Race simulator rental in San Antonio
In shortSan Antonio's convention center says union labor is not required, then hands electrical to two exclusive contractors, rigging to a third and every wheel on show days to the show's contractor. The city's own live documents disagree on insurance, floor plan and rigging rules, and the fire code turns any canopy over 100 square feet into a sprinkler job.
We ship rigs into San Antonio and staff them. Freight is inside the quoted price, and the price is the same as in every other city.
San Antonio reads like a relaxed river town and runs like a city-owned building with a long rulebook: two exclusive electrical contractors you choose between, police-only security, an exclusive caterer and rigger, and a convention center the city itself now describes as full. It is also the market where the city's own policies disagree with each other on the questions that cost money.
Right-to-work building, contractor rules on the floor
The city's operational policy for the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC), revised 05/01/2026, says Texas is a right-to-work state and union labor is not required. Licensees only have to use qualified personnel.
The contractor paperwork says the opposite. A general service contractor's work rules for a 2025 San Antonio show say union labor will be required for certain aspects of exhibit handling, name IATSE Local 76 and Teamsters Local 657, and give the Teamsters all material handling. That show was in a resort hotel, which is the point: the rules travel with the contractor, not with the building.
| Function | Who holds it | What it means for a simulator build |
|---|---|---|
| Install and dismantle | Not reserved by the venue. On a show, the contractor's display labor, with full-time exhibitor employees or a registered exhibitor-appointed contractor as the alternatives | A 2027 HBGCC show lets an exhibitor-appointed contractor install once it is registered with the show and has filed insurance. That is the route a staffed simulator crew takes. |
| Material handling | The show's general service contractor, exclusively | One person, one trip, no dollies or hand trucks. A crated simulator is always theirs from dock to booth. |
| Electrical and utilities | Two exclusives: Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services and Freeman Electrical Services | The building supplies no power of its own, and the venue says you may choose either. |
| Rigging | Encore, exclusively | Anything over 250 lb, and anything on truss and motors. Prohibited outright in meeting rooms. |
| Food and beverage | The RK Culinary Group, exclusively | No outside food or drink. A branded popcorn giveaway still needs the caterer's machine and popcorn. |
| Internet and telecom | Smart City Networks, exclusively | Wired and wireless data are both on its exclusive list. |
| Security | The San Antonio Police Department off-duty employment unit, exclusively | Required for move-in and move-out traffic control and any event serving alcohol. |
| Booth cleaning | The decorator or exhibitor-appointed contractor | Venue staff are not authorized to empty trash inside booths. |
| Parcels and business center | The UPS Store, exclusively | The building has no shipping and receiving department. |
The useful way to hold it: right-to-work settles who must join a union. It does not touch who holds an exclusive, and the city's own list names six exclusive service categories.
Power: two exclusive contractors, and the venue says pick one
HBGCC supplies no electricity to licensees or exhibitors. Power, lighting, compressed air, water and the associated labor come from an exclusive temporary utilities provider. The venue names two, Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services and Freeman Electrical Services, and says you may choose either. Two exclusives side by side is unusual among the markets on this site.
The contractor paperwork reads it differently. A general service contractor's San Antonio work rules say the electrical contractor is chosen by the facility or by show management. On a show, follow the kit. On a private event where you hold the license, the choice is yours. Under our terms the client supplies power, which here means an order with one of the two.
What the electricians own. The only San Antonio electrical terms we could read are Edlen's order kits for two 2024 HBGCC shows. Four items on its seven-item jurisdiction list catch a simulator build:
- Delivery of the main power line to any island booth
- Distribution under carpet or overhead
- Connection of all high voltage services, which is where a 208 volt motion platform lands
- Hardwiring of any electrical apparatus
What the list leaves out is plugging a 120 volt device into an outlet at the rear of an inline or peninsula booth. We do not read that as a permission. No document we found grants it, and the general service contractor's San Antonio rules assign anything using electricity as a source of power to union personnel.
Four rules that change the build:
- Batteries are not a workaround. Inverters, self-contained power supplies and battery-to-120 volt converters are prohibited.
