• Posted: February 25, 2019
• better construction, Chicago Auto Show

It’s a tradition that’s rolled in and out of Chicago for 111 years and on February 18, 2019, the Chicago Auto Show wrapped up another successful 10-day run at McCormick Place. And while organizers don’t release specific attendance numbers, one look at the crowds and the number of exhibits confirms that Chicago’s auto show is the largest in the world.

“As the nation’s largest consumer show, we know people come here to shop,” said Ray Scarpelli Jr., the 2019 Chicago Auto Show chairman. “According to Foresight Research, nearly 70 percent of adults who visit the Chicago Auto Show are in the market to purchase a vehicle within 12 months.”

Car enthusiasts spend time during the 10-day show looking at the latest and greatest cars that’ll rocket from 0-60mph in record times or provide new safety and technology features, but have you ever wondered how the show gets set up?

“Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I had 385 IBEW Local 134 electricians here for setup,” said John Keenor, General Foreman with GES and an IBEW Local 134 electrician. “We have between three and four full days to get everything up in the air.”

IBEW Local 134 electricians keep tradeshows running smoothly inside McCormick Place 365 days a year, but the biggest show of the year no doubt happens each January and February when the auto show comes to town.

This year’s show had 2,272 light fixtures hanging from the ceiling in the south hall and another 2,174 hanging in the north. In addition, 20 video walls, 229 speakers, and 27,476 feet of lighting trusses hung from the rafters.

The entire setup takes about ten days, but Powering Chicago electricians must ensure everything is in place before the stages, test tracks, media podiums, and cars are brought onto the floor. That means lighting and power needs to be distributed to the one million sqft of space – both carpeted and raised – before the 100 semi-trailers can be unloaded and assembled.

“Outside lighting engineers are here in just a supervisory role,” Keenor said. “They have their lead riggers and lighting designers who come out who have a concept of what they want the booth to look like and then we execute the plan.”

To ensure the auto show is constantly evolving and offering the biggest “wow factor” to patrons and the media, automakers are constantly changing their booth’s footprint. From high-risers for press events to shuffling the cars around their booth space, IBEW Local 134 electricians are constantly working to supply the power needed for each booth and vehicle.

“A powerpack is installed so the doors, windows, and lights are operational,” Keenor said. “We’ll have 100 electricians in the complex on the final night basically just hooking the batteries back up on the vehicles so they can be removed and the tear-out of the show can proceed.”

From there, it’s a 24-hour teardown before Powering Chicago electricians can take down all the truss and lighting before the next show comes in. It’s a process that requires 10, 12, and sometimes 16-hour days to complete, but Powering Chicago electricians have shown time and time again that they’re capable of keeping McCormick Place running smoothly year after year.