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BASIC SHOW INFO

 

Show hours

Saturday, January 11, 2025 from 1 PM - 6 PM

Sunday, January 12, 2025 from 10 AM - 3 PM

• All booths must be set up by Saturday at 12:30 PM.  

• Vendors must check in prior to 11 AM and before setting up. 

• Set up is:

  • Friday: Noon - 5 PM .

  • Saturday: 9 AM - 12:30 PM and attendee doors open at 1 PM.

• No booths are to begin tear down until Sunday at 3:00 PM. 

• Failure to comply may result in fees.

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Location

Greater Tacoma Convention Center: 1500 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA 98402

Loading Dock Entrance:  1537 Market St, Tacoma, WA 98402

Venue Phone: 253-830-6601

TWS Staff Phone: 360-961-9076 (please text or email first)

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Sending product/brochures to TWS for gift bags

If you are providing materials for our gift bags (must pay swag bag fee - free for Sponsors and Presenters), please send your items to arrive no later than January 6th or plan to deliver your items to the venue loading dock entrance (located on Market Street - 1537 Market St, Tacoma, WA 98402) on Friday, January 10th between 10 AM and 3 PM or Saturday, January 11th between 9 AM and 10 AM.  Please send 400-500 in quantity. Remember that we will hand out 200 swag bags each day to the first 200 couples that arrive and would like a bag. If mailing, please account for holiday shipping/mailing delays.

 

Any extra inserts/gifts will be placed at the info table or utilized by show management around the show.

 

Drop off/ pick up of special items can also be coordinated, please email us to arrange tacomaweddingshow@gmail.com.

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Please mail/ship to:

Bird + Duck / TWS

Att: Nadine Kohler

1505 S. Sheridan Ave

Tacoma, WA 98405​

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Show prizes

If you are providing a prize for the show, you have the option of running your own giveaway at your booth or providing your giveaway item to us for the Prize Booth Table.  Each guest will receive a general raffle ticket at the door and be able to enter to win prizes at our Prize Booth. 

If you are providing a certificate for the Prize Booth, please send us your certificate at least one week prior to the show to be included- we will also need to know the value.  If you have a physical item, please send us an email (at least one week prior to the show) listing out the contents of your physical item and the value.  Any questions, please email us at tacomaweddingshow@gmail.com.

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 PLEASE REMEMBER:  We do not consider coupons or discounts on services as prizes. All "prizes" offered at the shows MUST be stand-alone gifts.  Feel free to offer coupons/ discounts from your booth to all attendees and/or as a bag insert.

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EXHIBITOR SET UP & INSTRUCTIONS

 

​Basic set-up details

• Set-up will run on Friday from noon - 5 PM as well as Saturday from 9 AM - 12:30 PM  with attendee doors opening at 1 PM.

• Re-set on Sunday morning begins at 8:30 AM. All booths must be ready and re-set by 9:30 AM with attendee doors opening at 10 AM.  

• Please remember that all cardboard must be emptied from your booth during set-up per our requirements of show aesthetics AND fire marshal regulations.  If you need a place to store boxes, please mark them with your name, and there will be a location on/near the dock apron to store boxes.

• No helium balloons are permitted (there is a significant fee from the venue for bringing in helium balloons which will be charged to your account if policy is not adhered to).

• For entry, vendors should use the GTCC Loading Dock entrance located on Market Street beyond the convention center - (for google maps use: 1537 Market St, Tacoma, WA 98402)

 

Booth details

Our standard booths are 10x10 in size (10 ft wide and 10 ft deep) and have 8 foot pipe and drape backdrops, and 3 foot sidewalls (some corner positions do not have both or either side walls).  Basic booth pipe and drape is white or gray. You may hang items from the pipe, but please do not pin or attach anything to the drape. Your booth will only include table(s) and chairs if you ordered them on your registration form.  If you need to add tables/chairs, please contact us immediately to add.  Extra tables will not be guaranteed at set up.  We DO NOT provide additional furnishings, carpet or special flooring, or dedicated hard lines at your booth.

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Electrical

If you selected to "ADD POWER" on your registration, it will be reflected on your invoice and we already have your booth noted to have power on site. If you did NOT register for power at your booth and require an electrical outlet for the show, please contact us to let us know prior to Jan 3rd.  There is a $75 fee to set up power to your booth.  We cannot guarantee electrical outlets without advance notice.  Additional fees apply for special electrical needs or late requests.

