Smart Meetings

FAR FROM CONVENTION(AL) CENTERS

Author: Macie Schreibman
June 2009

Features

Convetion Centers in the West are grander and greener

Sponsored by Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel at the Convention Center    

You’ve got a large meeting to plan, and whether you’ve been in the industry for 20 years, or it’s your first time planning, the initial step is the same: You need a convention center. So, you begin searching, looking for a desirable destination with the perfect convention center that will offer your attendees enough space during the day, but still be close enough to everything else you need (guest rooms, restaurants, entertainment). And, of course, all of this must fit into your budget. Today, things have gotten a little trickier, but the search is still far from impossible—especially at convention centers in the West.

Having evolved significantly from four large walls and miles of outdated carpeting, the convention center has truly redefined itself. Moving still farther away from their negative (and somewhat boring) stereotypes, convention centers are pulling out all the stops—providing meeting and exhibit space with upscale amenities, state-of-the-art technology and innovative design. 

Along with refreshed offerings, another undeniably hot trend in the industry is sustainability. With green going mainstream, there is no stopping the whirlwind of renovations, eco-friendly building practices and light fixture exchanges at venues across the nation. “I’ve spent 20 years building and opening facilities,” says Lewis Dawley, general manager of the Albuquerque Convention Center. “Most of the newer facilities are interested in green building and LEED certification, though a lot of efforts have been in going back and making things work [for existing buildings],” he says.


Washington State Convention & Trade Center

As far as trends go, Dawley couldn’t be more on track. With renovations, expansions and brand-new centers springing up, you can finally say goodbye to sterile, old-fashioned décor, and say hello to floor-to-ceiling windows, sustainable building practices and views of the mountains, cities and beautiful landscaping. And rather than being just a necessity, these multifunctional facilities may have you choosing your destination because of the convention center.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Though some hotels and resorts have stopped construction during this economic downturn, convention centers are still rising—making their debut all over the West, with revamped meeting rooms and the latest technology.

The Santa Fe Convention Center in New Mexico opened its doors last September with 40,000 sq. ft. of event space, as well as state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. In the heart of downtown, the brand-new convention center is located within walking distance of 1,500 guest rooms, restaurants, shopping and museums, and for your driving attendees, the center includes an underground parking facility. Another plus, 88 percent of the materials from the previous building were salvaged and recycled, 75 percent of the waste generated during construction is being recycled and all of the exterior timber is certified (it was rescued from the Sierra Blanca forest fire).

Eco-consciousness has remained a major focus since its opening, as the building takes part in recycling programs, water efficiency and energy reduction.

Also joining the scene in Laramie, Wyo. is the new Laramie Hilton Garden Inn and University of Wyoming Conference Center, which offers a combined total of more than 22,000 sq. ft. of event space. This one-stop-shop officially opened its doors in February, and is located in a multicomplex that includes guest rooms, meeting rooms, a nine-acre shopping area and a nearby golf course.
And in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta has finally opened their $43-million International Convention Center with more than 105,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. A highlight is the Gran Salon Vallarta, the center’s main meeting hall, which offers close to 54,000 sq. ft. and can be divided into eight fully equipped, sound-proof rooms. The beautiful center sits on 42 acres and welcomes guests into a 250,000-square-foot outdoor plaza that features stunning large white sails, and is landscaped with gardens and a reflecting pool.

Though not technically new, the Pasadena Convention Center recently completed a major $150-million expansion/renovation in March, which has made it a whole new ball(room) game in Southern California. The LEED silver-certified facility offers 60,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 25 breakout rooms, a 25,000-square-foot ballroom and the 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium. With a focus on green initiatives, the center offers high-efficiency lighting, automated building control systems, drought-resistant landscaping, storm water run-off irrigation and water-conserving restrooms.

JUST LIKE NEW
Renovations continue to be a large part of every convention center, as updates are constantly in the works and must be made in order to keep up with the competition.

Currently in the upgrade process is the Albuquerque Convention Center, which is undergoing renovations in both sections of its building (the original, which opened in 1972, and the second phase that was completed in 1991). “We have a number of renovation programs,” Dawley says. “We are starting interior renovations now, and are about to do more work on our entrance. The projects are to keep the building fresh.”

