The center publishes no union work rules and describes self-unload move-in. If your show appoints a general contractor, its rules apply. Check the show kit.
Exhibitor guide · Monroeville, PA · Updated
Monroeville Convention Center Exhibitor Guide
A one-level hall in a former Wickes Furniture store that nearly became a Hobby Lobby in 2024, until the municipality bought it to keep the shows coming. Comic cons, coin shows and train shows load in through its own docks with free carts, 12 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh off the Turnpike. Here are the halls, docks, package fees and hotels.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: Monroeville Mall, across the road from the convention center (the convention center is not pictured). “Monroeville Mall Entrance” by Sam Howzit, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Monroeville Convention Center
Many consumer shows here are self-unload through the docks. Where a contractor handles freight, plan about $85 per hundredweight.
Confirm the South Hall ceiling before ordering tall hanging signs, and ask early about covered or multilevel exhibits.
Big shows add overflow shuttles from the Monroeville Mall lots. Confirm overflow plans for shows from 2027 on, when mall demolition is reported to start.
Photos: "Ghostbuster ennui" by reynolds.james.e, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Library School Table" by reynolds.james.e, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Zombie Fest 2009: Super Mario Bros zombie characters" by daveynin, CC BY 2.0 Source
Floor plan & exhibit halls
Monroeville Convention Center floor plan: North and South Halls
Two halls on one level, used together or apart. The venue quotes room for up to 5,000 visitors and about 400 booths at 10×10. Tap a hall for its size and booth count.
Schematic. Hall widths are proportional to the approximate floor area, not an architectural plan. The venue's own pages give different figures for both halls, so work from the current official floor plan.
North Hall
- ~44,000 sq ft (venue pages also say 45,000)
- 32 ft ceilings
- 270 booths at 10×10, or 450 at 8×10
Open exhibit floor and the main hall for islands and tall builds. Typical shows: comic cons, train shows, trade expos.
South Hall
- ~35,000 sq ft, carpeted
- Up to about 130 booths
- Ceiling height: confirm with the venue
Plan for carpet rules on pallet jacks and heavy product. Typical shows: craft shows, coin shows and overflow from the North Hall.
100,000sq ft building on Mall Boulevard · single level
12,208sq ft of South Hall breakout space · divides into four meeting rooms
~400booths at 10×10 across both halls, per the venue
1,150sq ft kitchen and concession space · outside food generally not permitted
Only at Monroeville
How the Monroeville Convention Center nearly closed in 2024, and why it is still booking shows
In early 2024 the building's owner announced a lease to a retailer and the hotel next door shut. Within weeks the lease was dropped, and by August the Municipality of Monroeville owned the hall. For exhibitors, that history explains both the long-term stability and the hotel gap.
- 2009Opened in a former Wickes Furniture store, about 100,000 sq ft on one level for $16.2 million. That is why move-in is a simple dock-and-drive-in operation.
- Feb 2024Owner Oxford announces a 12-year Hobby Lobby lease and the DoubleTree next door closes. The on-site hotel has not come back; book on Business Route 22.
- Mar 2024After local, county and state officials meet with Oxford, the Hobby Lobby lease is dropped.
- $4.75MThe municipality buys the building on August 21, 2024 and leases it to Visit Monroeville for 25 years, so the hall is run to keep events coming in.
- ~2027Walmart's redevelopment of the mall across the road reportedly starts with demolition around spring 2027. Ask how overflow parking and shuttles will work for your dates.
Insider tips
Monroeville Convention Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Plan to unload yourself, then check
Per the venue, dock access comes with your booth and the dollies and carts are free. Labor rules are not confirmed, so if your show appoints a general contractor, its show kit decides who touches freight.
Book the forklift before you arrive
Forklift and scissor-lift help are paid services from the center. Anything you cannot roll on a cart, from crated graphics to heavy product, needs that order in ahead of move-in.
Land packages two days out, not five
Boxes arriving three or more days early cost $20 a day under 100 lbs and $30 over. Outbound boxes are held free for only one business day after the show.
Put tall builds in the North Hall
The North Hall has 32 ft ceilings; the carpeted South Hall's height is not published. Confirm it before a tower or hanging sign, and plan for carpet with pallet jacks.
No hotel next door anymore
The DoubleTree beside the center closed in February 2024. Block rooms on Business Route 22, a few minutes' drive, where crew vans park free.
Time the Parkway East
The airport is on the far side of Pittsburgh, through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Schedule crew arrivals and flights out around rush-hour backups.
Loading dock & move-in
Monroeville Convention Center loading dock and freight
Get directions to Monroeville Convention Center →
- Docks and drive-inTwo full loading docks, three bays and a drive-in loading area, per the venue.
- Self-unloadDock access comes with booth rental, and dollies and carts are free. Forklift and scissor-lift help are paid services.
- PackagesShip to 209 Mall Blvd. Arriving three or more days early costs $20 a day under 100 lbs, $30 a day over. Held free one business day after the show. Confirm current fees with the center.
