The largest convention center in North America is really four buildings with separate docks, separate service teams and different ceilings — run under the strictest union labour rules of any major US venue. A booth that installs without comment in Las Vegas can be a rules problem in Chicago. Here’s what changes.
Exhibitors book “McCormick Place.” Freight, power, rigging and labour are booked per building — each has its own loading docks, service desks and utility arrangements, and material delivered to the wrong one will not reach your booth on time. Your building assignment is the first fact to pin down, before design, before freight, before anything.
And the rule that governs the whole series applies double here: the show’s exhibitor manual overrides the venue’s general specs — and at McCormick Place, union jurisdiction rules override your instincts about what you can do yourself.
Four buildings, one table.
| Building | Halls | Clearance | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| South | Hall A | Generous; up to ~50 ft in select areas campus-wide | Rigging points rated 1,000 lb each — site survey encouraged |
| North | B1, B2, C1, C2 | Confirm per hall | B2 and C2 have no floor power — power comes from ceiling drops |
| West | Hall F | ~20–40 ft, varies within the hall | Newest building; check clearance at your exact booth position |
| Lakeside Center | D1, D2, E | Lower than the newer halls | Older structure — double decks and rigging may need engineering review |
What each building will actually let you do.
South Building — Hall A
- Position
- The original hall; contiguous with North’s Hall B for combined shows
- Rigging
- Pick points rated 1,000 lb each; air-wall hangers 1,000 lb; site survey encouraged
- Services
- Main FedEx business centre lives here
South is the workhorse. For heavy suspended elements the number that matters is the pick-point rating: 1,000 pounds per point means a large LED wall’s weight has to be distributed across multiple points, and the venue itself encourages a site survey before committing. We treat that survey as mandatory for anything flown — it’s the difference between a rigging plan that gets approved and one that gets redesigned in week eleven.
North Building — Halls B & C
B2 & C2 — no floor power- Halls
- B1 and B2 (Level 1), C1 and C2 (Level 3)
- Power
- Floor power in B1 and C1; none in B2 or C2 — ceiling drops only
The trap here is invisible on a floor plan. Halls B2 and C2 have no floor power: every electrified element in your booth — the video wall, demo stations, lighting, that espresso machine — is fed from above, by ceiling drop. That changes cable management from an afterthought into a design input: drops have to land inside structures or overhead elements that can swallow them, or your booth wears its wiring in public. If your show assigns B2 or C2, we route power through the booth architecture from the first drawing.
West Building — Hall F
- Clearance
- Roughly 20–40 ft — varies within the building
- Vintage
- Opened 2007; the campus’s newest and greenest building (LEED certified)
West is the most modern space on campus, but its 20-foot swing in clearance means the question isn’t “does my structure clear the West Building” — it’s “does it clear at my booth position.” A tall tower or suspended sign that fits in the centre of Hall F may not fit near the perimeter. We confirm against the specific block before sign-off.
Lakeside Center — Halls D & E
- Vintage
- The oldest building on campus, on the lakefront
- Clearance
- Lower ceilings and different floor-load limits than the newer halls
- Structures
- Double decks and rigging plans may require engineering review
Lakeside is McCormick’s equivalent of the Venetian’s Hall G — the room where designs built for the rest of the campus stop working. Lower ceilings and older floor-load limits mean a double-deck exhibit or a heavy suspended wall that’s routine in South may need an engineered alternative here. If your show lands in D or E, tell your exhibit house before design starts, not after.
Five rules that make McCormick Place its own country.
Union jurisdiction decides who touches what. Carpenters install and dismantle exhibits. Decorators hang signs and fabric. Riggers handle machinery. Teamsters move material. Electricians and venue technicians handle power and data. You may hand-carry small items and pop-ups; almost everything else belongs to a specific trade. Budget labour accordingly — it is not optional.
Everything is building-specific. Docks, service desks, utilities and freight intake are organised per building. Confirm your building assignment from the exhibitor manual before anything ships.
Advance deadlines carry real money. Services ordered online ahead of deadline are priced meaningfully below floor rates. Chicago labour is expensive enough that the advance/floor gap is one of the largest line items you control.
Multi-level and overhead structures face separate fire review. Double decks, enclosed rooms and overhead elements have their own fire-safety requirements and submission path. Build approval time into the programme — this is not a show-week conversation.
The unloading zone runs on a clock. The ASUV (small vehicle) zone has strict time limits and crew requirements. If your plan involves a van and optimism, it will meet a rule. Freight through the general contractor is the reliable path.
Asked before every Chicago show.
Can I set up my own booth at McCormick Place?
Only within narrow limits. You may hand-carry small items and set a pop-up display you can manage without tools or powered equipment. Beyond that, union jurisdiction applies: carpenters install exhibits, decorators hang signs, riggers position machinery and teamsters move freight. The practical answer for a custom exhibit is that installation is done by credentialed labour — planned and budgeted in advance.
What are the ceiling heights at McCormick Place?
They vary by building and by position within it. The West Building runs roughly 20 to 40 feet; selected areas of the campus reach around 50; Lakeside Center runs lower than the newer halls. The honest answer is that clearance is confirmed per hall and per booth location against your show’s exhibitor manual — never assumed from the venue’s headline numbers.
Which McCormick Place halls have no floor power?
Halls B2 and C2 in the North Building. Power there is delivered by ceiling drop rather than from the floor, which means cable routing has to be designed into the booth structure — overhead elements and towers that can carry the drops cleanly — rather than taped down as an afterthought.
Is McCormick Place harder to exhibit at than Las Vegas?
It’s different rather than harder, but the differences are real: stricter union jurisdiction than any other major US venue, building-specific services and docks, and separate fire review for multi-level structures. Exhibitors coming from LVCC or Orlando are usually surprised by how much less they’re permitted to do themselves. With labour planned and deadlines met, Chicago runs like clockwork — the trouble only finds people who assumed it worked like Vegas.
Related guides.
Tell us your show and building. We’ll tell you what fits.
Hall assignment, power, rigging and labour — confirmed before a line gets drawn. That answer is free, and it’s a much better start than a design nobody can install.
