Exhibitor guide · Chicago, Illinois
McCormick Place: the exhibitor's guide
2.6 million square feet on the lakefront, the largest convention center in North America, rebuilt once after a fire that changed fire codes nationwide, and reformed once after exhibitors said the labor rules had gone too far. What the 2010 reforms actually changed, and what still costs money.
McCormick Place · 2301 S King DrWhy this page exists
McCormick Place carries two reputations at once: the largest convention center in North America, and for decades, the most expensive city in the country to exhibit in. Both are still mostly true, but the second one is less true than it used to be. In 2010, after years of exhibitors and organizers threatening to leave Chicago for Orlando and Las Vegas, the state passed the MPEA Reform Act, and the unions renegotiated. Exhibitors can now use their own tools and ladders to build a booth of any size, something that was flatly against the rules for decades. Teamsters still own material handling. Knowing exactly where the line moved, and where it didn't, is the difference between a normal show and a shock on the bill.
This guide covers the four buildings and how they connect, what the 2010 reforms actually changed and what they didn't, drayage that is still among the highest in the country, a freight countdown, the shows that make Chicago the country's busiest trade show calendar, hotels downtown and on-campus, and the history of a lakefront hall that burned down in 1967 and came back as a Mies-influenced landmark.
The building
The four buildings
McCormick Place is really four connected convention centers on one campus south of the Loop, linked by enclosed pedestrian bridges over King Drive and the Metra tracks. Which building your show is in changes everything from parking to your hotel choice.
| Building | What it is | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Building | About 700,000 sq ft of exhibit space, opened 1986. | Large single-hall shows, portions of citywide shows | Docks on the north side; often the first hall filled for a citywide show. |
| South Building | About 840,000 sq ft across two levels, opened 1997. | IMTS, PACK EXPO, large citywides | Two-level docks; confirm which level your hall is on before designing freight flow. |
| West Building | About 470,000 sq ft, opened 2007, connected to the South Building by a pedestrian bridge over King Drive and to the hotels by an enclosed walkway. | Citywide overflow, meetings-heavy shows | The walkway to the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place makes this the building for shows that lean on headquarter-hotel foot traffic. |
| Lakeside Center (formerly East Building) | 583,000 sq ft rebuilt after the 1967 fire, reopened 1971, home to the 4,249-seat Arie Crown Theater. | Keynotes, general sessions, shows that want lake views | The most architecturally distinct building; glass curtain wall on the lake side, worth the walk for a sponsor reception. |
| Skyline connections | Enclosed bridges and walkways link all four buildings plus the headquarter hotels, so attendees move between them without going outside. | All citywide shows | Freight does not share these walkways; each building has its own dock and marshaling plan. |
Building areas from McCormick Place's published campus overview; individual figures marked verify are being confirmed with event services.
The labor map
Who sets up my booth? The 2010 reforms
For decades, McCormick Place had some of the strictest labor rules of any U.S. convention center: exhibitors could not touch a screwdriver, and any tool use, at any booth size, was union-only. The 2010 MPEA Reform Act, passed after years of exhibitors threatening to leave for Orlando and Las Vegas, changed the tool rule. It did not touch freight.
| Task | Who does it after the 2010 reforms | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Booth assembly, any size | Your full-time staff, with your own tools and ladders | Before 2010, tool use was union-only regardless of booth size. This was the reform's headline change. |
| Freight to and from the booth | Teamsters, billed as material handling (drayage) | Unchanged. Everything beyond hand-carry still moves through Teamster-handled drayage. |
| Hand-carried material | Your staff: small cartons or a laptop under 30 lbs, no cart or wheeled item | Unchanged, same definition used across most Northeast and Midwest union cities. |
| Uncrating and positioning machinery | Riggers | Unchanged. Riggers still uncrate, position and re-skid machinery and heavy equipment. |
| Electrical work | IBEW electricians | Unchanged. Power drops, lit signs and equipment hookups remain electrician-only. |
Tools are yours now
A 20×20 or a 40×40 built entirely by your own staff with your own drills and ladders is legal at McCormick Place today. It was not before 2010.
