South Carolina is a right-to-work state, and regional organizers here sell "no union fees" as a reason to exhibit. The general contractor still moves freight from the dock to your booth.
Exhibitor guide · Greenville, SC · Updated
Greenville Convention Center Exhibitor Guide
The Greenville Convention Center (formerly TD Convention Center) began as Textile Hall, built for machinery shows, and it still works that way: two drive-in doors 38 ft 8 in wide, a floor load the building sheet calls unlimited, and power that drops from the ceiling. South Carolina is right-to-work, so your own team can build the booth. Here is how Halls 1 and 2, the docks and the house rules work.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: An electric vehicle on the show floor when the building was the TD Convention Center. “Electric Vehicle” by Greenville, SC Daily Photo, CC0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Greenville Convention Center
No Greenville rule we found requires contractor labor to build a booth. Contractor labor is there if you want it. Your show kit sets the final rules, so read it before you book a crew.
Two drive-in doors serve Halls 1 and 2. To get the full width, the center post has to be taken out, so ask before you ship anything wider than half the opening.
The venue's floor plan lists 10–22 ft in Hall 1, 19–22 ft in Hall 2 and 20–23 ft in the Conference Hall. At the 2025 MT Series Southeast, displays were capped at 16 ft and hanging signs at 18 ft.
Photos: "Liberty Bridge, Greenville, SC" by TexasExplorer98, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Night Falls on the Drive - 027/365" by HPUPhotogStudent, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Ball Game" by Greenville, SC Daily Photo, CC0 Source
Floor plan & exhibit halls
Greenville Convention Center floor plan: Hall 1, Hall 2 and the Conference Hall
Halls 1 and 2 sit end to end in one long building along Exposition Drive, with the 30,000 sq ft ballroom at Hall 1's west end. The Conference Hall is under the James H. Woodside Conference Center, with its own dock and its own parking off Eisenhower Drive. Tap a hall for its size, ceiling and doors.
Schematic. Hall widths are proportional to floor area, not an architectural plan. The Conference Hall is in a separate wing. The official site plan and floor plans are on meetgcc.com.
Conference Hall
- 50,000 sq ft
- 250 × 200 ft
- 20–23 ft ceiling
On the Woodside Conference Center side, with its own 15 ft wide, 14 ft high dock door that takes three trucks. Exhibitors park off Eisenhower Drive for events here, not off Exposition Drive.
Exhibit Hall 1
- 125,000 sq ft
- 200 × 600 ft
- 10–22 ft ceiling
The largest single floor, with columns on a 50 × 40 ft grid. Docks 3A, 3B and 4 line the north wall: Dock 3A takes seven trucks through a 14 ft wide, 16 ft 6 in high door. The ballroom connects at the west end through two 14 × 15 ft 10 in drive-in doors.
Exhibit Hall 2
- 105,000 sq ft
- 250 × 400 ft
- 19–22 ft ceiling
East of Hall 1 and the more regular box, with a higher low point. Dock 5 (12 × 16 ft, two trucks), Dock 6 (12 × 14 ft, one truck) and a 38 ft 8 in drive-in door all serve this hall.
280,000sq ft of exhibit space across three halls, plus 60,000 sq ft of meeting and conference space
30,000sq ft ballroom, 250 × 120 ft, 24 ft ceiling · up to 3,000 theater or 1,700 banquet
11,376sq ft Room 202 ABC upstairs in the Woodside Conference Center, 17 ft ceiling, divides into three
Overheadutilities: power, water, drain and phone drop from the ceiling in Halls 1 and 2, not from floor boxes
2,290parking spaces in the zones on the venue's site map · $10, card or mobile pay only
Only at the Greenville Convention Center
Greenville Convention Center history: a hall built for textile machinery
Greenville's exhibition hall began as Textile Hall, the home of the Southern Textile Exposition, and the 1964 building on Pleasantburg Drive was designed for looms and spinning frames. That is why the halls behave like an industrial show floor and not a downtown ballroom building.