 

Additional venue specifications

The use of single-sided or double-stick foam tape, single-sided or double-stick cellophane tape, or masking tape is prohibited on any surface. Failure to comply will result in cleaning or replacement fees including labor. Painter’s tape or UHU tac are acceptable for use on wall surfaces. Gaffer’s tape may be used for placement on flooring. 

 

All fire, safety and Convention Center regulations must be strictly followed. This is a flameless venue, so please no real candles or tealights. No propane, acetylene or other flammable or explosive materials are allowed. Gasoline-powered vehicles may be displayed with a maximum of one-quarter (1/4) tank of gas. There are no exceptions. The vehicle gas cap must be taped or locked and the battery disconnected. Tanks of compressed air or gas are prohibited. A complete list of fire regulations is available upon request.

 

Exhibitor Signs, decorations, or banners may not be affixed to any surfaces in the building. No holes may be drilled, cored or punched into the building or any surfaces within the building. All equipment used must be stable without bolting or anchoring to floors or walls. Decorations may not include helium balloons, crepe paper, cellophane, confetti, cotton, cornstalks, leaves, evergreen boughs/trees, glitter, stickers, sheaves of grain, streamers, straw, difficult to clean up paper, vines, etc.  

 

No chalk is to be used to mark floors in any permanently carpeted area, i.e. meeting rooms, ballrooms, pre-function spaces, etc. Trade show decorators are required to use standard booth line tape to mark floors in permanently carpeted areas. Gaffer’s tape is an acceptable alternative. Decorators/contractors who use chalk in permanently carpeted areas will be assessed a cleaning fee to remove the chalk stains from the carpet.

 

Please refrain from handing out stickers to any children in attendance. They are very difficult to remove if they get stuck to the floor and other venue surfaces. 

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Decorator/expo setup support and services

If you desire additional furnishings, special decor, or help setting up your booth, we have decor rental companies joining us for the show that you can contact for additional services.

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American Party Place

Grand Event Rentals

PJ Hummel

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EXHIBITOR CHECK-IN, SET UP, & TEARDOWN

 

Exhibitor check-in

All exhibitors and participants must check-in prior to setting up at the show.  Please enter the exhibit hall through the vendor load in/loading dock entrance. You can access this entrance on the backside of the convention center on Market Street. This parking lot is to be used during unloading, but does not have enough parking for all vendors to stay. Please park, check-in at Exhibitor Check-in table, unload, and then plan to move your vehicle so other vendors can do the same.  All vendors MUST be checked in by 11 AM on Saturday in order to keep your booth space. 

 

Badges

• Badges will be provided at Check-in and must be used to gain access to the exhibit halls during the event 

• Each regular booth is provided 2 badges for access

  • Any additional passes must be reserved in advance, by (Deadline: 12/20/24) emailing us at tacomaweddingshow@gmail.com and requesting additional badges. If you requested additional badges last year, we have those extras allotted for you this year as well. No need to notify us.

  • Any badges that need to be picked up during show hours needs to do so at the ticketing counter 

  • Any additional badges not reserved in advance of 12/20/24 deadline will need to purchase tickets for entrance.​

 

WIFI

The convention center has complimentary WIFI throughout the building. Be sure to connect to GTCTC Public and there is no password.

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Teardown

•  Teardown begins at 3 PM on Sunday, January 12th

•  There is no move-out available on Saturday or early teardown option

•  Teardown and move-out ends at 7 PM

• Any vendor that begins teardown before Sunday at 3 PM will be assessed a $400 fee, as this a disservice to the attendees and your fellow exhibitors. In addition, carts are NOT allowed on the show floor during show hours. This is a safety violation and will result in a fee if in violation of this safety regulation. Thank you for complying and finding staffing to stay until the show ends.

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VENUE & EVENT POLICIES

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Outside food & food sampling

The Greater Tacoma Convention Center does not allow outside food to be sold for consumption.  Food Sampling is permitted for those in the food and/or beverage industry and must abide by all regulations.

 

Show sampling/cooking

For any booths choosing to share food samples and/or cook at their booth, please see that the basic policy states...

Exhibitor Food Samples Subject to Event Coordinator approval, those who manufacture, process or distribute food in their normal course of business and wish to distribute food samples, may be allowed to do so. Food samples must be no larger than bite-size and beverage sizes no larger than three (3) ounces. Please contact the event coordinator prior to the event for approval of food distribution if you are not sure if you are approved. Any exhibitor not manufacturing, processing or distributing food in their normal course of business may need to obtain a temporary food permit.  Please Note: The selling of food or beverage for onsite consumption is prohibited.

