Exhibitor guide · Orlando, Florida
Rosen Shingle Creek: the exhibitor's guide
524,000 sq ft of event space, a 95,000 sq ft column-free ballroom and 1,501 rooms on the headwaters of the Everglades, ten minutes from the OCCC. Orlando's biggest independent convention hotel, and the overflow venue for its biggest shows.
Hero photo: "Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel, Orlando, Florida, Nov. 2009" by In Memoriam: PhillipC, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Source
Why this page exists
Rosen Shingle Creek does two jobs. It hosts its own conventions in one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the country, and it takes the overflow, the off-site galas and the satellite meetings for shows at the OCCC ten minutes away. Either way, your booth lands on carpet.
This guide covers the ballroom-and-exhibit-hall layout, the Rosen house rules, and what changes when a hall booth moves in here. Purple builds here for corporate conferences and for OCCC shows that spill over.
The building
The ballrooms and the exhibit space
| Space | What it is | Typical use | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatlin Ballroom | The 95,000 sq ft column-free ballroom with 31 ft ceilings, carpeted, divisible. | General sessions, expos, galas | Carpet protection, hand-moved freight, rigging on the hotel grid. |
| Sebastian and Panzacola Ballrooms | 60,000 and 40,000 sq ft, column-free with 31 ft ceilings, each divisible. | Expos, meals, breakouts | Same carpet rules; good for sponsor rows. |
| Exhibit and prefunction space | Dedicated exhibit areas and wide prefunction concourses; exact dimensions are on the venue's floor plans. | Tabletop and inline expos | Confirm whether the assigned area is concrete or carpet before designing. |
| Meeting rooms | Around 100 breakout rooms across the convention wing. | Sessions | Tabletop only. |
Free tool
Ballroom booth converter
Tick what your usual booth has. The converter lists what changes on carpet at Shingle Creek and what Purple does about each.
History
Harris Rosen's biggest bet
Harris Rosen buys a 256-room Quality Inn on International Drive and starts the only large hotel company still privately owned in Orlando.
Rosen Shingle Creek opens in September on the founder's birthday: 1,501 rooms, a championship golf course and what was then the largest hotel ballroom in Orlando, built on the creek that feeds the Everglades.
The convention wing is expanded to roughly 524,000 sq ft of event space.
Harris Rosen dies at 85; the company stays independent and family-run.
Corporate conferences, association meetings and OCCC overflow keep the ballrooms booked most weeks of the year.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and hotel rules
Non-union
Full-time staff may set up with hand tools; outside labor through the contractor or Purple as EAC.
In-house AV, rigging and power
The hotel's AV partner handles rigging; power and internet are hotel-exclusive.
Carpet almost everywhere
Plan for carpet protection and hand-moved freight unless the show confirms a concrete area.
Hotel dock, shared with banquets
Tight target windows; ship advance warehouse.
Orange County Fire Rescue
Covered and multilevel rules as at the OCCC; confirm the current threshold when the fire plan is submitted.
No empties in guest space
Empties go to the contractor; samples via the business center.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on unpack; MHA before leaving.
Certificates
Naming the organizer and the hotel; Purple's is on file.
Free tool
Shingle Creek drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026. All-venue rates on the drayage rates page.
The calendar
Events at Rosen Shingle Creek
| Event type | When | Typical size | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate conferences and sales kickoffs | Jan–Mar, Sep–Nov | 1,000–6,000 | Booth rentals |
| Association annual meetings with expo | Year round | 2,000–7,000 | 10×20 rentals |
| OCCC overflow: galas, satellite meetings, hospitality suites | IAAPA, NPE, MRO weeks | Varies | OCCC guide |
| Sports and cheer competitions | Spring and summer | Public | Ballrooms unavailable to shows |
Logistics
Getting there
- Airport: Orlando International is about 15 minutes, the closest of the big Orlando venues.
- OCCC: 10 minutes to the North/South Building by car; shows run shuttles during IAAPA and NPE.
- Stay: in the hotel, or at the Universal Boulevard hotels for crews.
- Freight: hotel dock off Universal Boulevard, shared with banquets.
- Purple: ships from Las Vegas or Fishkill. Orlando booth rentals.
Orlando
Downtown Orlando, a short drive away
Questions
Rosen Shingle Creek FAQ
Is the exhibit space carpeted?
Most of it. Confirm the assigned area with the show; design for carpet unless told otherwise.
Can I use my OCCC booth here for an off-site event the same week?
Yes, with carpet protection and a check on the rigging points. Purple moves booths between the two venues during big OCCC weeks.
Is it union?
No. Full-time staff may set up with hand tools.
Can I bring my own AV?
No; AV, rigging, power and internet are hotel-exclusive.
How big is the ballroom really?
95,000 sq ft column-free, one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the country. It holds a general session for 6,000 or an expo of 300 booths.
What does Purple do that the contractor does not?
Designs, builds, ships, installs, supervises and stores the booth, and files the EAC and MHA paperwork.
Exhibiting at Shingle Creek?
Send us the event and ballroom. You get a carpet-ready 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.