweight, standard minimum and surcharges.
Port Everglades security
The center sits inside the port district. Truck routing and driver ID rules follow port security; Purple briefs carriers before they arrive.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue
Covered and multilevel review; thresholds similar to Orlando; confirm the current threshold when the fire plan is submitted.
Late October is its own season
The boat show takes the halls, the docks and every hotel room. Do not plan another show's move-in within a week of it.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on unpack; MHA before leaving.
Certificates
Naming the organizer and Broward County; Purple's is on file.
Free tool
Broward drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026. All-venue rates on the drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight countdown
The calendar
Shows at Broward
The expansion is filling a calendar that used to revolve around one week in October. Expect new national shows to announce Fort Lauderdale dates through 2027.
| Show | Month | Industry | Attendance | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (indoor halls) | Late October | Marine | 100,000 citywide | Custom exhibits |
| Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show | Spring and fall | Consumer | 15,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| Regional trade and professional expos | Year round | Plumbing, construction, healthcare, education | 2,000–8,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| Fan conventions and consumer events | Summer | Consumer | 20,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| National association meetings (new to the venue) | 2026 onward | Various | 5,000–15,000 | Booth rentals |
Logistics
Hotels and getting there
- Airport: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood is five minutes, the closest major airport to any Florida convention center.
- Hotels: the Omni on site; the 17th Street Causeway hotels within ten minutes on foot; the beach and Las Olas by water taxi.
- Water taxi: the enhanced dock connects the center to the beach and Las Olas without a car.
- Port: Port Everglades cruise terminals are four minutes away; cruise-week traffic peaks on weekends.
- Purple: ships from Fishkill; pairs with Miami Beach on one South Florida schedule.
Resources
Free resources you can link to
Cite the numbers
One-page cheat sheet
Questions
Broward County Convention Center FAQ
Is the new hall really contiguous?
Yes, 350,000 sq ft in one span, larger than any hall in Florida outside Orlando and Miami Beach.
Is it union?
No. Florida right-to-work; full-time staff may set up with hand tools.
Why does the port matter to me?
The center sits inside Port Everglades' security district. Trucks follow port routing and driver rules, which Purple briefs to carriers in advance.
Should I fly into Fort Lauderdale or Miami?
Fort Lauderdale, five minutes away. Miami adds thirty-five minutes on a good day.
Can I exhibit at the boat show indoors?
The indoor portion runs in the new hall; the outdoor portion is on the water at Bahia Mar. Purple builds for both.
How does drayage compare with Miami Beach?
Slightly lower, and without the causeways.
What does Purple do that the contractor does not?
Designs, builds, ships, installs, supervises and stores the booth, and files the EAC and MHA paperwork.
Exhibiting in Fort Lauderdale?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a design brief, a drayage estimate with port routing 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.