Exhibitor guide · Rosemont, Illinois
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center: the exhibitor's guide
840,000 square feet next to O'Hare, an 8,000-car skybridge-connected garage, and the venue where Anime Central, Fan Expo Chicago and the World's Fair of Money have all made their home. Ten minutes from the airport, no downtown traffic.
Stephens Center · 5555 N River RdHero photo: "Donald E Stephens Convention Center" by FoodBev Photos, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Source
Why this page exists
Rosemont built a convention center around the one thing downtown Chicago cannot offer: an airport ten minutes away and no Loop traffic to fight. What started as a 150,000 sq ft exposition hall in 1975 is now an 840,000 sq ft campus with its own eight-thousand-car garage, and it has become the default home for the shows that don't need McCormick Place's scale but do need serious floor space: fan conventions, collector shows, gem and jewelry expos, and the RV and boat show.
This guide covers the exhibit hall and skybridge garage, labor in a non-right-to-work state, drayage below downtown rates, a freight countdown, the fan conventions and collector shows that fill the calendar, hotels connected by skybridge, and the history of a suburb that built its convention business before it built almost anything else.
The building
The exhibit hall
The center sits on River Road next to the Allstate Arena and Rosemont Theatre, connected to its parking garage by an enclosed skybridge that keeps attendees out of the weather entirely.
| Space | What it is | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main exhibit hall | 840,000 sq ft total, divisible, with a clear height suited to islands and hanging signs; exact heights are on the venue's plans. | Fan conventions, collector shows, RV and boat shows, association exhibit halls | Islands, hanging signs and forklifts routine; check the current floor plan for the show's configuration. |
| Meeting rooms | A range of breakout and function rooms; the venue's floor plan lists the current rooms. | Panels, seminars, breakouts | Hand-carry and tabletop formats. |
| Skybridge garage | A five-level, 4,458 to 8,000-car garage (sources vary; verify current capacity) connected by an enclosed 7,000-foot skybridge. | All shows | Exhibitor and attendee parking is a non-issue here compared with downtown venues. |
| Docks | Loading docks with direct River Road access; dock assignments come with the show kit. | All freight | No downtown congestion to route around; straightforward truck access from the Kennedy and Tri-State expressways. |
History
From O'Hare Expo to 840,000 sq ft
Rosemont built its convention center before it built much of anything else, betting on O'Hare's growth two decades before most suburbs thought to.
The O'Hare Exposition Center opens: a modest 150,000 sq ft facility funded by $12 million in municipal bonds, built on the bet that proximity to O'Hare International Airport would draw convention business away from downtown Chicago.
Within two years, demand outpaces the building. A 25,000 sq ft addition goes up; by year four, revenue is strong and surrounding hotels run at full occupancy.
Illinois Governor James Thompson's "Build Illinois" program awards Rosemont a $2.7 million grant, funding a five-level parking garage and a 7,000-foot enclosed skybridge connecting it directly to the center.
The center is renamed for Donald E. Stephens, Rosemont's longtime mayor, and grows toward its current 840,000 sq ft footprint as the village builds out the Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and the surrounding entertainment district.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center marks its 50th anniversary, still trading on the same pitch it opened with: no downtown traffic, and an airport ten minutes away.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and rules
Union state, contractor rules
Illinois has no right-to-work law; exhibit labor runs through the show's contractor. Self-install allowances follow the show kit.
Below downtown rates
Plan about $140 per hundredweight where a contractor handles freight, below McCormick Place levels.
Expressways, not the Loop
The Kennedy and Tri-State expressways reach the center directly; no downtown Chicago traffic to route trucks around.
Illinois fire code
Flame certificates for fabrics, covered booths by approval, permits for cooking and vehicles.
Venue services
Electrical, internet, cleaning and security through the venue or its providers; the show kit carries the current list.
The skybridge garage
Up to several thousand spaces connected by enclosed skybridge; unusually easy for exhibitors compared with downtown venues.
Certificates
Naming the organizer and the Village of Rosemont; Purple's is on file.
Free tool
Stephens Center drayage estimator
Reference: a 2026 show freight guide for this building (Rosemont Exposition Services) lists $145.00 per hundredweight for crated freight received at the advance warehouse, covering storage, delivery to the booth, removal to the dock and reloading; the calculator default matches it.
Planning numbers for 2026; the show kit has the tariff. All-venue rates and a glossary on the drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight countdown for a Rosemont show
The calendar
Shows at the Stephens Center
Rosemont's calendar leans heavily on fan conventions and collector shows alongside its consumer and trade events. Confirm dates with each organizer.
| Event | When | Industry | Typical attendance | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anime Central | May | Anime and Japanese pop culture | 30,000 | Booth rentals |
| Fan Expo Chicago | Summer | Comics, film, gaming | 70,000 | Custom exhibits |
| National Sports Collectors Convention (rotating) | Summer | Sports memorabilia | 20,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| Chicago RV and Boat Show | Winter | Marine and outdoor recreation | 40,000 | Custom exhibits |
| International Gem and Jewelry Show | Periodic through the year | Jewelry and gems | 10,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| Midwest FurFest | Fall | Fan convention | 15,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| World's Fair of Money (periodic) | Varies | Numismatics | 10,000 | 10×10 rentals |
Attendance is the organizer's or press figure where published and Purple's planning range otherwise; confirm dates with each event.
Logistics
Getting there and staying
- Airport: O'Hare International is about 10 minutes; the closest major convention center to any Chicago-area airport.
- By car: the Kennedy and Tri-State expressways reach River Road directly.
- By transit: the CTA Blue Line to Rosemont station is a short walk or free shuttle from the center.
- Freight: docks off River Road; no downtown congestion.
- Parking: the skybridge-connected garage handles exhibitor and attendee vehicles.
| Hotel | Distance | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels connected by skybridge | Walking distance | Several major chains connect directly to the center and garage. |
| Hotels near Rosemont station | 10-min walk | Transit access to downtown Chicago without driving. |
| O'Hare airport hotels | 10-min drive | Fly-in exhibitors on early or late flights. |
Resources
Free resources you can link to
Cite the numbers
One-page cheat sheet
Hall, garage, docks, deadlines.
Questions
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center FAQ
How far is it from O'Hare?
About 10 minutes, the closest major Chicago-area convention center to an airport.
How big is the exhibit hall?
840,000 square feet, grown from a 150,000 square foot building that opened in 1975.
Is labor union?
Illinois has no right-to-work law, so exhibit labor runs through the show's contractor.
Is parking really easier than downtown?
Yes. The center connects to a large parking garage by an enclosed skybridge, unlike most downtown Chicago venues where parking is scarce and expensive.
How much is drayage?
Plan about $140 per hundredweight where a contractor handles freight, below McCormick Place rates.
What kinds of shows use this venue?
Mostly fan conventions and collector shows: Anime Central, Fan Expo Chicago, the National Sports Collectors Convention, and periodic gem, jewelry and numismatic shows, alongside the Chicago RV and Boat Show.
How do I get there without a car?
The CTA Blue Line to Rosemont station, a short walk or free shuttle from the center.
Who is Donald E. Stephens?
Rosemont's longtime mayor, for whom the center was renamed after leading the village through the decades that built its convention and entertainment district.
Exhibiting in Rosemont?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a design brief, a drayage estimate 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.