- Wall outlets are not yours. Permanent building outlets are not part of a booth and may not be used unless service is ordered.
- Power comes up from the floor to one main distribution point, where a panel takes at least 1 ft by 1 ft 6 in. Power from the ceiling adds lift and labor charges.
- The electricians may cut your floor covering when essential to install services, unless you direct otherwise. Warn them about a printed floor.
Labor carries a one-hour minimum to install and a half-hour minimum to remove, even for an island needing power in one spot. Straight time is 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays and weekends are overtime, which matters because the 2027 HBGCC show we read moves in on a weekend. Payment is due in full during the event.
We could not read Freeman's San Antonio terms. If your show names Freeman, we read that kit before pricing the electrical line.
Where the city's own documents disagree
The venue posts a 2026 operational policy and 2026 service provider policies, and still serves its 2015 operational policy at the old address. The link to the 2015 file is commented out of the venue's own page, but the file is live, and it was what a search engine returned first when we looked. Several questions that cost money get a different answer depending on which one you open.
| Question | What the live documents say | What we plan to |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance certificate deadline | 2015 policy: 60 days before occupancy. 2026 policy: 30 days | 60 days. Early never costs anything. |
| Exhibit floor plan to the fire marshal | 2015 policy: 90 days before the event. 2026 policy: before move-in, no number. Fire department: no fewer than 15 calendar days before the first public day | 90 days for the show plan. The 15 days is the legal floor for booth drawings, not a target. |
| Who may hang truss | Operational policy, 05/01/2026: clients may provide their own truss and rigging below the hoist is non-exclusive. Service provider policies, 05/15/2026: anything needing truss and motors must be hung by Encore, at any weight | Encore for anything on truss and motors. The later document is stricter. |
| Name of the exclusive rigger | Venue FAQ and 2015 policy: PSAV. 2026 documents: Encore, with the same rigging phone line | Encore. An old kit has the right desk under an old name. |
| Beverage sample size | Service provider policies: four (2) ounces or less, in one sentence. Caterer's exhibitor pack: 2 oz food, 4 oz non-alcoholic drink | 2 oz for anything. The policy contradicts itself inside one line. |
| How many exhibit halls | Exhibit hall page: five halls, then it names six, 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B and Bridge Hall | Quote the hall by name and square footage, never by count. |
| Display vehicle fuel | Contractor fire rules for a 2018 show: 2 gallons or the minimum to position. Fire department, revised 2024: a quarter tank or 5 gallons, whichever is less | The fire department document, unless your show's manual is stricter. We arrive well under either. |
One name problem that costs searches. The venue's own pages spell the building González and Gonzalez, and the 2027 education technology show's schedule spells it Gonzales. Search all three when you look for a show kit.
Getting in: Market Street is a curb, not a dock
HBGCC has three loading docks: East for Halls 1 and 2, West for Halls 3 and 4, and the Lila Cockrell Theatre dock. Market Street, out front, is drop-off and pick-up only, with no loading. Exhibitors may use the docks only during published move-in and move-out hours, never on show days.
Everyone signs in, every day. Each company working in the building files an employee manifest with facilities security at least 2 days before the event. Every person shows a government-issued ID at the guard booth and gets a wristband whose color changes daily. Nobody under 18 is allowed in the docks or halls during move-in and move-out with forklifts, lifts or rigging.
The 20-minute rule. A privately owned vehicle gets a 20-minute pass to load or unload. Security may issue up to five parking passes per exhibit hall and two per ballroom, and every vehicle must use the bays assigned to its contracted space. Dock speed limit: 5 miles per hour, with no staging on ramps or in fire lanes.
Wheels: the building and the contractor disagree. The venue's 2026 policy lets hand-carry items, or small rubber-wheeled carts, through the lobby entrances. The official contractor for a named 2027 show at the same building allows only what one person can carry in one trip, without dollies or hand trucks. On a show, we plan to the contractor's rule. A simulator arrives through the dock as freight either way.
