Q. How does Cobo Center determine its rates?
A. Cobo Center sets the rates charged by the center's exclusive contractors, which include electrical, cleaning and food service. These rates, as well as the rental rates for the building, are public record. Show security, AV contractors, florists, etc. are hired by your show management. Cobo Center is not responsible for rates for those services, exhibit booth space, labor or other services normally procured through your service contractors.

Q. As an exhibitor, am I allowed to plug in my own electricity?
A. Yes.
After the electrical contractor has brought electrical service to the booth, exhibitors may plug in their own 110 volt circuits (the same voltage found in our homes and offices). Exhibitors must order the 110 volt circuit from the electrical contractor, for which there is a fee. The standard 110 volt circuit at Cobo Center is a 20 amp duplex outlet, which can support approximately four electrical appliances. For more information, see Guidelines.

Q. Do I have to order labor to install equipment such as computers and other specialized technical equipment?
A. No.
Exhibitors and their technicians may do product-to-product connections, data hook-ups, and fine balancing and calibration of machinery and equipment. Hardwiring of electrical power requires electricians.

Q. How are labor costs determined?
A. Exhibitors' labor rates are determined by the service contractors and agreed upon by show management. The service contractor is hired by show management.

Q. Can I coordinate all of the individual trades I use and avoid multiple labor calls?
A. Yes.
For your convenience, the labor ordered through the service contractor is consolidated into composite crews. Cobo Center's trades and service contractors have the flexibility to adjust the composite crews based on the skills needed for each task. A teamster/rigger composite crew handles all box freight drayage, machinery loading and unloading, machinery crating and uncrating, machinery skidding and unskidding and machinery assembly. For the exhibitor that means one labor order with one minimum.

Q. Is there a variable labor rate for work that's done at Cobo after normal business hours?
A. Yes. Cobo Center's labor agreement provides:
Straight time: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Time and one half: Monday through Friday, before 8:00 a.m. and after 4:30 p.m., and all day Saturday.
Double time: Sundays and holidays only.
At Cobo Center, labor understands that trade shows are not a 9-to-5 business and therefore makes the time-and-one-half provision part of the master agreement. This arrangement greatly reduces overtime costs for shows at Cobo Center relative to other convention centers.

Q. Can the size of labor crews vary?
A. Yes.
At Cobo Center, crew sizes are flexible and determined at the exhibitors' discretion and by the work that needs to be performed. Carpenters and electricians are typically ordered separately by the exhibitor based on booth size and sophistication. A composite teamsters/rigger crew delivers box freight to the exhibit booth. Your show contractor determines the crew size for delivering show management material and for "housework."

Q. As an exhibitor, may I assemble my own booth?
A. Yes.
At the discretion of the decorating contractor, exhibitors may erect their own displays in booths up to 300 square feet (10' x 10', 10' x 20' or 10' x 30') if the exhibitor can do so within two hours using only a hand-held rechargeable screwdriver.

Q. Am I allowed to unpack my own product?
A. Yes. Cobo Center exhibitors may pack, unpack and place product and other hand-carried items into booths.

Q. May I hand-carry items into Cobo Center?
A. Yes.
Exhibitors may hand-carry items into Cobo Center in one trip without the aid of material handling equipment. Like most public buildings, Cobo Center is designed with separate entrances for pedestrians and deliveries. To maintain our facilities and avoid damages that might result from improper use of pedestrian entrances, we must ensure that pedestrian entryways not become mini-loading docks.

Q. Why are there so many rules for move-ins and move-outs?
Moving into and out of a convention center needs to be carefully organized to ensure a timely and safe assembly and dismantling period. Exhibitors' show management and show contractors establish floor rules based on Cobo Center's guidelines, which were developed according to fire and other state and federal regulations for the protection of exhibitors, show management and Cobo Center.

This information was accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change without notice. For more detailed information, please see Cobo Center Exhibit and Exhibit Hall Guidelines.