Convention Insider (Conventions.net)

I love it when a conference is held in a venue that is both hotel and convention center!  It’s so much handier to have everything in the same area.  When the venue and the hotel are far apart, attendees have to carry their swag and even their luggage around with them, which discourages people from even wanting more swag.  This is not a popular attitude with trade show booth proprieters; they’re counting on people taking their samples and remembering their company’s name by looking at those same samples all year long.  Separate venues for the hotel and conference are just plain inconvenient and annoying.

But, when the venue can accommodate both the conference AND the attendees’ rooms, it’s much more popular!  The swag bag gets full?  We just carry it upstairs and come right back down again.  Spill something on your shirt?  Just excuse yourself and run up to your room and change; you’ll be back at the conference in minutes.

New Hampshire’s New England Center is both hotel and venue, and both facets are nestled right on the campus of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, and a lovely campus it is, too.  When you hold your convention, conference, trade show, retreat, meeting, flea market, etc, at this venue, you’ll bask in the collegiate atmosphere while remaining apart from it; in other words, it’s the best of both worlds!

The New England Center is located at 15 Strafford Avenue, Durham, NH 03824. Phone number is: 1-603-862-2801. The convention center number is: 1-800-909-6931.

Whether your conference is large or small, The New England Center’s 12,00 square feet of adaptable meeting space  can accommodate your program.  The center also has several meeting “specials” at incredible prices.

Hungry?  The New England Convention Center’s Acorns Restaurant can take care of you there.  Located right in the center, you’ll be able to satisfy your hunger with fantastic food and never have to leave the venue!

Concerned about sustainability?  New Hampshire’s New England Convention Center is, too.  In fact, it was one of eleven universities nationwide to receive a top score in the sustainability rating system.

Oh, and after your meetings are over for the day, just look at what the convention center’s locale can offer you!

The Pacific Northwest is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the United States.  In other words, it’s ideal conference locale!

Whether your convention, conference, retreat, trade show, etc. is large or small, the Oregon Convention Center can handle it, and handle it perfectly.  It is, after all, the largest convention center in this area of the country.

The Oregon Convention Center has two ballrooms, both large, and both ideal if you need a large single room for your conference, an actual ballroom for after-conference entertainment, or several small rooms right in the same area, for both ballrooms can be divided into several smaller rooms.

Do you need high speed internet service for your conference?  The Oregon Convention Center is the largest wireless hotspot in Oregon.

You can find a complete list of exhibitor guides HERE.

If sustainability is important to your attendees – as well it should be! – rest assured that the Oregon Convention Center is GREEN.  Silver rating, in fact!

Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97232

ph. 1.800.791.2250 | In Portland: 503.235.7575

Need a hotel room, ATM, grocery store, bank, etc?  You can find all of those right here, all handy to the convention center. The Oregon Convention Center is handy to the airport, too, and has a shuttle for your convenience, as well.

Need some way to maneuver around town from the convention center?  Portland has a magnificent public transit system: the Light Rail.  There are also buses running regularly for your convenience.

All in all, you’ll never find a more beautiful spot to hold your conference, and the Oregon Convention Center is all you could ever ask or hope for in a venue.

I’ve been to the Kentucky Exposition Center over a hundred times for different shows, conventions, flea markets, and you name it, and each time the same thought goes through my mind: This facility is absolutely perfect for this function!

The Kentucky Exposition Center is the most VERSATILE venue I’ve ever encountered. I can’t even imagine an event this facility isn’t more than capable of hosting and handling, and doing both to the complete satisfaction of the conference, convention, trade show, retreat, animal trainer, horsemen, concert,  flea market, and anything else you can think of. I’m serious: this venue has facilities for anything!

This facility is one of the top ten venues of this type in the States, with over a million square feet of contiguous climate-controlled spaces of all kinds.  Nobody is relegated to the upstairs here, either; everything is on the ground floor.

I’ve been to small, one-room functions here, enormous two-wing trade shows and flea markets here, business conferences that needed half a wing here, and horse shows that required a wing and the facilities outside.

Right next door to the Kentucky Exposition Center is a Six Flags park, for after hours or for a fun place for your family to hang out while you’re at the gun show!

This venue is easy to find, too; once you’ve exited into Louisville proper, just keep going until you see the horses!  It’s just a little past Cardinal Stadium, which is, in fact, part of the exposition center.  Handy!

Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau
401 West Main Street, Suite 2300
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
(502) 584-2121 or 1-888-Louisville (1-888-568-4784)

FAQ

This picture does not begin to do justice to the classic “cool” of Bloomington, Indiana’s Monroe County Convention Center.

Located in the heart of downtown Bloomington, Indiana, the conference center is a perfect example of a combination of rennovation, history, and new structure.

What do I mean by history?  The original building was built by none other than Henry Ford!  Model T’s were manufactured here!

