Orlando might be "the happiest place on earth," but move-in day at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is a different kind of happy. If you've shipped to IAAPA, HIMSS, the PGA Show, Surf Expo, or IBS, you know Orlando move-ins have their own personality — different from Vegas, different from Chicago, and full of little details that trip up first-timers.

Here's what exhibit managers and event marketing agencies need to know about shipping a booth to Orlando trade shows in 2026, so you can walk in on move-in day knowing your crates are exactly where they should be.

The OCCC is actually two buildings (and that matters)

The Orange County Convention Center is divided into two campuses:

• West Concourse (Halls A–D, with additional halls and valencia rooms) — home to IAAPA, HIMSS (in Orlando years), and many of the largest shows
• North/South Concourse — hosts PGA Show, Surf Expo, and many mid-sized events

They're connected by a skybridge, but from a freight standpoint they're essentially two separate venues with different loading dock configurations and different marshalling yards.

Why this matters for shipping: the exhibitor kit will tell you which building your booth is in. Double-check it against your booth number, because "OCCC" on a shipping label is not enough. The driver needs the specific concourse and dock assignment.

Know your general contractor

Most OCCC shows use either Freeman or GES as the general contractor, though you'll also occasionally see Shepard or Nth Degree for certain shows. Each contractor has their own:

• Advance warehouse location (usually within 15–20 miles of OCCC)
• Shipping label format
• Material handling rates
• Target move-in protocols

Your exhibitor kit will have all of this. The key is reading it before you book freight, not after. We've seen plenty of trucks show up at a Freeman warehouse with a booth destined for a GES show. It's a bad day for everyone.

Orlando's advance warehouse is often the smarter call

For Las Vegas, we sometimes recommend direct-to-show. For Orlando, we lean even harder toward the advance warehouse, and here's why:

• Florida weather. Summer and fall mean afternoon thunderstorms that can delay truck arrivals. Advance warehouse gives you a weather buffer.
• Tourist traffic around OCCC. I-4, International Drive, and the surrounding area can be chaotic, especially during convention season.
• Theme park holiday crunch. Many Orlando shows land around holidays when regional freight volume spikes. Advance warehouse locks in your spot.
• Long direct-to-show windows aren't guaranteed. OCCC windows can be tight, especially for large shows like IAAPA that fill the entire west concourse.

Unless your booth is very small, very local, and very simple, send it to the advance warehouse. The extra CWT rate is worth it.

Timeline for Orlando shipping

For most Orlando shows, here's the timeline we recommend:

• 45 days out: Book your freight. Orlando peak weeks (fall IAAPA, winter PGA, spring HIMSS) sell out faster than off-peak Vegas shows.
• 30 days out: Advance warehouse starts accepting freight. Confirm your crate count, weight, and dimensions with your carrier.
• 14–21 days out: Optimal pickup window from origin.
• 7–10 days before move-in: Freight checks in at the advance warehouse.
• 1–3 days before move-in: Show contractor delivers your crates to your booth space.
• Move-in morning: Your I&D crew starts building.

Watch out for these Orlando-specific gotchas

Humidity is real. If you're shipping printed graphics, fabric tension displays, or anything moisture-sensitive, ask your carrier about climate-controlled options. Orlando humidity will make unprotected fabric look tired after 24 hours in a warehouse.

Hurricane season (June through November). If your show falls in this window, build in a weather buffer and ship even earlier. We've seen perfectly planned shipments delayed three days by a named storm.

Orange County traffic during spring break and holiday weekends. Know your show's calendar relative to Orlando's tourist calendar. Driver dispatch can factor this in, but you want to know before you commit to a direct-to-show window.

Shared hotel venues. Some Orlando shows use ballrooms at nearby hotels (Rosen, Hyatt, Gaylord Palms) instead of OCCC. Shipping rules at hotels are completely different from OCCC — there's often no marshalling yard, no advance warehouse, and strict hotel loading dock hours. Confirm the venue before you book.

Common Orlando trade show shipping mistakes

After years of moving freight into and out of OCCC, these are the ones we see most:

1. Wrong concourse on the shipping label. "OCCC" isn't enough. "OCCC West Concourse, Hall B, Booth #2341" is what the driver needs.
2. Shipping on a Thursday expecting Monday arrival. Orlando isn't as isolated as Vegas, but weekend transit rarely works in your favor.
3. Ignoring the 24-hour humidity rule for fabric. Plan your unpack and setup tightly — don't let graphics sit in a hot Florida warehouse longer than necessary.
4. Forgetting about move-out. OCCC move-out can be surprisingly orderly, but only if you have your outbound BOL filed early and your driver in the marshalling yard queue.

What smart exhibit managers do differently

The best Orlando shippers we work with do three things:

1. They read the exhibitor kit the day it comes out, not the week before the show. Catches target dates, deadline changes, and drayage rate surprises.
2. They use STL (shared truckload) whenever possible. Orlando is a destination where STL lanes run on a regular schedule from most major origin cities. You get FTL-style handling at a fraction of the cost.
3. They over-communicate with their freight partner. Share the exhibitor kit, booth number, I&D contact, and backup contact. Good dispatch teams catch problems before you even know there's a problem.

How Exhibitway handles Orlando shipments

We ship to Orlando every week — IAAPA, HIMSS, PGA Show, Surf Expo, IBS, plus dozens of mid-sized corporate events at Rosen, Gaylord Palms, and OCCC. Our process:

• Review your exhibitor kit and confirm concourse, hall, booth number, and contractor
• Recommend advance warehouse vs. direct-to-show based on your booth size and origin
• Book STL, FTL, or white-glove expedited based on what actually makes sense (not what makes us more money)
• Provide real-time tracking to you, your I&D lead, and anyone else on your team
• Stand by 24/7 during show week in case anything goes sideways

Request a quote → Tell us your Orlando show, booth number, and origin — and we'll come back with a straight-shooter recommendation and a real price, usually within the hour.