Convention center guide
Exhibiting in Houston: George R. Brown Convention Center
The George R. Brown Convention Center, its exclusive services and what to know before you exhibit in Houston.
Please note: Venue rules, rates, labor requirements and deadlines change often and vary by show. Always confirm details in your show's exhibitor manual and with the show's general contractor before you plan or budget.
The George R. Brown Convention Center sits at 1001 Avenida de las Americas in downtown Houston. Its five Level 1 halls, A through E, total 547,730 usable square feet, with two more halls upstairs. Texas is a right-to-work state, but the building's partners control power, internet, rigging and food, so order early.
Summary
Article Summary
- Main venue: George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas. Halls A to E on Level 1 total 547,730 usable sq ft with 35-foot ceilings.
- Labor and services: Texas is right-to-work, but Smart City (power, internet), Staging Solutions (rigging) and Levy (food) are exclusive. Smart City's incentive deadline is 14 days before move-in.
- Freight and parking: Freight goes through the docks off Chartres Street, never the front on Avenida. Check the GRB parking page; two garages were due to open in fall 2026.
I've been in trade shows since 2006. In Houston, most of the planning happens before you see the hall, because each exclusive provider has its own deadline.
George R. Brown Convention Center
The GRB opened Sept. 26, 1987, on the east side of downtown Houston, according to its About Us page. The same page calls the building 1.8 million square feet in total, but usable hall space is the number to plan around. The Dimensions and Capacities page gives it hall by hall.
Upstairs on Level 3, Hall A3 has 114,620 usable square feet (575 booths) and Hall B3 has 90,820 (390 booths), both with 30-foot ceilings. The Level 3 Ballroom adds 31,590 usable square feet in three sections. The General Assembly theater has 3,600 fixed seats and divides into three 1,200-seat theaters, and the About page lists up to 88 meeting rooms.
Level 3, where Halls A3 and B3 sit, has its own loading dock, reached by a ramp that enters at Chartres Street and Texas Avenue, per the GRB's 2025 facility map (PDF).
The GRB's FAQ page lists two connected hotels, the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston and the 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Houston, which connects to the north side. Construction on the GRB and the area around it was completed in December 2016, per the About page. A separate 700,000-square-foot building, GRB Houston South, is scheduled to open in May 2028, per Houston First's Convention District Transformation page.
Michael's Tip
Halls A to E run end to end, so I'd pick one meeting spot your whole team knows, such as your booth or a named restaurant on the concourse. Mark your hall and booth on the GRB facility map and send it to everyone before you travel. A vague "meet by the entrance" costs time in a building this long.
Shows at this venue
Breakbulk Americas returns to the GRB Oct. 19-20, 2027, per the show's official site. In 2026 the show used Halls A and B. Our Breakbulk Americas guide has more on the show itself.
Local labor rules and EACs
Texas is a right-to-work state. Section 101.052 of the Texas Labor Code says a person may not be denied employment because of membership or nonmembership in a labor union. Your show's labor page decides what your own staff can build.
Freight runs on the contractor's rules. In the 2026 Breakbulk Americas Exhibitor Manual (PDF), Shepard was the sole provider of material handling. Exhibitors and their EACs couldn't deliver freight to the booth or operate "any type of mechanical or powered equipment, including forklifts, manual or electric pallet jacks, overhead lifts." Those were one show's rules in 2026, so check your own manual.
Rigging goes through the building. The GRB's posted Rules and Regulations (PDF, "As Adopted December 2019") say Staging Solutions, the in-house AV contractor, sets every rigging point. Banners and signs of 250 pounds or less may be hung by the show's decorator or another facility-approved company. Heavier signs need the facility to approve the labor, location and weight, and rigging requests are due 30 days before the license period.
Per the GRB's Exhibitor Guidelines, only facility electricians, plumbers, telephone technicians and engineers may open the utility floor pockets.
Before you plan a self-setup, read your show's labor page and its material handling form, and ask the general contractor in writing if anything is unclear.
Michael's Tip
Right-to-work covers who gets hired, not who moves your freight. In the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual, only Shepard could deliver freight to the booth or run a pallet jack. I'd read the material handling form before planning to roll crates in yourself, and get any self-setup answer from the general contractor in writing.
For more on contractors and freight, see our logistics section and exhibitor logistics 101.
Exhibitor need-to-knows
Advance warehouse or direct to show?
For one example, the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual sent advance freight to Shepard's warehouse at 10001 Fannin Street and added a surcharge after the warehouse cutoff. Freight shipped direct couldn't arrive at the GRB until 8 a.m. on the last move-in day, and the manual asked for certified weight tickets.