The newest part of the convention center is built on the site of the old Bloomington Blarney Stone, long-time symbol of Bloomington “silliness” but still mourned by those who remember it.

Physical address and contact information: 302 S. COLLEGE AVENUE – BLOOMINGTON, IN 47403 – 812.336.3681 – FAX 812.349.2981

Services such as internet, audio-visual equipment, etc, which cost extra at many convention centers are provided free of charge here.  Call this number for more information: 800 -800-0037.  Food services are available, and, get this, FREE PARKING.  How many convention centers have you been to that offer free parking?  Not very many, I betcha.

Bloomington, Indiana is the home of the Indiana Hoosiers, and many alumni groups meet regularly in the convention center.  There are numerous cultural events in Bloomington – many of them free – and, of course, there are the sports.  Indiana University also boasts the world’s most beautiful campus, and it’s true.  The IU campus is cross-crossed with streams, wooden bridges, huge old trees, flower beds, statues, and an atmosphere of olden days that is wonderful to behold and to see.  You can see a genuine dinosaur footprint, and gaze at the latitude/longitude marker near the old Rose Wellhouse.

The Monroe County Convention Center in Bloomington, Indiana, has over 24,000 squre feet of meeting facilities, and can accommodate up to a thousand people.  Free parking, on-site catering and audio-visual services, banquet facilities , large convention rooms and private rooms are all available.

You’ll never hold a convention in a more interesting locality, that’s for sure!

Seeking the perfect location for your function? The Southern Utah Convention Center has everything you could ever want or need for your convention, conference, trade show, corporate retreat, reception, or meeting of any kind.

Located in scenic southern Utah, this conference center offers 47,500 square feet of column-free convention hall, 32,000 square feet in 21 fully functional meeting rooms, 4 small meeting rooms or 9 luxury suites overlooking the exhibition hall, 3 separate pre-function areas, indoor/outdoor areas, full production and staging capability for a wide spectrum of events and entertainment, seating for up to 6,200 at special events or concerts, full-service in-house catering, and an Exhibition Hall concession area.

There is also a myriad of surrounding sights and activities for between and after your attendees’ convention requirements. Among them are majestic golf resorts, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and many others.

The Dixie Center Blog highlights various exhibitions, shows, conferences, conventions, meetings, retreats, trade shows, etc, that have chosen southern Utah for their venue.

The auditorium - 1,710 square feet of potential presentation space – is roomy, comfortable, and completely fitted out with all of the audio-visual or high speed internet needs of your presenters and attendees.

1835 Convention Center Dr
St. George, UT 84790
(435) 628-7003
Toll Free: 800-748-5011

Additional information can be obtained by going to the information request page on the convention center website and following the directions given there.

The Los Angeles Convention Center is a prime location for your convention, conference, trade show, or retreat.  Just look at the schedule for March 2010!

The many exhibit halls are huge and many, as are the meeting spaces. Whether your group is large, small, or in between, the Los Angeles Convention Center is the ideal venue.

As far as overnight accommodations for your attendees and yourselves, The Los Angeles Convention Center is  close to many excellent hotels.

The convention center proves pretty much any kind of service your function might require or request, including internet connections, furniture, tables for trade shows, audio-visual equipment, etc.

From the Los Angeles Convention Center’s website, here is a list of contact information for you:

1201 South Figueroa Street | Los Angeles, CA 90015 |

If you are looking for a first-class convention center that charges 30% less than the big-name centers, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center is exactly what you’ve been searching for!

With over half a million square feet of meeting space, no convention is too small or too large; this majestic convention center can handle anything.

The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is located at 4590 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV  89502.

After hours, your conference attendees have their choice of many fascinating spots.

As far as the convention center facilities, here is what the Reno-Sparks Convention Center website has to say:

Captivating, modern and competitive, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center is no ordinary stage. For technological amenities and extensive capacity, this state-of-the-art facility is built to order for progressive business.  The center can accommodate a full spectrum of events that include shows on Tradeshow Week’s Top 200 list.  And it is presented at a value you can’t match anywhere else.

The Reno-Sparks Convention Center (RSCC) features five (5) contiguous exhibit halls with 381,000 sq. ft. of space. Each hall offers drive-in access, nineteen (19) freight doors, eight (8) of which are drive-in. The drive-in doors are highlighted by a 39’ wide by 32’ high hangar door, providing  access for oversized equipment, vehicles and aircraft. Other features include electrical, water, gas and air distribution systems.

You can follow the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on Twitter,  Facebook,  Flickr, and YouTube.

Oh, and speaking of the convention center’s YouTube site, after you’ve watched a few videos of people doing their various “things” at the center, your mind will be completely made up:  your next converence, convention, trade show, retreat, reunion, etc, will definitely have to be at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center!

