The 26,894 sq ft Grand Ballroom takes about 145–175 booths. LMEA puts its booths in the St. Charles Ballroom on Level 3, and the Churchill on Level 2 was once the Exhibition Center.
Exhibitor guide · New Orleans, LA · Updated
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Exhibitor Guide
Also known as the Hilton Riverside and Hilton Riverside New Orleans; opened in 1977 as The New Orleans Hilton
At the foot of Poydras Street on the Mississippi, the Riverside is the big hotel at the downriver end of the Morial Convention Center. It also runs its own expos: broadband, tissue engineering, ag teachers and music educators book booth halls in its 26,894 sq ft Grand Ballroom, its Level 3 ballrooms or the Churchill, which used to be called the Exhibition Center.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: The Hilton tower above the riverfront at the foot of Poydras Street. Photo by dbking, CC BY 2.0. Source
- 26,894sq ft Grand Ballroom, the largest room
- 18 ftGrand Ballroom ceiling · the Grand Salon is 12 ft
- 145–175exhibit booths in the Grand Ballroom, per the hotel's chart
- 130,000+sq ft of event space on three meeting levels
- 1,622guest rooms in a 29-floor tower
- 0.4 mito the Morial Convention Center halls, about 10 minutes
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Louisiana is right-to-work, and New Orleans contractor rules let full-time employees set their own exhibits. Your show kit has the final word.
GES did not accept direct-to-site shipments at the hotel for a 2025 show; everything went to its New Orleans warehouse. Ship to the address in your kit.
The Morial's halls are about 0.4 mile away, roughly a 10-minute walk. The Hilton has its own ballrooms, contractor and rules, and an enclosed walkway to the Riverwalk outlets.
Only at the Hilton Riverside
Hilton New Orleans Riverside and the Morial Convention Center: the hotel at the river end
The Morial runs about 11 blocks up the river, and the Hilton sits past its downriver end at the foot of Poydras Street. That makes it two things: the headquarters hotel for big center shows, and a separate expo venue whose own shows never touch the center's halls or rules.
- 0.4 mito the convention center halls, about 10 minutes on foot, per a 2025 headquarters-hotel page. Far halls upriver are much longer walks.
- HQ hotelFor center shows such as AMS 2025 and WEFTEC 2026 the Hilton was the headquarters hotel, not an exhibit hall. Check which building your booth is in.
- RiverwalkAn enclosed walkway links the hotel to the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk. One 2027 organizer says the walk to the center can be done indoors through the mall; walk the route before you rely on it with carts.
- Own rulesHotel expos order power and AV from Encore and freight from the show's contractor. The center's in-house electricians and exclusives do not carry over.
- 1977The hotel opened eight years before the first convention center building, which went up for the 1984 World's Fair.
Showing in the halls instead? See our Ernest N. Morial Convention Center guide, and for the other big ballroom hotel downtown, our Hyatt Regency New Orleans guide.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near Hilton New Orleans Riverside
The Hilton is its own show hotel, with 1,622 rooms above the ballrooms, now finishing a guestroom renovation. The Four Seasons, Harrah's and the Warehouse District hotels are all within about 0.3 mile, and the convention center's downriver end is about a quarter mile south.
