Since 2004 the center has recognized the exclusive jurisdiction of four unions over exhibit work: stagehands, electricians, painters/decorators and Teamsters.
Exhibitor guide · San Diego, CA · Updated
San Diego Convention Center Exhibitor Guide
One exhibit floor runs 1,918 ft along San Diego Bay, from Hall A to Hall H, the 64 ft room Comic-Con made famous. Plan which end your booth lands on, the union rules for a one-hour self-setup, and a hotel room you can walk to before Comic-Con week fills them all.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: San Diego skyline by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, public domain.
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the San Diego Convention Center
One recent San Diego show kit let one full-time employee work one hour on installation, any booth size, with no tools at all. Your show's kit sets the actual limit.
Halls A–H in one contiguous run, divisible into up to seven halls, plus the 90,000 sq ft Sails Pavilion upstairs.
The garage under the building is entered from Harbor Drive, run by ACE Parking, with no in-and-out privileges and no RVs.
Photos: "San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - Cosplay" by W10002, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source · "San Diego Comic-Con 2014 - Exhibit Hall" by W10002, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source · "San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - Exhibit Hall" by W10002, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Only at the San Diego Convention Center
San Diego Convention Center Halls A–H: the 1,918-ft floor and Hall H
The exhibit level runs more than a third of a mile from end to end, and its sections have different ceilings, doors and column grids, so a tall custom booth that fits in Hall F may not fit in Hall B. Match your structure to the half of the building your show books.
| Section | Size | Ceiling | Freight door |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halls A–C | 249,338 sq ft | 27 ft 4 in–40 ft | 20 × 16 ft |
| Halls D–E | 102,075 sq ft | 27 ft 4 in–39 ft | 23 × 16 ft |
| Halls F–H | 174,288 sq ft | 36 ft 4 in–64 ft | 23 × 16 ft · Elephant Door 23 × 30 ft in H |
| All of A–H | 525,701 sq ft | Varies | Drive-on access from the dock to every hall |
Source: San Diego Convention Center exhibit-hall specifications. The center's general notes also give 27 ft 4 in for Halls A–E and 39 ft 4 in for F–H, so check the clear height at your booth location.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the San Diego Convention Center, transit and crew logistics
Where to stay, how the trolley and airport connect, and where crews park and unload.
Walking distance
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
One of the closest waterfront towers to the center.
Walking distance
Manchester Grand Hyatt
The other big waterfront tower near the halls.
5–15 min walk
Gaslamp Quarter hotels
Dining and nightlife across Harbor Drive; a wide range of price points.
At the door
MTS Trolley
Two trolley stops in front of the center, with service to Little Italy, Old Town and Fashion Valley. FRED, a free downtown ride, can be flagged down.
3 mi · 10–15 min
San Diego International (SAN)
One of the closest airports to any major U.S. convention center. A new Terminal 1 is under construction, so allow extra time.
Crew arrival
Parking and crew logistics
The 1,950-space garage under the building is entered from Harbor Drive (no in-and-out, no RVs), and a 2,000-space structure sits at Harbor Drive and Park Avenue. Freight trucks come through the official contractor's off-site marshaling. Purple coordinates Southern California crews and freight for San Diego installs; book crews early in Comic-Con season.
Floor plan & exhibit halls
San Diego Convention Center floor plan: Halls A–H and the Sails Pavilion
The ground-floor exhibit halls form a single 1,918 × 304 ft run, 525,701 sq ft in all. Ceilings run from 27 ft 4 in in Halls A–E to as much as 64 ft in Halls F–H. Tap a hall for its size and clearance.
Schematic. Hall widths are proportional to floor area (sq ft), not an architectural plan. Official floor plans and capacity charts are on visitsandiego.com.
Exhibit Hall A
- 48,613 sq ft (180 × 299 ft)
- 27 ft 4 in–40 ft ceiling
- 20 × 16 ft freight door
The first hall of the run. Columns in Halls A–C stand in groups of four; check the floor plan for their numbers.
Exhibit Hall B (B1–B2)
- 108,685 sq ft (299 × 357 ft)
- 27 ft 4 in–40 ft ceiling
- 20 × 16 ft freight door
B1 is 72,642 sq ft and B2 36,043 sq ft. B2 cannot be booked on its own; it goes with B1 or with C (B2–C is 128,083 sq ft).