Drayage is still Teamsters
The reform targeted tool use, not who moves your freight. Material handling from the dock to the booth is still union work, still billed by weight.
Under 30 pounds, no wheels
The same national-standard definition: small cartons or a laptop, one trip, no dolly or hand truck.
Exhibitor-appointed contractors
Purple files the EAC form and certificate of insurance by the show deadline and supervises the crew whether the job is self-install or union-built.
History
The fire and the rebuild
McCormick Place burned to the ground in 1967, four decades after a newspaper publisher first pitched it, and came back as one of the last true examples of Mies van der Rohe's Chicago school.
Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, begins championing a purpose-built lakeside convention center for Chicago, a campaign that takes three decades to reach groundbreaking.
Ground breaks on a $35 million facility, designed by Alfred Shaw, one of the architects of the Merchandise Mart. It opens in November 1960, five years after McCormick's death, and includes the Arie Crown Theater, designed by Edward Durell Stone and seating nearly 5,000, then the second-largest theater in Chicago.
On the night of January 16, an electrical fire starts in one of 1,236 exhibitor booths. With no sprinklers on the main floor and several hydrants shut off, the blaze destroys the building and kills security guard Kenneth Goodman. The investigation, led by fire protection engineer Rolf H. Jensen, reshapes building and fire codes worldwide.
Mayor Richard J. Daley rebuilds on the same foundations rather than relocating. The new East Building, designed by Gene Summers of C. F. Murphy and Associates, formerly of Mies van der Rohe's office, opens January 3 in dark steel and glass, one of the last true examples of the International Style in Chicago.
The North, South and West Buildings open in stages, growing the campus to 2.6 million square feet and making McCormick Place the largest convention center in North America. The East Building is renamed the Lakeside Center.
After years of organizers and exhibitors citing Chicago's labor rules as the reason shows were leaving for Orlando and Las Vegas, Illinois passes the MPEA Reform Act. Unions and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority renegotiate, and exhibitors gain the right to assemble booths of any size with their own tools.
McCormick Place runs the busiest trade show calendar in the country, anchored by the Chicago Auto Show, the Inspired Home Show, the National Restaurant Association Show, IMTS and PACK EXPO, with a labor structure that is friendlier than its reputation but still built around Teamster-handled freight.
Rules of the floor
Rules of the floor
Union building, exhibitor tools allowed
Since 2010, full-time staff may build any size booth with their own tools. Freight and machinery remain Teamster and rigger work.
Still among the highest in the country
Planning rates run about $210 per hundredweight with a 200 lb minimum and surcharges for uncrated, off-target and special-handling freight. Lower than before 2010, still near the top nationally.
Building-specific docks
Each of the four buildings has its own dock and marshaling plan; carriers are routed by building, not campus-wide.
Under 30 pounds, no wheels
One person, one trip, no dolly or hand truck.
Chicago Fire Department, post-1967
Covered and multilevel exhibits need plan review; flame-certified fabrics are non-negotiable in a building whose codes exist partly because of its own fire. Purple prepares the package.
Center-exclusive services
Electrical, rigging, internet, cleaning and catering are exclusive to McCormick Place or its designated providers; the show kit carries the current list. Order by the deadline.
Lake-effect and winter shows
Several of the largest shows run November through March; ship a day early for Chicago winter weather.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on unpack; MHA before leaving or freight goes to forced routing. Purple routes the booth back to storage or on to your next show.
Free tool
McCormick Place drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 and 2027; your show's exhibitor kit has the tariff. All-venue comparison and a glossary on the drayage rates page.
How Purple keeps McCormick Place drayage down: aluminum frame systems instead of wood, one consolidated shipment from our Midwest carrier, crated everything, and advance warehouse on time. Because your own staff can now assemble the booth, labor savings on the install side can offset some of what drayage still costs.
