Trade show shipping in Chicago

all vehicles (including cars, vans, POVs) delivering materials must check in at the Marshalling Yard at 3050 S. Moe Dr. (or 2900 S. Moe Dr. depending on show/GSC) before proceeding to docks, no vehicle allowed at dock without a pass. Driver must present bill of lading or delivery receipt showing piece count, item description, and weight; certified weight tickets required for truck shipments; separate BOL required for multi-booth shipments. Freight will not be accepted before the licensed move-in date. Marshalling Yard entrance fee about $25/vehicle (cash or major credit card; checks not accepted; cannot be paid in advance, fee subject to change). All trucks weighed in/out at yard's certified scale (about $22 scale fee); drivers who fail to return for light-weight weigh-out may be billed at heavy weight. Drivers checking in after about 2:00 pm are not guaranteed straight-time labor rates. Marshalling Yard closes about 2:30 pm daily (hours vary by show). Illinois legal trailer restrictions: 102" width, 13'6" height. Targeted shipments should check in at least 2 hours prior to appointed time. Dock pass/ASUV Pass required before proceeding to any dock.

Four-building campus (North, South, West, Lakeside Center), each building has independent loading docks and access points; dock assignments differ per hall. Do not ship to the generic 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr. address; specify exact building and dock identifier on all freight paperwork to prevent misrouted loads. Dock/Elevator Schedule form must be completed by the Official Service Contractor and returned 15 days prior to event. All freight doors close 1 hour before show opening each day; one door per hall remains open for show-site deliveries during show hours. McCormick Place Fire Safety approval required for trailer-bay storage. No specific dock-height/door-dimension figures publicly disclosed, confirm per-building specs with Official Service Contractor.

McCormick Place operates under multiple union jurisdictions managed by the event's Official Service Contractor (commonly Freeman or GES). Primary freight union: Teamsters Local 727, jurisdiction over all material handling (except machinery) in/out of exhibit hall; exhibitors may hand-carry small packages/pop-up booths but four-wheel dollies are prohibited. Riggers: un-crate, un-skid, position, re-skid, and clean all machinery. Machinists: assemble and level machinery/conveyors. IBEW: all hardwired electrical connections. IATSE (Stagehands): overhead rigging, hanging signs, lighting truss. Carpenters: un-crating exhibits, installing/dismantling booth structures, laying carpet. Decorators: drape, fabric panels, signs requiring tools or >1 person. Exhibitors cannot unload trucks, run their own electrical, or hang overhead elements. Drayage billed per CWT with minimums. Labor is straight-time Mon to Fri approx. 8 am to 4:30 pm; overtime before/after those hours; double-time weekends. Crossing jurisdictional lines can trigger grievances and halt installation. EAC (Exhibitor Appointed Contractor) registration required for any third-party on-site contractor, $200 annual building registration fee.

Lot A (North Garage): 6-level covered garage, 2,100 spaces, 8' height clearance, on Martin Luther King Dr. adjacent to West Building; only lot with guaranteed overnight parking; connected to McCormick Place via covered skyway. Lot B: outdoor surface lot at 31st St./DuSable Lake Shore Dr./Moe Dr., adjacent to Marshalling Yard. Lot C also available. Prepaid guaranteed exhibitor parking permit: about $40/day with in-and-out privileges. Marshalling Yard (3050 S. Moe Dr.) provides overnight truck parking on availability basis; parking available at a per-day fee. Empty trailers generally cannot be stored at marshalling yard during the event, exhibitors directed to contact hotels or local truck stops. Vehicles are prohibited from parking on roadways, tunnels, or the bridge between South/North Buildings and Lakeside Center. In-booth staging: exhibitors may stage up to a one-day supply of product/literature within booth space; pallets, empty crates, and cartons may not be stored in the booth. Items in booth must not block floor ports or create tripping hazards.

Largest convention center in North America, 2.6 million sq ft across 4 buildings; 170 meeting rooms. Each building has distinct freight flow; confirm hall assignment early. Official Service Contractor (e.g., Freeman, GES) manages marshalling yard operations per event. Yardmaster direct line: 312-808-3161. All EACs must register with McCormick Place ($200/year) and submit Certificates of Insurance; insurer must be rated A-VIII or better by A.M. Best. MPEA (Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority) is facility landlord and party to labor agreements. Fire marshal (312-791-6079 / McpFireMarshal@mccormickplace.com) may inspect booths at any time; booth construction materials must be fire-retardant. ASUV (Automobile & Small Utility Vehicle) program available for registered exhibitors to self-unload using non-motorized, non-hydraulic hand trucks at designated docks during set times, must check in at marshalling yard office for ASUV Pass. Post-show outbound: carriers must be checked in by show's stated deadline or freight may be rerouted by GSC.