Convention center guide
Exhibiting in New Orleans: Morial Convention Center Guide
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, its contractor rules and what to know before you exhibit in New Orleans.
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 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is at 900 Convention Center Boulevard. Its 11 exhibit halls, B-1 through J, total 966,327 square feet. Louisiana is a right-to-work state, so your own staff can often set up your booth. The building itself sells utilities, internet and food, so order those early.
I've been in trade shows since 2006, and New Orleans is a city where the details in your exhibitor manual matter. The building sells its own utilities, and the rules on dollies and unloading can change from one show to the next. Below is what I'd want my team to know before move-in, with each fact tied to the official source it came from.
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
The building describes itself as a 3.1 million square foot facility on its Services and Amenities page. For exhibitors, the exhibit halls are what count. Per MCCNO's Floorplans and Capacities PDF, dated June 30, 2026, Halls B through J combine to 966,327 square feet, room for 5,046 booths measuring 10x10. Add The Great Hall, at 60,300 square feet, and the total comes to 1,026,627 square feet.
Beyond the halls, the building has 140 meeting rooms, according to its Exhibitor Services page, and the Floorplans and Capacities PDF lists the New Orleans Theater at 4,032 seats in its full configuration.
Ceiling heights vary inside the halls, so it's worth checking where your booth sits. In Halls B, C, D, E, G, H, I and J, the minimum is 27 feet under the serviceways, rising to 59 feet at the truss peaks and 65 feet at the roof peak. Hall F has a 36-foot minimum under its serviceways. Marked low-ceiling areas drop to 26 feet in Halls E and F and to 24 feet in G, H, I-1 and J. If you're bringing a tall exhibit or a hanging sign, find out which part of the hall you're in before you lock in the design.
The same PDF shows a heavy load area of 89,145 square feet rated for 500 pounds per square foot, in the Hall H to I-2 area on the first-floor map.
The main entrance is at the corner of Julia Street and Convention Center Boulevard, and there's a Transportation Center entrance at Lobby G, per the building's Getting Here page.
Michael's Tip
In a long building like this one, pick one meeting spot near your hall and put it in the staff schedule, so nobody spends a break looking for the team. Plan breaks in pairs and check which concessions near your hall are open each show day. If you have sessions in the meeting rooms, give people extra time to get there and back.
Local labor rules and EACs
Louisiana is a right-to-work state. The convention center says so on its Exhibitor Services page and in its 2026-2027 Guide to Success (PDF, Nov. 25, 2025). In practice that gives your own staff more room to work than in many cities, within limits your show's contractor sets.
What your team can do. The International WorkBoat Show's shipping page, which sets out Freeman's rules, says full-time employees of the exhibiting company may set up their own exhibits without local union labor. A 2026 Shepard New Orleans labor sheet (PDF) says exhibitor personnel may set up "using their own tools and company personnel." It also says union labor isn't required to put products on display, open product cartons or test and repair products.
What your team can't do. Using that 2026 Freeman page as the example, the general contractor controls the docks with union labor. Rigging and sign assembly are done by the general contractor, with exhibitors and EACs supervising only, and only contractor employees go up on lifts. Exhibitors can't use forklifts, pallet jacks, lift gates or other motorized equipment.
EACs. On the same Freeman page, an exhibitor-appointed contractor can supervise but can't do the setup labor unless its workers belong to the appropriate local union, and an EAC form is required. Shepard's sheet says any labor you hire must come through the official contractor or an EAC that meets the show's EAC rules. The building's Rules and Regulations (PDF, revised Dec. 30, 2025) require every contractor, vendor and EAC to wear the ESCA Worker Identification System (WIS) badge.
Straight time and overtime. Freeman's 2026 page defines straight time as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Overtime is before 8 a.m., after 5 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays. Labor rates are set show by show, so look for the dollar figures in your manual.