| Map number | Hotel | Rooms | Link to the Hilton | Straight-line | Walk (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | Hilton New Orleans Riverside29 floors, opened 1977, meeting space on Levels 1–3 · this hotel | 1,622 | Same hotel | On site | — |
| 1 | Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans2 Canal St | — | Not stated | 0.11 mi600 ft | ≈ 3 min |
| 2 | Harrah's Hotel New Orleans (Caesars New Orleans)228 Poydras St | — | Not stated | 0.14 mi720 ft | ≈ 4 min |
| 3 | Le Méridien New Orleans333 Poydras St | — | Not stated | 0.21 mi1,110 ft | ≈ 5 min |
| 4 | Renaissance New Orleans Arts Warehouse District Hotel700 Tchoupitoulas St | — | Not stated | 0.23 mi1,200 ft | ≈ 6 min |
| 5 | The Windsor Court Hotel300 Gravier St | — | Not stated | 0.23 mi1,200 ft | ≈ 6 min |
| 6 | Embassy Suites New Orleans Convention Center315 Julia St | — | Not stated | 0.23 mi1,210 ft | ≈ 6 min |
| 7 | New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District859 Convention Center Blvd | — | Not stated | 0.25 mi1,320 ft | ≈ 7 min |
| 8 | The Westin New Orleans (Canal Place)100 Iberville St | — | Not stated | 0.29 mi1,510 ft | ≈ 7 min |
| C | Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (downriver end)Reference point, not a hotel · 900 Convention Center Blvd | — | Reference only | 0.23 mi1,210 ft, to the north end | ≈ 6 min |
Hotel venue: row H is the Hilton itself; the numbered rows are other full-service hotels within about 0.3 mile, closest first; row C is the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, shown only as a reference point. Distance: straight line from the Hilton's map point; the convention center point is the downriver end of a building about 11 blocks long (its middle is about 0.54 mile away), and an AMS 2025 hotel page gives about 0.4 mile, 10 minutes, to the halls. Walk: an estimate, straight-line, at 20 minutes a mile plus 30% for streets; not a measured route. Link: the Hilton's enclosed walkway goes to the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, not into the convention center; "Not stated" means we found no source for a covered or direct link. Rooms: Meetings Today (the Hilton); "—" where we found no primary source.
On site
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
1,622 rooms in a 29-floor tower on the river, with the meeting levels below.
~0.4 mi · 10 min
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Not connected. See our Morial guide for its halls, docks and rules.
Enclosed walkway
Outlet Collection at Riverwalk
The mall along the river, linked to the hotel indoors. Handy for lunch on build days.
~0.8 mi
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
The other big ballroom hotel downtown. See our Hyatt Regency New Orleans guide.
~25 min
New Orleans International (MSY)
About 25 minutes by car, per the hotel and show pages.
Ballrooms & meeting levels
Hilton New Orleans Riverside floor plan: Grand Ballroom, Churchill and St. Charles
The meeting space is stacked on three levels. Level 1 has the two biggest rooms, the Grand Ballroom and the Grand Salon, across from each other. Level 2 is the Churchill, the old Exhibition Center. Level 3 holds the St. Charles, St. James and Jefferson ballrooms. The diagram stacks the levels and draws each room's height to its ceiling where the hotel publishes one.
- 18 ft ceiling, Grand Ballroom
- Ceiling not published
Schematic, not to scale: levels are stacked, but rooms are not drawn where they sit. Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon sizes from the hotel's 2017 floor-plan and capacity chart; levels from Meetings Today (2017) and the LMEA 2027 Level 3 plan. Official floor plans and CAD files come from the hotel's event team or your show's contractor.
Recent and upcoming show floor plans
Official floor plans from an organizer that runs its exhibits in the hotel. Every show draws its own layout, aisles and booth numbers, so use these to see how a real show fills the rooms, then work from your own show's plan.
- Upcoming · Jan 15–18, 2027LMEA Professional Development Conference 2027St. Charles Ballroom, Level 3Music education; exhibitor floor plan PDF
- Recent · Jan 17–20, 2026LMEA Professional Development Conference 2026Exhibit area mapMusic education; exhibitor letter with map PDF
Links go to the organizer's files and open outside this site. Checked October 28, 2026; plans change as booths sell.
| Room | Level | Floor area | Size | Ceiling | Booths (2017 chart) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Ballroom | 1 | 26,894 sq ft | 113′ × 238′ | 18 ft | about 145–175 |
| Grand Ballroom sections A–D | 1 | 6,611–6,780 sq ft each | 113′ × 58–60′ | 18 ft | about 28–40 each |
| Grand Salon | 1 | 24,139 sq ft | 101′ × 239′ | 12 ft | about 125–140 |
| Churchill | 2 | about 20,856 sq ft (Hilton listing) | — | — | — |
| St. Charles Ballroom | 3 | — | — | — | LMEA booth hall |
The 2017 chart gives two booth counts per room, one per booth size, which is why the table shows a range. Hilton lists 137,923 sq ft of event space in 55 rooms; Meetings Today said "more than 130,000 sq ft" after the 2017 renovation, when the Churchill was set up to work as one room or seven spaces. Dock bays, freight elevators and floor loads are not published.