Exhibit Hall C
- 92,040 sq ft (299 × 299 ft)
- 27 ft 4 in–40 ft ceiling
- 20 × 16 ft freight door
The largest single hall. Halls A–C together give 249,338 sq ft.
Exhibit Hall D
- 58,725 sq ft (256 × 240 ft)
- 27 ft 4 in–39 ft ceiling
- 23 × 16 ft freight door
Halls D–H have single columns rather than groups of four, and combine into 276,363 sq ft.
Exhibit Hall E
- 43,350 sq ft (180 × 240 ft)
- 27 ft 4 in–39 ft ceiling
- 23 × 16 ft freight door
The smallest hall in the run, with the same 23 × 16 ft freight doors as D–H.
Exhibit Hall F
- 54,638 sq ft (180 × 304 ft)
- 36 ft 4 in–64 ft ceiling
- 23 × 16 ft freight door
Where the high ceilings begin. F–G together give 109,446 sq ft.
Exhibit Hall G
- 54,808 sq ft (180 × 304 ft)
- 36 ft 4 in–64 ft ceiling
- 23 × 16 ft freight door
Cannot be booked alone; it goes with F or H (G–H is 119,650 sq ft, 604 10×10 booths).
Exhibit Hall H
- 64,842 sq ft (295 × 304 ft)
- 36 ft 4 in–64 ft ceiling
- 365 10×10 booths
Seats 6,130 theater-style, which is why Comic-Con uses it for its biggest panels. Its 23 × 30 ft Elephant Door takes the tallest loads in the building.
90,000sq ft Sails Pavilion, column-free and glass-enclosed under the fabric roof · upper level, used for registration, receptions and exhibits
2 × 40,000sq ft ballrooms with foyers · tabletop shows and general sessions
72meeting rooms on the upper and mezzanine levels · about 204,000 sq ft of meeting space in all
7outdoor terraces over San Diego Bay · the center lists 184,514 sq ft of outdoor space; plan for wind on the waterfront
350lbs per sq ft floor load in the exhibit halls · floor utility boxes on 30 ft centers
Loading dock & move-in
San Diego Convention Center loading dock and freight
Get directions to San Diego Convention Center →
- About 50 docksThe center's facility guide lists about 50 loading docks, with eight access points that give drive-on access straight into the exhibit halls.
- No marshaling on siteThe center has no truck marshaling yard; your show's official service contractor runs marshaling off site and calls trucks in.
- Hand-carry or the dockIf your shipment cannot be hand-carried to your booth, it must come through the docks and the official contractor.
- Keep ramps clearAll rampways and entrances must stay clear. Dock storage is limited to empties that meet flame-spread rules.
- Day −60Design approved. If your show is near Comic-Con season in July, book hotels now.
- Day −30EAC form, certificate of insurance and contractor list filed (the center wants contractor lists 30 days before move-in).
- Day −14Purple ships to San Diego through our carrier network. Cleaning orders get the advance discount 14 days out.
- Day −7Advance warehouse deadline in the show kit.
- Day 0Trucks called in from the contractor's marshaling yard. One recent kit put straight time at 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays.
- Show +1Move-out. Empties return, MHA turned in.
Labor & union rules
San Diego Convention Center union labor: who sets up my booth?
California is not a right-to-work state. Union jurisdiction covers move-in, installation, production, dismantling and move-out at the center, under a 2004 exclusive-jurisdiction agreement with IATSE Local 122, IBEW Local 569, IUPAT Local 831 and Teamsters Local 542. Exhibitor rights come from each show's kit; the examples below are from Neuroscience 2022 (The Expo Group).
