Tips and tricks for ProMat 2011 attendees

How to Score a Free Ride to the Show
Complimentary shuttle buses will run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and again from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. between all 24 designated show hotels and McCormick Place South, today through Thursday. Bus schedules are posted in each hotel, as well as at the convention center.

Show hotels include: Allerton Crown Plaza, Blackstone Renaissance, Chicago Marriot Downtown Magnificent Mile, Conrad Chicago, Doubletree, Drake Hotel, Embassy Suites Chicago, Embassy Suites State St., Fairfield Inn & Suites, Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Hard Rock, Holiday Inn, Hotel Blake, Hyatt McCormick Place, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Intercontinental Hotel, JW Marriott, Marriott Courtyard Magnificent Mile, Marriott Courtyard River North, Renaissance Chicago, Swissôtel, Trump International, W Chicago Lakeshore, and Westin Michigan Avenue.

Where to Park If You’re Driving
Park in Lot A for events in the North Building (Automate 2011) South Building (ProMat 2011). This six-level garage has 2,100 spaces and includes an adjacent surface lot. It is located on Martin Luther King Drive, adjacent to the McCormick Place West Building and feeds directly into the Grand Concourse at Gate 4. The parking is $19 for up to 16 hours and $30 from 16 to 24 hours. There are no in-and-out privileges. Parking fees can be paid by cash or credit card; Visa, MasterCard and American Express are also accepted.

Where to Find Business Services
A full-service Business Center is located on Level 2.5 of the Grand Concourse. The center offers secretarial services, postal services, photocopying machines, fax facilities, package-handling services and international telephone cards.

If You Run Low On Cash
An ATM money machine (MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus and Plus) is located on Level 2 of McCormick Place South, near the Business Center.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities
McCormick Place offers services including wheelchairs, scooters and TDD telephones. Wheelchairs and scooters are available for a fee and must be reserved prior to your arrival by calling 312-791-7252. If you are using a standard wheelchair and need assistance, please call McCormick Place South Security in advance at 312-791-6060.

How to Get from ProMat to Automate, and Vice Versa
The two shows are literally across the hall from each other, with Automate 2011 located in the McCormick Place North hall, and Promat 2011 located in the McCormick Place South hall. Registration with either show gets you into the other for free; just flash your badge at the entrance. Both shows are open today through Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where is the Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference?
The Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference (ICHC) occurs on Tuesday, and is located on the fifth level of the McCormick Place South building in Room S504. This co-located event offers crane users and suppliers an opportunity to discuss the real-world dynamics of working with overhead crane and hoists.

ICHC sessions kick off at 7:30 a.m. with registration and coffee, and launch into opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. Subsequent presentation topics include industry regulations, safety training and the application of new technologies. The conference concludes at 3:40 p.m.

Where is the International Symposium on Robotics (ISR)?
This annual robotics conference is fully integrated into the Automate 2011 Show and Conference in the McCormick Place North Hall. The event runs today through Thursday and includes leading experts presenting on key issues in industrial robotics, the emerging service robotics field, cutting-edge research, machine vision, motion control, automation and related topics.

Where Do I Find a Map of the Show?
Get the lay of the land around McCormick Place in Chicago at ProMat 2011 and Automate 2011 by visiting this map.
Visit [url=http://www.promatshow.com]http://www.promatshow.com[/url] for the interactive ProMat 2011 Show Floor Plan of Exhibits.

ProMat 2011 will be held March 21 - 24, 2011 at McCormick Place South in Chicago. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry.

Read all of Modern’s ProMat 2011 coverage