Exhibit
“Utility services made easy with online ordering.
No need to fax or email your order.”
Starting your ascent to become a business empire on the show floor? Well, you can’t do that without first making sure you have all the basic booth needs covered.
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We exclusively provide all the utility services you need.
- Electrical
- Water and drainage
- Telephone
- Internet / Technical
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The General Service Contractor and Show Management can take care of your event-specific orders.
Place an order for an upcoming event through our Online Ordering Portal.
Pay for an existing order through our Payments Portal.
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The information contained in this brief outline does not by any means thoroughly cover the criteria and standards contained in the Uniform Fire Code, as adopted by the City of Austin, but it does provide the fundamental rules governing exhibits in any building open to the public.
The following entities are responsible for ensuring all regulations are followed: facility client, exhibitors, service contractors and the Austin Convention Center Department (ACCD). It is a requirement that ACCD reviews all event pre-planning documents and floor plans and is the only entity that can submit these documents to the Austin Fire Department for final review and approval.
Remember, the fire codes for Austin may be different from other cities, and exhibitors will be responsible for complying with the Uniform Fire code. ACCD will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are allowed to display your products effectively, as long as it does not create a fire or life safety hazard to you, other exhibitors or people attending the exhibit.
Floor plans for all shows are to be submitted to ACCD for review and approval. ACCD will submit the floor plans and event pre-planning documents to the Austin Fire Department’s Fire Marshal for approval. An approved copy will be provided to the event client. A copy of the approved plans must be available on-site.
No display or exhibit shall be installed or operated as to interfere with access to or with the visibility of any required exit or exit sign, nor shall any display block access to fire equipment.
Any exhibit containing a roofed area of 100 square feet or more requires a fire extinguisher to be displayed at such exhibit.
All exhibit booths must maintain clear and appropriate exits from the booth. Any booth of 750 square feet or more must have a minimum of two exits as far from each other as possible.
Displays with any type of cover, e.g., tents, buildings, awnings, etc. must be 300 square feet or less; if larger than 300 square feet they must meet the following regulations:
- A single level or multi-level exhibit larger than 300 square feet with a covered ceiling requires protection from an automatic extinguishing system.
- A booth with an open grate style ceiling does not have to meet this requirement. If there is any question, please forward a copy of the booth plans for ACCD and Fire Department review.
- The upper deck of the multi-level exhibit must have a minimum of two exits as far from each other as possible. If only one (1) exit, the second level is limited to seven (7) people at a time.
The storage of crates and combustible materials not on display (including packing materials) is not permitted inside the facility, on the dock or at dock bays. Limited empty crate storage is provided and confined to the area authorized by the Fire Marshal.
All curtains, drapes, any merchandise or material attached to drapes or table skirts, decorations and decorative or construction materials are to be non-combustible or flame-retardant. Documentation affirming non-combustible or flame-retardant properties must be available on-site.
Combustible waste is to be collected as it accumulates and should be stored in a non-combustible covered container which is emptied at least once a day.
The use of open flames, burning or smoke-emitting materials (candles, incense, lanterns) are not permitted in the facility.
Electrical equipment is to be installed, operated and maintained in a manner which does not create a hazard to life or property.
Whenever, in the opinion of the Austin Fire Department, it is essential for public safety in any place of public assembly, the owner, agent or lessee shall employ one or more qualified persons to be on duty. These individuals shall be subject to the Austin Fire Department’s orders and shall be in uniform and remain on duty during the times such places are open to the public. Any fees are the responsibility of the client.
The following items may not be used without prior written approval of the Fire Marshal’s Office:
- Display or storage of LPG (liquid propane gas)
- Flammable or combustible liquids
- Flammable gas
- Cotton, hay, paper, straw, moss, split bamboo, wood chips, etc. All items must be treated with fire-retardant materials. Documentation affirming non-combustible of flame-retardant properties must be available on-site.
- Welding or cutting equipment for show set-up or for demonstration purposes
- Gas-fired appliances for demonstration purposes
- Salamander stoves
- Compressed gas cylinders. If approved, cylinders are to be firmly secured in an upright position.
- Any cooking or heat-producing devices
The following are related to the display of automotive vehicles and equipment:
- There is to be no more than five gallons of fuel or 1/4 the capacity of the fuel tank, whichever is less.
- Fuel tanks are to be locked and all portable tanks removed. Locking the auto will be sufficient for cars in which the gas cap cover can only be unlatched from inside the vehicle.
- Ignition keys are to be removed and placed in a central location on site.
- The positioning of such vehicles shall be subject to approval of the Fire Marshal’s Office.