- 1915The first Southern Textile Exposition fills a railroad warehouse with 169 exhibitors and more than 40,000 visitors. Greenville builds Textile Hall for $130,000 in 1917
- 1964The new Textile Hall opens on October 12 at today's site. Expansions in 1966, 1969 and 1977 take it to 368,000 sq ft, one of the largest in the country at the time
- 38′8″Width of each of the two drive-in doors into Halls 1 and 2, 16 ft high. Full width needs the center post removed, so ask early
- UnlimitedFloor load, as listed on the building sheet in the 2025 MT Series Southeast exhibitor manual. Heavy machinery is normal here
- 2027The machine-tool show MT Series Southeast returns October 19–21, continuing a run of machinery shows that ended for textiles with the last ATME in 2004
Insider tips
Greenville Convention Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Check the ceiling over your booth
Hall 1's ceiling drops to 10 ft in places, against 19–22 ft in Hall 2. Before you sign off on a tall design, put your booth number on the floor plan and ask show management what is overhead.
Your power comes from above
Utilities in Halls 1 and 2 drop from the ceiling. Mark exactly where the drop should land on your utility order, and plan how cords reach your counter without crossing a walkway.
Order utilities 24 days out
The center is the only utility provider. On its October 2026 sheet a 120V 20-amp outlet is $75 in advance, $100 from 23 days out and $150 from the first move-in day.
Wide loads go through the big doors
Docks 3B, 4 and 6 are only 12 ft wide. Anything oversized should come through a 38 ft 8 in drive-in door, and the full width needs the center post pulled, so tell the contractor before move-in.
Hang from the middle of the hall
Rigging points run only along the main beams down the center of the halls, and Encore does all overhead rigging. If you need a hanging sign, ask for a booth under those beams when you book.
Thirty minutes at the dock
A personal vehicle gets 30 minutes at the dock, then it has to move or risk a tow. Send two people, load the car in order and park in the lot before you start building.
Loading dock & move-in
Greenville Convention Center loading dock and freight
Get directions to Greenville Convention Center →
- Gated docksThe center's security staff runs dock control at the gated docks behind Halls 1 and 2 and behind the Conference Hall. A clear 10 ft aisle must stay open on the dock during move-in and move-out.
- Marshalling on Tower DriveAt the 2025 MT Series Southeast, trucks staged at a marshalling yard on Tower Drive, next to the center. Your kit has the address and call-in rules for your show.
- Personal vehicles: 30 minutesThe center's operating policies give a POV 30 minutes at most to unload before it must move. Cars left longer can be towed at the owner's expense.
- No shipments to the buildingThe center does not accept exhibitor freight. Consign it to the show's general contractor, either to the advance warehouse or direct to show site during move-in.
- Crates go back on the truckDocks must be cleared of crates and exhibit material before the show opens, and dock doors stay closed while attendees are in the hall.
- No air during move-inExhibit halls are heated or cooled on event days only, not during move-in or move-out.
- Day −90Show management sends the center its exhibit floor plan, plus any cooking, hot work or vehicles on display.
- Day −45EAC form due to show management (45 days before installation at the 2025 MT Series Southeast).
- Day −30Contractor's advance warehouse opens for crated freight. Purple ships to Greenville through its carrier network.
- Day −24Last day for advance utility rates. From 23 days out, the center bills its standard rate.
- Day −15Show management's final layout due to the Greenville fire marshal.
- Day 0Center's on-site utility rates start. Trucks called from marshalling to the docks; POVs get 30 minutes.
- Show +1Move-out. Moving out the day after close avoids closing-night overtime.
Labor & building rules
Greenville Convention Center labor rules: what your team can do itself
South Carolina is a right-to-work state. The rules below come from the center's General Operating Policies (effective May 1, 2025), its October 2026 utility rate sheet and the 2025 MT Series Southeast exhibitor manual (Freeman). Your own show kit is the final word.
