Promotional Models in ChicagoTrade show talent, brand ambassadors and event hosts across Chicagoland
From the 2.6 million square feet of halls at McCormick Place to festival fields in Grant Park, we put local Chicago talent on your booth and in front of your audience.
- Alcohol-service certified
- Trained to serve alcohol
- Local to Chicago
- Since 2001
Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Staffing events since
- 2001
- Events staffed
- 5,000+
- Cities across the US
- 100+
- Of staff available
- 100s
- Global brand partners
- 25+
- Campaign impressions
- 1B+
Hire promo models who know Chicago
Chicago runs on conventions. McCormick Place spreads 2.6 million square feet of exhibit halls across its West, South and North Buildings and Lakeside Center, and it hosts the Chicago Auto Show every February and the National Restaurant Association Show each May. Out by O'Hare, Rosemont adds the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Allstate Arena. Summer moves the action outdoors, to Lollapalooza in Grant Park and a stadium calendar that runs through Soldier Field, Wrigley Field and the United Center. Each setting needs a different kind of staffer, and we cast for the room you are actually in.
Rockstarr Media has staffed events since 2001, with more than 5,000 events behind us in over 100 US cities. Our Chicago team lives here, in the city and in suburbs like Naperville, Schaumburg and Evanston, so we rarely need to fly anyone in and your staff know how to reach McCormick Place before doors open. Models are trained to serve alcohol, we have hundreds of people available nationally, and because we are also a media company we can add photo and video coverage of your activation.
Everything we staff in Chicago
Brand ambassadors
Friendly, briefed people who represent your brand at activations, pop-ups and community events and can answer real questions about the product.
Grand openings & retail activations
Greeters, hosts and promo teams that bring people through the door on day one and keep the energy up.
Beverage sampling & bar promotions
Models certified and trained to serve alcohol, for beer, wine and spirits sampling, bar and nightclub promotions, launches and VIP events. Staff at alcohol events are 21 or older.
Corporate events, hostesses & greeters
Registration, check-in, greeting and guiding for conferences, galas, hotel ballroom events and private parties.
Spokesmodels & on-camera hosts
Talent who can present your product on a stage or on camera, plus content shot during the event for your social channels.
Street teams
Flyering, sign-ups and guerrilla teams for downtown, campuses and high-traffic neighborhoods.
Chicago venues we staff
- McCormick Place (West, South and North Buildings, Lakeside Center)
- Wintrust Arena at McCormick Place
- Arie Crown Theater
- Navy Pier (Festival Hall)
- Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont
- Allstate Arena, Rosemont
- Parkway Bank Park, Rosemont
- United Center
- Soldier Field
- Wrigley Field
- Grant Park
- Millennium Park
Across Chicago & nearby
- The Loop
- River North
- West Loop
- Magnificent Mile
- Streeterville
- South Loop
- Lincoln Park
- Wicker Park / Bucktown
- Wrigleyville
- Gold Coast
- Rosemont
- Schaumburg
- Oak Brook
- Naperville
- Evanston
- Skokie
Chicago details we plan for
McCormick Place labor rules
McCormick Place spells out what exhibitors may do without union labor: hand-carry small packages and pop-up booths, hang signs without tools or ladders if it takes under 30 minutes, and fit custom table skirts without staples or Velcro. Crating, electrical, plumbing, rigging and most install and dismantle work go to union crews. Our staff run the booth; they do not build it.
Getting staff to the South Side campus
A Metra Electric station sits on Level 2.5 of the South Building's Grand Concourse, about seven minutes from Millennium Station downtown. The CTA Green Line's Cermak-McCormick Place stop is roughly two blocks from the West Building. Drivers use Lot A for the North, South and West Buildings and Lot C for Lakeside Center and Arie Crown Theater.
Plan for two show seasons
Chicago's indoor calendar peaks in winter and spring, with the Auto Show in February, when staff arrive in heavy coats and booths need somewhere to stash them. Summer flips to lakefront festivals, ballpark plazas and street activations, where sun, rain plans and hydration matter more than wardrobe. We build call times and uniforms around the season, not a template.