Working with the crew. Shepard's sheet says not to tip. Union crews get a paid 15-minute break mid-morning and again mid-afternoon, and meal breaks run one hour. Take labor questions to the contractor rather than to the crew.
Before you plan a self-setup, I'd read your show's labor page closely, because the rules on dollies and unloading change by show and contractor. If anything is unclear, ask the general contractor in writing.
Michael's Tip
Right-to-work doesn't mean anything goes. Your general contractor's rules still decide what your own staff can carry, set up and use, including whether dollies are allowed. Read the labor section of your exhibitor manual before you pack, and plan your crew around it instead of assuming the rules from your last show apply here.
For more on contractors and freight, see our logistics section and exhibitor logistics 101.
Exhibitor need-to-knows
Advance warehouse or direct to show?
Shows usually give you two ways to get freight in. You can ship to the general contractor's advance warehouse ahead of time and have it delivered to your booth at move-in, or you can ship straight to the building during your move-in window.
Your show sets the warehouse deadline and the first day the building accepts show-site freight. On one Freeman show page for this building, deliveries outside an exhibitor's targeted move-in time were at the exhibitor's cost. Check your own manual for the exact dates, because they aren't a building rule.
Don't count on the building as a backup. The convention center won't receive, store or hold equipment or materials for exhibitors, per its Rules and Regulations. Warehouse cutoffs belong on the same calendar as your exhibitor manual deadlines.
Loading docks and marshaling
The dock entrance is at 101 Henderson Street, and Lot J at 102 Henderson Street is used for truck staging, per the Guide to Success. Loading docks are under the control of Campus Security, which works with the official contractor's drayage team. The building's Vehicular Operations Center (VOC) can stage the drayage contractor's trucks under a Temporary Truck Marshaling Agreement, with usage charges and no overnight vehicle occupancy.
Truck marshaling still depends on your show's contractor. On one Freeman show page for this building, the marshaling yard is at 3755 Peters Road in Harvey, and no vehicle reaches the docks without a dock pass. For details on your own show, the building's Getting Here page tells you to contact your general contractor or show management.
Personal vehicles have their own rules. On the same Freeman page, self-unloading POVs check in at 1351 Tchoupitoulas, get 20 minutes to unload at Hall F and can't be left unattended.
If you're shipping large pieces, the site plan in the Floorplans and Capacities PDF lists at least 23 numbered freight gates. The largest listed are 30 feet wide by 25 feet high, at gates 14, 14A, 15 and 15A.
Michael's Tip
Before a driver heads to the marshaling yard, give them the yard address from your manual, the show name, your company name and booth number, and a phone contact who will answer. Make sure they know the target move-in time and that they'll need a dock pass to reach the docks. Missing details can cost a driver their place in line.
Material handling (drayage) and how to cut it
Drayage, or material handling, is what the contractor charges to move your freight from the dock to your booth and back out at the end. Rates are set by each show and weren't public in the sources I checked, so look for them in your manual. Shipping less weight and consolidating into fewer pieces both help, and so does arriving inside your targeted move-in time.
Hand-carrying is allowed on the 2026 Freeman page for items one person can carry without pallet jacks or mechanized equipment. Dollies are where shows differ. That Freeman page allows exhibitor-provided hand dollies and carts when you're unloading a company or employee vehicle of 24 feet or less, and vehicles over 24 feet are unloaded by union labor. The 2026 Shepard sheet doesn't allow exhibitors to use or rent dollies or flat trucks. Freeman's page says all freight must come in through the loading docks, and Shepard's sheet says Shepard controls the loading docks at all times.
The building adds its own rules. Material can't be moved on unprotected permanent floors, and pallet jacks aren't allowed on finished floors. Equipment brought in through the front off Convention Center Boulevard is limited to Freight Gates 8 to 12, with approval, and nothing goes through the glass doors. The 2% Service Contractor Tax applies to drayage and material handling. For why these charges add up, see why trade shows are so expensive.