Floors have rules of their own. No pallets, pallet jacks or wheeled objects on the terrazzo except carts with rubber or polypropylene wheels, and nothing pushed or slid across it. Anything over 1,500 lb driving on carpet needs 6 mil plastic sheeting or carpet laid upside down, and forklifts stay off permanent carpet.
Freight cannot arrive early. Freight that arrives before the licensee's first contracted date, or after the last, is refused.
| Dock | Bays | Serves | What matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| East dock | 27 | Hall 2 on bays 2 to 12. Hall 1 on 13 to 19, 22 to 24, 26 and 27 | Gate 1, by Tower of the Americas Way, is exit only and opens only with an off-duty police officer posted. |
| West dock | 26 | Stars at Night Ballroom on 1 and 2, Hemisfair Ballroom on 3 and 4, Hall 3 on 5 and 7 to 10, Hall 4A on 18 to 22, Hall 4B on 23 to 26 | Entry through Gate 3. Both ballrooms are on the ballroom level, so a ballroom load rides a freight elevator the venue does not publish. |
| Lila Cockrell Theatre dock | Not published | The theater | Reached through the last driveway portal at the Grand Hyatt, 600 East Market Street. |
The gap to know about: no HBGCC document we read gives a dock door size, an exhibit hall floor load or any freight elevator size or capacity. For a ballroom build the elevator decides the job, so we ask for it in writing before committing to a crate size.
Any canopy makes it a covered booth, and 100 square feet is the line
The San Antonio Fire Department's requirements for indoor exhibits, revised 2024 and posted by the venue, treat any booth with an overhead ceiling or canopy, solid, fabric or truss-supported, as a covered booth. Two thresholds follow:
- Over 100 sq ft per level: an approved automatic sprinkler system.
- Over 120 sq ft on any level: an approved fire alarm, with smoke detection at the highest point under the cover.
So in San Antonio we put no roof over a simulator footprint larger than 100 sq ft. A branded canopy over a two-rig pod becomes a sprinkler system. The branding goes on vertical surfaces instead.
Other rules from the same document that touch a simulator build:
- Travel distance from any point in a covered booth to an aisle: 50 ft maximum.
- Multi-level booths and raised decks need drawings sealed by a Texas registered design professional, submitted at least 15 days before opening, with no construction until approved.
- Booth materials must be noncombustible, limited-combustible, wood at least 1/4 inch thick or fire-retardant treated, with flame documentation on site.
- Extension cords serve one appliance and are never daisy chained. Up to five power strips may be interconnected, when approved, for low-power electronics only.
- A pre-opening fire marshal walkthrough is required, and one after hours, on a weekend or on a holiday is billed to the client.
The fire department publishes its fees, which is rare. Plan review is $275 for 5,000 to 15,000 sq ft and $425 above that. A pre-opening inspection is $80 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Submittals go through the city's BuildSA online system no fewer than 15 calendar days before the first public day.
The line that settles arguments: fire marshal approval does not override venue rules. The venue can still say no.
| Vehicle type | Fuel or charge | Battery and fuel system | Also required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid | A quarter tank or 5 gallons, whichever is less, inspected before entry | Tanks and fill openings locked or sealed. Battery disconnected, terminal taped | Fire marshal check-in before driving into the hall |
| Battery electric | State of charge no more than 30 percent before entry | Battery disconnected or made inoperable. Charge port capped or locked | Never charged indoors, and never parked on carpet to charge |
| Hydrogen, CNG or LP-gas | Fire marshal approval only | Fuel, shutoff and battery isolation rules apply | Show vehicles with LP-gas tanks are barred from the halls |
| Every display vehicle | Never fueled or defueled inside | Keys and fobs on site with a reachable responsible party | Plastic sheeting under any vehicle on carpet |
The rooms, and what each one publishes
HBGCC's exhibit halls total about 514,000 sq ft. The venue publishes square footage, dimensions and ceiling heights, and nothing on floor loads, dock doors or freight elevators.