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is host to a lot of really cool things, but right this minute, and until March 21, you can find the Sports Collectibles Convention there! Plan to spend some time at this function, and be sure to bring your autograph book, because you just might run into such celebrities as Lou Brock, Ernie Banks, Luis Aparicio, Dick Williams, Bobby Hull, Len Dawson, Johnny Lattner, Adam West, Don Larsen, Andre Dawson, Juan Marichal, Whitey Ford,  Bill Buckner, John Riggins, Chuck Bednarik, Roberto Duran, Derrick Ros, and B.J. Armstrong.

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is located at:

5555 N. River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
phone: 847-692-2220
fax: 847-696-9700
rcb@rosemont.com Administration Office and Mailing Address:
9301 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Rosemont, IL 60018

With 840,00 square feet of flexible exhibition space, your convention/conference/retreat/trade show/reunion will have plenty of room to exhibit or show or demonstrate pretty much anything it might want or need to do.  At this conference center, your presenters/exhibitors will have access to anything they might need, including plenty of electrical outlets, catering,  and high speed internet!

You can order a Planner’s Guide, too!

You walk into something special when you walk into our Donald E. Stephens Conference Center and Ballroom. We offer a warm and inviting atmosphere for hardworking meetings and enjoyable socializing. Reserve up to 50 attractive, fully functional conference rooms. We work with you to arrange any special room specifications.

Detroit’s COBO Center, 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226
313-877-8777
fax 313-877-8577

is a masterpiece of construction.

The Cobo Convention Center sits in the heart of a downtown that has undergone a tremendous transformation over the years. Cobo Center prides itself on its flexibility to host a wide variety of conferences, conventions and fairs.

Flanked by a fabulous international riverfront, Cobo Center is positioned in close proximity to several restaurants, bars and pubs, as well as six new hotels including three Las Vegas-style casinos. Our elegant banquet rooms and over 80 meeting rooms totaling 178,446 square feet equip Cobo Center to accommodate capacities from 30 to 10,000. Cobo Center also boasts one of the largest contiguous exhibit floor space in North America.

These are exciting times the Cobo Convention Center. The center will soon undergo a $278 million upgrade that will transform Cobo into the state-of-the-art facility that your organization will enjoy for years to come. This investment was made possible through a partnership that includes the City of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the counties of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. It is a great example of Michigan’s southeast region coming together to serve Cobo’s clients.

No matter what your conference/convention/corporate retreat/meeting/trade show/reunion needs might be, Cobo Center can supply them.

After hours, your attendees can find almost anything they want to do with in a short driving distance.  Detroit is a beautiful city, and there is much more here than the auto industry!

Look what you will find right within this venue in March!  Why not add YOUR conference to our list:

The beautiful Austin Convention Center is a busy place, and there’s a good reason for that.

The Austin Convention Center is a busy place because it has such awesome facilities for any kind of convention, conference, trade show, corporate retreat, reunion, reception, along with plenty of handy parking, more-than-enough electrical outlets, reliable internet access, and, and, and, well, what else could anyone need for a meetup?

In fact, RIGHT NOW, the Austin Convention Center is hosting the huge and diverse South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) and is being featured on Twitter, etc, possibly more than any other keyword this weekend.           

Just understanding the complexity of this particular conference will help you understand the diversity of the Austin Convention Center; it is quite capable of handling thousands of techies, musicians, bands, bloggers, podcasters, speakers, and hands-on “stuff” of every conceivable kind, without batting an eyelash.  I’ve heard, too, that “things” are going quite smoothly in Austin, which is also an excellent advertisement for the conference center.

If you are interested in having your next conference/convention/retreat/trade show, etc, in a beautiful city with an enviable climate, in a venue that will turn itself inside out to accommodate your any and every need, you might want to consider the Austin Convention Center.

Here’s how to contact the Austin Convention Center:

Austin Convention Center Department

Mark Tester, Director
Monica Hammond, Assistant Director – Convention Center Operations
Darin Upchurch, Assistant Director – Finance / Palmer Events Center
Paul Barnes, Assistant Director – Sales, Marketing and Event Services
Michele Gizelbach, Chief Financial Manager
Lisa Kidder, Director of Sales
Alycia Sparkman, Event and Exhibitor Services Manager
Joe Gonzalez, IT Services Manager
Terri McBride, Public Information Specialist / Media Relations
Van Jobe, Manager – Guest Services and Purchasing

Palmer Events Center

Darin Upchurch, Assistant Director
Rusty Nabors, Sales and Events Manager

Employment Opportunities

Physical Address

Austin Convention Center
500 East Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701
Ph: 512.404.4000
FAX: 512.404.4416

Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs
Austin, TX 78704
Ph: 512.404.4500
FAX: 512.404.4422
www.palmereventscenter.com

Mailing Address Austin Convention Center, Palmer Events Center
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, TX 78767