IAAPA Expo 2026 brings education, show-floor activity, exhibitors, buyers, and attraction-industry teams to Orlando on overlapping schedules. A useful van plan begins with the official event calendar, then accounts for each traveler’s arrival, the team’s hotel, booth materials, approved drivers, and the correct convention-center building.

Get your team’s Orlando van lined up with Carl’s. Our self-drive rentals let you plan around your own itinerary. Use the checklist below to prepare your dates, people, and equipment, then book your van online. For unusual loading needs or a multi-vehicle plan, check the details with our Orlando team before completing your reservation.

IAAPA Expo 2026 dates at a glance: Education runs November 16-19 and the show floor runs November 17-20 at the Orange County Convention Center. Exhibitor move-in and move-out have separate schedules. Build your rental period around your assigned access, not only the public show-floor dates. See the official IAAPA Expo schedule.

Start with the official IAAPA Expo schedule

IAAPA’s on-site information lists education from Monday, November 16 through Thursday, November 19, 2026. The show floor opens Tuesday, November 17 and closes Friday, November 20. The 2026 expo uses the Orange County Convention Center’s North/South and West buildings.

That matters because “IAAPA week” may mean different things to members of the same team. Education attendees may arrive before the show floor opens. Booth staff may need earlier access. A buyer may only need the show-floor dates. Start with each person’s role and registration, then confirm the hours and locations for their activities.

Record five fixed points

Before choosing pickup and return times, write down:

The first required team activity in Orlando.
The last required team or booth activity.
The building, hall, or registration location for each activity.
Every confirmed flight or other arrival and departure time.
The hotel check-in, checkout, and vehicle-parking plan.

Official times and locations can change. Keep the itinerary easy to update and recheck it close to travel.

Build the rental window around move-in and move-out

Exhibitors should not assume the November 17 show-floor opening marks the beginning of their trip. IAAPA’s exhibitor move-in and move-out schedule includes setup before the show opens and move-out after it closes.

Use the schedule assigned to your booth rather than a date copied from another team’s plan. The official exhibitor manual is the place to verify current instructions, contractor details, floor plans, and deadlines.

Leave time for the parts between appointments

A practical schedule leaves time to collect the rental, check the vehicle, load your belongings, reach the hotel, and complete registration. The right amount of time depends on your itinerary, traffic, building assignment, and rental terms. Confirm loading areas, parking, and access with the venue or organizer rather than assuming the van can stop at any entrance.

Separate people, luggage, and exhibit materials

Count people first, then list suitcases, cases, samples, signs, tools, and other materials separately. Include dimensions and weights for large or unusual items when available. This helps you choose a vehicle for the whole trip, not just the drive to the convention center.

An advertised seating number does not necessarily leave room for every suitcase or booth item. Review Carl’s passenger van rental options and confirm the vehicle category fits your dates and intended use. Check any unusual capacity or loading requirement with our team before booking.

Decide whether one vehicle can do both jobs

Will the vehicle carry people, materials, or both?
Does every passenger have an approved seat and restraint?
Can equipment be secured without blocking aisles or exits?
Does the hotel accept the planned vehicle size?
Does your venue plan require a separate freight or contractor process?
Who needs the vehicle while other team members are on the show floor?

If passenger and material schedules conflict, tell Carl’s so we can discuss the right rental arrangement. A van rental does not replace IAAPA’s freight, contractor, loading, or exhibit-hall access requirements.

Plan the Orlando hotel and convention-center routine

Confirm your assigned building before finalizing a hotel-to-venue routine. The OCCC’s official facility floor plans can help your team orient itself around the campus.

Check current IAAPA and OCCC guidance rather than relying on an old parking screenshot or another event’s instructions. Ask the parking operator about vehicle size, height clearance, payment, re-entry, and overnight parking where relevant. Your rental reservation does not include venue parking or event access.

Assign a daily handoff plan

For each day, decide:

Which approved driver has the keys.
Who needs the vehicle and at what time.
Where the vehicle may legally and safely wait.
How the team will communicate a schedule change.
When fuel, toll, parking, and return tasks will be handled.

A shared plan keeps the vehicle available to the people who need it. Make sure every driver and planned use meets your rental agreement.

Get your IAAPA Expo reservation details ready

Bring these details together before booking:

Orlando pickup and return dates and preferred times.
Team headcount and every potential driver.
Flight or other arrival details, if relevant.
Hotel or lodging plan.
Your IAAPA role: attendee, exhibitor, buyer, production staff, or contractor.
Assigned convention-center building or hall, if known.
Number and approximate size of bags and exhibit items.
Whether the vehicle will carry people, materials, or both.
Planned travel outside Orlando or Florida, if any.
Questions about payment, deposit, insurance, mileage, tolls, after-hours arrangements, and cancellation.

Business teams can also review Carl’s corporate van rental information and Orlando location. Once your travel plan is in place, book your Orlando van for the dates you need.

Recheck the plan before the expo

About two weeks before your first required activity, reopen the IAAPA agenda, on-site information, exhibitor resources, and OCCC map. Confirm building assignments, access times, hotel parking, drivers, luggage, equipment, and your rental pickup and return.

If an event detail changes, update the team’s shared itinerary and let Carl’s know if it affects your reservation. Current organizer, venue, hotel, and rental instructions take priority over an earlier travel plan.

Book your Orlando van for IAAPA Expo 2026

Get the team, bags, and schedule organized, then put Carl’s to work for your Orlando trip. Choose your rental dates and review the available options online. Vehicle availability, driver eligibility, price, and rental terms are confirmed through the reservation process.

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Frequently asked questions

When is IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando?

Education is November 16-19, 2026, and the show floor is November 17-20. Exhibitor setup and move-out follow separate schedules. Check IAAPA’s official pages before finalizing travel.

Where is IAAPA Expo 2026 being held?

The expo is at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, using the North/South and West buildings. Confirm the building, hall, and access instructions for your registration or exhibitor role.

How should an exhibitor choose rental dates?

Build your rental period around assigned move-in, show-floor, and move-out access. Then add your flight, hotel, loading, and return times. Verify event logistics with IAAPA and review the rental terms with Carl’s.

Should our team reserve a passenger van or a cargo van?

Start with separate counts for people, luggage, and exhibit materials. Describe bulky items with dimensions where possible. Choose the vehicle around its approved use and available space, not seating capacity alone. Our team can help with unusual requirements.

Does the rental include a driver or an IAAPA shuttle?

No. This guide covers self-drive van rentals, not a chauffeured event service. Your team supplies the approved drivers. Use IAAPA’s official guidance for any organizer-run transportation.

What should we have ready before booking?

Have your dates, headcount, potential drivers, arrival details, hotel, event building, luggage, and equipment list ready. Review payment, insurance, mileage, tolls, travel area, pickup, return, and cancellation terms as part of your reservation.

IAAPA Expo 2026 Team Van Planning Guide for Orlando

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