3,000theater seats in the Grand Ballroom, 2,200 at banquet
7spaces the Churchill splits into, or one large room
24numbered sections in the Grand Salon
2017$6 million refit of the Grand Ballroom, Grand Salon and Churchill
Freight & move-in
Hilton New Orleans Riverside loading dock and freight
Get directions to Hilton New Orleans Riverside →
- No direct shipments"Direct to exhibit site shipments will not be accepted at the facility," said GES for a June 2025 show at the hotel. Freight goes to the contractor's New Orleans warehouse first.
- Warehouse size limitThat warehouse took pieces up to 104 in high by 96 by 96 in and 3,000 lbs. Bigger crates need a plan with your contractor before you ship.
- Short move-in windowsThe same 2025 show had a 1:00–4:30 p.m. move-in and carriers checked in by 3 p.m. on move-out. Hotel shows run tight; read your kit's times.
- Carpeted roomsGES noted that the facility is carpeted, and standard booths came with 8 ft back drape and 3 ft side rails.
- Dock details not publishedLMEA's plan points exhibitors to the 5th-floor parking garage and loading docks. Bay counts, door sizes and freight elevator sizes are not published, so ask the hotel before you build large pieces.
- Day −60Find out your room: Grand Ballroom (18 ft), Grand Salon (12 ft), Churchill or Level 3. Then size the booth.
- Day −45Check your crate sizes against the warehouse limit in your kit.
- Day −30Order power, AV and internet through the hotel's Encore EventNow site.
- Day −21Purple ships to New Orleans through our carrier network, to the contractor's advance warehouse.
- Day −14Warehouse cutoff in your kit. Nothing goes to the hotel direct.
- Day 0Move-in: your full-time staff can start building as soon as freight reaches the booth.
Labor & rules
Hilton New Orleans Riverside labor rules: what your team can do itself
Louisiana is a right-to-work state. Freeman's New Orleans labor rules say full-time employees of exhibiting companies may set their own exhibits without help from the local. Freight still goes through the show's contractor, and power and AV are Encore orders. The hotel publishes no exhibitor rules of its own, so your show kit is the final word.
✓Your own crew
- Set up and take down your booth with full-time employees
- Standard 10 × 10 or 8 × 10 ft booths with drape, on a carpeted floor
- Your own I&D company: check your show kit
●Exclusives and contractors
- Encore: power, AV and technology, ordered through EventNow
- The show's contractor (GES at OPEN MINDS 2025): freight, furnishings and extra labor
- Hotel catering: food and drink in the hall
!Watch for
- Direct shipments to the hotel
- Crates over the warehouse size limit
- Tall booths in the 12 ft Grand Salon
- Late carriers on move-out day
Free tool · plan your New Orleans budget
Hilton New Orleans Riverside drayage and show budget estimator
Pick a booth size and type to get planning numbers for shipping weight, drayage at about $155 per hundredweight, the same New Orleans planning rate as our Morial guide next door, and installation and dismantling (I&D) labor. Every number is a Purple planning estimate, not a quote: the hotel publishes no drayage or labor rate, and your contractor's show kit carries the actual tariff. Louisiana is right-to-work. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
The fields below fill in from size and type. Change any of them.