- Vehicle operation will be limited to brief parade-type displays specifically approved by the Fire Marshal’s Office.
- Vehicles, boats and similar exhibited products having over 100 square feet of roofed area are to have a smoke detector.
The following related to food shows:
- Deep fat fryers are not allowed in the facility.
- Chafing dishes are to be designed with a shelf for the fuel or chafing dish is to be placed on a sheet pan.
Public display of compressed flammable or toxic gases, hazardous materials, Class II, III or IV laser, blasting agents and explosives is only permitted after a review of the materials and/or devices is conducted and the proposed display has received approval of the Fire Marshal’s Office.
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Payment
- Payment in full is required prior to service connection. All outstanding balances must be paid by the end of your event.
- Advance orders paid in full will have priority over floor orders.
- Exhibitor booths will be audited during the event and charged for any additional services. The charges will be included in the exhibitor’s final bill at the standard rate.
- Any work not covered under ACCD’s price schedule will be done on a time and material basis.
- All materials and equipment damaged or lost shall be at the responsibility of the exhibitor and will be billed to the exhibitor for the full replacement value at the close of the event.
- All prices are rental only. All materials remain the property of ACCD unless otherwise specified.
- All rates are subject to change without notice.
Cancellations
- Cancellation of services must be made five (5) days prior to the first contracted date of your event.
Refunds
- There is a $25.00 processing fee for all refunds.
- No credit will be issued for services or equipment installed by not used.
- Claims and/or refunds will not be considered nor honored unless filed by the exhibitor prior to the close of your event at the Utility Service Desk.
- All questions on billing must be settled prior to the close of your event.
- Refunds for less than $50.00 will not be considered.
- Refunds for cancelled services must be made five (5) days prior to first contracted date of your event.
General
- All floor order services and/or changes to orders must be placed at the Utility Service Desk. The ACCD service staff is not permitted to accept orders directly from exhibitors.
- ACCD cannot guarantee service prior to the show opening for floor orders.
- Wall and permanent building electrical outlets are not a part of booth spaces and are not to be used by exhibitors. Access to all wall outlets and floor pockets is restricted to ACCD employees.
- Under no circumstances shall anyone other than ACCD personnel make service connections.
- The ACCD offers a limited inventory of utility service connections and rental equipment to our clients for their exclusive use on a first come first serve basis. ACCD cannot guarantee availability of utility services or rental equipment.
- ACCD is not responsible for power failures or fluctuations in voltage, air or water pressures. Equipment with strict tolerances may require regulating devices. Exhibitor must arrange for regulator valves, line conditions, back flow prevention devices, etc.
- All equipment and connections regardless of source of power must comply with federal, state and local safety codes.
- Special equipment connections requiring company engineers or technicians for assembly, services, preparatory work and operation may be executed with ACCD personnel. All services connections to ACCD utilities must be made by ACCD personnel only.
- Exhibitor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the ACCD, City of Austin and their respective officers, agents and employees against and from any and all claims for property damage and personal injury including death, arising out of or in any way caused by exhibitor’s negligence in the use or misuse of the utility service equipment, etc., supplied to the exhibitor by the ACCD under this order.
- Exhibitor will be responsible for damage to telecommunications, electrical, water, compressed air, drainage or equipment caused by exhibitor equipment, acts and/or omissions.
- If by reason of any default on the part of exhibitor hereunder, it becomes necessary to engage an attorney, the exhibitor agrees to pay all costs, expenses and attorney’s fees expended or incurred by the ACCD in connections herein.
Electrical
- Use of open clip sockets, latex or lamp cord wire, duplex or triplex plugs is prohibited.
- All exhibitor’s cords must be of the three (3) wire grounded type. All exposed non-current carrying metal parts of fixed equipment which are liable to be energized shall be grounded.
- Connection rates cover bringing service to the booth from the nearest floor pocket.
- Connections rates do not include adaptors or special wiring. If special electrical adaptors or plugs are required, the customer must provide the wiring schematics with required connectors (male & female ends).
- If adaptors or plugs are not provided, the customer must provide bare-end tails for hard wiring to the ACCD distribution boxes.
- Each exhibitor must order power separately. Exhibitors are not allowed to share power sources.
- Unauthorized use of electrical services will be terminated or exhibitor must pay Utility Services charges associated with service.
Technical
- ACCD is not responsible for network saturation or failures caused by misuse, power fluctuations, etc…
- Users must bring own Ethernet Cards for their equipment.
- Users must pre-configure Ethernet Drivers for their equipment.
- The ACCD can only guarantee connection speeds to the internal port of the router connected to the Internet.
