30x30 Island Booth Rentals in Chicago

A turnkey 30x30 booth rental in Chicago typically costs between $62,600 and $101,200 in 2026, depending on design complexity, materials, AV, and add-ons. That works out to roughly $70–$112 per square foot. Our quotes include design, graphics, freight, install, dismantle, and show paperwork — no separate drayage or electrical billing after the show.

Every quote includes a custom 3D rendering, full graphics production, round-trip freight from our Las Vegas warehouse to Chicago, certified install and dismantle, EAC filings, Certificate of Insurance, electrical orders, drayage coordination, and a dedicated project manager from kickoff to load-out.

Standard install time at McCormick Place is 12–18 hours for a 30x30 build, with another 4–6 hours of contingency built in for the marshaling yard and steward sign-off cycle. Every booth is fully pre-assembled and inspected at our Las Vegas warehouse before shipping — so the install at McCormick Place or the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is replication of an approved build, not first-time assembly. The pre-build is what protects your install date against McCormick's tiered drayage windows and the four-union sign-off rhythm that can otherwise eat half a day.

You receive a custom 3D rendering and full price quote within 24 hours of submitting our quote form. The proposal lists every included line item with a single fixed number — no separate invoices for drayage, electrical, or installation.

At 30x30, you're already at or past the threshold where adjacent-footprint competitors stop creating visual disadvantage on the McCormick Place floor. At shows like IMTS, Pack Expo, and RSNA — where the average booth size at the front of the South Hall runs large, performance differences at this scale come from programming, hospitality, and staffing, not from architecture alone. The 30x30 booths that win at McCormick are the ones with a clear theater cadence and a hospitality model that earns 15+ minutes from a qualified visitor.

At 30x30, rent versus buy is rarely a cost-only decision. Rent for design flexibility, lower cash outlay, and freedom to evolve the look year over year. Buy when you have five or more shows annually, stable branding for a 3–5 year horizon, and operational capacity to manage storage and refurbishment cycles.

Roughly 12 staff is the proven mid-point for a 30x30 booth during show hours, though the practical range is wider depending on your activities. Too few creates coverage gaps during peak; too many makes the booth feel crowded and deters walk-ins. The staffing model should match your runsheet — demos, meetings, hospitality, and lead capture each need their own coverage.

In Chicago, we deliver to McCormick Place (North, South, Lakeside, and West buildings), Navy Pier, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, and the Schaumburg Convention Center. McCormick is North America's largest venue and each building has its own dock and marshaling yard — your hall assignment determines routing and adds or removes about four hours from the install window. Our project managers verify dock assignment with Freeman or GES 10 days before ship date and coordinate marshaling yard timing so the crate isn't sitting in the South Lot during peak load-in.

Yes. Drayage is included in our flat quote, and our crews coordinate with the four house unions that operate at McCormick Place — Carpenters (Local 1027), Decorators (Teamsters Local 727), Electricians (IBEW Local 134), and Riggers, at every phase of install and dismantle. McCormick now operates under the Trade Show Workers Right-to-Work Act, which gives exhibitors more flexibility than they had pre-2019, but the four-union model still applies for any work above 8 feet, electrical, and machine-assisted handling. We carry every COI required for I&D access and manage steward sign-off at each phase so you never see an unexpected labor invoice.

Every booth is fully assembled and inspected at our Las Vegas warehouse before it ships to Chicago. Transit is 5–7 days by truck, which is exactly why the pre-build matters more for Chicago than for shorter-haul cities — by the time the crate reaches McCormick's marshaling yard, you've already approved photos of the fully built booth. We send preview shots for sign-off, then it ships. The install crew at McCormick Place or the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is replicating an already-approved build under your steward's eye, not assembling for the first time on show day with the freight clock running.

Yes. Pick any base design and customize graphics, colors, finishes, monitor and display placement, counter styles, accessories, and meeting-room configuration where applicable. Your final 3D rendering reflects every change before production starts.

We prefer vector files (AI, EPS, PDF) for logos and high-resolution rasters (PSD, TIFF, PNG at 150dpi at final output size) for photography. Our design team handles all artwork preparation and submits proofs before printing.

For major Chicago shows — IMTS in September of even years, Pack Expo in early November, RSNA at Thanksgiving week, NRA Show in mid-May, ASCO in early June, book your 30x30 at least 14–18 weeks out. McCormick Place drayage tiers are assigned on a first-come basis, and the booths that secure the better tier (and the lower per-CWT rate) are the ones whose freight paperwork is in 12+ weeks before move-in. For mid-tier Chicago shows, 10–12 weeks is workable. Rush rentals are available — see the rush rental question below.

Minor graphic changes are accommodated up to 10 days before ship date at no extra cost. Structural changes after approval require a change order — your project manager will walk you through cost and timeline impact before any work proceeds.

Yes — at the 30x30 footprint, an on-site project lead is included as standard for every Chicago show. They're on the McCormick Place or DES Convention Center floor during show hours for anything from graphic touch-ups to electrical issues to last-minute schedule changes, and they manage steward call-outs if anything needs to be re-rigged or repositioned. For Chicago specifically, on-site presence matters more because freight back to our warehouse is a 5–7 day round trip, issues have to be solved in-venue, not by overnighting a part. Dedicated booth-operations staffing is available at additional cost.

Yes — AV at this footprint is fully integrated. Standard includes monitor walls, theater AV (speakers, microphones, presentation systems), LED columns and towers, lighting design and controllers, touchscreen kiosks, and on-site AV operation during show hours. Everything sourced, set up, and operated by our team in one quote.

Our I&D crew handles complete dismantle, repacks the booth, and ships it back to our Las Vegas warehouse. If you want to reuse it for the next show, we store it for 90 days at no additional cost and refresh graphics for the next event.

Yes, but the realistic Chicago rush window is set by freight, not fabrication: 5–7 days of truck transit from our Las Vegas warehouse to McCormick Place is non-negotiable. We maintain a ready-to-ship inventory of pre-built 30x30 configurations that can be customized with your graphics in 21–28 days total for late-booked Chicago shows. Anything tighter than 21 days for a 30x30 in Chicago is a no — there isn't a way to compress the freight leg without going air, which makes the economics worse than waiting for the next show. Rush pricing applies.

Standard terms are 50% on design approval and 50% before ship date. We accept ACH, wire, and major credit cards. Net-30 terms are available for established corporate clients with credit approval.

Fill out the quote form on this page with your show name, dates, booth number, and any design preferences. You receive a custom 3D rendering and full-price quote within 24 hours — no obligation, no sales pressure.