Rosemont: rigging, power and permits at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

Which venue, authority and approval apply?

The venue is in the Village of Rosemont, Cook County, Illinois. The main entrance is at 5555 N. River Road; the administrative office uses 9301 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Neither address assigns a loading dock: confirm the event freight route before dispatch.

The center is listed among the Village of Rosemont’s proprietary funds. Its administration manages the space, while RES prepares floor plans, manuals and on-site services. Also identify the organizer and the entity signing each service agreement: a provider and an authority have different roles.

Include the hall, area, booth, drawing revision and installation/removal dates in the submission. Rosemont Building and Code Enforcement and Public Safety / Fire Prevention Bureau are local points of reference; do not present a City of Chicago filing as approval for this venue.

How should suspended signs, LED walls and trusses be submitted?

The RES LOUPE Americas 2026 manual, physical pages 80–82, requires the Hanging Signs form, assembly instructions and a placement diagram with distances from each booth boundary and floor-to-top height. For items other than banners, add detailed drawings to determine attachment points. Identify total weight, dimensions, material, power and rotation.

That manual limits the total sign or material weight to 1500 lb unless RES and the venue approve otherwise. This is not a per-point rating and does not authorize an LED wall, hoist or arbitrary truss. For those systems, request a point plot, reactions, accessory and cable weight, suspension method and the structural documentation required for that project.

RES determines the final position based on the beams and may require relocation. The manual assigns sign preassembly and suspension to RES Decorators and prohibits using lighting fixtures, raceways, service pipes or their supports as attachments. Exhibitor supervision does not authorize its crew to perform that work.

The general facility sheet advertises ceilings of 16–26 ft; that does not establish usable height at each booth. At The ASSEMBLY Show 2026, suspended signs are limited to island or peninsula booths of at least 20 × 20 ft, with a maximum of 18 ft, areas limited to 16 ft and recommended bottom clearance of 11 ft. These are conditions of that exhibition; obtain your event’s conditions before fabrication.

What should be checked for floor support and electrical service?

The venue sheet excludes Hall G from its general floor-load description. Do not use that description as a structural calculation: for an LED base, ballast, truss leg, lift or machine, submit weight, support footprint, concentrated loads and wheel route. Request capacity and protection for each surface, including Hall G and the access route.

The general catalog mentions 110 V, whereas the RES LOUPE 2026 order offers 120 V outlets. Use the confirmed order and equipment nameplate to establish voltage, phase, current and connector; do not connect based on plug similarity. The same form offers three-phase 380 V as a specific service: do not assume availability without ordering it.

In that manual, distribution and installation connections are assigned to house electricians. Do not use permanent column or wall outlets. Floor-contact wiring is specified as SO; above-floor wiring as SJ; grounding and evidence of approval by a recognized testing laboratory are required. The electrician must resolve compatibility and protection before energizing.

Ordinary power turns on 1 hour before opening and off at closing. For different hours, the manual requires arrangements at least 2 hours in advance; a separate 24 Hour Electrical Service order is available. If a processor or device loses power at closing, first check the ordered service category and hours. Do not reset or alter protection to compensate for unrequested service.

Who may install, connect and remove the equipment?

The RES LOUPE 2026 manual allows specified booth tasks by full-time employees of the exhibitor, with proof of employment. That exception does not automatically include outside personnel. For EAC carpentry, it requires paperwork and insurance at least 5 business days before move-in begins, authorization under the applicable union jurisdiction and supervisor check-in at RES before work starts.

Labor Union Guidelines distinguishes carpentry, decorating, electrical work, machinery moving, freight, stagehands and projection. It assigns portable lighting and sound systems, consoles and screens of 10 × 14 ft or larger to stagehands. Confirm the precise category for LED walls, hoists, lifts and operation; do not confuse machinery riggers with authorization for roof suspension.

Resolve this difference in writing: the electrical section reserves connections to house electricians, while the labor guidelines allow an exhibitor employee to plug certain equipment into an already ordered outlet. Ask the electrician to define that task; keep distribution, cabling and installation changes within the authorized service.

Coordinate dock, warehouse, time slot and unloading through your exhibition manual. A labor reservation requires collecting and signing out the crew at Labor Service Desk and signing it back in on completion. Also arrange lowering, packing and outbound freight before closing; an installation reservation does not by itself cover removal.

Which permits should be checked for fog, lasers and other effects?

Rosemont Building and Code Enforcement lists Fog Machine, Pyrotechnic Displays and Tent among events requiring permits. It specifies portal submissions, contractor registration before permit issuance, an on-site permit card and scheduled inspections. The 01/2026 code list includes ICC Building and Fire 2024, NEC 2023 and local amendments: it is not approval of the installation.

For fog or haze, declare the model, fluid and SDS, location, duration, ventilation and affected detection; request the applicable classification and conditions before a demonstration. Do not disable detectors or start a test without coordination. If authorization is missing, leave the effect disabled and retain the planned lighting without atmosphere.

In Illinois, 32 Ill. Adm. Code 315.80 requires registration and written notice at least 10 working days before temporary use of a Class 3b or Class 4 laser brought from another state; inspection within the preceding 24 hours may be required. Section 315.140 requires show notice at least 10 working days in advance, federal variance documentation under 21 CFR 1040.11, equipment details, beam drawings and a laser safety officer; for outdoor shows, a copy of the FAA notification. Confirm the current process and specific scope with IEMA-OHS before operating.

Municipal section 6-8-2 restricts unauthorized laser pointer use in assembly spaces and includes this venue. That rule does not turn an authorized pointer into an approved show. Organizer permission likewise does not replace registration, federal conditions or local authorization.

The RES manual requires clear exits, aisles, signs and firefighting equipment. If a booth contains a column-mounted extinguisher, it requires 3 scaled plans for the Fire Department. Check circulation with doors and equipment in their actual positions; if a case or base blocks access, remove it to an authorized area and restore the approved layout.

Which deadlines, costs and changes need to be settled?

Use the dates in your exhibition manual. For LOUPE Americas 2026, held September 15–17, the RES discount expired August 10. At The ASSEMBLY Show 2026, the service discount expired September 24 and warehouse receipt of signs October 12. These deadlines had passed by October 17, 2026; they cannot be used to book a future edition.

The table below gives budget references from the LOUPE 2026 hanging sign form, not a current quotation. The form separates installation from dismantling. Request your event’s scope, minimums, equipment, supervision, taxes and surcharges before approving an order.

That manual’s electrical conditions require receipt of the order 15 days before opening, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and provide a 50% late penalty on basic charges. A change or cancellation may incur 50%; changes must be submitted in writing. This is separate from the discount deadline: confirm both and do not promise availability in return for a surcharge.

If weight, position, height, circuit or effect changes, stop that work, identify the new revision and resubmit drawings and orders to the required approvers. RES warns that relocating an already suspended sign adds labor. Resume only after acceptance of the revision; otherwise retain the previous authorized configuration or remove that item from the scope.

The preparation worksheet collects review data; it does not authorize points, floor loads, power, occupancy or effects. Capacities and inspection must apply to the actual hall, booth and configuration.