Deadlines
Freight countdown for a McCormick Place show
The calendar
Shows at McCormick Place, 2026–2027
McCormick Place runs the busiest trade show calendar of any U.S. venue. These are the shows exhibitors ask Purple about most.
| Show | Next dates | Industry | Attendance | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Auto Show | February 13–21, 2027 | Automotive | 1,000,000 | Custom exhibits |
| The Inspired Home Show | March 9–11, 2027 | Housewares and home goods | 50,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| National Restaurant Association Show | May 22–25, 2027 | Foodservice | 55,000 | Custom exhibits |
| IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) | September 14–19, 2026 | Manufacturing technology | 129,000 | Custom exhibits |
| PACK EXPO International | October 18–21, 2026 | Packaging and processing | 50,000 | Custom exhibits |
| RSNA Annual Meeting | November 29 – December 3, 2026 | Radiology and medical imaging | 45,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| ProMat | April 19–21, 2027 | Material handling and logistics | 45,000 | 10×20 rentals |
Attendance is the organizer's or trade press figure, rounded; the Auto Show figure is total public attendance. Dates from organizer sites in 2026; confirm before booking. IMTS and PACK EXPO International both run in even-numbered years.
Logistics
Hotels, transit, crew logistics
- Airports: Midway is about 20 minutes; O'Hare is about 30 to 45 depending on traffic. Both serve McCormick Place well; Midway is often the better price.
- By transit: the Metra Electric line stops directly at the McCormick Place station; CTA buses connect from the Loop.
- By car: Lake Shore Drive and I-55 both reach the campus directly; on-site parking is extensive but fills for citywide shows.
- Freight: each building has its own dock; address freight with building, hall and booth number.
- Crew: Purple coordinates Midwest crews and ships via regional carrier for McCormick Place shows.
| Hotel | Distance | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Regency McCormick Place | Connected by skywalk | On-campus; skip the commute entirely. |
| Marriott Marquis Chicago | Connected by skywalk | The other on-campus tower, large room blocks. |
| Hilton Chicago | 10-min drive | The city's largest total meeting space in a hotel. Venue guide. |
| Hyatt Regency Chicago (downtown) | 15-min drive | Downtown Loop access for staff and client meetings. Venue guide. |
The city
Chicago in pictures
Resources
Free resources you can link to
Cite the numbers
One-page cheat sheet
The 2010 reforms, both buildings' docks, deadlines.
Related on purpleexhibits.com: Custom trade show booth design · Trade show booth rentals · Request a quote.
Questions
McCormick Place FAQ
Can I set up my own booth at McCormick Place?
Yes, any size, with your own tools and ladders, using full-time employees of your company. This has been true since the 2010 MPEA Reform Act; before that, tool use was union-only regardless of booth size.
Did the 2010 reforms change drayage too?
No. The reforms targeted booth assembly and tool use. Material handling from the dock to the booth is still Teamster work, billed by weight, exactly as before.
What can I hand-carry into the building?
Small cartons or a laptop under 30 pounds, one person, one trip, no dolly or hand truck. Everything else goes through the dock as drayage.
How much is drayage at McCormick Place?
Purple's planning estimate is about $210 per hundredweight in 2026 and 2027, with a 200-pound minimum and surcharges of 25 to 35 percent for late, off-target, uncrated or special-handling freight. Lower than before the reforms, still among the highest in the country.
How big is McCormick Place?
2.6 million square feet of exhibit space across four connected buildings, with 1.2 million square feet on a single level, more single-level contiguous space than any other U.S. venue.
Which building will my show be in?
Depends on the show; citywide events like the Auto Show and IMTS use multiple buildings. Check your exhibitor kit for the hall assignment before planning freight or hotels.
Which airport should I use?
Midway is about 20 minutes and often cheaper. O'Hare is about 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic and has more international routes.
Is there a hotel attached to McCormick Place?
Yes, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the Marriott Marquis Chicago both connect to the campus by enclosed skywalk.
What happened to the original 1960 building?
It burned down in a fire on January 16, 1967, that killed a security guard and reshaped fire codes nationwide. The replacement, designed by a former Mies van der Rohe associate, opened on the same foundations in 1971 and is now called the Lakeside Center.
Why did Chicago reform its labor rules?
Years of organizers and exhibitors said Chicago's strict, union-only tool rules were pushing shows to move to Orlando and Las Vegas. The 2010 MPEA Reform Act was the state's response.
Exhibiting at McCormick Place?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a labor-rules briefing, 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.