✓Your own staff
- Build and dismantle your booth: no union labor is required, and contractor display labor is optional
- Supply your own power distribution panel, grounded extension cords, plug strips and cube taps inside your booth (MT Series manual)
- Pre-wire machinery to match the electrician's receptacles to avoid hard-wiring charges
- Unload a personal vehicle at the dock, within 30 minutes
- Use a single battery power station of up to 120V and 1,800 W, after the center inspects it ($50)
●Contractor and building exclusives
- Dock-to-booth freight: the show's general contractor
- Electrical, compressed air, water and internet: the center itself. Center electrician $90 an hour, $135 overtime
- Rigging: Encore, for anything hung or ground-supported overhead. Exceptions include décor and signs up to 25 lb
- Food and beverage, including booth catering and sampling: OVG Hospitality
- Forklifts and lifts: the center has none, so they come from the contractor or a rental vendor
!Watch for
- Freeman's Greenville kit still asks exhibitors to read its "Union Rules and Regulations" page, so check what your show's contractor says
- Rigging points exist only along the main beams through the middle of the halls
- Free food or drink samples need written permission and must be your main product
- Helium balloons need written approval. Heat tape and double-faced tape are banned on permanent carpet
- Tents or covered structures over 120 sq ft need a city permit and a fire marshal inspection
Background photo: "Autodesk University 2009 Exhibit Hall being Setup" by Shaan Hurley, CC BY 2.0 Source
Free tool
Greenville Convention Center drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 at about $105 per hundredweight, a right-to-work, mid-size Southeast rate. The center does not handle freight or publish a rate: your show's general contractor sets the tariff in the show kit. Compare venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$1,575
Cut this with a lighter booth
Artisphere 2009, downtown Greenville
Photo: "Greenville Artisphere 2009" by Tony Crescibene, CC BY 2.0 Source
The calendar
Greenville Convention Center trade shows 2026–2027
Upstate manufacturing shows, outdoor-retail buying shows and big consumer weekends. Dates are the organizers' own; confirm each event with its organizer.
South Carolina Home Show
Home improvement, consumer · 2026
Southeast Winter Expo
Outdoor-industry buying show, 360 Adventure Collective · Hall 1 · 2026
Upstate SC Boat Show
Boats and watercraft, consumer · 2027
South Carolina Great Homeschool Convention
Education vendors, consumer · 2027
MT Series SOUTHEAST
Machine tools and manufacturing technology, SME · 2027
Held here in 2026: the Southeast Design-2-Part Show (September 16–17; 2027 dates not yet posted). Also on the 2026 calendar: the SCACA Coaches Academy (July 24–26) and the 54th SC Numismatic Association convention and coin show (October 28–31). The MT Series Southeast was last held here October 21–23, 2025.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the Greenville Convention Center
Walk
Sleep Inn at Greenville Convention Center
At 231 N Pleasantburg Dr, a few minutes' walk away. There is no hotel attached to the center.
Short drive
I-385, Exit 39
The main cluster of chain hotels sits east of the center near I-385 Exit 39. Book early for big show weeks.
About 3 mi
Downtown Greenville
Main Street hotels, restaurants and Falls Park are a short drive west. Plan a car or rideshare; there is no rail link.
15–20 min
Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)
About 12 miles away in Greer. Greenville Downtown Airport, for private aircraft, borders the center's campus.
Parking
On-site lots
About 2,290 spaces across the zones on the site map. Hall 1 and ballroom events park off Exposition Drive; Woodside events off Eisenhower Drive. Card or mobile pay only.
The building
Five names, one exhibition hall on Pleasantburg Drive
Textile Hall, the Palmetto Expo Center, the Carolina First Center, the TD Convention Center and now the Greenville Convention Center: the building has changed names more often than shape.
- 1917Textile Hall opens on West Washington Street downtown for the second Southern Textile Exposition. It hosts the show until 1962.
- 1964A new Textile Hall opens on October 12 off Pleasantburg Drive. It is expanded in 1966, 1969 and 1977 to 368,000 sq ft.
- 1969The American Textile Machinery Exhibition (ATME) starts here, the largest textile machinery show held in the U.S. to that point.
- 1993The James H. Woodside Conference Center is dedicated, and the building becomes the Palmetto International Exhibition and Convention Center.
- 2001The City of Greenville buys the center from Textile Hall Corporation for $6.75 million.
- 2004ATME holds its final exhibition at the Palmetto Expo Center.
- 2006A $22 million renovation, as the Carolina First Center, upgrades the exhibit and meeting space.
- 2011TD Bank takes over the naming rights after buying Carolina First: the TD Convention Center.
- 2018The naming deal ends and the city renames it the Greenville Convention Center.
- 2023Oak View Group (OVG360 and OVG Hospitality) takes over management and food service.
FAQ
Greenville Convention Center FAQ for exhibitors
Is the Greenville Convention Center the same as the TD Convention Center?
