Charleston Vendor Showcase
Tuesday, November 7, 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
Charleston Gaillard Center
95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
The Charleston Library Conference will be a Hybrid event in 2023. The In-person event will take place November 6-10 with the Virtual event to follow two weeks later (Nov. 27-Dec. 1). There will be opportunities to attend, present, and exhibit in person in beautiful, historic downtown Charleston. The Vendor Showcase will be held in the Charleston Gaillard Center and we will be using Whova for our event platform. In addition to the in-person booth, vendors will also have a digital booth to display basic information about your organization, provide contact details for your staff members, upload brochures, photos and videos. Digital booths are not “live” but will provide a place where attendees can access your basic information and connect with your staff via messaging and/or chats to setup conversations and meetings. We will continue to offer Vendor Information Sessions — these are scheduled events (included on the agenda) in which exhibitors can engage with our attendees. You can find more details below:
- 2023 Vendor Booth Map
- Download Preliminary Details as a PDF
- Description and Location
- Attending the Charleston Conference
- Pricing Details
- In-Person Booth Features
- Assignment of In-Person Booth Locations
- In-Person Booth Set Up and Breakdown Times
- Digital Booth Features
- Additional Options for Vendor Engagement
- Vendor Booth Registration
- After You’ve Registered
Description and Location
This event is your opportunity to connect with all types of personnel, including but not limited to, collection development, acquisitions, scholarly communications, consortia, and electronic resources professionals from around the country and internationally. At this event, companies, vendors, publishers, and the like can show products of interest to librarians purchasing or leasing such materials. Attendance by librarians to the Vendor Showcase is free. This is the only exhibit opportunity for vendors and takes place prior to the main conference. Don’t miss this event. Online Registration opens June 12, 2023. Space is limited and this event will sell out quickly.
The Vendor Showcase will be held Tuesday, November 7, 2023, in the Grand Ballroom and adjacent Prefunction Areas at the Gaillard Center, located at 95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Vendor booths will be open to attendees from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. We will offer a total of 148 Exhibit Spaces — 124 located in the grand ballroom, 18 in the front prefunction area plus 6 in the back prefunction area. Eight centrally located spaces inside the grand ballroom will be reserved for our Diamond or Platinum level Conference Sponsors (these 8 spaces are highlighted on the Vendor map).
Attending the Charleston Conference
Please note that participation in the Vendor Showcase DOES NOT register anyone for attendance to the 43rd Annual Charleston Conference themed “Let the Good Times Roll!” Vendor Showcase representatives can register to attend the 2-1/2 day conference which features an exciting list of speakers and is packed with meetings among publishers, vendors, and librarians for an additional fee — $475 per person for those registering by 7/13/23 or $495 per person for those who register by 9/22/23. A one-day Tuesday- only registration will also be available (at no add’l charge) for two representatives who are BOOTH STAFF ONLY at the in-person event (these two representatives MUST register by 9/22/23 to receive a Tuesday-only vendor badges at no charge). Online Registration for Attendees opens June 14, 2023.
Pricing Details
Exhibit Spaces will be available at an Early Bird rate of $2,500 per booth through July 10, 2023. The price will increase to the Regular rate of $2,750 per booth beginning on July 11th. Pricing includes one in-person booth at the Gaillard Center AND the digital booth on Whova. NO REFUNDS will be issued once your payment has been processed. There will be no exceptions to this rule since space for this event is limited. Please note that reservations are NOT secured until your payment is received.
In-Person Booth Features
Exhibit Spaces will include one 6’ x 2.5’ table covered with basic drapery, and two chairs. Electricity will be provided with one Power Strip placed at every other table. Internet Connect is included via WIRELESS only. Hardwired connections are NOT available. On-site assistance will be available during set-up and breakdown times. Refreshments will be available in the grand ballroom at the main buffet and other locations throughout the day.
We will continue to allow Pop-up Signs in all Exhibit Spaces. We do ask that you respect your neighboring vendors by keeping your Pop-up Signs within your exhibit space and placing them in a manner that will not block any aisle or the view to other vendors. One Pop-up Sign per space is preferred — combined signage can not exceed 5 ft. in width and 8 ft. in height. Cloth signs or banners can be draped over or along the front of your table. Vendors will NOT be allowed to hang anything on the walls at the Gaillard.
Assignment of In-Person Booth Locations
Vendors can include four preferred table choices when registering for the Vendor Showcase online. All in-person booth locations will be assigned on a first-come first-serve basis. The date and time will be recorded as you register online and booth locations will be assigned based on the order that payments are received. If all your preferred choices are picked prior to your payment being received, we will assign the closest available location at that time.
In-Person Booth Set Up and Breakdown Times
Vendors may setup their in-person booths between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 6, 2023 and again from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Set-up assistance will be available. There will be a networking opportunity for vendors on Monday afternoon following set-up times, information will be sent to registered exhibitors.
Vendors must breakdown their exhibits by 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7th. For added convenience a FedEx pickup will be scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday for participating Vendors who need to return exhibit materials.
Digital Booth Features
A Vendor Showcase registration also includes a customizable digital booth on Whova. Vendors will be able to include their company name, logo, description, staff members, photos, PDF files, and videos. Attendees can easily connect with vendors via messaging and/or chats from within Whova.
We will enable Whova’s Passport Contest feature so vendors can scan attendee QR codes for lead retrieval while attendees are collecting stamps to earn a prize.
Usage analytics will be available to vendors through their exhibitor hub. Whova safeguards customer data security and privacy with SOC 2® Type 2 Compliance.
Additional Options for Vendor Engagement
As in previous years, Vendor Showcase participants will have the option to purchase the Conference Attendee Mailing list and/or space on the Conference Literature Tables. Participating vendors can also choose to receive one free product listing on the Charleston Hub’s Vendor Product Availability Database.
For vendors who want more engagement with our virtual attendees, mailing swag items will be an available option. We will provide physical mailing addresses to participating vendors at no additional charge, so your organization can mail swag items to virtual attendees who opt in to receive them. Vendors would handle shipping the items and it would have to be actual swag not just a brochure/postcard, etc.
There are also many sponsorship opportunities available to expand your presence. Contact Caroline Goldsmith at caroline@charlestonlibraryconference.com for more details.
After You’ve Registered
A few weeks after your online Vendor Showcase Registration is complete and your payment is secured,
Vendor Showcase participants will receive a confirmation email which will include your table number
and additional information you’ll need going forward. At this time, we’ll be providing you with the
shipping instructions for your inbound and outbound materials; additional technical set-up instructions
and information; and contact information for local rental companies who can assist if you need to rent
equipment (computers, monitors, etc.). More specific details for the vendor engagement options along
with instructions for purchasing a Vendor Info Session, the Conference Attendee mailing list, and/or the
other options noted above will also be included with the confirmation email.
Later this summer, Vendor Showcase participants will receive a link to gain access to Whova. We’ll provide
the necessary deadlines and schedules that you’ll need to follow along with links to exhibitor guides,
videos and resources that will assist with creating your digital booth.