| Space | Scale | What matters operationally |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibit Hall 2 | 183,712 sq ft, 381 by 490 ft, 35 ft ceiling | The largest hall. East dock. |
| Exhibit Hall 1 | 86,878 sq ft, column free, 323 by 260 ft, 35 ft | Column free is the reason to ask for it for a multi-sim island. |
| Exhibit Hall 3 | 95,930 sq ft, 362 by 265 ft, 35 ft | West dock. |
| Exhibit Halls 4A and 4B | 65,768 and 65,028 sq ft, 35 ft | Hall 4 divides in two. West dock. |
| Bridge Hall | 16,628 sq ft, 112 by 148 ft, 24 ft ceiling | The lowest exhibit ceiling in the building. Check tall signage. |
| Stars at Night Ballroom | 54,717 sq ft on the floor plan, 54,000 on the venue's page, 31 ft ceiling | Divides into three, each with its own front and back of house. Ballroom level. |
| Hemisfair Ballroom | 39,576 sq ft, 32 to 42 ft ceiling | Divides into three, with 9,203 sq ft of prefunction. Ballroom level. |
| Meeting rooms | Mostly 13 to 17 ft ceilings | Rigging prohibited. Everything ground supported. |
| Lila Cockrell Theatre | 2,317 seats on the venue's floor plan | Ticketed events must use the building's own ushers and ticket takers. |
| Alamodome | Eight truck bays, each 17 ft 9 in wide by 10 ft high by 82 ft deep, two tunnels to the floor | City-owned. Off-duty police at all events. A generator needs a city-registered Texas master electrician to pull the permit. |
Two differences between the city's big buildings. HBGCC refuses freight before the first contracted day, while the Alamodome's guide says it accepts deliveries up to three days before an event. And the Alamodome publishes its bay dimensions while HBGCC does not. That guide carries a revision mark of 11/13/2017, so confirm both with the building.
Hotel ballrooms are not outside contractor jurisdiction. The 2025 rules that named the Teamsters and the one-trip hand-carry limit were written for a trade show at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort. When a contractor is appointed, its rules come with it.
A building the city calls full, and the plan to grow it
City staff told council on 10/28/2026 that HBGCC uses about 70 percent of its exhibit space, which the city treats as full. The plan is a two-phase expansion and renovation of about $850 million, taking exhibit space from 514,000 to 650,000 sq ft and adding meeting space and another ballroom. Phase 1, estimated at $700 million, is to launch in 2027, with solicitation starting that year.
The plan has already shrunk. New exhibit space was cut from 200,000 to 136,000 sq ft, a planned 1,000-room convention center hotel was canceled, and the Alamodome renovation went from $1 billion to $125 million over a decade.
The arena is next door, on paper. The Spurs arena anchoring the district is planned for the former Institute of Texan Cultures site in Hemisfair, the park the convention center was rebuilt to face in 2016. At the 10/28/2026 briefing the city had not closed on the site, and the team had talked about a July 2030 opening.
What we could not find: any published phasing, dock closures or hall outages. For a 2027 or 2028 date, ask the venue in writing whether any work touches your halls, docks or the parking lots used for truck staging.
The 2027 calendar, and the week a convention lands inside Fiesta
| When | What | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/31 to 02/03/2027 | TCEA Convention and Exposition | HBGCC | Exhibit hall open 02/01 to 02/03. |
| 02/10 to 02/13/2027 | TMEA Clinic/Convention | HBGCC | From a music publisher's listing, not the organizer, so confirm. |
| 03/05 to 03/07/2027 | NASCAR weekend | Circuit of The Americas, outside Austin | O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Saturday 03/06, Cup Series Sunday 03/07. |
| 03/13 to 03/18/2027 | SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo | HBGCC | Move-in Saturday 03/13 from 2:00 PM, islands from 10:00 AM, and Sunday 03/14 until 5:00 PM. The FAQ also gives 4:00 PM for flooring. Exhibitor insurance due 02/12/2027. |
| 04/15 to 04/25/2027 | Fiesta San Antonio | Citywide | 11 days, more than 100 official events and more than 2.5 million participants a year, per the convention bureau. Parade dates not posted as of 11/04/2026. |
| 04/19 to 04/22/2027 | TLA Annual Conference | HBGCC | Organizer confirmed, and inside Fiesta. |
| 10/22 to 10/24/2027 | Formula 1 United States Grand Prix | Circuit of The Americas | From a published report of the 2027 calendar, not the series' or track's own site. |
The window to avoid is 04/15 to 04/25/2027. Fiesta is the city's 11-day citywide, and the Texas Library Association meets at HBGCC from 04/19 to 04/22, inside it. The convention bureau's own Fiesta advice is park and ride or rideshare, and cash, because many downtown lots do not take cards.