The GRB doesn't accept freight before the license period, per its Rules and Regulations, and its FAQ page says it has no shipping and receiving department. Put your warehouse cutoffs on the same calendar as your exhibitor manual deadlines.
Loading docks and marshaling
All move-in and move-out goes through the designated docks, freight doors and freight elevators, never the main lobbies, escalators or passenger elevators, per the Exhibitor Guidelines. You can't park at the docks or the third-level ramp except to load or unload. Nobody parks, loads or unloads on Avenida de las Americas in front of the building, and vehicles left there get towed.
The 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual sent trucks south on Avenida de las Americas, left on Polk Street, left on Chartres Street and then left into the docks opposite Walker Street. In that manual, every truck checked in at the marshaling yard first for a dock assignment. Your manual will name your show's yard.
In that 2026 manual, exhibitors could hand-carry from a personally owned vehicle in one trip, and a van, truck, box truck or anything larger meant material handling charges. The exhibitor lot behind the halls, Lot 4, was free on move-in and move-out days and $15 per day per spot on show days.
Michael's Tip
I'd give the driver the marshaling yard details from your show manual, not just the GRB street address, and tell them to check in there first. Freight goes to the docks off Chartres Street. Never stop on Avenida de las Americas, because vehicles left there get towed.
Material handling (drayage) and how to cut it
The 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual says material handling (drayage) is billed on weight and covers unloading, delivery to the booth, empty storage and reloading, "whether used completely or in part." Shipping less weight in fewer pieces is the simplest way to cut it.
Per the building's Rules and Regulations, carts and dollies on carpeted areas need non-skid wheels 6 inches or larger, and forklifts are allowed only in the exhibit halls. For more ways to trim the bill, see how to reduce drayage costs and why trade shows are so expensive.
Move-in and move-out
Your show sets move-in times. In the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual, raw space booths got three move-in days, and all construction had to be done by 8 p.m. the night before opening. Opening morning was for booth dressing only, with decorating finished by noon.
The building's Exhibitor Guidelines ban helium and helium balloons, adhesive-backed decals and hay in displays. Nothing can be taped, nailed or attached to ceilings, windows, painted surfaces or walls, and exit doors need 10 feet of clearance. The posted Rules and Regulations allow only tapes approved by the Convention Services Manager, and the show is charged $1,000 per hall if tape, residue and booth stickers aren't removed.
If you're displaying a vehicle, cooking, putting up a tent or building a multilevel booth, you need a fire prevention permit. Display vehicles also need the battery cables disconnected, the gas tank taped or locked and no more than a quarter tank of fuel.
Michael's Tip
Before you leave, confirm your empty crates are back at the booth and your outbound shipping paperwork is filed with the show contractor. Pull up all tape and booth stickers, since the building charges the show $1,000 per hall for leftovers. Book your outbound carrier ahead of time to match the move-out hours in your manual.
Utilities, internet and rigging (ordering)
Smart City Networks is the GRB's exclusive telecom and utility provider, covering telephone, internet, data, electrical and plumbing, per the building's IT and Utilities page. You order at orders.smartcitynetworks.com or by phone at 888-446-6911.
Smart City's GRB Exhibitor Ordering Guide (PDF) is effective Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2026, and it gives the incentive rate to orders received 14 days before the first day of move-in. In the 2026 published rates, a 500-watt duplex outlet is $127 at the incentive rate and $166 at the base rate. Light Wired Internet is $895 at the incentive rate, $1,140 at base and $1,368 onsite, and a 5-device Standard Hotspot is $2,339 at the incentive rate.
Generators aren't permitted, and routers won't work on the Light Wired service. These rates end Dec. 31, 2026, so 2027 prices may differ. For ways to keep the power bill down, see cut energy costs at trade shows.
Michael's Tip
I'd place every Smart City order before the incentive deadline, 14 days before the first day of move-in. The gap adds up: in 2026 a 500-watt outlet was $127 at the incentive rate and $166 at base. Don't leave internet for last, since Light Wired Internet was $895 at the incentive rate and $1,368 onsite, and it won't work with a router.
Hotel strategy
Book inside your show's official housing block, and be wary of housing pirates, the calls and emails from companies claiming to handle your show's housing.
Michael's Tip
If your show's housing block includes them, I'd put booth staff in the Hilton Americas-Houston or the Marriott Marquis Houston. Both connect to the GRB, so nobody needs a car on show days. Both also have a FedEx Office center for last-minute printing, since the GRB has no business center.
Food, catering and sampling
Levy is the GRB's exclusive food and beverage provider, and the Exhibitor Guidelines send all sampling and catering requests to Levy at 713-853-8150.
