The San Diego Convention Center follows the following food/booth sampling policy.
Centerplate holds the exclusive rights to all food and beverage within the San Diego Convention Center. This exclusive agreement prohibits exhibitors or other event participants from bringing food, beverage or alcohol into the San Diego Convention Center without the written approval of Centerplate; this includes private labeled bottled water. Exhibitors are not permitted to sell food and beverage in the San Diego Convention Center.
Exhibitor must be the manufacturer or manufacturer's representative of the product to be sampled.
If the exhibitor meets the above criteria, simply submit the Booth Sampling/Waiver Authorization form for approval. Your request will be processed and written approval will be sent to you. Food and beverage marketing/sampling activities must be conducted within the confines of the exhibitor's booth space.
If you are a manufacturer or manufacturer's representative and wish to exceed the sample size requirements, submit the Booth Sampling/Waiver Authorization form. Your request will be processed and a written decision will be sent to you, along with a contract for the applicable waiver fee.
Exhibitors utilizing "traffic builders" (i.e., bottled water, coffee, smoothies, full-sized candy bars, etc.) that compete with food or beverage provided by Centerplate must submit the Booth Sampling/Waiver Authorization form. Your request will be processed and a written decision will be sent to you, along with applicable corkage fees due.
All alcohol sales and consumption in the San Diego Convention Center are regulated by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control and Centerplate is responsible for the administration of these regulations. Centerplate prohibits exhibitors and event participants from bringing in or removing alcohol from the San Diego Convention Center. No alcoholic beverages are allowed to be served by anyone other than San Diego Convention Center Food and Beverage Department Bartenders.
* All the aforementioned policies will be strictly administered. Any violation of these will result in the removal of product from the show floor.
Please contact Mary Forney with any questions regarding the Food Sampling policy or the Booth Sampling/Waiver Authorization form.