February is the other squeeze. TCEA moves out on 02/03 and TMEA, by the listing we found, opens on 02/10 in the same building. Freight that misses its window cannot wait at the dock, because early deliveries are refused.
A racing note for March. NASCAR's weekend at Circuit of The Americas falls the week before SOT moves in, which gives a March show a real racing tie-in.
Where to stay
The convention bureau counts more than 14,000 rooms within walking distance of the convention center. The venue publishes its own distance list, and we have used it for the connection column.
| Hotel | Connection | Tier | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hyatt San Antonio | Surrounded by the convention center and directly connected. Its last driveway portal is the theater loading dock | Full-service convention hotel | The crew lead who walks the floor all day, and any theater load-in. |
| San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk | Adjacent, per the venue | Full service | Client-facing staff who want the river side. |
| Hilton Palacio del Rio | Adjacent, per the venue | Full service | A sales team hosting at the booth all day. |
| San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter | Within two blocks, per the venue | Full service | A larger block when the adjacent hotels sell out. |
| Hotel Contessa | Within two blocks, per the venue | Boutique | A small executive group. |
| La Quinta Inn and Suites Convention Center | Within two blocks, per the venue | Select service | A rig crew on a multi-day install. |
| Hyatt Regency San Antonio, the Westin and the Menger Hotel | Within three blocks, per the venue | Full service and historic | Overflow when Fiesta or a citywide fills the closer list. |
| Hotel Emma at Pearl | Not a walk to the convention center | Luxury, listed by the Michelin Guide | The client dinner night at Pearl. |
Getting around, and where the trucks actually wait
- Airport: San Antonio International is about 8 miles from downtown, 15 to 20 minutes by the venue's estimate.
- From Houston: the venue's directions run I-10 West to I-37 North and the East Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard exit.
- Truck staging: when the docks fill, trucks stage in two rows between the city's convention parking lots, entered from the south end. Off-duty police can make Montana Street exit only from the docks so arriving freight goes to staging first.
- Marshaling signs: a city ordinance bars marshaling yard directional signs on public streets and sidewalks. Give drivers written directions.
- Overnight: truck cabs may not be left with trailers overnight.
- Freight address: 237 Tower of the Americas Way, marked with event, exhibitor and booth, on contracted dates only. Small parcels go to the UPS Store inside.
- The two-week call: the venue wants move-in times, truck and vehicle counts, the contractor and the dock plan at least two weeks out. A show that does not staff its own traffic gets building security billed at overtime.
- Alamodome: rideshares use the Convention Center Lot west of I-37, with a pedestrian bridge to the north plaza, and overnight parking is prohibited in all its lots.
Taking a client out
Pearl, for the dinner that matters. Two of San Antonio's three Michelin-starred restaurants and a Bib Gourmand share one address in Pearl's Pullman Market building, with two more Bib Gourmands on nearby Grayson Street. Easy, provided you check the day.
Check the day before you book the name. Verified on the Michelin Guide on 11/04/2026:
- Monday night, none of the three starred restaurants is open. Isidore is closed Monday, Mixtli is closed Sunday and Monday, and Nicōsi is closed Monday and Tuesday.
- For a Sunday or Monday arrival: Mezquite in Pullman Market is open daily from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Southerleigh in the historic Pearl brewhouse is open daily, and Ladino serves dinner from Monday.
- Know the format. Mixtli is a regularly changing tasting menu and Nicōsi is a dessert-only tasting menu. Neither suits a client who wants a steak and an early night.