Move-in and move-out
Move-in runs on a targeted schedule set by your show, so expect an assigned time. The building's Pack In/Pack Out flyer (revised Sept. 9, 2026) says carpet, padding, pallets, carpet tubes, foamcore signage and packing materials can't be left on the floor or thrown in landfill containers, and fees may apply. Cardboard, lumber, Visqueen and metal can go in the recycling carts in the halls.
The Rules and Regulations treat the docks, truck staging areas and halls as hazardous work areas during move-in and move-out. They also ban glitter and adhesive-backed decals. Helium balloons need approval and can't be handed out.
Michael's Tip
Before you leave the hall, roll and label the carpet and padding, make sure every crate has an outbound label, and turn in the bill of lading at the service desk. Confirm your carrier pickup, and don't walk away from freight until you know who is collecting it. Take photos of the packed freight and labels so you have a record.
Utilities, internet and rigging (ordering)
In this building, the convention center itself is the exclusive provider of electrical, plumbing, gas, steam and telecommunications, and only its staff may connect to floor boxes. You order online through Exhibit Services (504-582-3036, exhibit_services@mccno.com), and paper forms cost extra.
The 2026-2027 Guide to Success prices services in three tiers. The advance rate applies 30 or more days out, the standard rate applies under 30 days, and the onsite rate starts on the first day of move-in. As published, a 120-volt, 5-amp outlet is $143 advance, $165 standard and $215 onsite. Electrical labor is $102 an hour Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and $153 or $204 at other times. All Guide to Success prices include the 2% Service Contractor Tax.
Cancellations have to be in writing. More than 14 days out there's a $50 fee, within 14 days you get a 50% refund, and once move-in starts there's no refund. Natural gas is a 2 PSI system, and exhibitors supply their own regulators.
For internet, in-booth Wi-Fi is listed at $1,800 at the advance rate for the 1 to 5 device tier, with more devices priced separately. Confirm what's included with the building's Technology Department (504-582-3095) before you order. Personal hotspots and third-party access points aren't permitted, and the building recommends wired service for anything critical. The free public network, MCCNOFREEWIFI, covers public areas.
Rigging in the exhibit halls is allowed up to 250 pounds per hanging point without authorization. Heavier plans need written approval and have to be submitted at least 60 days before move-in. For ways to keep the power bill down, see cut energy costs at trade shows.
Michael's Tip
I place utility orders as soon as the floor plan is final, well before the advance-rate cutoff, since prices go up after that date. The piece people most often forget is the labor to run power where it's needed in the booth, not just the outlet. Check your booth drawing for every spot that needs power before you submit.
Hotel strategy
Book inside your show's official housing block. Be wary of housing pirates, the calls and emails from companies claiming to handle the show's housing. For hotel help, contact New Orleans & Company, the city's tourism and convention bureau. I couldn't find a dated official source on hotels near the building, so I'm not naming any here.
Michael's Tip
I want booth staff within walking distance of the convention center when the budget allows. Show days are long, and a short walk back beats waiting on a ride with tired feet. If you have to stay farther out, plan the morning trip with time to spare, because traffic near the building can be slow during big shows.
Food, catering and sampling
Sodexo Live! is the exclusive food service provider, and that includes bottled water in the exhibit halls. Exhibitors may hand out food and beverage samples that are germane to the event only with the building's written approval. Samples that aren't germane have to be bought from the food service contractor.
If you're ordering catering for the booth, the 2026 Exhibitor Catering Menu Guide has the rules. Online ordering closes 14 days before the show's first day, and full payment is due in advance. Orders carry a 23% service charge plus sales tax. Booth attendants and bartenders are $45 an hour with a 5-hour minimum, and delivery is $30 per trip. Only the building's bartenders may serve alcohol, and catering doesn't supply tables or electrical.
For staff on the go, there are concession stands in the exhibit halls and cafes in the lobbies. Dutch's Corner, next to the UPS Store, sells phone chargers, cables and first-aid supplies. Keeping booth staff fed and rested is part of booth staffing.
