Exhibitor guide · San Diego, CA
San Diego Convention Center: booth rentals and exhibitor notes
Waterfront exhibit halls on Harbor Drive with more than half a million square feet of contiguous space, home to Comic-Con International.
At a glance
Free Wi-Fi at the San Diego Convention Center stops at the lobbies, meeting rooms and ballrooms, so booth internet must be ordered from Smart City Networks, the venue's exclusive provider. ConventionVendor.com supplies the booth technology itself, such as iPads, displays and kiosks, delivered for your show's move-in on the waterfront.
Exhibiting at San Diego Convention Center
The San Diego Convention Center stretches along Harbor Drive on the downtown waterfront next to the Gaslamp Quarter, with two MTS Trolley stops in front of the building. Exhibit Halls A through H form more than half a million square feet of contiguous space that can be divided into as many as seven halls. Above them, the glass-enclosed Sails Pavilion adds 90,000 column-free square feet, and two ballrooms of about 40,000 square feet each anchor the meeting levels.
Comic-Con International has been held here since 1991, and the San Diego International Auto Show runs around New Year's. The Center provides no event electrical service and does not accept show freight, so exhibitors work through the show's approved contractors for both. Hall H has a 23 by 30 foot Elephant Door for oversized exhibits, and utility floor boxes with phone and electrical sit on 30-foot centers. With no truck marshalling on site, drivers follow the GSC's directions instead of waiting on Harbor Drive.
| Address | 111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA |
|---|---|
| Exhibit space | 525,701 sq ft of contiguous space in Halls A-H |
| Meeting rooms | Up to 72 |
| Largest ballroom | 40,781 sq ft (Ballroom 6); Ballroom 20 is 40,706 sq ft |
| Nearest airport | San Diego International (SAN), about 3 miles |
| Internet provider | Smart City Networks (exclusive) |
| Booth electrical | Approved utility contractor for each show; the Center supplies none |
| Notable shows | Comic-Con International, San Diego International Auto Show |
| Official website | visitsandiego.com (opens in a new tab) |
Facts checked October 15, 2026 against the sources listed below. Schedules and providers can change from show to show; your exhibitor manual has the final word.
Power, internet, and Wi-Fi
- The Center itself provides no event electrical service. Work on its panels is limited to Center electrical staff or approved utility contractors, so order booth power from the contractor named in your exhibitor kit.
- Smart City Networks is the exclusive provider of internet, telephone, cable TV and event radio services, selling wired connections, custom wireless networks and patch cable rentals through its exhibitor portal.
- No published SDCC rule bans exhibitor hotspots, but the complimentary Wi-Fi does not cover the exhibit halls and your show may set its own wireless rules. Read the exhibitor manual before planning around a hotspot.
- We deliver the hardware that runs on those orders: displays and laptops that plug into your ordered outlet, and iPads set up for lead capture that can hold scans offline until you reconnect.
Move-in and delivery
- The building refuses freight shipped to it, so consign shipments to the official service contractor's advance warehouse or follow its direct-to-show instructions.
- The exhibit halls have 8 drive-on loading dock access points and nine freight door bays, and SDCC Security controls the docks during move-in and move-out.
- Truck marshalling is not available on site; the official service contractor arranges it, and show management sets each event's schedule.
- Our delivery is booked around your move-in window and follows your contractor's rules. Check whether your show requires an exhibitor-appointed contractor form and list us there if it does.
What exhibitors rent at San Diego Convention Center
- Booth Tech Kits: Lead Capture iPads, Screens, and Charging: Lead capture iPads with offline-capable apps matter here, because the complimentary Wi-Fi does not reach the exhibit floor.
- Touchscreen Kiosks for Booths and Shows: Touchscreen kiosks let large crowds at shows like Comic-Con browse your products without tying up booth staff.
- Booth TVs, Monitors, and Video Walls: Utility floor boxes sit on 30-foot centers in the halls; tell us your booth location and we match displays and cabling to the outlet you order.
Before you exhibit at San Diego Convention Center
- Order booth internet from Smart City well ahead of the show, since the free Wi-Fi ends where the exhibit halls begin.
- Booth cleaning is an exclusive SDCC staff service; order it through the SDCC portal rather than asking your decorator or booth staff.
- Hanging signs must be rigged by the in-house AV contractor or an approved GSC under an ETCP-certified rigging supervisor, so send sign plans early.
- Give your carrier the GSC's marshalling instructions in writing, because there is no truck staging at the building.
- Planning a heavy or oversized exhibit? The hall floors are rated at 350 pounds per square foot, and Hall H has the Elephant Door.
Schedules, deadlines, and service providers can change from show to show. Always confirm details in your show's exhibitor manual. Our exhibitor timeline lists what to order and when.
San Diego Convention Center FAQ
Is there free Wi-Fi on the San Diego Convention Center show floor?
No. Complimentary Wi-Fi covers lobbies, meeting rooms and ballrooms, not the exhibit halls. Booth internet is ordered from Smart City Networks, the Center's exclusive provider, and some events offer sponsored show-floor Wi-Fi, so check your exhibitor manual.
Who supplies booth power at the San Diego Convention Center?
The Center does not provide event electrical service. Power comes from an approved utility contractor working your show, and that contractor is listed in your exhibitor kit. Our equipment plugs into whatever outlet you order from them.
Can I ship rental equipment directly to the San Diego Convention Center?
Not to the building itself, because the Center does not accept show freight. Shipments go to your show's official service contractor or arrive with the contractor during contracted move-in days. We plan our delivery around those rules.
Other convention centers nearby
- Anaheim Convention Center
Over 1 million square feet of exhibit space in the Anaheim Resort district, home to The NAMM Show and Natural Products Expo West.
- Los Angeles Convention Center
Two-building downtown complex in the L.A. Live district with 720,000 square feet of exhibit space and an expansion under construction.
- The Moscone Center
Three buildings in San Francisco's SoMa district with an in-house internet provider, a strict access point ban, and electrical through each show's contractor.
Sources
- San Diego Convention Center: technology services (opens in a new tab)
- San Diego Convention Center: regulations (opens in a new tab)
- San Diego Convention Center: exhibitor services (opens in a new tab)
- San Diego Convention Center: exhibit hall specifications (opens in a new tab)
- San Diego Convention Center: getting here (opens in a new tab)
Planning more than a booth, such as a full conference at San Diego Convention Center? Our parent company covers event-wide technology on its Rentacomputer.com San Diego Convention Center page (opens in a new tab).
Exhibiting at San Diego Convention Center?
Tell us the show, venue, booth number, and dates. We will recommend the right booth and show technology and send a quote built around your move-in and move-out.