K1 Speed San Antonio. Indoor karting on Northwest Loop 410 on a seven-turn track, with rooms seating 12 and 40 and full buyouts. Open daily, until midnight Friday and Saturday.
San Antonio Karting Complex. An outdoor half-mile track with 10 turns and corporate outings. Closed Monday and most Tuesdays, and it closes for weather. Its page is undated, so confirm it is operating.
Harris Hill Raceway, San Marcos. A 1.82-mile road course with 11 turns and 150 ft of elevation change, about 55 miles away by its own count. It is a members' club with no published corporate packages, so treat it as an inquiry, not a booking.
The River Walk. The convention bureau calls it the world's largest hotel lobby and lists barge rides and kayaking for groups. The convention center sits on its banks.
No track in town, and that is the pitch
We could not verify an operating road course or oval inside the San Antonio metro. The racing that defines this market happens up the road: Circuit of The Americas hosts Formula 1's United States Grand Prix and a NASCAR weekend, and Harris Hill Raceway runs a members' road course in San Marcos. In town, the racing people actually do is karting.
That shapes the pitch. Here a simulator reads as bringing the Austin track downtown: a staffed, timed lap in a hall or ballroom, for an audience that follows two big race weekends up the road. Credible, as long as nobody pretends the city has a track it does not.
When a local alternative is the better call. For a team outing rather than an activation, a karting buyout is a fair alternative, and we will say so. A simulator wins when the audience is inside a hall or ballroom, when the experience must be timed and branded, or when nobody can leave the building.
Names to get right. Circuit of The Americas, capital T. The Saturday NASCAR race there is the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. And the San Marcos track is officially Harris Hill Raceway, although its web address says Harris Hill Road.
San Antonio livery, and the marks that catch event brands
Fiesta is a registered mark. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission's site carries the registered symbol on Fiesta, Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau. A Fiesta-named leaderboard or wrap in April needs the owner's clearance, or a different name.
City logos need written approval. The City of San Antonio, HBGCC, Convention and Sports Facilities and Visit San Antonio logos may not be used for any purpose without the executive director's prior approval.
Filming needs a permit. The venue's 2026 code of conduct bars photography or video for commercial use without one. A sizzle reel shot inside the building is commercial use.
Public-area branding is audited. Clings on walls, escalators, columns, windows and floors need written approval at least 30 days before move-in, elevator branding is prohibited, and the event coordinator walks the building after setup and bills discrepancies on the final invoice.
The props are banned by name. Cascarones, the confetti-filled eggs, are prohibited inside HBGCC, along with confetti, glitter, rice and helium balloons.
The direction we would take. Limestone and river green read as San Antonio without borrowing anyone's mark, and leave the race livery to carry the energy.
Proof, stated honestly
We have not published a named San Antonio case study on this page and we are not going to imply one. When we do, it will name the client, the venue and the number they were measured on.
What is checkable today is everything above. The jurisdictions, exclusives, dock and wheel rules, vehicle limits and fire thresholds come from the venue's 2026 operational and service provider policies, its exclusive provider list, the fire department's exhibit requirements, the electrical contractor's San Antonio order kits, a general service contractor's San Antonio work rules and the organizer's FAQ for a named 2027 HBGCC show, all read on 11/04/2026.
Where documents contradict each other, we have published every version and said which one we plan to. We could not confirm whether an exhibitor may plug a 120 volt device into a delivered outlet without an electrician, Freeman's San Antonio terms, any freight elevator size or capacity, dock door sizes, hall floor loads, whether an exhibitor may run its own wireless network, or any construction phasing. An absence of a published rule is not a published permission, so each one is a question for the venue in writing.
San Antonio questions
Can our own staff set up the simulators at the Henry B. González Convention Center?
Usually yes, and the show decides more than the building. The venue says union labor is not required. A general service contractor's San Antonio rules let full-time, bona fide exhibitor employees set their own exhibits, and the organizer of a 2027 HBGCC show lets an exhibitor-appointed contractor install once it has registered and filed insurance. A staffed simulator crew uses that second route.
