CategoryChicago, IL
Aluminium box truss, towers, bases, and rigging hardware — the structural backbone that everything else in the rig hangs from. Stocked and shipped from our Van Nuys warehouse, direct from Acue Express.
01 — The Chicago market
Aluminium box truss, towers, bases, and rigging hardware — the structural backbone that everything else in the rig hangs from. This page covers buying them specifically in Chicago — who buys here, what the local work demands, and how to get fixtures direct instead of through a distributor markup.
Chicago has a deep banquet and reception scene alongside one of the best-known theatre communities in the country, and a lot of it happens in older rooms with limited space and power. Compact, low-draw gear that does a lot from a small footprint sells well here.
For lighting truss, Chicago demand concentrates around weddings and banquet events and theatre and stage productions, with fixtures going into rooms ranging from Metro Chicago to the smaller stages and studios around Schaumburg. The buyers are mostly church and community venue teams and banquet hall and venue operators.
02 — Specification guide
Five decisions that determine whether a fixture fits the room.
Box truss is the standard four-chord structural section for spans and towers. Lighter duty triangular and single-chord sections suit decorative and short-span work only.
Load capacity falls off sharply as span increases. Always design to the published load chart for the actual span, not a general rule of thumb.
Conical and bolt connections behave differently in assembly speed and rigidity. Consistency across your inventory matters more than which system you pick.
Ground support towers with proper bases and outriggers let you build a rig in venues with no rigging points — a very common requirement in hotels, ballrooms, and outdoor sites.
Mixing truss brands and profiles across an inventory creates real problems on site. Standardising on one system is worth the up-front discipline.
03 — Recommended
G34 Ground Support Tower System$2,859ground support truss tower
U34 6 Way Junction Block$429Lighting Truss & Rigging
U34 Truss Bases$579Lighting Truss & Rigging
U34 Box Truss$829Lighting Truss & Rigging
U34 Center Pivot Hinge$319Lighting Truss & Rigging
0.29m (0.95ft) G34 Box Truss$164Lighting Truss & Rigging
0.5m (1.64ft) G34 Box Truss$199Lighting Truss & Rigging0.75m (2.46ft) G34 Box Truss$209Lighting Truss & Rigging
1.5M (4.92') G31 Single Truss Tube Circle$329Lighting Truss & Rigging04 — Buy direct
Acue Express carries its own line and ships it from Van Nuys, California. For Chicago customers that means three concrete things: direct pricing with no distributor tier, consistent stock so a multi-unit order arrives matched, and warranty support handled by Acue rather than a third party.
Our compact fixtures and low-draw LED pars suit the older banquet rooms and converted spaces where both circuits and hanging positions are limited.
05 — Ready when you are
Room dimensions, throw distances, power availability and quantities — we work through all of it before you order.
06 — Questions
Still unsure? Call 818-646-7526 and talk to someone who has hung these fixtures.
For most portable stage and event work, 12-inch box truss carries typical lighting loads over standard spans. Larger spans and heavier rigs move to 20-inch and above. The correct answer always comes from the load chart for your specific span and point loads.
Yes — that is exactly what a ground support tower system is for. Towers with weighted bases and outrigger arms let you build a self-supporting goalpost or box rig in venues with no overhead rigging capability.
Standard box truss assembly is straightforward with trained hands. Anything involving overhead flying, motorised hoists, or loads over people should involve a qualified rigger — this is life-safety work and local requirements vary.
Yes. Bases, hinges, junction blocks, couplers, outrigger arms, TV mounts, and clamps are all available individually so you can expand or repair an existing system.
Yes. We ship lighting truss to Chicago and throughout Chicagoland from our Van Nuys, California facility. Chicago is a reliable freight lane. For downtown and Loop venues we recommend confirming dock access and delivery windows when the order goes in.
Yes — call 818-646-7526. We will work through room dimensions, throw distances, power availability and quantities before you order. For Chicago projects that usually saves more money than any discount, because the most expensive mistake is buying the wrong fixture count.
07 — Index