Purple planning estimate · not a quote
Drayage + I&D labor, Hilton New Orleans Riverside
$5,000 – $8,590- Shipping weight planning estimate
- 1,800 lbs
- Drayage planning estimate
- $2,790
- I&D labor hours planning estimate
- 16 – 28 hrs
- I&D labor planning estimate
- $2,210 – $5,800
18 cwt at $155 per 100 lbs. Labor at $138–$207 per hour, straight time.
Get a real New Orleans quoteHow these planning numbers work
- Shipping weight: about 6 lbs per sq ft for a rental booth, 9 for custom or hybrid, 12 for fully custom, crated, with graphics and furniture.
- Drayage: $155 per 100 lbs (cwt), Purple's New Orleans planning rate, with a 200 lb minimum. Loose or pad-wrapped freight adds 30%.
- I&D labor hours: install plus dismantle, 0.06–0.10 person-hours per sq ft for rental, 0.08–0.14 for custom or hybrid, 0.12–0.20 for fully custom.
- Labor rate: $138–$207 per person-hour, straight time, a planning range from published 2026 show labor rates elsewhere. No hotel rate is published, and overtime costs more.
- Own staff: Louisiana is right-to-work, and New Orleans contractor rules let full-time employees set their own exhibits. If your staff does it all, I&D labor drops to $0.
- Not included: booth space, the exhibit itself, freight to New Orleans, power and internet orders, rigging, travel and tax.
At the Hilton Riverside: power, AV and internet come from Encore and are extra. Hotel expos here often have afternoon move-ins and one or two exhibit days, so most of the labor falls in the short windows in your kit.
The calendar
Hilton New Orleans Riverside events 2026–2027: trade shows
Tissue engineering, broadband, agricultural education, music education, healthcare facilities, post-acute nursing and facility management all run their own exhibits inside the hotel. Confirm dates, room and contractor with each organizer.
TERMIS-AM Annual Conference
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · organized by TERMIS-Americas · exhibits · 2026
Broadband Nation Expo
Internet providers and fiber · organized by Questex · expo hall, with the Data Center Excellence Summit · 2026
NAAE Convention
Agricultural educators · organized by the National Association of Agricultural Educators · partner exhibit tables · 2026
LMEA Professional Development Conference
Music education · organized by the Louisiana Music Educators Association · booths in the St. Charles Ballroom · 2027
ACE Summit and Reverse Expo
Healthcare facilities, capital equipment and construction suppliers · organized by Bluegrass Business Media · Reverse Expo and PDC Expo booths · 2027
AAPACN Conference
Post-acute care nursing · organized by AAPACN · solution-provider program · 2027
IFMA Facility Fusion Conference & Expo
Facility managers and workplace suppliers · organized by IFMA · expo in the Grand Ballroom, conference to Apr 29 · 2027
Dates and venue from each organizer, checked October 29, 2026: TERMIS-AM, Broadband Nation Expo, NAAE, ACE Summit and Facility Fusion; the hotel's Encore ordering site also lists TERMIS-AM and Broadband Nation Expo. Also at the hotel this November: the LNHA Convention & Trade Show (Nov 11–13, 2026) and the NCHC Annual Conference (Nov 11–14, 2026). The AALS Annual Meeting put all its booths in the Grand Ballroom when it met here in January 2026.
The building
From The New Orleans Hilton to the Hilton Riverside
The hotel opened on the river in 1977, years before the convention center grew up beside it. Park Hotels & Resorts owns it, and Hilton runs it.
- 1977The New Orleans Hilton opens on August 15 at the foot of Poydras Street; a Winston Churchill statue is donated the same year.
- 1984The World's Fair brings the first convention center building upriver.
- 2005During Hurricane Katrina the hotel reportedly shelters up to 5,000 people before it is evacuated.
- 2017A $6 million refit renews the Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon, and the Exhibition Center becomes the Churchill.
- 2026The hotel is the headquarters hotel for WEFTEC at the convention center, while its own ballrooms host Broadband Nation Expo.
Insider tips
Hilton New Orleans Riverside exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Ask "Ballroom or Salon?"
The Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon are almost the same size, but the Salon's ceiling is 12 ft against 18 ft. A tall back wall that fits one may not fit the other.
Confirm the building first
The Hilton is headquarters hotel for big Morial shows. If your kit says "Hilton", check whether that means your booth or only the hotel block.
Measure crates against the warehouse
A 2025 GES show here capped warehouse pieces at 104 in high and 3,000 lbs, and took no direct shipments. Oversized crates need a plan early.
Order power from Encore
Power, AV and internet are Encore orders through the hotel's EventNow site, separate from the contractor's kit. Put both on your checklist.
Plan the garage route
LMEA sends exhibitors through the 5th-floor parking garage and loading docks for Level 3. Ask your show for the route and timed slots before your van arrives.
Watch the Morial calendar
When a big center show uses the Hilton as headquarters, rooms, elevators and the garage fill up. Book crew rooms early and keep move-in tight.
FAQ
Hilton New Orleans Riverside FAQ for exhibitors
Where are trade shows held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside?
In the 26,894 sq ft Grand Ballroom on Level 1, the Churchill on Level 2 (the former Exhibition Center) or the St. Charles Ballroom on Level 3, where LMEA holds its exhibits.
What is the ceiling height in the Grand Ballroom?
18 ft, per the hotel's 2017 capacity chart. The Grand Salon across from it is 12 ft. Ceilings for the Churchill and Level 3 rooms are not published, so ask the hotel.
How many booths fit in the Grand Ballroom?
About 145–175, depending on booth size, per the hotel's 2017 chart. Each of the four sections takes about 28–40.
Is the Hilton Riverside connected to the convention center?
Not directly. The Morial's halls are about 0.4 mile away, roughly a 10-minute walk. The hotel's enclosed walkway goes to the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and ABAI's 2027 page says you can walk to the center indoors through the Riverwalk.
Is labor union at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside?
Louisiana is right-to-work, and New Orleans contractor rules let full-time employees set their own exhibits. Check your show kit for its rules.
Can I ship directly to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside?
Plan not to. GES did not accept direct-to-site shipments for a 2025 show at the hotel; ship to the contractor's advance warehouse in your kit.
Who provides power and internet?
Encore, ordered through the hotel's Encore EventNow site.
How much is drayage at the Hilton Riverside?
Plan about $155 per hundredweight for crated freight, the same planning rate as our Morial guide. The hotel publishes no rate; your contractor's show kit carries the actual tariff.
Where should exhibitors park?
In the hotel garage. Rates vary, and some shows set their own rate, so check your show's hotel page.
What is the address of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, and how far is the airport?
Two Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, on the river at the foot of Poydras Street (IFMA venue page). New Orleans International (MSY) is about 25 minutes by car, and a taxi to the Central Business District is a flat $36 for up to two people.
Where is the loading dock at the Hilton Riverside?
The hotel does not publish dock bays, door sizes or freight elevator sizes. LMEA's 2027 plan sends Level 3 exhibitors through the 5th-floor parking garage and loading docks, so ask your show for the route and a timed slot.
Is my show at the Hilton Riverside or at the Morial Convention Center?
Check your kit. Big center shows use the Hilton as headquarters hotel, such as WEFTEC 2026 and ABAI 2027, with booths in the Morial halls. Shows like Facility Fusion 2027 put the whole expo in the Hilton's Grand Ballroom.
What trade shows are at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in 2026 and 2027?
Seven with exhibits so far: TERMIS-AM and Broadband Nation Expo in November 2026, NAAE in December, LMEA in January 2027, the ACE Summit in February, AAPACN in April and IFMA's Facility Fusion on April 27–28, 2027. See the calendar above.
Can I print signs or ship boxes at the hotel?
Yes. A FedEx Office at the Hilton Riverside prints signs, banners and posters and ships packages up to 150 lb. Hours change with the event schedule, so call ahead.
Exhibiting at the Hilton Riverside?
Ballroom, Salon or Level 3?