✓Your staff (example kit)
- One full-time employee may work one hour on installation, and one hour on dismantle, without carpenter labor, at any booth size
- One person may make one hand-carry trip into the hall
- Unpack and arrange your own products in the booth
●Union crews
- Carpenters/decorators: installing and dismantling displays
- Riggers: uncrating, positioning and re-skidding machinery
- Teamsters: all other material moving in and out of the hall
- Electricians or decorators: hanging signs, by sign type
- Rigging only by the in-house AV contractor or approved general contractors, under an ETCP-certified supervisor
!Never allowed
- Any tools on the booth by exhibitor staff, in the example kit, including drills and saws
- Dollies, baggage carts or flat trucks for hand-carry
- Cleaning by anyone but the center: SDCC is the exclusive booth cleaner
- Helium balloons given out, Mylar balloons, adhesives or anchors on the building
- Children under 18 on the floor during move-in and move-out
Background photo: "barrel vault inside the san diego convention center" by koadmunkee, CC BY 2.0 Source
Free tool
San Diego Convention Center drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 and 2027 at about $176 per hundredweight, with a 200-lb minimum. Your show's exhibitor kit carries the actual tariff. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$3,520
Cut this with a lighter booth
Small Press at Comic-Con
Photo: "San Diego Comic-Con 2014 - Small Press Hall [1]" by W10002, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
The calendar
San Diego Convention Center trade shows 2026–2027, including Comic-Con
Medicine and life sciences fill most of the year, with defense, energy and gaming in between, and Comic-Con International takes over the building and much of downtown each July. Dates are from the center's event calendar; confirm with each organizer.
TCT: Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
Interventional cardiology, CRF · convention with trade show · 2026
TwitchCon
Livestreaming, gaming · convention with trade show · 2026
American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting
Cell biology, life sciences · 2026
San Diego International Auto Show
Automotive, consumer show · Dec 31, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027
Intersolar & Energy Storage North America
Solar, storage, clean energy · 2027
WEST 2027
Defense, naval · AFCEA International and U.S. Naval Institute · 2027
American Urological Association Annual Meeting
Urology, medical devices · 2027
Comic-Con International: San Diego
Pop culture, entertainment · ~130,000+ · 2027
Also on the 2027 calendar: Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Jan 28–31), SLAS (Jan 30–Feb 3), CROI (Mar 21–24), ASCRS (Apr 2–5), ARVO (May 2–6), Esri User Conference (Jul 12–16) and the ACS Fall meeting (Aug 22–26). Attendance is a planning range.
History
San Diego Convention Center history: from 1989 to Comic-Con
Arthur Erickson's waterfront building was meant to read as a ship on the bay, with fabric sails on the roof. Its expansion debates have run for two decades.
- 1989The San Diego Convention Center opens in November on the downtown waterfront, built for $164 million to a design by Arthur Erickson, with a sail-like roofline that nods to the harbor's sailing ships.
- 1991Comic-Con International, which had run in San Diego since 1970 in smaller venues, moves into the convention center.
- 2000The open-air space under the roof sails is enclosed in glass, creating the 90,000 sq ft Sails Pavilion.
- 2001The Phase II expansion, by HNTB and Tucker Sadler, opens in September and roughly doubles the building's gross square footage.
- 2014A planned $520 million expansion stalls when a state appeals court strikes down the hotel tax meant to fund it. Later ballot efforts and court fights follow.
- 2018A renovation of the Sails Pavilion, begun in December 2016, finishes with programmable LED lighting.
- 2026In March the city starts a five-year, $118.7 million modernization (roof, electrical and mechanical systems) funded by the voter-approved hotel tax. Any expansion still waits on a lease settlement for the neighboring site.
- TodayComic-Con International draws more than 130,000 attendees each July, filling the building, the waterfront hotels and much of the Gaslamp Quarter.
Insider tips
San Diego Convention Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Design tall booths for F–H only
Halls F–H rise to 64 ft, but A–E start at 27 ft 4 in. If your show could land in either half, design to the lower ceiling or confirm your hall before building.
Leave the toolbox at the hotel
In a recent San Diego kit, exhibitor staff could not use any tools on the booth, at any size, and had one hour for one employee. Pick a display that clicks together by hand, or order labor.
One trip, no dolly
Hand-carry means one person, one trip, with no dollies, baggage carts or flat trucks. Anything more goes through the docks and the official contractor.
Do not order booth cleaning from your EAC
The center is the exclusive booth cleaner, and EACs, decorators and your own staff may not provide cleaning. Order it from SDCC 14 days out for the advance discount.
