Dallas is a top spot for business events. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCCD) sits right in the middle of it all. You will find it at 650 S. Griffin Street, next to the 1,001-room Omni Dallas Hotel. Big industry shows come here every year.
Before you lock in your plans, check the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Calendar to see what else is happening on your dates. Then take a hard look at the building itself. The venue is in the middle of a huge change, and old floor plans can steer you wrong. This Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Guide walks you through what exhibitors need to know to plan, design, ship, and run a show while the expansion is underway.
KBHCCD During the Expansion: What Exhibitors Need to Know
The biggest factor right now is the KBHCCD Master Plan. Crews are building a new 2.1 million square foot facility. It is set to open in 2030.
Construction changes what you can use today. Exhibit Halls D, E, and F are closed and set for demolition. Exhibit Halls A, B, and C are still open and hosting events.
That means old information can hurt you. Floor plans from past shows may be wrong. Freight routes may have moved. Dock instructions may no longer apply. Treat all of it as out of date until someone proves otherwise.
Ask your event organizer which hall you have. Is it Hall A, B, or C? The answer matters a lot. It decides your freight route, your loading access, and how far your team walks to parking and nearby hotels. Get the answer in writing, and share it with everyone on your team, including your freight carrier and your booth builder.
Exhibit Halls, Meeting Space, and Venue Layout
The future building will have a huge 750,000 square foot exhibit hall. You cannot use it yet. Plan around the spaces that are open now:
- Exhibit Hall A: 100,155 square feet (Level 2, Building A/B)
- Exhibit Hall B: 100,155 square feet (Level 2, Building A/B)
- Exhibit Hall C: 103,940 square feet (Level 2, Building C)
- Ballroom A: 26,992 square feet
- Ballroom C: 19,224 square feet
Meeting rooms in Buildings A, B, and C are open too. Use them for breakout sessions, private talks, and side events tied to your show. Book early, because the best rooms go fast.
Do not trust general venue stats you find online. Ask for the current official floor plan and the venue Event Resource Guide for your show. These documents show where columns sit, how high you can build, and where the doors are. Small details like these can change your whole booth layout.
How to Choose the Right Booth Space
Picking a booth starts with your show’s floor plan. Study how attendees will move through the hall.
Bigger is not always better. A huge booth in a dead zone will not help you. A smaller booth near the main entrance may bring more traffic. Look at aisle visibility, entrances, food areas, and keynote stages. Check your neighbors too. A loud demo next door can drown out your sales talks.
Any good trade show marketing guide will tell you the same thing. Your booth spot must match your goals. If you want more leads, pick a busy aisle. If you want serious meetings, ask for a corner away from the noise. If you need storage, a private meeting area, or room for a big product demo, plan for it on day one. Fixing it later costs time and money.
Trade Show Booth Design: Custom, Rental, or Hybrid
Once you have your space, it’s time to plan your booth design, and it helps to think of it like a puzzle. Your booth needs to support your marketing goals, be easy to build, ship, and set up, and follow the venue’s rules. You have three main options. A custom build gives you a look that’s completely your own, and you can reuse it if you exhibit often. Renting saves you design work and storage costs, and many exhibitors choose trade show booth rental in Dallas because the packages usually include printed graphics, flooring, and furniture, so you get a polished booth without the hassle. A hybrid mixes a custom centerpiece with a rented frame, which is a good balance of cost, speed, and brand style. Whatever you pick, plan for shipping from the start: modular parts, strong cases, and clearly labeled crates make damage much less likely. Also design for the exact space you were assigned, not a generic template, and check the column locations, booth direction, and height limits before you finalize anything. Even a great design will never make it onto the show floor if it breaks a venue rule.
Key Deadlines: Booking, Services, Approvals, and Registration
A smooth show depends on dates. You will juggle two sets. Organizers set some, like booth contracts, insurance, and registration. Official service contractors set others, like electrical, internet, rigging, and freight.
Your exhibit management guide should start with one rule: order early. Major contractors like Freeman and GES offer discounts for advance orders. Miss the cutoff, and you pay standard onsite rates. Those rates are much higher.
