Trade Show Decorating at the River Center
Pipe and drape, event carpeting, signage, and complete show setup at Baton Rouge's downtown convention center — from a crew based just up the road.
Your decorator is already in Baton Rouge
The Raising Cane’s River Center sits on the Mississippi River in the middle of downtown Baton Rouge — an exhibition hall, an arena, and a performing-arts theatre under one roof, hosting everything from consumer shows and conventions to galas and graduations.
Gulf Coast Event Services is based right here in Baton Rouge, minutes from the River Center’s docks. Our drape, carpet, and signage come off our own trucks, and our crew knows the building. When a show needs another fifty feet of drape at eight in the morning, that is a short drive from the warehouse — not an overnight freight order.
One contractor for the whole floor
Drape, carpet, signage, and labor on a single order, so you are not refereeing between vendors on load-in day at the River Center.
Pipe & Drape
Booth backwalls, siderails, room dividers, and stage surrounds in Black, Blue, Burgundy, Carolina Blue, Gold, Green, Purple, Red, Silver, and White. Enough stock on hand to drape the full Exhibition Hall, not just the head table.
Event Carpeting
Aisle carpet, booth carpet, and wall-to-wall coverage in Black, Blue, Green, Red, and Silver — enough to carpet the full Exhibition Hall floor, not just the aisles.
Signage & Lettering
Entrance banners, registration and wayfinding signs, booth identification, and sponsor panels — made and hung by the same crew that builds the floor.
Exhibitor Kits & Shipping
Your exhibitors order their own furnishings through an online kit, and we handle expo shipping and material handling. Out-of-town exhibitors are where most show-week email comes from; this removes it.
Setup & Breakdown
Install and dismantle on the River Center's dock schedule. The floor is finished before doors open and cleared once the show closes.
Crowd Control & Power
Stanchions and barriers for queues and entrances, plus an electrical department that powers everything from corporate food shows to state fairs.
Built for the River Center's rooms
The River Center is really three venues in one. The Exhibition Hall handles trade shows, consumer expos, and large banquets; the Arena takes graduations, sporting events, and general-session crowds; and the Theatre for the Performing Arts hosts concerts and productions. Each one calls for a different setup, and we carry the drape, carpet, and staging to outfit all three.
Because we are local, we can walk the space with you before the show, plan load-in around the building's dock schedule, and be on site fast if anything changes. Baton Rouge's recurring shows come back to the same rooms year after year — and it helps to work with a decorator who already knows them.
Load-in, docks, and timing
Downtown load-in has its own realities — dock access off the surrounding streets, freight routing through the building, and a schedule that shares the calendar with whatever else the complex has booked that week. Planning that in advance is the difference between an install that finishes early and a crew waiting on an elevator.
If you are booking a specific hall at the River Center, tell us which one and your dates. We will walk you through what to expect on load-in and what your exhibitors will need.
Who we work with
- Associations holding annual conventions and member expos
- Consumer show promoters running home, boat, auto, and holiday shows
- Corporate planners handling food shows, sales meetings, and vendor fairs
- Universities and schools staging graduations, job fairs, and recruiting events
- Venues and planners who want a local decorator their clients can book directly
Around Baton Rouge and beyond
The River Center is home turf, and we cover the rest of the region from the same warehouse.
- East Baton Rouge Parish — Baton Rouge, Baker, Zachary, Central
- Ascension Parish — Gonzales, Prairieville, Sorrento
- Livingston Parish — Denham Springs, Walker, Livingston
- West Baton Rouge & Iberville — Port Allen, Plaquemine, Addis
- Farther afield — New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and the Mississippi and Alabama coasts
Booking the River Center?
Send us your dates, the hall, and a rough booth or guest count. We will come back with a tailored quote and handle the floor from load-in to breakdown.
Call 1-800-488-3836 or email office@gcevents.biz
Request a Quote