Levy's 2026 Exhibitor Menu (PDF) lays out the rules. No outside food or beverage comes in without Levy's written approval. Orders are due 21 days before the show start date, later orders may carry a 25% late fee, and you pay 100% in advance. Orders carry a 23% administrative fee plus 8.25% state sales tax, and alcohol adds an 8.25% mixed beverage tax. Levy doesn't supply tables, chairs, trash removal or electricity for your booth. Changes and cancellations have to be in writing 14 business days out for a refund.
Per the posted Rules and Regulations, sampling requests go to Levy at least 30 days before the license period.
For staff breaks, the GRB's restaurant page lists Grotto Downtown just outside Hall A, Saltgrass Steak House on the Hall B concourse and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, among others. The 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual describes the GRB as a cashless venue, so make sure your team carries cards. A morning booth staff huddle is a good time to set meal breaks, and there's more in our booth staffing section.
Michael's Tip
Levy orders are due 21 days before the show and are paid 100% in advance, so I'd decide early whether you're feeding staff in the booth or sending them on breaks. If they eat on site, stagger the breaks so the booth is never short. Make sure everyone carries a card, since the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual called the GRB a cashless venue.
Weather and hurricane season
NOAA's May 21, 2026 outlook says the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the historical peak typically runs from mid-September through October. Breakbulk Americas 2027, on Oct. 19-20, falls inside that window. If your show does too, keep your flights flexible, know your hotel's plan and check your show's cancellation terms before you book.
Michael's Tip
For a Houston show between June 1 and November 30, I'd book flights and hotel rates you can change, and read the show's cancellation terms before you commit. Keep your show contacts, hotel details and freight tracking numbers on your phone so you can act fast if plans shift.
Parking
The Avenida North Garage at 701 Avenida de las Americas has 1,848 spaces and 7-foot clearance, and it connects to the GRB and the Marriott Marquis by skybridge. The GRB's parking page and its 2026-2027 Parking Map and Rates (PDF, updated Oct. 30, 2026) list a $45 maximum daily regular rate there, with hourly rates starting at $15.
The Tundra Garage at 1515 Jackson Street, at Toyota Center, has 2,478 spaces and prices by event. The GRB's parking page lists its clearance as 6.9 feet and the Oct. 30, 2026 PDF says 7 feet, so plan on 6.9 feet.
All campus garages use kiosks by the elevators with no cashier, hourly rates begin at 2 a.m., and event rates, when in effect, are paid on entry. You can reserve through ParkMobile or ParkWhiz.
Two other garages are in flux. The parking page says the Avenida Central Garage is "temporarily closed, but will reopen Fall 2026," and that a new GRB South / Avenida South garage "will also open Fall 2026." Check the GRB parking page before you go, and don't plan around either one until it shows as open. Campus street closures and TxDOT's North Houston Highway Improvement Project can slow you down too, so check the Campus Street Closures map on the GRB's Maps, Directions and Transportation page and Houston TranStar before you drive in.
Last-minute printing and small packages
The GRB has no business center, per the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual, but its FAQ page lists FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers in the Hilton Americas-Houston and the Marriott Marquis, both reachable by skybridge.
Getting there
Houston has two airports, Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby, per the GRB's Getting Around Houston page.
METRO's 500 Downtown Direct runs nonstop from IAH Terminal E to stops by the GRB for $4.50 one way. METRO's February 2026 schedule (PDF) also serves Hobby Airport, and buses run about every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
Taxis and rideshares use two pickup and drop-off zones on Avenida de las Americas, one outside Hall B on the north end and one outside Hall E on the south end. "Six in the City" is a $6 flat taxi fare anywhere in the Central Business District. Once you're downtown, a day pass for METRORail and local buses is $3.
Michael's Tip
For staff traveling light from IAH, the 500 Downtown Direct is $4.50 one way and stops by the GRB. If anyone is carrying booth supplies, I'd use a taxi or rideshare and the Hall B or Hall E zone on Avenida de las Americas. Once you're downtown, "Six in the City" is a $6 flat taxi fare anywhere in the Central Business District.
Exhibiting somewhere else? See our Dallas and New Orleans guides, or browse all convention center guides. The 25 most common trade show mistakes and our budgeting section are worth a read before any show.
George R. Brown Convention Center FAQs
Can exhibitors set up their own booth at the George R. Brown Convention Center?
Check your show's labor rules first. Texas is a right-to-work state, so union membership can't be a condition of the job. Freight is different. In the 2026 Breakbulk Americas manual, only the official contractor could move freight to the booth or run forklifts and pallet jacks.
How do I order electricity and internet at the George R. Brown Convention Center?
Order through Smart City Networks, the building's exclusive utility and telecom provider. Its GRB ordering guide, effective Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2026, gives the incentive rate to orders placed 14 days before the first day of move-in. A 500-watt outlet is $127 at that rate and $166 after.