- Parking1,800+ free spaces on the campus, with mall-lot overflow shuttles for big shows.
- Day −45Design approved. Order electrical, ethernet and any forklift or lift help from the center.
- Day −30File your certificate of insurance and any food or utility exception requests.
- Day −14Purple ships to Monroeville through our carrier network.
- Day −3Earliest package arrival without daily storage fees.
- Day 0Dock or drive-in move-in on the show's schedule; self-unload with the center's carts.
- Show +1Move-out. Outbound packages labeled and carrier pickup booked; held free one business day.
Labor & rules
Who can do what on the Monroeville Convention Center floor
The center publishes no union jurisdiction rules, and we have not confirmed either way whether union or contractor labor rules apply. If your show appoints a general contractor, its rules govern. Check the show kit.
✓Per the venue: self-unload
- Unload at the docks or drive-in area
- Free dollies and carts
- Dock access included with booth rental
- Wi-Fi included building-wide
●Through the center (paid)
- Catering; outside food and drink generally not allowed
- Hard-wired ethernet
- Water and drainage
- Forklift and scissor-lift help
- Confirm the current exclusive-services list
!Fire code & paperwork
- Flame-certified fabrics for anything covered
- Ask the center early about covered or multilevel exhibits and vehicles on the floor
- Certificate of insurance naming the organizer and the building's operator, as the show kit directs
Not the downtown rulebook: Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center is a union building with tighter self-setup limits. Do not assume its rules, or Monroeville's freedom, carry over in either direction.
Background photo: "2012 HD EXPO Install - the work" by Brentano fabrics, Public domain Source
Free tool
Monroeville Convention Center drayage cost estimator
Many Monroeville consumer shows are self-unload, with no drayage at all. Where a show appoints a contractor to handle freight, use about $85 per hundredweight as a planning number; the show kit has the real tariff. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$1,275
Cut this with a lighter booth
Zombie Fest at Monroeville Mall
Photo: "Zombie Fest 2009 @ Monroeville Mall" by daveynin, CC BY 2.0 Source
The calendar
Monroeville Convention Center trade shows 2026–2027
Hobby, collector, outdoor and consumer shows dominate, plus a fire and EMS equipment expo. Attendance figures are planning ranges; confirm each event with its organizer.
PAN Coin Show
Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists · held twice a year · 2,000–4,000 · 2026
Greenberg's Great Train & Toy Show
Model trains, toys and collectibles · dealer tables · consumer · 2026
Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Holiday Spectacular
Arts, crafts, specialty food · ~10,000 · 2026
Ultimate Sport Show – Pittsburgh
Hunting, fishing, boats and outfitters · ShowSpan · consumer · 2027
Monroeville Fire & EMS Show
Fire and emergency medical equipment · ~2,000 · 2027
Dates are from each organizer's site (checked October 2026). Held here in 2026: the Showmasters Pittsburgh Gun Show (October 10–11); Showmasters had not posted its next Monroeville date. Greenberg's also lists a Monroeville show for February 20–21, 2027, without naming the hall yet. The center also lists Steel City Con and the Steel City Cannabis Convention as recurring events; their next dates were not readable on the organizers' sites when we checked, so confirm them directly. Local press has reported Steel City Con crowds of about 18,000.
Where to stay
Hotels near the Monroeville Convention Center
The DoubleTree next door, which drew most of its business from the center, closed in February 2024. Plan on a short drive.
A few minutes' drive
About 12–13 milesMonroeville hotels on Business Route 22
The practical block now, with free parking for crew vans.
Downtown Pittsburgh
Client dinners and nightlife; pairs with a downtown show at the DLCC.
DLCC guide →Under 45 min
Pittsburgh International Airport hotels
For early flights out after move-out.
Getting there
Turnpike and Parkway East
About 2 miles from the Turnpike's Monroeville interchange, where I-376 begins. Rush-hour backups at the Squirrel Hill Tunnel are notorious, so plan crew call times around them.
The building
ExpoMart, Hobby Lobby and a town buyout
Monroeville grew up around a 1969 shopping mall and a merchandise mart. Its convention center has had a short, eventful life.
- 1969Monroeville Mall opens May 13, developed by Oxford Development, which later owned the convention center across the road.
- 1978George A. Romero films "Dawn of the Dead" at the mall.
- 1981The Pittsburgh ExpoMart opens in Monroeville, replacing the smaller Greater Pittsburgh Merchandise Mart.
- 2009The ExpoMart becomes offices, and its shows move to the new convention center, opened in September in a former Wickes Furniture store: about 100,000 sq ft, built for $16.2 million.
- Feb–Mar 2024Oxford announces a 12-year Hobby Lobby lease and the DoubleTree next door closes. After local, county and state officials meet with Oxford, the lease is dropped in early March.