Anyone handing the food samples must wear plastic gloves to comply with the Health Department.

 

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Health department permits

If you will be sampling or serving food of any type, you will need to bring a copy of your Health Department Permit with you to the event.  If you have questions about food safety and Pierce County Health Department regulations, please visit: http://www.tpchd.org/food/.  Having proper food handling permits is the responsibility of the exhibitor/vendor.

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Garbage

There is no booth garbage service available for the show.  Each exhibitor is responsible for having necessary garbage cans and to keep the garbage at their booth under control during the event / show hours and after the event. 

 

Selling, taxes, & licensing

All event participants are required to abide by the sales, tax, and licensing rules of Washington State and the City of Tacoma. 

 

Registered to sell in Washington State?

The Washington State Department of Revenue requires that vendors selling in the State of Washington must be registered with the Department of Revenue in Washington and that they have a UBI# and that they must collect and remit sales tax on taxable sales occurring at the event.  You may qualify to register on a temporary basis, see the Temporary Registration page. If you have an active tax registration in Washington, then you should be good to go!  For a regular (non-temporary) registration visit…http://bls.dor.wa.gov/file.aspx for information on filing this license to do business in Washington State.

 

Vendors can also register with the Department by:

• Filing a Master Application online at http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/700028.htm.

• Visiting any of the Department’s local offices or Unified Business Identifier (UBI) service locations.

• Calling the Telephone Information Center at 1-800-647-7706.

 

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Tax Information - Sales made at special events

• Sales of tangible personal property at special events are generally subject to sales tax. Vendors must collect and remit the applicable combined state and local sales tax rate to the Department of Revenue.

• The combined state and local tax rate varies throughout the state, depending on the location where the sales are made. For the correct tax rate to charge for a specific location, see our online Tax Rate Lookup Tool at: http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesandrates/salesandusetaxrates/lookupataxrate/default.aspx.

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Licensing

All participating businesses must be a licensed business.  It is the responsibility of each business to know what licensing they are required to have to do business and what taxes they owe. 

 

PARKING AND DIRECTIONS

 

General Directions to the Greater Tacoma Convention Center 

1500 Commerce, Tacoma, WA 98402

 

From I-5 Southbound/Northbound: 

1. Take Exit 133 (City Center exit) toward I-705 / City Center 

2. Keep LEFT toward I-705 / City Center 

3. Turn LEFT onto ramp toward A Street / City Center 

4. Keep LEFT to stay on ramp toward S. 15th Street / Pacific Avenue 

5. Follow S. 15th Street two blocks, the Convention Center will be on your left 

6. To access onsite parking, turn LEFT on Court C Parking Parking lots are operated by Republic Parking and managed by the City of Tacoma. 

 

Parking availability may be impacted by neighboring hotel or other events in the Convention Center. Parking is NOT provided/guaranteed to Exhibitors. Accessible parking is available in Parking Lot A garage on a first come, first serve basis, and can be accessed via the ramp from Commerce Street. 

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Parking in the lot at the load-in ramp on Market St. is for short term parking only during load-in and load-out. Please do not leave your vehicle in this lot for extended periods of time or during the show hours. 

 

Standard parking rates: 

$6.00 .... 0-4 Hours 

$12.00 ...4+ Hours / All Day 

(subject to change at any time) 

 

Alternate parking options and public transportation 

Alternate Off-Site Parking options include street parking, downtown Tacoma parking lots, Republic Parking NW lots, Diamond Parking lots, and the Tacoma Dome Station Transit Garage serviced by Link Light Rail.  Tacoma's Link Light Rail runs frequently throughout the downtown corridor with a stop located just outside the Convention Center on Commerce Street. More information can be found at soundtransit.org. Pierce Transit provides local bus routes, SHUTTLE paratransit, and vanpool. 

 

Detailed information can be found at piercetransit.org. Sound Transit operates express buses, light rail, and commuter train services. Detailed information may be obtained at soundtransit.org. 

 

 

THANK YOU!

If you have any other questions for our team, please do not hesitate to let us know. 

Reach out via email at TacomaWeddingShow@gmail.com or visit TheTacomaWeddingShow.com for additional details. 

 

Thank you for joining us this year for the 2025 Tacoma Wedding Show!