For Chicago, plan on six to ten weeks. At 1,732 miles from our Fullerton shop, presses move by freight and the crew flies in a day ahead, so the long pole is shipping and load-in scheduling rather than press time. Short-notice Chicago dates are still worth asking about — we keep gear staged — but the travel line is friendlier with lead time.
What the lead time buys you in Chicago
- Peak season — when McCormick Place has a major show on the calendar, hotels, drayage, and labor all tighten at once. Booking around a big Chicago show week is the single best thing you can do for your budget.
For rush Chicago events, simple art and standard blanks are what make a fast turnaround possible. If you're planning McCormick Place trade shows or a McCormick Place booth months out, even better — we'll hold the date. Either way, the first step is the same: tell us your date and headcount and we'll confirm availability within 24 hours.
Chicago sits 1,732 miles out, so gear ships freight and the crew lands a day early, which is what really sets the Chicago lead time. Art needs to be final about a week out and blank orders lock around the same point, so a moving headcount delays a Chicago job more often than press availability does. Date changes are easiest with two weeks' notice because of freight. When McCormick Place has a major show on, hotels and labor tighten across Chicagoland at once — booking around that week is the single cheapest decision you can make.