Skip helium giveaways
Helium balloons may not be given out or sold, Mylar balloons are banned, and nothing may be taped or anchored to the building. Plan giveaways and signage around those rules.
Avoid Comic-Con week for hotels
Comic-Con fills downtown hotels months ahead each July (July 22–25 in 2027). If your show is close to those dates, block rooms early or stay near the trolley line.
FAQ
San Diego Convention Center FAQ for exhibitors
Can I set up my own booth at the San Diego Convention Center?
Only within tight limits. Exhibit installation and dismantling are union work at the center. One recent show kit let one full-time employee work one hour on installation without carpenter labor, at any booth size, but with no tools. Check your show's kit for its exact rule.
Is the San Diego Convention Center union?
Yes. California is not a right-to-work state, and since 2004 the center has recognized the exclusive jurisdiction of IATSE Local 122, IBEW Local 569, IUPAT Local 831 and Teamsters Local 542 over specific exhibit work.
How big is the San Diego Convention Center?
About 2.6 million gross sq ft on the downtown waterfront, including 525,701 sq ft of contiguous exhibit space in Halls A–H, the 90,000 sq ft Sails Pavilion, two 40,000 sq ft ballrooms and 72 meeting rooms.
How much exhibit space is there?
525,701 sq ft of contiguous ground-floor exhibit space, divisible into up to seven halls. With the Sails Pavilion the center's guides count 615,701 sq ft of exhibit space.
What is the ceiling height in the exhibit halls?
Halls A–C range from 27 ft 4 in to 40 ft, D–E from 27 ft 4 in to 39 ft, and F–H from 36 ft 4 in to 64 ft. Check the clear height at your booth location.
How much is drayage?
Purple's planning estimate is about $176 per hundredweight in 2026 and 2027, with a 200-pound minimum. The official contractor's show kit carries the actual rate.
Where do trucks check in?
Not at the center: there is no truck marshaling on site. The show's official service contractor runs marshaling and calls trucks to the docks, which give drive-on access to every hall.
Should I book my hotel early?
Yes, especially if your show falls near Comic-Con International in July, which fills downtown San Diego hotels months in advance.
Which airport should I use?
San Diego International (SAN), about 3 miles and 10–15 minutes away, one of the closest major airports to any U.S. convention center. Allow extra time while the new Terminal 1 is built.
How much outdoor terrace space does the San Diego Convention Center have?
Seven terraces overlook San Diego Bay. The center lists 184,514 sq ft of outdoor space in its fast facts, though its seven listed terraces add up to about 118,000 sq ft, so confirm the space you need with the center.
Is there parking at the convention center?
Yes, an underground garage for 1,950 vehicles, entered from Harbor Drive and run by ACE Parking. There are no in-and-out privileges, and RVs and overnight parking are not allowed. A 2,000-space structure is at Harbor Drive and Park Avenue.
Exhibiting in San Diego?
Share your floor plan. Get a booth plan back.
Tell us the show, the hall and your booth size. Within two business days you get a design brief sized to that hall's ceiling, a drayage estimate at San Diego rates and a build plan that works with the show's union labor limits.
Background photo: "Night Skyline of San Diego convention center on Vacation 2011" by chris favero, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Compare venues
San Diego Convention Center vs other major U.S. convention centers
How the San Diego Convention Center stacks up against other major U.S. convention centers. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Convention CenterThis guide | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Orange County Convention CenterOrlando | Convention center | 1,103,538 sq ft West Building | 30–40 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 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 |
More California guides
Other venues in California
Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim
Long Beach Convention CenterLong Beach
Los Angeles Convention CenterLos Angeles
Moscone CenterSan Francisco
SAFE Credit Union Convention CenterSacramento
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Purple ships to the San Diego Convention Center and coordinates crews and freight for San Diego installs. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Sources: San Diego Convention Center exhibit-hall, meeting-space, outdoor-space, regulations, labor-partnerships, exhibitor-services, parking and getting-here pages, facility guide and event calendar; Society for Neuroscience exhibitor information (Neuroscience 2022); Skift Meetings and Voice of San Diego on the modernization plan; Wikipedia (San Diego Convention Center); Pexels; Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.