Exhibitor Setup

Convention Center Information

• The Global Show will be located in Halls A-D and in the Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center. The street address is 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802. This IS NOT the shipping address, use shipping labels to make sure your items are delivered on time to the correct location.
• Sales Tax: California state tax is 7.25%.
• Exhibitor parking is available for a daily fee, overnight parking and parking in front of the convention center is not allowed. Please review parking information on the convention center website.
• If you are making a delivery using a personally owned vehicle, you must check in at the Marshalling Yard before going to the convention center. A dock foreman will give you a dock pass and direct you where to unload. The registered booth name, number and identification will be required.
• Interested in holding a meeting at the convention center? Meeting rooms are available through IFPA, contact Valerie Mendoza. (Any catering must be done through Aramark once your room is confirmed.)
• Meeting room requests for more than 20 people or outside the convention center can request hotel space by filling out the Hotel Space Release Form.
• Note that utility boxes such as electricity and internet will come from the ceiling in this building.
• Floor covering is not included with your booth, and it is required.  You may bring your own flooring or purchase flooring from GES. If raised flooring is used, you must install a ramp and make sure it is ADA accessible.
• Columns and low ceilings are marked on the floor plan. If you have a question about how these affect your booth, please contact the expo team immediately.
• All exhibitors must abide by the booth display guidelines.
• Cleaning stations, with running water, will be located throughout the hall for exhibitors.
• Trash cans and compost bins will be set up in the aisles. Anything you do not wish to display can be donated to the foodbank using the pink labels available in the Servicenter.

What Are Exhibitors Allowed to Set Up? 

California is a "union jurisdiction" state. Unions claim jurisdiction over all set-up and dismantling of exhibits including signs and carpet installation. If your exhibit preparation, installation, or dismantling requires more than one-half (1/2) hour, you must use union personnel supplied by the Official Service Contractor, GES. For booth set-up/dismantling, exhibitors may designate their own Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) by submitting a form – they must abide by union jurisdiction rules as well.

If you wish to set up your booth with your own company personnel and it requires more than one-half (1/2) hour, you may provide your own company personnel to work along with a union installer on a one-to-one basis.

The following is a guideline of the work your company's staff is permitted to do:

• Unpacking and placement of your merchandise
• Set up exhibit display IF one person can accomplish the task in less than one-half (1/2) hour without the use of tools
• Plug in equipment (once the convention center’s electricians have delivered power to the booth)
• Hand carry materials into the convention center without the use of any type of assistance such as dollies or mechanical equipment.
• Drop off materials in privately owned vehicles (park in the convention center lots for a fee and carry it in (without the use of a dolly), check in at the dock and pay drayage for GES to deliver it from the car to the booth, or hire cartload service for a 1-way trip)

*Employees must be prepared to produce some type of company identification when engaged in these activities.

Exhibitors must hire labor in advance to do the following work on site:

• Material Handling: The loading and unloading of dock freight will be controlled by the general contractor, GES, and union labor will be used for this.
• Hanging Signs: All rigging of signs must be done by GES, any order forms required should be filled out in advance. Exhibitors or their EACs are responsible for assembling the sign and may supervise rigging.
• Review the show site work rules for additional information.

When Can Exhibitors Set Up? 

Review the exhibitor schedule to see a full schedule. 

Clean Floor Policy
To combat lengthy wait times for produce deliveries during exhibit set-up, and to ensure we can open the show on time, all exhibitors must abide by the clean floor policy as follows:

• All booths 400 sq. ft. or larger must be finished with major exhibit construction with empties tagged on Wednesday, October 18, by 7:00 p.m.
• Booths 300 sq. ft or smaller can continue to set up through Thursday, October 19.
• Thursday will primarily be for product merchandising, cleaning and final touches on the show floor.

Target Move-In/Move-Out Schedule
Each booth is assigned a target move-in and move-out date/time based on booth size and location. Find your booth on the color-coded target floor plan. The date and time assigned to you is designed to be the time when your driver checks in at the marshalling yard. DO NOT schedule your booth set-up/tear-down for this time, since actual unloading/loading at the dock may take several hours. If you need to change your target move-in assignment, you have two (2) options:

• Fill out the request for target variance form before September 25, 2023 or
• Ship your freight advance to the warehouse (non-perishable materials only) at no additional cost. Items shipped to the advance warehouse will be delivered to your booth BY the target date/time provided and labor can be scheduled accordingly.

No Show Policy

Exhibitors who have not begun setup by Thursday, October 19 by 2:00 p.m. will be considered a "No Show" unless you have notified the Expo Team. No-shows do not receive a Show Point and will be omitted from next year's early assignment process.

Using Exhibitor Appointed Contractors

An Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) is any contractor NOT listed in our approved vendor list (appointed to provide services such as display installation, dismantling, audio visual firms, etc.) that will need access to your booth during set-up/tear-down hours to assist with your exhibit. For security reasons, all EAC representatives must be registered and pick up their own wrist band in order to access the show floor. 