- Aug–Oct 2024The Municipality of Monroeville buys the building on August 21 for $4.75 million and leases it for 25 years to Visit Monroeville to keep running shows.
- 2025–nowWalmart buys the mall for $34 million and plans an open-air retail center; demolition is reported for around spring 2027. The convention center is a separate property.
FAQ
Monroeville Convention Center FAQ for exhibitors
How big is the Monroeville Convention Center?
About 100,000 square feet: a North Hall of roughly 44,000 sq ft with 32-foot ceilings, a carpeted South Hall of about 35,000 sq ft, and 12,208 sq ft of breakout space that divides into four rooms. The venue quotes about 400 booths at 10×10.
Is the Monroeville Convention Center union?
Not confirmed. The center publishes no union work rules, and per the venue exhibitors unload at the docks with free dollies and carts, with forklift or scissor-lift help as a paid service. If your show appoints a general contractor, its rules govern, so check the show kit.
Where is the loading dock?
At the building, 209 Mall Blvd. The venue lists two full loading docks, three bays and a drive-in loading area. Dock access comes with booth rental.
How much is drayage at the Monroeville Convention Center?
Often nothing, because many shows here are self-unload. Where a contractor handles freight, plan about $85 per hundredweight; the show kit carries the actual tariff.
Can I ship packages to the center?
Yes, to 209 Mall Blvd, Monroeville, PA 15146. Packages arriving three or more days early cost $20 a day under 100 lbs and $30 a day over; they are held free for one business day after the show. Confirm current fees with the center.
Is parking free?
Yes. There are 1,800+ free spaces on site, with overflow shuttles from the Monroeville Mall lots for big shows. Confirm overflow plans for shows from 2027 on, once mall demolition starts.
Is the Monroeville Convention Center closing?
No. Its former owner planned to lease it to Hobby Lobby in 2024, but the deal was dropped. The Municipality of Monroeville bought the building in August 2024 and leased it for 25 years to Visit Monroeville to keep running events.
Is this the same as the Pittsburgh convention center?
No. The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is downtown, about 12 miles west, and is a much larger union building. Monroeville is a suburban, single-level hall used mostly for consumer, hobby and regional trade shows.
Where should my team stay?
The DoubleTree next door closed in 2024, so book Monroeville hotels along Business Route 22 a few minutes away, or downtown Pittsburgh if you are entertaining clients.
Which airport should I use?
Pittsburgh International, on the far side of the city. Allow under 45 minutes outside rush hour, and more when the Parkway East backs up.
Exhibiting in Monroeville?
Tell us the show. We will fit the booth to the hall.
Whether it is a 10×10 at Steel City Con or an island in the North Hall, we size the booth for a self-unload dock, a short cart run and a crew that may be building it themselves. Tell us the show and we confirm its contractor rules, then send a design brief, freight plan and timeline within two business days.
Background photo: "Fireworks night in Monroeville" by daveynin, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Monroeville Convention Center vs other Pennsylvania venues
How the Monroeville Convention Center stacks up against the other Pennsylvania halls we have guides for. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroeville Convention CenterThis guide | Convention center | ~44,000 sq ft North Hall | 32 ft (North Hall) | Unconfirmed · check show kit | ≈ $85/cwt | PIT · under 45 min |
| 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 |
| David L. Lawrence Convention CenterPittsburgh | Convention center | 236,900 sq ft column-free Halls ABC | 30–45 ft (Halls ABC) | Union · self-setup ≤ 400 sq ft | ≈ $160/cwt | PIT · 18 mi |
| Greater Philadelphia Expo CenterOaks | Expo center | 240,000 sq ft, Halls A–E on one floor | 22–35 ft | Check show kit | ≈ $120/cwt | PHL · ~45–60 min drive |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Lancaster County Convention CenterLancaster | Convention center | 46,508 sq ft Freedom Hall | — | Check show kit | ≈ $120/cwt | MDT · 27 mi |
| Pennsylvania Convention CenterPhiladelphia | Convention center | 528,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–E | 30 ft (A–C) · 29 ft (D–E) | Union · CSA | ≈ $170/cwt | PHL · 8–9 mi |
| Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo CenterHarrisburg | Fairgrounds | 172,000 sq ft GIANT Expo Hall | 30 ft Expo · 13′6″ Main | Check show kit | ≈ $115/cwt | MDT · 9 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 |
| 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 |
More Pennsylvania guides
Other Pennsylvania venues
David L. Lawrence Convention CenterPittsburgh · 12 mi west
Pennsylvania Farm Show ComplexHarrisburg
Lancaster County Convention CenterLancaster
Pennsylvania Convention CenterPhiladelphia
Greater Philadelphia Expo CenterPhiladelphia area
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Sources: Visit Monroeville and Monroeville Convention Center venue and exhibitor pages, Small Market Meetings (2010), TribLive, WPXI, CBS News Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Magazine, Wikipedia (Monroeville Mall), show organizers' listings.