Exhibiting at a multi-day show is a small operation in motion. The booth is the visible part; the parts that decide how the weekend feels are load-in timing, where you stay, and how you break down. This guide is for the exhibitor working the Gas South Convention Center — what to do, in what order, and where the friction usually shows up.
Before you arrive: paperwork and decisions
Gas South Convention Center offers about 90,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space plus meeting rooms, adjacent to the arena under the same Gas South District campus. Confirm your booth assignment, load-in window, and any union labor requirements with the show organizer 30 days out. Different shows have different rules; don't assume.
Order your booth services (electrical, internet, draping, furniture) at least 21 days out to get pre-show pricing. Day-of orders cost 50–100% more.
Check insurance requirements. Most shows require a Certificate of Insurance naming the convention center and organizer.
Stay within ten minutes of the loading dock
Forgotten cables, missing signage, swap-outs between days — proximity matters more than star ratings on a four-day show.
Pleasant Hill / Steve Reynolds corridor hotels put you within a 10-minute drive of the convention center loading docks.
If you're a national vendor, your travel team will appreciate a property with on-site breakfast, a 24-hour gym, and reliable Wi-Fi.
Load-in: timing is everything
Arrive at your assigned load-in window, not before. Earlier doesn't help; the docks operate on a strict schedule.
Bring a printed booth diagram, a copy of your service orders, and a phone with the organizer's number saved.
Mark every box with your booth number in two visible places. Boxes without booth numbers get lost.
Pre-confirm overnight trailer or van parking
Hotels are almost always willing to accommodate exhibitor vehicles when asked early. Showing up unannounced with a trailer is a much harder conversation.
Mention trailer dimensions and overnight days needed. Some properties have a designated back lot; others can accommodate one or two trailers in main parking.
If you have a refrigerated trailer or a power-hungry vehicle, ask about plug access in advance.
Booth day: energy management
Two booth helpers, not one. One person can't run a booth, eat, and use the bathroom over a ten-hour day. A second helper is worth more than a fancier display.
Plan lunch in shifts. Pre-buy snacks and water; the convention center concessions are slow and expensive.
Comfortable shoes, supportive insoles, and one mid-day shoe change if possible.
Lead capture and follow-up
Use the show's lead retrieval system AND collect business cards. Don't rely on one alone.
Send a 'thanks for stopping by' email within 48 hours of the show ending. Leads that get a quick follow-up convert at 3–5× the rate of leads that wait two weeks.
Tag leads by interest level in your CRM. Hot leads get a phone call within a week; warm leads get a sequenced email; cold leads go into the newsletter.
Plan breakdown like load-in
End-of-show fatigue is real. A written breakdown order — power down, wrap displays, inventory count, dock pickup — makes the final hour shorter and the drive home safer.
Pre-print return shipping labels if you're FedEx/UPS-ing booth materials. Don't try to fill out forms at 9 PM after a 12-hour day.
Take photos of the booth before breakdown for next year's reference.
After the show: the small things that compound
Debrief with your team within 48 hours. What worked, what didn't, what to change for next show.
File your COI, lead retrieval downloads, and booth service receipts in one place per show. Future-you will thank present-you.
Thank the show organizer and the convention center contact. They remember exhibitors who said thank you when budget allocation rolls around.
Step-by-step
- 1
Confirm booth, load-in window, and services 30 days out
Lock in pre-show pricing for electrical, internet, and furniture.
- 2
Book a hotel within 10 minutes of the loading dock
Proximity matters more than amenities on a 4-day show.
- 3
Confirm trailer/van parking in writing
Mention dimensions and overnight days needed.
- 4
Mark every box with your booth number
Two visible places per box.
- 5
Plan booth coverage in shifts
Two helpers minimum; pre-buy snacks and water.
- 6
Follow up with leads within 48 hours
Hot leads get a phone call within a week.
- 7
Write the breakdown sequence before the show ends
Power, wrap, inventory, dock.
Quick checklist
- ✓Booth, load-in window, and services confirmed
- ✓Insurance COI submitted to organizer
- ✓Hotel within 10 minutes of loading dock booked
- ✓Trailer/van parking confirmed in writing
- ✓Booth diagram and service orders printed
- ✓Boxes marked with booth number in two places
- ✓Lead retrieval and business card capture both ready
- ✓Breakdown sequence written down before show ends
Local details worth knowing
- Gas South Convention Center offers about 90,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space plus meeting rooms, adjacent to the arena under the same Gas South District campus.
- From I-85, Exit 108 (Sugarloaf Parkway) is the cleanest approach to the Gas South District; Exit 104 (Pleasant Hill Road) is faster for the hotel/restaurant corridor.
- Pleasant Hill Road and Satellite Boulevard back up sharply between 4:30 and 6:30 PM on weekdays and starting about 90 minutes before any major Gas South event.
Planning a stay around this?
Send a group inquiry or reach our team at (770) 476-4666.
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