Yes. The Greenville Convention Center was the TD Convention Center from 2011 until TD Bank's naming rights ended in 2018, when the City of Greenville renamed it. Before that it was the Carolina First Center, the Palmetto Expo Center and, from 1964, Textile Hall. It is the same building at 1 Exposition Drive.
Is the Greenville Convention Center union?
No. South Carolina is a right-to-work state, so you do not have to hire union labor to set up your booth. The show's general contractor handles dock-to-booth freight, and some contractor kits still refer to union rules, so read yours.
Can I set up my own booth at the Greenville Convention Center?
In general, yes. We found no Greenville rule that requires contractor labor to build a booth, and contractor display labor is sold as an option. Show rules can add limits, so check your show kit.
Can I do my own electrical work?
Connections to building power come only from the center's own electricians, at $90 an hour on its rate sheet. Inside the booth, the 2025 MT Series Southeast manual let exhibitors bring their own power distribution panel, grounded extension cords, plug strips and cube taps.
Can I unload my own vehicle?
Yes. The center's operating policies give a personal vehicle up to 30 minutes at the dock to unload before it must move. Trucks are handled by the general contractor, usually after a stop at the marshalling yard.
How big are the loading dock and drive-in doors?
Halls 1 and 2 share two drive-in doors 38 ft 8 in wide and 16 ft high; the full width needs the center post removed. Dock 3A is 14 ft wide and 16 ft 6 in high and takes seven trucks. Docks 3B, 4 and 6 are 12 by 14 ft, and Dock 5 is 12 by 16 ft. The Conference Hall has its own 15 by 14 ft dock door.
What is the ceiling height in the exhibit halls?
The venue floor plan lists 10–22 ft in Hall 1, 19–22 ft in Hall 2 and 20–23 ft in the Conference Hall. The ballroom is 24 ft. Show rules are often lower: the 2025 MT Series Southeast capped displays at 16 ft and hanging signs at 18 ft.
How much is drayage at the Greenville Convention Center?
Plan about $105 per hundredweight for crated freight. The center does not handle freight or publish rates; the show's general contractor sets the tariff in its show kit.
How much does parking cost?
Usually $10 a vehicle, card or mobile pay only. Some shows, such as the Southeast Design-2-Part Show, offer free parking to exhibitors and attendees.
Which hotels are near the Greenville Convention Center?
No hotel is attached. The Sleep Inn at Greenville Convention Center on N Pleasantburg Dr is within walking distance, more hotels sit near I-385 Exit 39, and downtown Greenville is about 3 miles away.
Exhibiting in Greenville?
Send us your hall and booth number.
Tell us whether you are in Hall 1, Hall 2 or the Conference Hall, what is coming through the drive-in doors and where your power should drop. Within two business days you get a design your team can build under South Carolina's right-to-work rules, sized for the ceiling over your booth, plus a drayage estimate. Purple ships and installs from New York.
Background photo: "Redemption Fireworks 2009" by Tony Crescibene, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Greenville Convention Center vs other trade-show halls within a day's drive of New York
How the Greenville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville Convention CenterThis guide | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 in the Carolinas and the Southeast
Charlotte Convention CenterCharlotte, NC
Charleston Area Convention CenterNorth Charleston, SC
Raleigh Convention CenterRaleigh, NC
Knoxville Convention CenterKnoxville, TN
Savannah Convention CenterSavannah, GA
BJCCBirmingham, AL
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: Greenville Convention Center (meetgcc.com) site plan and floor plans, Our Story, FAQs, General Operating Policies (effective May 1, 2025), utility rate sheet (October 2026), equipment, labor and services rate sheet and event calendar; MT Series SOUTHEAST 2025 exhibitor manual (SME and Freeman: building details, exhibition rules, fire marshal regulations, cost-saving tips, exhibitor schedule, marshalling yard map); Design-2-Part Shows 2026 Greenville fact sheet; South Carolina Encyclopedia (Textile Hall, Southern Textile Exposition); WSPA, GSA Business Report and GVL Today on the 2018 renaming; South Carolina Code of Laws Title 41, Chapter 7; and organizer sites for the Southeast Winter Expo, Upstate SC Boat Show, Great Homeschool Conventions, SCACA and MT Series SOUTHEAST.