The building separately wants every company on an employee manifest 2 days ahead, and every person shows a government-issued ID at the dock daily. No document we read sets a booth-size or time limit.
Is San Antonio a union market or not?
Both, depending on whose document you read. The city's policy says Texas is right-to-work and union labor is not required. A general service contractor's rules for a 2025 San Antonio show say union labor will be required for certain aspects of exhibit handling, naming IATSE Local 76 and Teamsters Local 657.
The building is union-optional; the contractor's exclusive is not. We found no 2026 or 2027 HBGCC document naming the locals, so check your show's manual.
Which electrical contractor do we use, Edlen or Freeman?
The one your show names. The venue says you may choose either of its two exclusive electrical providers, but a general service contractor's San Antonio rules say the electrical contractor is chosen by the facility or show management. On a private event where you hold the license, the choice is yours.
We have only read Edlen's San Antonio terms. If your show names Freeman, we read that kit before pricing.
Can we plug the simulators in ourselves?
We cannot tell you yes. Edlen's San Antonio jurisdiction list does not include plugging a 120 volt device into an outlet at the rear of an inline or peninsula booth, but no document grants it, and a general service contractor's San Antonio rules make anything using electricity union work. An omission is not a permission.
What is clear: island power delivery, distribution, high voltage connections and hardwiring are electrician work. A multi-sim island or a 208 volt motion platform needs the electrician either way, so we budget a one-hour minimum to install and a half-hour minimum to remove.
Can we run the rigs on batteries and skip the power order?
No. The electrical terms prohibit inverters, self-contained power supplies and battery-to-120 volt converters, and permanent wall outlets may not be used unless service is ordered. For a dedicated circuit the terms say to order a 20 amp outlet, and that is what we plan to.
Can we use a dolly or a cart?
On a show, no. The organizer's FAQ for a 2027 HBGCC show allows only what one person can carry in one trip, without dollies or hand trucks. The building is looser: its 2026 policy lets small rubber-wheeled carts through the lobby. When they conflict on a show day, we follow the contractor.
On the terrazzo, only carts with rubber or polypropylene wheels are allowed, and anything over 1,500 lb driving on carpet needs plastic sheeting underneath.
Can we put a car in the booth?
Yes, with fire marshal approval and a fire marshal check-in before it drives into the hall. Fuel: a quarter tank or 5 gallons, whichever is less, inspected before entry, with tanks sealed and the battery disconnected and taped. An electric vehicle must arrive at 30 percent state of charge or less, disconnected, with the charge port capped, and is never charged indoors.
A 2018 contractor fire page for an HBGCC show allowed only 2 gallons. If a 2027 manual repeats that, we plan to it.
Can we put a canopy or a branded roof over the simulators?
Only a small one. Any overhead ceiling or canopy, solid, fabric or truss-supported, makes a covered booth. Over 100 sq ft per level it needs an approved sprinkler system, and over 120 sq ft a fire alarm with smoke detection. In practice we keep roofs off simulator footprints larger than 100 sq ft and brand the vertical surfaces.
How far ahead do floor plans and fire submittals have to be in?
It depends which city document you open. The 2015 policy, still live, says 90 days before the event. The 05/01/2026 policy says before move-in. The fire department says no fewer than 15 calendar days before the first public day, through BuildSA.
We plan to 90 days for the show plan and treat 15 days as the legal floor for sealed booth drawings. The fire department's published fees are $275 or $425 for plan review by size, and $80 an hour, two-hour minimum, for a pre-opening inspection.
When is the insurance certificate due, and are your limits enough?
For the licensee, 60 or 30 days before occupancy, depending on which live city policy you read. We plan to 60. The city's sample license refuses binders; certificates come from the insurer's representative with endorsements naming the city.
The 2027 HBGCC show we read requires exhibitors to carry $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, with the certificate due 02/12/2027. Our general liability is $6,000,000 per occurrence and $8,000,000 aggregate, above both. What matters is timing and named parties, so send us both early.
Can we ship freight to the convention center ahead of time?
