Common Rules for Exhibit Rentals in Chicago

While setting up displays for trade shows can be quite an interesting and big project for any company, there are certain things you need to consider and follow if you want to be able to exhibit at the trade show. 

In other words, whether you have exhibit rentals in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, or Atlanta, there are certain rules that you need to follow as a trade show exhibitor, regardless of where you are exhibiting. Without these, you might either be asked to remove certain elements, or worst-case scenario, you might not be able to participate in the event. 

Here is a list of some of the most common and basic rules for exhibit rentals in Chicago.

• Dimension of the Booth

When booking the booth space for your exhibit rentals in Chicago, apart from the variety in the types of exhibit systems, you also need to pay attention to the dimensions or the size of the stand. 

In the USA, there are certain configurations and sizes that you need to follow when setting up your exhibit stand. So, mainly, there are sizes for you to choose from — 10×10 booth, 10×20 trade show booth, and 20×20 trade show booth. Even if you want a custom trade show display, you will need to abide by these dimensions. 

If your booth, at the trade show floor goes beyond these dimensions, you might have to pay a fine or cut short the size. More importantly, your marketing strategies and tactics cannot go beyond the confines of your exhibit. 

• Height of the Booth

In the trade show industry, the bigger the better is usually much appreciated and is usually the trade show booth that gets the most crowd. There are certain restrictions on the height of the booth.

Just like the dimensions of the trade show exhibit design, the height of your stand booth cannot exceed more than 24 feet, depending on the height of the venue’s ceiling.

In addition to this, depending on the type of booth, the height of the trade show exhibit will also vary. For instance, if you have a height of an in-line booth cannot be more than 8 feet, 12 feet for a perimeter booth, 6 to 20 feet for a peninsula or island exhibit stand. 

• Visibility

No matter how innovative your displays for trade shows might be, they cannot tower over other exhibit systems and obstruct the line of vision. To prevent this, trade show organizers laid down a rule that your displays cannot be more than 4 feet tall. This includes any signage, banners, AVs, suspended structures, and so on. 

• Disability Requirements

If you’re exhibiting in the USA, under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, you are legally required to design a trade show exhibit that is disabled-friendly. This not just includes people with physical disabilities like those in wheelchairs, but also includes people who are visually or hearing impaired. 

Your stand booth is required to have resources that aid people with disabilities so that they can have the same experience and everyone else. For example, if you have a raised platform or booth, you need to have a ramp rather than a step. For any videos, you need to have subtitles. Lack thereof can lead to a violation of the law for which you might have to pay a fine. 

• Insurance

Over the years, many trade show organizers have been asking for COI (Certificate of Insurance) from companies who will be exhibiting. This is to prove comprehensive general liability (CGL) coverage from the trade show booth design company and the contractors the exhibitor has hired. Apart from these, you might be asked by the trade show organizers to add a few more things to your insurance, but that’s not always the case. 

We hope this article helped you understand some of the basic and common rules for exhibit rentals in Chicago.

Although you want your trade show booth to stand out in the crowd and be the best, you cannot do so while overshadowing or going beyond the set rules. Remember that although the main goal is to have a successful show, other exhibits also deserve a fair chance and equal opportunity to shine. 

Tip of the Day: before starting on your trade show exhibit design, we suggest that you consult the exhibitor’s kit provided by the organizers or directly get in touch with them about these things. This will save you time, money, and energy, while also ensuring that there is no delay in the construction and installation of displays for trade shows.

If you need assistance in building cool trade show booths for an upcoming trade show event, look no further. At Exhibit Rentals, our team of dedicated professionals have a decade’s worth of experience and will be happy to help you out. Contact us today for more details.