- The ACCD cannot be responsible for web traffic and network saturation outside of the building.
- Network failures outside of the building are not the responsibility of the ACCD.
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Completing an Order Form
- A Utility Service Order Form must be submitted to the Austin Convention Center, Exhibitor Services Division. Orders may not be submitted over the phone. ACCD will not process incomplete order forms.
- Complete the “Exhibitor Information” and “Authorization” sections of the order form.
- Select the services you wish to order from the product listing.
- Enter the product numbers, descriptions, quantity, prices, and totals in the “Service Order” section of the order form.
Submitting an Order
- Mail completed order forms with payment to: Austin Convention Center Exhibitor Services Division 500 E. Cesar Chavez Street Austin, TX 78701
- Fax completed order forms with payment information to: 512-404-4220
Payment Method
- Payment in full must accompany your order
- Payment may be made by check, money order, credit card, or bank transfer. DO NOT SEND CASH. Make check or money order payable to “Austin Convention Center”. Order forms without payment will not be processed.
- Bank Transfers – For wire transfers, please contact the Exhibitor Services Representative listed on the Exhibitor Packet.
Discounts
- ACCD offers an incentive price on designated equipment and services if your PRE-PAID order is postmarked, received via fax or online by the discount deadline.
Clients & Show Management
Clients and Show Management qualify for the incentive rate when orders are submitted 31 days prior to the first contracted date of the event.
Exhibitors
Exhibitors qualify for the incentive rate when orders are placed online, faxed, emailed or postmarked with full payment 14 days prior to the first contracted date of the event.
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Labor Charges
Guidelines for Labor Charges
- Four (4) or more services in one booth
- Installation of services after booth display and/or carpet has been installed
- Relocating/moving installed services
- Orders submitted without booth diagrams/grid with installation instructions
- Resetting breakers due to exhibitor equipment
Placement of Services for Exhibits
- Power originates from floor pockets in 30 foot centers.
- Services are installed from floor pockets nearest to exhibitor booth.
- Exhibitors must submit a diagram drawn to scale, to include booth orientation, dimensions of service placement.
Diagrams/Grids must include:
- Booth dimensions or size of booth
- Booth orientation (identify N, S, E, W or adjacent booth/aisles to booth)
Locations for Services (feet/inches)
- A booth diagram/grid is required for:
- Island booth
- Booths greater than 20x20
- Booth with four (4) or more services
Labor charges will be applied for installation of services
BOOTH GRIDS
- 10x10 Booth
- 10x20 Booth
- 20x20 Booth
- 20x30 Booth
- 30x30 Booth
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General Information
Q. Where are utility services accessed?
A. All services are accessed from the floor and some sources are available along perimeter walls.
Q. Are exhibitor services available from the ceiling?
A. Sources are generally not available from the ceiling. Please CONTACT US to see if we can make the m available. Additional fees may apply.
Q. Can I access exhibitor sources from the floor directly?
A. No, services must be installed exclusively by ACCD staff.
Q. Where will my services be located?
A. Generally, services are installed at the rear center of a booth space, however, for peninsula and island booths, services will be installed in the location most convenient.
Q. Do I need to submit a floor plan or booth grid?
A. If you require services to be installed in specific locations, especially with carpet installation, you will be required to submit a booth diagram/grid, booth orientation and services coordinates.
Q. Do I need to add labor charges?
A. Please see LABOR GUIDELINES for applicable fees.
Q. Can I add another exhibitor share services?
A. No, each exhibitor must order and pay for their own utility services separately.
Q. Can I cancel services on-site?
A. Refunds will not be considered for services cancelled on-site.
Electrical Services
Q. How do I know how much power to order?
A. Please see our ordering guidelines or see our list of power requirements for common office and household items.
Q. Will the electrical services be turned on when I arrive at my booth?
A. Yes, electrical services will be available for use immediately upon installation.
Q. How many plugs do I get for each power source ordered?
A. Each power source ordered and installed by the ACCD is a single receptacle capable of receiving a single device.
Q. Can I supplement the single power source provided with extension cords and multi-outlet fixtures?
A. Yes, you can supplement your power source with a surge protector for additional outlets and extension cords to extend your power source. Cords and surge protectors are available at the Utility Service Desk for a fee.
