Event Fabrication in Chicago
Custom experiential fabrication for Chicago venues and events. Designed and built in our NYC shop, delivered and installed by our crew at McCormick Place, Navy Pier, and venues across Chicagoland.
NYC-Built. Chicago-Installed.
Event fabrication for Chicago combines the precision of a dedicated NYC fabrication shop with on-the-ground installation expertise at the Midwest’s premier event venues. Chicago hosts some of the largest trade shows and corporate events in the country — from CES-scale conventions at McCormick Place to brand activations along the Magnificent Mile — and every build demands structural quality and finish standards that high-profile Chicago venues require.
All fabrication happens in our NYC facility, where six in-house disciplines — CNC cutting, scenic carpentry, metal fabrication, scenic painting, large format printing, and LED integration — produce every element under one roof. Our install crew then travels with the build to Chicago, handling freight logistics, union labor coordination, and on-site assembly at venues we know well.
Chicago Services
Fabrication capabilities most in demand for the Chicago market.
Trade Show Fabrication
Custom exhibits for McCormick Place, Navy Pier, and Rosemont. Engineered for union I&D and multi-show reuse.
Brand Activations
Experiential builds for Chicago street activations, Magnificent Mile pop-ups, and corporate campus events.
Event Fabrication
Full-service custom builds — CNC, carpentry, metal, paint, print, LED — fabricated in NYC and installed in Chicago.
Immersive Production
On-site production at Chicago venues. Load-in coordination, union labor, rigging, and strike.
Chicago Venues We Know
McCormick Place
2.6M sf — largest convention center in North America. Union labor required. Multiple halls with independent dock access.
Navy Pier
Waterfront venue with festival halls, ballrooms, and outdoor spaces. 50ft ceilings in Festival Hall.
The Art Institute of Chicago
Premium gala and corporate event space. Strict heritage rules. Service elevator only for scenic.
Soldier Field
Multi-use stadium with indoor atrium spaces. Dock access on south side. Seasonal outdoor activation space.
Morgan Manufacturing
Raw industrial venue in Chicago's hottest neighborhood. 10,000 sf clear span. Ground-level dock.
“PUYB shipped a full booth build from NYC and had it standing at McCormick Place in under eight hours. The union crew said it was one of the smoothest installs they had seen all season.”Event Director Chicago Trade Show Program
Chicago Event Fabrication FAQ
Chicago is one of the most active markets for NYC-based experiential fabrication, with McCormick Place alone hosting hundreds of major trade shows annually. All fabrication happens in the NYC facility, and the install crew travels with every build for on-site assembly and union labor coordination.
Event fabrication for Chicago follows a centralized build model: design, engineering, and all fabrication disciplines are completed in NYC, where the project is pre-assembled and quality-checked before crating and shipping via freight to the Chicago venue.
Union labor coordination at McCormick Place is standard for experienced fabrication teams, including jurisdictional requirements, labor calls, and work rules specific to Chicago convention venues.
Chicago fabrication costs include base fabrication plus NYC-to-Chicago freight and union I&D labor. A 10×10 inline booth runs approximately $25,000-$45,000 including shipping and install. Island exhibits range from $75,000-$200,000+.
Chicago event fabrication should allow 8-12 weeks from design approval to show date, including freight transit time. Peak McCormick Place seasons (January-March, September-November) require earlier engagement.
Let's build something in Chicago.
NYC-built. Chicago-installed. Quote in 48 hours.
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