The Rosemont and O'Hare corridor
Rosemont describes itself as five minutes from O'Hare, and its cluster of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and Parkway Bank Park draws plenty of shows that never touch downtown. For those dates we staff from the northwest suburbs, which keeps commutes short and avoids pushing people through Loop traffic at rush hour.
Chicago's big activation dates
- FebruaryChicago Auto Show
Billed as North America's largest and longest-running auto show; manufacturers fill McCormick Place with display vehicles that need product specialists and hosts.
- MayNational Restaurant Association Show
A foodservice trade show at McCormick Place where food and beverage exhibitors rely on sampling and demo staff.
- Late July to early AugustLollapalooza
Four days in Grant Park on the lakefront; sponsor activations need high-energy staff who can handle heat and crowds.
- OctoberBank of America Chicago Marathon and Abbott Health & Fitness Expo
The three-day expo at McCormick Place features exhibitors in running footwear, apparel, nutrition and technology.
Event names link to the organizers' sites. Rockstarr Media is not affiliated with these events.
Upcoming Chicago shows
Local staff in every city we work
Many staffing agencies are based in one city and fly talent to the rest. Rockstarr Media already has staff in place in every major US city and the towns just outside them, so your team is local wherever your event is. It is rare that we need to fly anyone in.
- Cities with local staff
- 100+
- Events staffed
- 5,000+
- Of staff available
- 100s
- Staffing events since
- 2001
| Rockstarr Media | Fly-in staffing | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your team lives | ✓ In your city, or a short drive away | Flown in from another city |
| Travel costs | ✓ Rarely any: no flights or hotels to cover | Flights, hotels and per diems often added |
| Knows the venue and the city | ✓ Yes: parking, load-in, the local crowd | Often their first time there |
| Flight delays | ✓ No flights to miss | A late flight can mean an empty booth |
| Last-minute replacements | ✓ Local backups close by | Hard to replace on short notice |
Local teams in every major US city, including
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Dallas
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Phoenix
- Las Vegas
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Denver
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Orlando
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- Charlotte
- Washington, DC
- Philadelphia
- Boston
- Detroit
- Minneapolis
- + the towns around them
Get a quote for promo models in Chicago
Tell us your date, hours, venue and how many people you need. We reply with options and a price.
Promotional models in Chicago: questions
Do you fly staff into Chicago for McCormick Place shows?
Rarely. We have local staff in Chicago and across the suburbs, so the people working your booth already know the Metra, the Green Line and the parking lots around McCormick Place. Hiring locally also keeps travel and hotel costs out of your quote.
Can your promotional models set up our booth at McCormick Place?
Only within the limits the venue allows exhibitors, such as hand-carrying a pop-up display or hanging a sign without tools in under 30 minutes. Electrical, rigging and most installation are union work at McCormick Place. Our staff focus on greeting, demos and lead capture.
Do you staff events in Rosemont and the suburbs?
Yes. We cover the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Allstate Arena in Rosemont, plus events in Schaumburg, Oak Brook, Naperville, Evanston and the surrounding towns. Staffing from nearby suburbs keeps commutes reasonable on show days.
How much do promotional models cost in Chicago?
Every booking is quoted. Rates depend on the number of staff, hours, roles, wardrobe and any training on your product. Send us the venue, dates and goals, and we will put together a quote for your specific event.
Are your Chicago promotional models certified to serve alcohol?
Yes. Rockstarr Media holds alcohol licensing in every state we work, and our models are certified and trained to serve alcohol, so beverage sampling and bar promotions in Chicago are covered. Staff at alcohol events are 21 or older.
How experienced is Rockstarr Media at event staffing?
Rockstarr Media has been staffing events since 2001: more than 5,000 events in 100+ cities across the US, with hundreds of staff available and local teams in Chicago and the towns around it.