The Production Guide to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
What planners should know about staging, AV, and large-scale event production in Harrisburg, PA.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center is one of Central Pennsylvania's largest event venues, offering more than one million square feet of indoor space, multiple exhibition halls, arenas, and extensive parking.
For corporate conferences, trade shows, association meetings, and multi-day gatherings, that flexibility is a major advantage. But producing an event in a massive exhibition hall requires a different approach than working in a traditional ballroom.
From stage placement to sound distribution, here's what planners should consider before bringing their event to the Farm Show Complex.
Choosing the Right Hall for Your Event
The Farm Show Complex offers several spaces, each with different production considerations.
The GIANT Expo Hall spans approximately 172,000 square feet with 30-foot ceilings, making it suitable for large exhibitions, corporate gatherings, and substantial staging configurations.
The Main Hall offers approximately 146,500 square feet but has a lower ceiling of 13 feet, 6 inches. That difference can affect LED wall height, lighting positions, and overhead rigging options.
The New Holland Arena, with more than 7,300 fixed seats, requires a different approach. Stage positioning, speaker coverage, and video displays must account for the existing seating and viewing angles.
Before committing to a layout, determine where the audience will sit, how far they'll be from the stage, and what equipment the space can accommodate.
Audio and Video in a Large Exhibition Space
One of the biggest production challenges in a large hall is ensuring attendees can clearly see and hear the program.
Audio: Increasing volume isn't always the solution. Distributed speaker systems and properly timed delay speakers can help deliver consistent sound across a large audience while maintaining speech clarity.
Video: LED walls provide a focal point for presentations, branding, and video playback. Depending on the audience layout, additional screens or live camera feeds (IMAG) may be needed for attendees farther from the stage.
Lighting: Stage wash keeps presenters visible, while intelligent lighting creates branded looks and emphasizes key moments. For events using cameras, lighting must also support proper exposure without competing with the video displays.
These elements should be designed together, not selected independently.
What Planners Should Know About Load-In, Power, and Rigging
Large-scale production at the Farm Show Complex requires careful coordination of equipment access, electrical connections, and overhead installations. These details can influence everything from stage placement to setup timelines.
Load-in and equipment access: Only authorized facility personnel can operate the Complex's forklifts and lifts. Production teams should coordinate delivery windows, loading access, and equipment movement in advance, especially when multiple events are taking place throughout the facility.
Electrical requirements: The Complex provides 120/208-volt electrical service, with connections handled by house electricians unless otherwise authorized. Large LED walls, lighting systems, and audio equipment may require additional power distribution, so connection locations and available service should be confirmed before finalizing the production design.
Rigging and overhead installations: Suspended signage requires venue approval, and equipment cannot be attached to building utility lines. For lighting trusses, LED displays, and scenic elements, confirm approved rigging locations, weight capacities, and installation requirements before committing to a design.
Addressing these details early helps avoid unexpected equipment changes, additional labor costs, and delays during load-in.
Transforming an Exhibition Hall Into an Event Space
The Farm Show Complex's open layout gives planners flexibility to create an environment tailored to their event.
For productions at the Complex, Klock has incorporated freestanding truss structures, intelligent lighting, drapery, and branded displays to transform large exhibition spaces.
From illuminated truss entrances and digital signage to custom lighting designs and logo projections, these elements help establish an event's identity. Drapery can separate gathering areas, conceal unused space, and create a more intimate atmosphere.
The goal isn't to fill the entire hall with production equipment. It's to create a cohesive, intentional space that feels designed for the event and its audience.
Planning Multi-Day and Multi-Room Events
With multiple halls and arenas, the Farm Show Complex can accommodate conferences, exhibitions, and corporate gatherings with several activities happening at once.
For these events, coordinating production across spaces is essential. Live video feeds can connect general sessions to overflow rooms, while digital signage helps attendees navigate the facility and stay informed about schedules.
Dedicated technicians, a detailed run of show, and clear communication between production teams help keep presentations, lighting, and room transitions on schedule. For multi-day events, allowing time for rehearsals and room resets is equally important to keeping everything running smoothly.
Local Production Support from Klock Events
Based in the Harrisburg area, Klock Events provides staging, audio, LED video walls, projection, lighting design, and technical production for corporate and large-scale gatherings.
Our approach begins with understanding the event's goals, audience, and venue requirements so each production element works together.
Planning an event at the Farm Show Complex? Explore our Harrisburg Event Production, Large-Scale Gatherings, and AV Production Services.
Submit an RFP to start planning your event.
Explore another Central Pennsylvania venue in our Hershey Lodge Production Guide.