The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida is one of the largest convention facilities in the United States — 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space across two connected buildings. It hosts major events including InfoComm, HIMSS, GDC, National Hardware Show, and dozens of regional and national trade shows annually.

Compared to New York and Chicago, Orlando is generally considered a more exhibitor-friendly venue. Union rules are less restrictive, drayage rates are at the mid-range of the national scale, and the campus is designed for high-volume freight movement. That said, OCCC has its own logistics requirements that exhibitors need to understand before they ship.

The OCCC Campus

The Orange County Convention Center has two main buildings:

North/South Building — the original structure with multiple halls and concourse levels
West Building — connected by a pedestrian bridge, opened in 2003

Both buildings have their own loading docks and advance warehouse assignments. Your Exhibitor Services Manual (ESM) will confirm which building and hall your show occupies. Always verify before shipping — OCCC is a large campus and freight delivered to the wrong section will need to be redirected.

Who Handles Drayage at OCCC?

Drayage at OCCC is handled by the official general service contractor for your show — typically Freeman or GES, depending on the event. Check your ESM to confirm.

Drayage rates at OCCC range from $90 to $160 per CWT, which is at the lower-to-mid end of the national range. For a 2,000 lb booth shipment at $120/CWT, expect $2,400 in drayage — separate from transportation.

💡 Pro Tip

OCCC drayage rates are generally 15–25% lower than Chicago or New York rates for comparable shows. Orlando is one of the more cost-effective major venues for exhibitors managing freight budgets.

Union Labor Rules at OCCC

Orlando operates under less restrictive union rules than Chicago or New York. This is one of the reasons many exhibitors prefer Florida shows for their first large trade show experience.

What exhibitors can typically do at OCCC:

Set up and dismantle your own booth using your own employees
Use hand trucks and dollies to move your own materials (in many cases)
Connect your own electrical equipment for simple plug-in applications

What requires union or GSC labor:

Operating forklifts and pallet jacks
Rigging and overhead hanging
Moving freight from the loading dock to the show floor (drayage — always GSC)

💡 Pro Tip

At OCCC, exhibitors can often use hand trucks and small carts to move their own materials — a significant difference from Chicago or New York. Confirm the specific rules in your ESM, as policies can vary by show and GSC contract.

Always review the labor rules section of your ESM before move-in. Rules can vary by show even within the same venue.

Orange County Convention Center Orlando exterior — The OCCC West Building connects to the North/South Building via pedestrian bridge — confirm your hall before shipping.

Advance Warehouse for OCCC

The advance warehouse for OCCC events is located in the Orlando area. The address is show-specific — always pull it from your ESM, not from a previous show.

Advance warehouse window: Typically opens 2–4 weeks before move-in and closes 3–7 days before the show. The exact window varies by show size.

Why advance warehouse is recommended at OCCC:

OCCC hosts large events that draw significant exhibitor volume. During peak move-in at major shows like InfoComm or HIMSS, the loading dock area sees hundreds of trucks. Advance warehouse delivery eliminates the marshaling yard wait and gets your freight staged before the congestion.

For any OCCC show with 500+ exhibitors, advance warehouse is the cleaner option.

Labeling Requirements

Every piece of freight must be labeled before it arrives in Orlando. Required on each label:

Company name (as listed in the exhibitor directory)
Booth number
Show name and dates
Building designation (North/South or West)
Delivery method: ADVANCE or DIRECT
Piece count (1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc.)
Weight per piece

⚠️ Watch Out

OCCC advance warehouses process thousands of pieces during large shows. Unlabeled or mislabeled freight gets quarantined and may not reach your booth before setup begins. Label every piece before your carrier picks up.

Organized freight warehouse with trade show crates staged for delivery — Advance warehouse staging: your freight arrives pre-positioned and ready for move-in day.

Drayage Cost Planning for Orlando

| Booth Size | Estimated Freight Weight | Estimated Drayage | |-----------|------------------------|------------------| | 10x10 inline | 400–700 lbs | $500–$1,120 | | 10x20 inline | 800–1,500 lbs | $960–$2,400 | | 20x20 island | 2,000–4,000 lbs | $2,400–$6,400 | | 30x30 island | 5,000–10,000 lbs | $6,000–$16,000+ |

These are transportation-separate estimates. Actual drayage is based on certified weight at the advance warehouse or dock.

Getting Freight to Orlando from the West Coast

OCCC is on the opposite side of the country from Calway's Ontario, California base — but we ship to Orlando regularly for national shows.

Transit time: Standard LTL freight from Southern California to Orlando runs 5–8 transit days. For advance warehouse delivery, we build in additional buffer to ensure arrival before the warehouse close date.

Recommended booking lead time: 3–4 weeks before your advance warehouse deadline for standard shipments. For large island exhibits (30x30+) or time-sensitive freight, book 5–6 weeks out.

Return Freight After the Show

Move-out at OCCC follows standard GSC procedures:

Dismantle your booth and repack crates
Apply outbound labels (same format as inbound)
Complete your Material Handling Agreement (MHA)
Freight is staged in the marshaling area
Your carrier picks up during the designated outbound window

⚠️ Watch Out

Storage fees at OCCC run $25 to $80+ per piece per day. Pre-schedule your return carrier pickup before the show opens — not after it closes. Carriers who are not on site when freight is staged will find it in storage.

How Calway Handles OCCC Shipments

Calway ships to OCCC for national shows throughout the year. From our Ontario, California base, we manage the full freight cycle for Orlando events — pickup, advance warehouse delivery with confirmed receipt, and post-show return coordination.

We track Orlando advance warehouse intake windows for major events and alert you if your timeline is at risk.

Common OCCC Freight Mistakes

Delivering to the wrong building. North/South and West are separate. Confirm your hall before shipping.

Missing the advance warehouse close date. Especially important for large shows like InfoComm — advance warehouse fills up fast.

Unlabeled freight. Every piece, labeled before pickup.

No outbound carrier scheduled. Book your return before the show opens. Storage fees add up fast.

Underestimating transit time from the West Coast. Florida is 5–8 days from Southern California. Do not book pickup 2 weeks before the show and assume it will make the advance warehouse deadline.

Ready to Ship to Orlando?

Get a custom freight quote from Calway for your OCCC show. Tell us your show name, booth size, origin city, and estimated freight weight.

Get a Quote or call (909) 605-9893 — available 24/7.

Calway Logistics | Ontario, CA | USDOT #3353508 | FMCSA Licensed & Bonded Serving the Orange County Convention Center and all Orlando-area event venues.

About the author: Jose Melchor is Operations Manager at Calway Logistics, based in Ontario, CA. With 15+ years in trade show logistics, he has coordinated freight for exhibitors at LVCC, McCormick Place, Javits Center, Anaheim Convention Center, and every major trade show venue across the U.S. and Canada.

Orange County Convention Center (Orlando) Freight Guide for Exhibitors