Can I set up my own trade show booth?

Your own full-time employees can set up your booth in every Florida convention center. Anyone else, including a friend or a freelancer, must be an approved exhibitor appointed contractor or come through the show's general service contractor.

What is an exhibitor appointed contractor?

An EAC is any outside company you hire to work in your booth, such as a graphics installer or an exhibit house. Show management approves EACs through a form, usually due 30 days before move-in, with a certificate of insurance.

Do I need a badge to set up at Orange County Convention Center?

Yes. Every worker needs a show badge or an ESCA WIS badge. OCCC is an ESCA partner venue, so contractors bring their own WIS badges.

Can I put graphics on the walls of the convention center?

Not on building surfaces without the event manager's approval. OCCC and Broward prohibit adhesives on walls, glass and columns by default. Palm Beach County allows clings with a tested sample. Tampa routes all building branding through Encore.

How to set up a trade show booth at OCCC, Miami Beach and Tampa

Setting up a booth in a Florida convention center is not hard. Getting your people through the door is where first-time exhibitors get stuck. This is the checklist we run for every show.

Who is allowed to touch your booth

Every Florida convention center follows the same principle. Your own full-time employees can set up your booth. Anyone else is a contractor, and contractors need approval.

There are three ways an outside crew gets in:

Exhibitor appointed contractor (EAC). You name the company on the show’s EAC form, they submit a certificate of insurance, and show management approves them. The form is usually due 30 days before move-in.
Through the general service contractor. Freeman, GES, Shepard, AGS, Expo Convention Contractors or Vista South, depending on the show. You order labor from them and they bring the crew.
Through show management for anything on building surfaces, which counts as facility branding and is approved by the venue’s event manager.

We work under all three. Tell us the show and we’ll tell you which route is fastest.

Orange County Convention Center, Orlando

The largest venue in the state and the most open. Florida is right-to-work, so non-union EACs are standard here.

Every worker needs a show badge or an ESCA WIS badge. Our crew carries WIS badges.
EAC insurance is $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate, naming OCCC and Orange County as additional insured.
Nothing may be taped, nailed or stuck to walls, doors, glass or columns. Adhesive-backed decals on building surfaces are not permitted without the event manager’s approval.
Electricians come from OCCC. Rigging comes from OCCC. Plan for both in the budget.

Miami Beach Convention Center

Union jurisdiction applies. Decorators Local 1175 covers booth installation and dismantle. IATSE covers staging and AV.

Your own full-time staff can set up your booth. Outside crews work as an EAC or through the GSC.
The EAC form comes from the show, not the venue. Fees run around $250 per 10 by 10.
COI names the show, the City of Miami Beach, OVG360 and the general service contractor.
Union minimums are four hours. Book labor in blocks.

Tampa Convention Center

Booth labor beyond your own staff is union decorators through the GSC or an approved EAC.

All building branding goes through Encore, 30 days out. Encore sells the location and does not install clings, so you still need an installer.
Windows must stay 50 percent transparent. No tape, nails or screws anywhere.
Banner rigging is Encore only, with a three-rigger team and a five-hour minimum.

The 30-day timeline

Day 30. EAC form and COI submitted. Print files approved.
Day 14. Graphics printed. Advance freight ships to the GSC warehouse.
Day 7. Badges requested for every worker. Lift reserved if the venue allows outside lifts.
Move-in day. Crew badges in at the dock, receives freight from the GSC, installs.
Show close. Strike, pack, photograph the empty space, hand back.

What to send us to get a quote

The show name, the booth number and size, the graphics you’re printing or need printed, and the move-in window. We’ll come back within the hour with a price and the exact route through the door.