No. The building has no shipping and receiving department and refuses freight outside contracted dates. On a show, freight goes to the contractor's warehouse or to show site on its labels. One 2027 organizer adds that the convention center will not accept packages at any time and that UPS does not deliver on weekends, which matters for a Saturday move-in.
How does a simulator get into the Stars at Night Ballroom?
Through West dock bays 1 or 2, then up to the ballroom level. The venue publishes no freight elevator sizes or capacities anywhere we looked, so we ask for both in writing before committing to a crate size. The room itself is 54,717 sq ft on the floor plan with a 31 ft ceiling, divisible into three.
Can we hang a sign over the simulators?
In a hall or ballroom, yes. The decorator may hang items under 250 lb that need no truss or motors. Heavier items, and under the 05/15/2026 policies anything on truss and motors, go to Encore, the exclusive rigger. An operational policy two weeks older lets clients supply truss; we plan to the stricter, later one. In meeting rooms, rigging is prohibited.
Can we run our own Wi-Fi for a timing leaderboard?
We could not confirm it either way. Smart City Networks is exclusive at HBGCC for wired and wireless data, and no document we read addresses an exhibitor's own access point. We plan leaderboards on an ordered line or offline, and would not bring our own router without written approval.
When should we avoid booking San Antonio in 2027?
04/15 to 04/25/2027. Fiesta San Antonio runs 11 days citywide, and the Texas Library Association meets at HBGCC from 04/19 to 04/22, inside it. February is the second squeeze: TCEA runs 01/31 to 02/03 and a publisher's listing puts TMEA in the same building from 02/10 to 02/13.
The city also told council the building uses about 70 percent of its exhibit space, which it treats as full. Book the hall first.
Is the convention center going to be under construction?
Not on any published schedule. On 10/28/2026 city staff described an $850 million, two-phase expansion to 650,000 sq ft of exhibit space, with the first phase to launch in 2027. The Spurs arena is planned nearby in Hemisfair, with a July 2030 opening discussed. No phasing, dock closures or hall outages have been published, so ask the venue in writing for any 2027 or 2028 date.
Where should we take a client to dinner?
Pearl, and check the day. Verified on the Michelin Guide on 11/04/2026, all three San Antonio one-star restaurants are closed Monday night, and Mixtli is also closed Sunday. A team arriving Sunday and hosting Monday cannot book a starred room at all.
Those nights, Mezquite in Pullman Market is open daily, Southerleigh in the old Pearl brewhouse is open daily, and Ladino serves dinner from Monday.
Is there a racetrack in San Antonio?
Not one we could verify inside the metro. The defining track is Circuit of The Americas outside Austin, with a NASCAR weekend on 03/05 to 03/07/2027 and, by a published report of the calendar, Formula 1 on 10/22 to 10/24/2027. Harris Hill Raceway in San Marcos is a members' road course about 55 miles away. In town, the options are karting at K1 Speed and the San Antonio Karting Complex.
Does a San Antonio event cost more than Houston or Dallas?
Not from us. Our price does not change by city: $5,479 per rig for a half day of 4 service hours, or $5,919 per rig for a full day of 8 hours, including delivery, setup, one on-site technical event manager per simulator, teardown and insurance, with freight anywhere in the continental US inside the price. The client supplies power, tables, chairs and TV stands.
Venue-exclusive services, including electrical, material handling, rigging, catering and police, are billed by the venue's providers or the show's contractor, so a total can arrive on more than one invoice. A contract signed 3 to 4 weeks out adds $300 per staff member, 2 to 3 weeks out adds $600, and inside 2 weeks we do not take the booking. Setup after 4:00 PM the day before is free; 12:00 to 4:00 PM the day before is $500.
Nationwide
Freight is already inside the quote.
- $6MLiability per occurrence
- $8MAggregate
- 24 hrsTo a fixed quote, in writing
- $0Travel surcharge, anywhere in the continental US
Get a quote
Tell us about your event. A fixed quote within 24 hours.
Send us the building, the hall or ballroom, the dates and the show's contractor. In San Antonio the contractor decides as much as the building does, and we will tell you which document governs your show before anything is signed.
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