Shipping to PLMA 2026 | Rosemont Trade Show Freight | Freightzy

Ready to Steal the Show?

November 15–17, 2026 • Donald E. Stephens Convention Center • Rosemont, IL (Chicago O’Hare area)

If your brand is exhibiting at PLMA Private Label Trade Show, the shipping piece is where events succeed or fail. Donald E. Stephens Convention Center has specific receiving rules, target move dates, and drayage protocols - and missing any of them can mean your booth doesn’t reach the show floor on time.

Freightzy handles trade show freight for private label and store brand exhibitors heading to PLMA, including refrigerated sample shipments, cross-border freight from Canada, and full venue and contractor coordination.

Why PLMA Matters for Private label and store brand Brands

PLMA Private Label Trade Show brings ~19,000 trade visitors from 120+ countries and 1,900+ exhibitors from 60+ countries to Rosemont, IL (Chicago O’Hare area) for 2026 (November 15–17, 2026).

It’s where private label manufacturers, store brand suppliers, and co-pack partners meet retail buyers, distributors, and industry decision-makers - a concentrated few days of the year that drive a disproportionate share of annual distribution outcomes.

For exhibiting brands, the show floor is revenue. But the show floor only matters if your booth, displays, and samples are actually on it when doors open.

Venue Logistics and Shipping Requirements

PLMA is held at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL (Chicago O’Hare area). The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont is a smaller convention venue than McCormick Place, located just 10 minutes from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Freight logistics are simpler than at major downtown convention centers - less congested receiving, shorter staging times, and more direct drayage operations - but target move dates are still non-negotiable.

The venue’s proximity to O’Hare makes it particularly attractive for cross-border and international exhibitors who fly in alongside their freight.

Get a PLMA shipping quote with all venue and drayage costs upfront.

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Refrigerated Samples and Cold Chain Shipping for PLMA

PLMA exhibits span everything from shelf-stable dry goods to frozen private label product - store-brand frozen meals, fresh bakery, dairy, produce programs, refrigerated beverages.

Refrigerated sample shipments are common, especially for manufacturers showing cold or frozen private label programs to retail buyers. Freightzy handles both dry and refrigerated freight into Rosemont from U.S. and Canadian origins, coordinated as a single exhibit program when exhibitors have both profiles.

One logistics partner. One coordinated program. Booth freight and samples handled as a single shipping relationship from pickup through booth delivery.

Learn about our refrigerated LTL program.

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Cross-Border Shipping to PLMA from Canada

PLMA draws heavy international exhibitor traffic, and Canadian private label manufacturers targeting U.S. retail accounts use PLMA as a primary sales vehicle.

Freightzy’s cross-border refrigerated and dry LTL programs run into Rosemont from Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, with CBSA, CBP, and FDA documentation handled as part of the trade show shipping service.

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Freightzy’s PLMA Trade Show Shipping Service

Freightzy provides end-to-end trade show freight management for PLMA exhibitors, including managed execution and scheduling, venue and contractor coordination.

Both LTL and FTL freight modes, refrigerated shipping for temperature-controlled samples, cross-border documentation and clearance for Canadian exhibitors, real-time tracking and status updates, and proactive issue resolution if anything threatens the schedule.

Talk to a cross-border trade show specialist - Contact Us.

FAQ: About Shipping to PLMA

When should I ship my booth to PLMA?

For PLMA at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, plan to ship 10–14 days before the target move date if you’re using advance warehouse delivery, and 3–5 business days before the target move date if you’re shipping direct-to-show. Cross-border shipments from Canada should add an additional 2–5 days of buffer for customs clearance. The exact cut-off dates are published in the exhibitor service kit - Freightzy plans backward from those dates and builds in weather and customs buffers.

Can I ship refrigerated food samples to PLMA?

Yes. Freightzy operates a full refrigerated LTL program alongside our dry freight services, which is unusual among trade show freight providers. For food and beverage brand exhibitors showing temperature-controlled samples at PLMA, we handle frozen, chilled, and protect-from-freeze shipments with continuous cold chain from pickup through booth delivery at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

How much does it cost to ship freight to PLMA?

Trade show shipping cost to PLMA depends on shipment size and weight, origin city, lead time, advance warehouse vs direct-to-show routing, drayage charges at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (billed separately per hundredweight by the show contractor), temperature control requirements for samples, and cross-border clearance if shipping from Canada. The best way to get an accurate number is to request a quote with your actual shipment details - Freightzy’s calculator accounts for all trade-show-specific cost factors upfront.

Does Freightzy ship trade show freight cross-border between Canada and the U.S.?

Yes. Cross-border refrigerated and dry freight between Canada and the United States is one of Freightzy’s core specialties. For trade show freight, we handle ATA Carnet documentation for temporary import of exhibit materials, coordinate with CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and manage customs clearance timing so your freight doesn’t miss target dates at the border.

We support Canadian exhibitors heading to U.S. shows and U.S. brands exhibiting at Canadian shows.