Tell us your room, booth size and move-in window. Within two business days you get a design that fits an 18 ft or a 12 ft ceiling, crates sized for the warehouse limit, a drayage estimate at New Orleans rates and a right-to-work plan for your own crew.
Compare venues
Hilton New Orleans Riverside vs other major U.S. convention centers
How the Hilton New Orleans Riverside stacks up against other big-city halls we have guides for. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton New Orleans RiversideThis guide | Hotel ballrooms | 26,894 sq ft Grand Ballroom | 18 ft Grand Ballroom · 12 ft Grand Salon | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $155/cwt | MSY · ~25 min |
| 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 |
| Austin Convention CenterAustin | Convention center (closed, rebuilding) | Closed · 620,000 sq ft rentable from 2029 | — | Right-to-work · venue closed | ≈ $100/cwt | AUS · ~5 mi |
| Boston Convention & Exhibition CenterBoston | 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 |
| 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 |
| Colorado Convention CenterDenver | Convention center | 584,000 sq ft on one level, Halls A–F | 30 ft to low steel | IATSE 7 · 60-min rule | ≈ $160/cwt | DEN · 30–40 min |
| Ernest N. Morial Convention CenterNew Orleans | Convention center | 127,364 sq ft Hall E · 1.1M sq ft in all | — | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MSY · 25–30 min |
| Fontainebleau Las VegasLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 105,264 sq ft Royal Ballroom | 28 ft 10 in | Union · check kit | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · 4.3 mi |
| Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention CenterChula Vista | Resort ballrooms | 140,049 sq ft California Exhibit Hall | 34 ft hall · 27–28 ft ballrooms | Check show kit | ≈ $176/cwt | SAN · ~10–12 mi |
| George R. Brown Convention CenterHouston | Convention center | 547,730 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–E | 35 ft (Level 1) · 30 ft (Level 3) | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $95/cwt | HOU · ~9 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 |
| Hilton AnatoleDallas | Hotel ballrooms | 73,000–75,900 sq ft Trinity Exhibit Hall | 18 ft hall · 28–29 ft ballrooms | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $100/cwt | DAL · ~4 mi |
| Hilton OrlandoOrlando | Hotel ballrooms | 48,167 sq ft Orlando Ballroom | 26 ft Orlando · 24 ft Orange · 18 ft Florida | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 11 mi |
| 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 |
| Hyatt Regency OrlandoOrlando | Hotel ballrooms | 54,638 sq ft Regency Ballroom | 31 ft Regency (listed) · 21 ft Plaza | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 mi |
| Indiana Convention CenterIndianapolis | Convention center | 566,600 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–K | 35 ft | Union · own staff OK | ≈ $135/cwt | IND · ~15 min |
| Iowa Events CenterDes Moines | Convention center | 150,000 sq ft contiguous, EMC Expo Center Halls A–C | 35 ft (Halls B–C) | Right-to-work | ≈ $100/cwt | DSM · ~10 min |
| 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 |
| Kansas City Convention CenterKansas City | Convention center | 388,800 sq ft column-free, Bartle Hall A–E | 33 ft A–C · 42 ft D–E | IATSE 31 · check kit | ≈ $145/cwt | MCI · ~19 mi |
| Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center DallasDallas | Convention center | 304,250 sq ft open in Halls A–C (2026) | 35 ft (A, B) · 31–37 ft (C) | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $100/cwt | DAL · ~6 mi |
| Los Angeles Convention CenterLos Angeles | Convention center | 346,890 sq ft South Hall G–K | 40 ft South · 36 ft West | Union · check kit | ≈ $175/cwt | LAX · ~20 mi |