Q. Can I bring my own extension cords and surge protectors?
A. Yes, customers are welcome to bring their own supplemental equipment.
Q. What is the minimum power I can order?
A. The minimum power source available at ACCD is (1) 1000 watt receptacle.
Q. Does the power stay on for 24 hours?
A. Yes, power is available 24 hours.
Q. Is there an additional charge for 24 hour power?
A. No, there is not an additional charge for 24 hour power.
Q. How do I know which services belong to my booth?
A. All services will be identified with a LABEL/TAG indicating the show, booth name and booth number.
Q. What happens if I did not order enough power and accidentally blow a circuit breaker?
A. If you blow a circuit breaker on a power strip, you can simply reset it from the unit. However, if you blow a circuit breaker to our distribution boxes, we will reset our box. You may be responsible for a resetting fee.
Telephone Lines
Q. Do I need a long distance line to call toll-free numbers?
A. No, local phone lines are capable of calling toll-free phone numbers.
Q. Do I need a long distance phone line to operate a credit card machine?
A. No, most credit card terminals dial toll-free numbers for transactions. Customers will only require a local phone line.
Q. Do I have to dial a special number to access an outside line?
A. Yes, all phone lines are dial-9 to access outside lines.
Q. How many lines are included in a multi-phone line order?
A. Two call appearances are included for a multi-phone line order. Each additional line or call appearance must be ordered at a cost.
Q. Are there special programming features available?
A. Yes, ACCD can provide a variety of special telephone line features such as voice mail, nondial-9 service, rollovers and call transfer capabilities. CONTACT US to inquire about additional special programming features.
Q. Are telephone handsets available for phone orders?
A. Yes, you can pick up handset at the Utility Service Desk on-site.
Q. What are the long distance charges?
A. Long distance charges are the prevailing AT&T rates at time of usage.
Internet Connections
Q. How many devices can operate off a single internet connection?
A. ACCD provides a single IP address per internet connection order. Individual IP address must be ordered for each device requiring connectivity.
Q. Can I use a hub for my internet service?
A. Internet connections are locked to the number of IP addresses ordered.
Q. Can I use a router for my internet service?
A. Yes, you can utilize a router for the internet connection provided. ACCD does not provide any routers.
Q. Do I need a static IP address for the internet connection provided?
A. No, all internet connections provided by ACCD are Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP assigned IP addresses. CONTACT US if you require a Static IP address.
Q. Is there wireless internet service available?
A. Yes, a complimentary wireless internet service is available throughout the facilities. The wireless services has limited bandwidth and speed. CONTACT US for additional wireless service information.
Q. Is there a charge for wireless internet services?
A. No, there is not a charge for the complementary wireless internet service.
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If you have standard office and/or household appliances you wish to plug in your booth space, please read the following:
- The Austin Convention Center Department provides a single plug for each electrical outlet ordered.
- Outlets can be supplemented with a power strip for additional outlets.
- We recommend you do not plug more than three appliances into a single outlet.
Generally, if you can plug your appliance into an outlet in your home or office, the standard minimum service is required. This is identified on the ACCD Order Form as:
- PRODUCT ID CODE: E101 (Convention Center) or EP101 (Palmer Events Center)
- PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: 120VOLT, 1000 WATT OUTLET
Examples of equipment requiring this type of service:
- Desktop PC
- Credit Card Machine
- Calculator
- Toaster
- Printer
- Vacuum
- Televisions/LCD monitors
- Fax machine
- Microwave oven
- Radio
- Hair dryer (not to exceed one per outlet)
- Electrical music instruments
- Laptops
- Cash register
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Projector
- Booth display lights
- DVD player
- Christmas twinkle lights
- Coffee maker
Please continue with our website for additional information and details regarding exhibitor services
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The Austin Convention Center Department (ACCD) is the exclusive provider for wired and wireless (Wi-Fi) services for the Austin Convention Center and the Palmer Events Center.
- The ACCD Wi-Fi service offers limited/complimentary internet access at speeds of up to 3 Mbps per user, servicing clients, exhibitors, and attendees.
- Speeds may vary depending on device capabilities.
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Wireless Internet service is vulnerable to interference from other wireless devices such as:
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Wi-Fi routers
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Mi-Fi/personal hotspots
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wireless cameras
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- Wireless users in the exhibit halls may experience higher levels of interference due to the nature of the event and any equipment that may be a part of a product demonstration or display.
- If you are conducting a product demonstration, presentation, or streaming video over the Internet, we strongly recommend the purchase of a wired Internet connection.
- ACCD requests your cooperation in minimizing the use of these devices to improve the quality of wireless services in our facilities.
For additional information regarding our Wireless (Wi-Fi) Operating Guidelines, please contact the ACCD Exhibitor Services Division at 512-404-4000.
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For catering-related information and questions, please email Ross Wagley at rwagley@levyrestaurants.com.