Build one master deadline sheet and share it with your team. Include:
- Booth contract and payment dates
- Staff registration and badge deadlines
- Early order cutoffs for electrical, internet, AV, and rigging
- Advance warehouse receiving windows
- Direct to show delivery windows
- Labor order and cancellation deadlines
Review the sheet every week. Set reminders two weeks before each date.
Shipping to KBHCCD: Advance Warehouse vs. Direct to Show
Exhibit Transportation is one of the hardest parts of show prep. You have two main ways to get your gear to Dallas.
Option one is advance warehouse shipping. You send freight to the contractor’s warehouse during a set receiving window. The contractor then brings it to your booth before you arrive. This often helps you avoid overtime fees and late arrival charges. The tradeoff is timing. You must pack and ship much earlier.
Option two is direct-to-show delivery. Your freight goes straight to the convention center during set move-in hours. This works well for small shipments and for teams that need their products until the last minute. But if you miss your window, expect headaches and extra fees.
Construction makes the docks trickier than they used to be. Do not guess. Ask show management for written confirmation of the current receiving route and vehicle check-in points. Share that note with your carrier and your driver. A driver who shows up at the wrong gate can lose hours.
Drayage, Material Handling, Installation, and Dismantling
Drayage, also called material handling, covers a few jobs. It moves freight from the dock to your booth. It stores your empty crates during the show. It brings those crates back at the end. Then it loads your gear onto your outbound carrier.
Contractors bill drayage by weight. To keep costs down, combine your shipments. Fewer pieces also means fewer chances to lose something. Remove old shipping labels. Put on the current advance labels from the show contractor. Add a clear bill of lading and certified weight tickets.
When you book installation and dismantling labor, put clear setup instructions inside your crates. Schedule workers to start only after your freight reaches the booth. Otherwise, you pay people to stand around.
How to Budget and Avoid Surprise Costs
The real trade show booth cost goes far beyond the price per square foot. Most overruns come from bad timing, not high base prices. You have three choices. A custom build gives you a unique look you can reuse later. Renting saves time and storage costs, and many exhibitors pick Trade Show Booth Rental in Dallas because packages often include graphics, flooring, and furniture. A hybrid mixes a custom centerpiece with a rented frame, balancing cost and style. Plan for shipping early with modular parts and labeled crates. Also check column locations, booth direction, and height limits, because a great design means nothing if it breaks the rules.
Working With a Dallas Trade Show Booth Builder
If you hire a builder, judge them on proof and skill. Ask for past projects. Ask how they handle freight, labor, and last-minute changes. A good builder gives you an itemized quote. It should cover design, fabrication, graphics, freight, drayage, labor, and electrical needs.
Give your builder the Exhibitor Service Manual (ESM) for your show, the current floor plan, your target move-in date, and all service order confirmations. Never assume they can open show portals on their own.
You can also use trade show booth software to review 3D renderings with your vendor. It helps you track milestones and keep booth assets in one place.
Event Day Execution: Staffing, Tech, and Lead Capture
Before doors open, walk your booth. Check the layout. Look over graphics for damage. Test screens, internet, and product demos. Make sure all empty crates are gone from the floor. Freight aisles must stay clear. This is a safety and compliance rule.
Good trade show staffing starts with a briefing. Teach your team the key qualifying questions. Practice demo scripts. Explain who handles tough questions and when to call a manager. Give staff breaks so they stay sharp and friendly all day.
Your main goal on the floor is business. So you need a plan to Capture Leads at Trade Shows. Test your scanners before the show. Bring backup power. Set clear steps for syncing data each night. Add a quick note to each lead so follow-up feels personal.
Final Planning Milestones and Post-Show Teardown
The show does not end when attendees leave. Outbound freight needs as much care as inbound freight. From the first planning call to the final teardown, keep a trade show exhibitor checklist in a shared team drive. That way, each department knows its job before doors open and after they close.
Schedule your carrier pickup before the show closes. Finish the Material Handling Agreement early. Drop the paperwork at the service center right after the show ends.
Assign one person to run teardown, packing, labeling, and loading. Take photos of crate contents and confirm piece counts before you seal anything. Back at the office, check each invoice against what you ordered. Then hold a debrief. Talk about booth performance and lead quality. Write down what worked and what did not, so you can use it next time.
Confirm your logistics early. Respect the venue limits. Stay on top of every deadline. Do that, and your KBHCCD show will run smoothly and pay off.