| Manchester Grand Hyatt San DiegoSan Diego | Hotel ballrooms | 34,000 sq ft Grand Hall | ~14 ft Grand Hall · 18–21 ft ballrooms | Union dock · check kit | ≈ $176/cwt | SAN · 3 mi |
| Marriott Marquis San Diego MarinaSan Diego | Hotel ballrooms | 35,631 sq ft Marriott Grand and Pacific ballrooms | 26 ft Grand · 16 ft Pacific | Union · check kit | ≈ $176/cwt | SAN · 3 mi |
| 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 |
| Miami Beach Convention CenterMiami Beach | Convention center | 491,654 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–D | — | Union · IATSE/IBEW · check kit | ≈ $170/cwt | MIA · ~12 mi |
| 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 |
| Oklahoma City Convention CenterOklahoma City | Convention center | 200,730 sq ft continuous, up to 4 halls | 30 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $105/cwt | OKC · ~9–10 mi |
| Orange County Convention CenterOrlando | Convention center | 1,103,538 sq ft West Building | 30–40 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 mi |
| Oregon Convention CenterPortland | Convention center | 255,000 sq ft Halls A–E | 30 ft | Union · check kit | ≈ $150/cwt | PDX · MAX ~30 min |
| Phoenix Convention CenterPhoenix | Convention center | 312,500 sq ft contiguous, lower Halls 1–6 | 32 ft lower · 35 ft upper | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $140/cwt | PHX · ~3 mi |
| Reliant CenterHouston | Convention center | 706,000+ sq ft on one level, Halls A–E | 25–60 ft · avg 30 ft | Right-to-work · check kit | ≈ $116/cwt | HOU · ~8 mi |
| Rosen Centre HotelOrlando | Hotel ballrooms | 35,000 sq ft Grand Ballroom | 25 ft Grand · 22 ft Executive, Junior | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 min |
| 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 |
| San Jose McEnery Convention CenterSan Jose | Convention center | 143,000 sq ft Halls 1–3 | 32 ft | Union · 30 min / 10 ft rule | ≈ $160/cwt | SJC · 4 mi |
| Santa Clara Convention CenterSanta Clara | Convention center | 90,014 sq ft Halls A–D | 28 ft 6 in | Union · check kit | ≈ $160/cwt | SJC · 5–6 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 |
| Sheraton Grand Chicago RiverwalkChicago | Hotel ballrooms | 40,003 sq ft ballroom · 35,000 sq ft Riverwalk hall | 22 ft ballroom · 10 ft 6 in hall | Union · pop-ups ≤ 10×10 | ≈ $225/cwt | MDW · 13 mi |
| Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet CreekOrlando | Resort ballrooms | 35,925 sq ft Bonnet Creek Ballroom | 20 ft Bonnet Creek · 18 ft Waterside, Floridian | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 19 mi |
| Walt Disney World Swan and DolphinLake Buena Vista | Resort ballrooms | 110,500 sq ft Atlantic + Pacific halls | 30 ft Atlantic · 25′8″ Pacific | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · ~20 min |
| Walter E. Washington Convention CenterWashington | Convention center | 473,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–C | 30 ft (A–C) · up to 52 ft (D–E) | Union · check kit | ≈ $175/cwt | DCA · ~4 mi |
Nearby guides
Other New Orleans and Louisiana venues
Ernest N. Morial Convention CenterNext door · ~0.4 mi
Hyatt Regency New OrleansNew Orleans, LA
Raising Cane's River CenterBaton Rouge, LA
Cajundome Convention CenterLafayette, LA
Shreveport Convention CenterShreveport, LA
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Purple ships to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and coordinates crews and freight for New Orleans installs. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: the hotel's 2017 floor-plan and capacity chart, Hilton, Meetings Today, Lodging Magazine, Wikipedia, GES and Freeman show documents, the Morial Convention Center's exhibitor services page, Encore EventNow, OpenStreetMap, New Orleans & Company, the MSY airport taxi page, FedEx Office, the AMS, WEF and ABAI meeting pages, and organizer sites for TERMIS, Questex (Broadband Nation Expo), NAAE, LMEA, ACE Summit, AAPACN, IFMA (Facility Fusion), LNHA, NCHC and AALS.