Can I bring my own food or drinks to my booth at the George R. Brown Convention Center?
Not without written approval from Levy, the GRB's exclusive food and beverage provider. Levy's 2026 exhibitor menu asks for orders 21 days before the show starts, may add a 25% late fee after that, and charges a 23% administrative fee plus 8.25% state sales tax.
Where do I park at the George R. Brown Convention Center?
The Avenida North Garage at 701 Avenida de las Americas connects to the GRB by skybridge and had a $45 maximum daily rate on the GRB's Oct. 30, 2026 parking map. The Tundra Garage prices by event. Never load or unload on Avenida de las Americas, because vehicles there get towed.
How do I get from the airport to the George R. Brown Convention Center?
METRO's 500 Downtown Direct bus runs from Bush Intercontinental Terminal E to the GRB for $4.50 one way. METRO's February 2026 schedule also serves Hobby Airport, with buses about every 30 minutes. Taxis and rideshares use two zones on Avenida de las Americas, outside Hall B and Hall E.
When is hurricane season in Houston?
June 1 to November 30. NOAA's May 2026 outlook says the historical peak typically runs from mid-September through October. If your Houston show falls in that window, keep your flights flexible and read your show's cancellation terms before you book.
You can also browse our show guides or find more trade shows to plan around.
Written by Michael Flavin, a trade show pro since 2006.
Sources
All accessed Nov. 9, 2026. "Updated" dates for grbhouston.com pages come from the site's own sitemap.
- GRB, About Us (updated May 18, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/about-us/
- GRB, Dimensions and Capacities (updated Mar. 27, 2025): https://www.grbhouston.com/planners/dimensions-capacities/
- GRB, Exhibitor Guidelines (updated Feb. 12, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/exhibitors/exhibitor-guidelines/
- GRB, Rules and Regulations (PDF, "As Adopted December 2019"): https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/houston/GRB_Rules_and_Regulations_v2019_80d7ae15-298e-4c31-a67c-3257bbc9a007.pdf
- GRB, GRB Services (updated July 25, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/planners/grb-services/ and IT and Utilities (updated Feb. 3, 2024): https://www.grbhouston.com/planners/grb-services/it-and-utilities/
- Smart City Networks, GRB Exhibitor Ordering Guide (PDF, effective Oct. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2026): https://ite-prod-cdn-end.azureedge.net/sharedmedia/breakbulkamericas/media/exhibitor-manual/2026/grb-smart-city-exhibitor-ordering-guide-2026.pdf
- Levy, GRB 2026 Exhibitor Menu (PDF, 2026): https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/houston/2026_Exhibitor_Menu_np_0d1c4f83-27b3-4801-b84f-fec4ee63ff78.pdf
- GRB, Parking (updated Oct. 30, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/attendees/parking/ and Parking Map and Rates 2026-2027 (PDF, updated Oct. 30, 2026): https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/houston/GRBParkingMapandRates_2026_2027_Update10_30_26_caf2593c-68b3-45fb-8f02-0f397af1043f.pdf
- GRB, Maps, Directions and Transportation (updated Aug. 13, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/attendees/maps-and-directions/
- GRB, Getting Around Houston (updated Dec. 5, 2025): https://www.grbhouston.com/exhibitors/getting-around-houston/
- METRO, 500 Downtown Direct: https://www.ridemetro.org/riding-metro/transit-services/park-and-ride-bus/route-details/500-downtown-direct and schedule (PDF, Feb. 2026): https://assets.ctfassets.net/fwldykjthzos/57ur8PfkDNMjfHuQtdECpN/2cc500ef98d2b55b058be802a158e979/500-downtown-direct-route-schedule_2.22.2026_.pdf
- GRB, FAQs (updated Aug. 13, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/attendees/faqs/
- GRB, Restaurants (updated Jan. 12, 2026): https://www.grbhouston.com/attendees/attendee-amenities/restaurants/
- Breakbulk Americas 2026 Exhibitor Manual (PDF, July 2026): https://ite-prod-cdn-end.azureedge.net/sharedmedia/breakbulkamericas/media/exhibitor-manual/2026/bbam26-exhibitor-manual.pdf
- Breakbulk Americas, official site: https://americas.breakbulk.com/home
- Texas Labor Code, Chapter 101: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LA/htm/LA.101.htm
- NOAA, "NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season" (May 21, 2026): https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-below-normal-2026-atlantic-hurricane-season
- GRB, Facility Map and Digital Signage Locations (PDF, 2025): https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/houston/Facility_Signage_Map_Only_2025_95e3036f-f16c-42c9-a6fd-d6dd38662ae0.pdf
- Houston First, Convention District Transformation: https://www.houstonfirst.com/convention-district-transformation-1/convention-district-transformation/
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