Michael's Tip
Plan meals the way you plan shifts. Give each person a set meal break, keep water and snacks in booth storage, and don't let anyone eat in front of visitors. If you want catering brought to the booth, remember the building's online ordering closes before the show starts, so place the order early.
Weather and hurricane season
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per NOAA and the City of New Orleans. New Orleans & Company's hurricane preparedness plan (June 16, 2026) says August and September are usually the most active months. It also says RTA buses, streetcars and ferries may stop running when sustained winds reach 35 mph or street flooding reaches 18 inches. If evacuation is recommended, visitors should leave the city early the same way they arrived, and the airport won't be used as a shelter.
If your show falls in hurricane season, sign up for NOLA Ready alerts by texting NOLAREADY to 77295. Know your hotel's plan, and keep your flights flexible.
Michael's Tip
For a show trip between June and November, book flights and hotels with flexible change rules when you can, and look at travel insurance that covers weather. Sign up for local alerts before you go and have a plan for getting staff home early if needed. Ship freight with time to spare in case a storm slows deliveries.
Sales tax and the Service Contractor Tax
A 2% tax applies to goods and services from service contractors at trade shows, including setup, drayage, electrical, furniture, carpet, AV and catering, per the Rules and Regulations. Exhibitors who sell items for delivery on the show floor must collect and remit city and state sales tax. Most trade show exhibitors don't need permits or licenses, but public and non-exempt events need an Occasional Occupancy License. More on fees in our budgeting section.
Parking
The building's lots are across from Halls H, I and J. As published for 2026-2027, parking is $23 per day per vehicle and $42 per oversized vehicle, paid cashless through ParkMobile, with no in and out privileges. Lot F (400 Calliope Street) and Lot G (355 Henderson Street) list 600 spaces each, and RVs aren't allowed. Overnight parking is prohibited, and you can't park on Convention Center Boulevard. Campus Logistics handles parking questions at 504-582-3193 or parking@mccno.com.
Last-minute printing and small packages
The UPS Store business center is in Lobby F (504-670-8941) and offers large-format printing. You can ship small parcels to the store for pickup, addressed "Hold For Guest" with your event name, per the 2026-2027 Shipping Instructions. There's no delivery to booths, and handling fees apply, so check that document for the current fees.
Getting there
If you're driving from I-10, take US-90 Business toward the Westbank to Exit 11 (Tchoupitoulas / S. Peters Street), per the building's Getting Here page.
For a taxi or rideshare, use the Taxi/Rideshare Zone at 400 Calliope Street and the pedestrian crossing into Lobby G.
Since RTA's Summer 2025 service change, the 49 Riverfront streetcar runs along the river from the French Market to Julia Street and serves the convention center.
From the airport, RTA's 202 Airport Express runs between MSY and downtown, and a single ride is $1.25. Check norta.com for the current downtown stops before you go.
Michael's Tip
On arrival day, have staff go to the hotel, drop their bags, and walk over to the hall together to see the booth and pick up badges if pickup is open. Share the hotel address and a meeting time in a group message before anyone flies. Whether they take a rideshare, a taxi or the airport bus, give them a clear plan so nobody is guessing after a long flight.
Exhibiting somewhere else? See our guides to Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando and Las Vegas, or browse all convention center guides. Before any show, the 25 most common trade show mistakes is worth a read.
Morial Convention Center FAQs
Can exhibitors set up their own booth at the Morial Convention Center?
Usually, yes. Louisiana is a right-to-work state, and New Orleans contractor rules let full-time employees of the exhibiting company set up their own exhibit. The show's general contractor still controls the docks, forklifts and rigging. Check your show's manual, because dolly rules differ by show.
Can I bring a dolly into the Morial Convention Center?
It depends on your show. A 2026 Freeman show page lets exhibitors unload their own vehicles of 24 feet or less with hand dollies they bring. A 2026 Shepard labor sheet for New Orleans doesn't allow exhibitors to use dollies. Hand-carrying your own materials is allowed under both.