Exhibitors and EACs must submit the following requirements by September 25, 2023:

1. Exhibitors must submit this Exhibitor Form to authorize use of an EAC 
2. EACs must submit the EAC Form and agree to all rules and regulations 
3. Each EAC company must provide a certificate of insurance showing proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance coverage in amounts as outlined during all setup, dismantle, and show days with International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), the convention center, and Global Experience Specialists (GES) named as additional insured. Please note: If the primary approved EAC elects to use another EAC as a subcontractor, this company must also complete the above requirements. 
4. Each EAC employee must visit an EAC Desk, located in the lobby or dock area, and present the EAC's unique code (provided via email) to receive a move-in/move-out wrist band. Wrist bands must be picked up individually, not by the company. 

EACs send Insurance Certificates to: 
Fax: +1 (702) 446-6777, DTA Trade Show Services 6362 McLeod Drive, Suite 5, Las Vegas, NV 89120 

Questions: Contact DTA Trade Show Services or call +1 (702) 650-2298 

Floral Exhibitor Setup

• All floral products must be shipped direct to the convention center and not to the advance warehouse. 
• Perishable product storage is available for floral products and delivery to your booth is included in the cost. 
• Cleaning stations/floral prep areas, with running water, will be located along the back of the hall throughout the event 
• Trash cans will be set up in the Floral Marketplace aisles. On Thursday, we'll have dedicated cleaning services in the Floral Marketplace to help get trash up as quickly as possible 

Hanging Signs Above Your Island Booth

Hanging signs are only allowed above island booths or inline booths along the perimeter of the building. All rigging must be done by GES. If your island booth is under a low ceiling (floor plan), hanging signs are not permitted. 

1. Review the booth display guidelines for height restrictions 
2. Submit a hanging sign and truss order form to GES by September 25.
3. Company personnel can work with union personnel on a one-to-one basis.  Labor can be requested from GES.
4. Pack your signs separately so they are easy to find and assemble immediately upon arriving at your booth.  
5. Use the hanging sign shipping label so GES can find signs easily.

Balloons in Your Booth

Mylar/Metallic balloons are not permitted UNLESS they are your product, and they may only be filled with air - NO helium. Balloons should be anchored on a stick or a wire. This rule is in effect to reduce the risk of explosions and power outages that are caused due to metallic/mylar balloons being released in California. If you have a helium tank on site for balloons that are not metallic/mylar, a show permit must be submitted to the fire marshal. 

Balloons may be used as giveaways. The exhibitor will be financially responsible for any retrieval fees that may occur, should any helium balloons become detached and lodged in the ceiling catwalks, HVAC, or lobby atrium area.

Large Displays in Your Booth

Extra care and advance planning are necessary for displays such as vehicles, machinery, shipping containers, or other large items being displayed in your booth. Special labor or equipment to unload and deliver to your booth may be required on-site and must be scheduled in advance with GES. Exhibitors should submit the following additional forms (if applicable) to plan for these shipments before September 25: 

• Vehicles in your booth 
• Machinery in your booth 

Contact GES Freight Operations staff Smiley Carrasco (Cell: 619-977-4168) or JT Hannon (Cell: 407-509-1251) for vehicle delivery and removal dates/times.

Plan for Move Out

The return of empty crates on Saturday night can take 10+ hours. Be sure to check your assigned target move-out and schedule tear-down label accordingly.

Here are some tips to help you avoid waiting and wave money.

• Review the exhibitor move-out schedule, and note any deadlines for your booth space.
• Pack up and secure valuables in your booth and from any showcases.
• Smaller inline booths: Take advantage of the 10’x10′ and 10’x20′ GES booth packages. Schedule GES to handle both the labor to tear down your booth and to ship it out and receive guaranteed ST (standard time) labor rates and a discount on outbound shipping. This eliminates the need to wait for empty crates to be returned and save you money on hotels, labor, etc. 
• Larger inline booths: Consider starting tear-down labor on Sunday morning, when you know your empties are in your booth, instead of paying for labor to wait for them to be returned. 
• Island booths with hanging signs: Coordinate your rigging with GES to have signs lowered Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning so your labor doesn’t have to stop dismantling the booth while the overhead sign is coming down. 
• Moving out Saturday night: Relax in the exhibitor lounge with some food and beverages while you wait for your crates. The lounge will be open from 5:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. on the show floor. 
• Schedule your pick-up prior to Monday: Monday could be an extremely busy day for carrier pickups. It will not guarantee straight time rates. Wait times for pickup could be significant and end up occurring during overtime.
• Consider GES logistics for your shipping: Guarantee flat rates and avoid charges for lengthy wait times. 
• Schedule UPS or FedEx pickup for Monday (they don’t pick up on Sunday).  You may also walk to one of the nearby hotels to ship small parcels out via their business services office.
• Submit a pre-printed material handling form before the show and on-site you will receive pre-printed outbound shipping labels and your bill of lading. 
• BOL: Once everything is packed up and ready to go, remember to fill in your bill of lading with the number of pieces and sign the bottom. Then return it to the service desk. Once received, GES will dispatch your carrier to pick up your shipment. DO NOT leave it with your shipment or your carrier may be left waiting. 
• There is NO warehouse to return things to after the show. Make sure your carriers can pick up on-site or schedule with GES logistics to ship out. If you do not schedule outbound shipping GES will, which will result in increased costs and delayed receipt times.
• Remember to pack outbound shipping supplies including tape, wrap, boxes, etc. for use at the end of the show.