Exhibitor Manual | Imaginarium Book Festival

If you would like to ship any of your items (books, swag, etc.) to the venue ahead of the festival, you may only do so the WEEK OF the event. All shipped items must arrive between Monday, June 3, and Thursday, June 6. No sooner, no later. Anything shipped to the venue outside of this time window will not reach us, and the UDC will be returning them to sender. Please contact us to let us know before you plan to ship anything, and verify all delivery dates before shipping. You MUST send us any and all tracking numbers.

If you are shipping items from home, please make sure to write your AUTHOR/BUSINESS NAME (not your legal name) on the box so our team can have your things organized for you to later retrieve. You must have the shipping address formatted as such:

Line 1: [EXHIBITOR NAME]

Line 2: University of District of Columbia Student Center

Line 3: ATTN: Valerie Lewis Taylor - Imaginarium

Line 4: 4200 Connecticut Ave NW

Line 5: Washington, DC 20008

If you would like to personally drop off your set-up things (books, banners, etc.) to the venue before the festival, you can also do that the WEEK OF the festival. The time window for this is still Monday, June 3, and Thursday, June 6.

If you'd like to drop things off on the Monday - Wednesday, you can pull up in front of the UDC Student Center building or park on the street, and bring things inside through the main entrance doors. The receptionist there will assist in guiding you to the holding place for IBF-related things. Your items will remain there until the event on Friday. We recommend labeling all banners, boxes, etc. so you can easily identify them as yours. Or you can tie something onto your stuff. This works similarly to air travel.

If you would like to drop things off on the Thursday, our team and staff will only be present from 1PM to 6PM, so we can let you know where to place your things. Please understand that these are only drop-off times. Since our team will be setting up for early registration on Thursday, exhibitors are not permitted to set anything up until Friday. We will do our best to assist you, but please understand that our volunteers will have their own assignments. We recommend bringing things in on wheeled carts, in suitcases, etc.—things that can later be stored beneath or behind your table. Please let us know your plans beforehand, so we can help coordinate your arrival.

If you are not able to drop things off ahead of the festival, that's totally okay! However, we highly recommend it, especially on the Thursday.

All exhibitors will need to register on either Thursday or Friday. There will be a separate booth in the atrium entrance where you can pick up your badge, brunch shirt (if applicable), and brunch ribbon, as well as your assistant badge. If your assistant purchased a brunch ticket, let us know at the booth and we will scan their brunch ticket QR code and provide them with a ribbon. However, any other event tickets must be checked in through the attendee registration line. We recommend not attaching the brunch ribbon until Friday morning.

If you decide to bring your things in on the Friday morning of the festival, you should arrive between 8:00AM - 9:00AM. Again, this will only be to drop things off before you head to the brunch. Our staff and team will be busy setting things up, so you can use the floor maps to locate your table space.

PLEASE NOTE: If your table is located in the Ballroom or the Pre-Function Veranda, you will need to drop your things off in the Attendee Lounge, which will be closed to attendees until the signing later in the day—so your things will be safe. The Ballroom + Pre-Function Veranda on the third floor will be used for the morning brunch, then converted into a signing space later. If your table is located in Heritage Hall or The Apothecrafty, you can drop things off directly at your table on Friday.

Please read the following very carefully.

The walls of the Student Center are owned by the Smithsonian Museum. Please do not tape/attach anything to the walls, and all standing banners must be at least 4 inches away from the wall.

If you will not be attending the brunch, and your table is located in Heritage Hall (1st Floor) or The Apothecrafty (2nd Floor), you can begin setting up as early as 8AM if you would like to, or as late as 1PM. The Friday signing is planned for 2:00PM to 6:00PM. So if you will not be at the brunch, you can arrive to set-up anytime between 8:00AM and 1:00PM—it's totally up to you.

If you will be attending the brunch, and your table is located in Heritage Hall (1st Floor) or The Apothecrafty (2nd Floor), you can begin setting up directly after the brunch, or you can leave the brunch anytime when you're done to start setting up.

If you will be attending the brunch, and your table is located in the Ballroom + Pre-Function, you can set-up only after the room has been converted, so expect to return at 1:00PM. This means you will have 1 HOUR to set-up your table space before the signing begins at 2:00PM. This is also why we recommend dropping things off before the festival. Regardless, everything you need should be at the venue by Friday. There will be no Saturday drop-offs.

For any drop-offs before the event, you can pull up in front of the UDC Student Center and unload, or find nearby street parking. For Friday and Saturday parking during the festival, there is an on-site parking garage that is $20 for the whole day (up to 24 hours). Lost parking stubs are an extra $20, so don't lose it! We recommend parking here so you can walk the short distance to the Student Center. However, street parking is an alternative. Those rates will vary, so you can read the street signs when you arrive for more information.

Garage Address:

3305-3365 Van Ness St NW, Washington, DC 20008

Directions:

Drive into the Van Ness Parking Garage from Van Ness St. ONLY and collect a ticket at the entrance.

Keep ticket in possession after you park your car

When you wish to exit the garage, go to a Pay Station at either the Plaza Deck Elevator Lobby on the Breezeway OR the B level garage near the Auditorium

Insert ticket into the Pay Station and pay the displayed amount (Credit/Debit cards and Cash are accepted)

The festival will end on Saturday, June 8, at 4PM, so you will need to have everything down and cleared out by 5PM at the latest. Please remember to take everything with you!

Each exhibitor space comes with a 6ft table; 3ft if you have a half table (shared table). Pipe draping and tablecloths are not provided, so we encourage you to come prepared with your own, should you decide you need it. A 90x132 tablecloth is highly recommended. Access to an electrical outlet isn't always guaranteed, so please plan accordingly.

Here's a quick checklist of items we recommend bringing with you!

Pens & Markers
90x132 Tablecloth (mandatory)
Wheeled Cart / Suitcase
Portable Chargers
Book Stands / Displays
Promotional Swag Items
Reusable Water Bottle & Snacks