How do I order electricity and internet at the Morial Convention Center?
Order them from the convention center through its online Exhibit Services ordering, not from the general contractor. The building is the exclusive provider. Its 2026-2027 rates have three tiers: advance rates 30 or more days out, standard rates under 30 days and onsite rates from the first day of move-in.
Where do trucks check in for move-in at the Morial Convention Center?
At the marshaling yard named in your show's exhibitor manual. It changes by show and contractor. For one show at this building, Freeman's yard is in Harvey, and no truck gets to the docks without a dock pass. The building's dock entrance is at 101 Henderson Street.
How much is parking at the Morial Convention Center?
The convention center's own lots charge $23 per day per vehicle and $42 for oversized vehicles, per its 2026-2027 Guide to Success. Payment is cashless through the ParkMobile app, and there are no in and out privileges. Overnight parking isn't allowed.
When is hurricane season in New Orleans?
June 1 to November 30, per NOAA and the City of New Orleans. New Orleans & Company says August and September are usually the most active months. If your show falls in that window, sign up for NOLA Ready alerts and know how you'd leave early.
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 Oct. 19, 2026.
- MCCNO, Rules and Regulations (PDF, rev. Dec. 30, 2025): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Rules-and-Regulations_12.30.25.pdf
- MCCNO, 2026-2027 Guide to Success: Event Services and Equipment (PDF, Nov. 25, 2025): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Guide-to-Success-Event-Services-Equipment-11.25.25.pdf
- MCCNO, Floorplans and Capacities (PDF, dated June 30, 2026): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Floorplans-and-Capacities-6.30.26-PORTAL.pdf
- MCCNO, Exhibitor Services (updated Mar. 31, 2026): https://mccno.com/exhibitors/services/
- MCCNO, Getting Here (updated Oct. 22, 2024): https://mccno.com/visitors/getting-here/
- MCCNO, Services and Amenities (updated Oct. 15, 2026): https://mccno.com/visitors/services-amenities/
- MCCNO and Sodexo Live!, Exhibitor Catering Menu Guide (PDF, Mar. 27, 2026): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Exhibit-Catering-Menu-Guide-03.27.2026.pdf
- MCCNO, Pack In/Pack Out Flyer and Signage (PDF, rev. Sept. 9, 2026): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Pack-in-Pack-Out-Flyer-and-Signage-2026.pdf
- MCCNO and The UPS Store, Shipping Instructions for Exhibitors 2026-2027 (PDF, Oct. 2026): https://mccno.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Shipping-Instructions-2026_2027.pdf
- International WorkBoat Show 2026 (Freeman), Shipping, Move-in and Move-out Information: https://workboatshow2026.smallworldlabs.com/shipping
- Shepard Exposition Services, Labor Rules and Regulations, New Orleans, Louisiana (PDF, 2026): https://assets.swoogo.com/uploads/6282444-69692f6893a3a.pdf
- New Orleans RTA, Service Schedules and changes: https://www.norta.com/ride-with-us/changes-that-may-affect-your-ride/service-changes
- New Orleans RTA, 202 Airport Express timetable (PDF, Fall 2026, effective Sept. 20, 2026): https://www.norta.com/getmedia/414d85cc-9d14-4b20-a446-12b736a3af94/202-AirportExpress.pdf
- 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
- City of New Orleans, "Mayor Moreno Outlines Preparedness Efforts for 2026 Hurricane Season" (May 26, 2026): https://nola.gov/next/mayors-office/news/articles/may-2026/2026-05-26-mayor-moreno-outlines-preparedness-efforts-for-2026-hurricane-season/
- New Orleans & Company, Hurricane Preparedness Plan for Customers and Groups (PDF, June 16, 2026): https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/neworleans/New_Orleans_Client_Crisis_Communication_Plan_June_2026_KS_d16c5a37-0b90-4178-a141-6d832642c418.pdf
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