McCormick Place: hanging LED, drawings, EAC and effects

What is still needed when the company is already registered?

List company, worker, drawing and effects acceptances. Authority permits, venue conditions, organizer authorization and contracted services have different scopes. Checking loads prepares the design; it issues none of those permissions.

Annual company EAC registration costs USD 200 (published rate as of October 17, 2026). The company must register with both the event and McCormick Place. Also check Right of Entry and the COI: payment does not establish acceptance of every document.

When does a hanging sign, LED or equipment need engineering?

Facility Information and Regulations defines hanging items as materials hung from ceilings, exhibit structures or building supports. For items weighing 500 lb or more, drawings must be reviewed, signed and stamped by a licensed structural engineer. This threshold is neither a ceiling capacity nor automatic permission for a lighter load.

Submit dimensions, complete weight including accessories, location, height, points and proposed loads. If weights are missing or equipment changes, complete or correct the package before requesting acceptance. Motor and structural load distribution requires calculations; do not substitute total weight divided by the number of points. Do not specify MIS, Octonorm or comparable component systems for suspended signage; the guide prohibits this use.

Does a machinery rigger also perform ceiling rigging?

Do not infer scope from the trade name. Labor Jurisdictions distinguishes machinery riggers, electricians, stagehands and other work. Ask the Event Manager and event contractor to assign suspension, AV installation, operation, connections, handling and dismantling. The document also distinguishes rooms used for meetings from rooms used as support, exhibition, registration or office space.

Identify the organizer’s selected Utility Contractor and the scope of McCormick Place services. An exhibitor-appointed EAC does not replace that assignment. If instructions conflict, hold the task until written confirmation covers the exact space and activity.

Describe the work in requests: screen, structure, cables, power, height, lifting equipment and room use. A request for “rigging labor” alone does not distinguish machinery handling, building suspension and show operation.

What changes when LED is in a meeting room or ground-supported?

Request room conditions from Event Management before specifying the base, ballast and route. The facility guide does not allow shipping crates, pallets, pallet jacks or forklifts inside meeting rooms. Freight must be uncrated or removed from pallets before entry; coordinate movement with carpet-dedicated flat trucks and required floor protection.

Ground support does not remove stability, concentrated-load or egress review. Identify each support and ballast, rack and handling-equipment weight; request the capacity of the exact floor and route. This guide assigns neither a capacity per support nor a common floor rating to all buildings.

Confirm access, clear width and height, doors, freight elevators and schedule before move-in. If the route differs from the approved plan, stop that movement and arrange another solution. Do not use exits, aisles or areas behind drapes to store cases and pallets.

Which documents and deadlines apply to lasers, smoke and covered structures?

The published guide requires McCormick Place and CFD preapproval for lasers and smoke-producing devices; indoor pyrotechnics follow special procedures. Submit equipment, effect, location, schedule and controls to the Fire & Safety Manager. Do not demonstrate an effect or adjust fire detection yourself.

For Class IIIb or IV lasers, also check projector, show and applicable FDA variance documentation; if the beam could reach outdoors, review the FAA process too. Federal acceptance does not replace local effect review. Obtain the exact procedure and status before use.

How should changes to loads, plans, services or costs be handled?

Keep the accepted revision and mark changes to equipment, weights, supports, points, circulation or effects. Ask each approving party what must be resubmitted. Hold the change; the previous revision applies only to the exact approved configuration.

For venue service budgeting, use the FY2027 sheet, published for June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027 and subject to change. Separate those services from contractor quotes and permits. The USD 200 EAC fee is not a labor, rigging or inspection price.

For Technology Services, confirm installation and handover with the provider: an advance order does not guarantee connection on arrival. Check points, power, schedules and removal tasks against the contract. The worksheet organizes documents and outstanding items; it does not certify calculations, inspections or approvals.