Why isn’t the Exhibit Hall open during all convention hours?
The Exhibit Hall takes a great deal of time, planning, and coordination to get set up and ready to open. Most years, we cannot even move materials into the space until the day before the convention begins. Building the displays and preparing the hall typically takes at least a day and a half. Each publisher and vendor within the Exhibit Hall has to staff its booths at all times when the Hall is open. We try to balance the needs of attendees (who like long hours for the Exhibit Hall) and the needs of the vendors (who want a reasonable length work day and lots of traffic in the Hall when it is open). The end result is that convention attendees should plan their time in the Exhibit Hall as they do all other convention activities. The Grand Opening is always scheduled at a time when there are no other competing events. Pay attention to the days and times the Hall is open and schedule ample time to wander around the displays. Hall hours are listed in the Convention Program, the Exhibit Hall