The 600,000-square-foot center is located in between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River in the heart of downtown Albuquerque and features 27 meeting rooms, as well as a 31,000-square-foot ballroom.

While taking advantage of this multipurpose event complex, planners have a choice of 1,500 guest rooms (800 of which are adjacent to the center), and the local community prides itself on an ability to offer flexibility for groups. “There is a real passion here for how the city can do it better and make people want to come back,” Dawley says.

Albuquerque is also seeing a lot of positive things happening for meetings. “We had an auto show here [recently] that had record attendance,” he says. “That’s encouraging. It’s an interesting time, and working with the clients is the key.”

In Bellevue, Wash., renovations are also the name of the game. The Meydenbauer Center underwent a major renovation of its 36,000-square-foot Center Hall in 2007, which transformed the exhibit area to provide a more modern, contiguous space. The center is now right up at the top of the list with state-of-the-art facilities and offerings as it sits just nine miles from downtown Seattle and 17 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In total, the convention center provides 54,000 sq. ft. of event space, including nine meeting rooms, a 3,500-square-foot theater and an executive conference suite.


Phoenix Convention Center

More of the boom in convention center remodels can be found at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Built and designed by more than 100 meeting planners and architects, the center boasts high-tech, user-friendly space and more than 60 meeting rooms. Highlights of the center include a 5,000-seat theater, three ballrooms and easy access to the light rail system via an underground garage. As far as renovations go, the center completed a $310-million project in 2004 that doubled its size. The most recent renovation added a new, 30,000-square-foot solar power system to the rooftop. The solar power will help save energy, and is added to an already long list of sustainable business practices.

Recently upgraded, the ultra-modern Calgary TELUS Convention Centre offers 122,000 sq. ft. of total space, including a 20,000-square-foot ballroom and 36 meeting rooms. Last summer, a $1.2-million project was completed that transformed the building’s lower level from one large space into four meeting rooms, creating more options for small to mid-size groups. Not surprisingly, eco-friendly practices are a big part of TELUS, and October marked their first-ever zero waste conference, which recycled 1,810 pounds of paper, cardboard and plastic, as well as 1,630 pounds of composted food.

BIGGER IS BETTER
The Vancouver Convention Centre has long been a landmark on the coastline of Vancouver, B.C.—and after five years of construction, an addition to the center is complete. With its recent grand opening, the expansion (referred to as the West Wing) brought amazing architecture, innovative design and a six-acre living roof to the city skyline. “We are front and center, built 40 percent on the water, with stunning views of the North Shore mountains in the heart of downtown Vancouver. [We’re] within walking distance to Stanley Park and surrounded by a large number of hotels that connect to and anchor the facility,” says Ken Cretney, general manager. Needless to say, the center leaves little to be desired. “You just don’t find convention centers on this prime real estate,” he says. “It’s special and unique.”


The Salt Palace Convention Center

The expansion doubled the capacity of the facility, which now features more than 470,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The East Wing is currently undergoing major renovations, which are scheduled for completion this September. “The East is doing full interior renovations—carpets, walls, ceilings. It’ll be similar to the new facility to create continuity,” Cretney says. “The older building is iconic, so we want to keep it familiar. We don’t want our clients to lose that.”
Aside from its popular past, the center has a lot in store for its eco-friendly future. Along with being the broadcast center for the anticipated 10,000 media members during the 2010 Olympic Games, the VCEC is looking forward to hosting the World Police and Fire Games and MPI’s World Education Congress in July 2010. “We have some great business on the books, and the excitement will continue on for years to come,” Cretney says.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, Calif., the Santa Clara Convention Center offers 302,000 sq. ft. of space, including meeting rooms, exhibition halls, terraces and a 600-seat theater. What’s new, however, is the 22,400-square-foot ballroom, which is currently under construction and slated to open this summer. The expansion features three skylights along the ceiling that will allow for natural lighting, as well as an entire glass wall (with the ability to blackout if needed). The flexible ballroom also has more than 5,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space, and will be able to accommodate up to 2,700 attendees.

The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah unveiled an expansion in 2006, and is one of few centers that provides more than half a million square feet of contiguous exhibit space. Along with adding 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the expansion was also awarded LEED-silver certification for its construction. Sustainability plays a major role at the center, with the implementation of solar panels, “waterless” men’s restrooms, motion sensor technology and drip irrigation systems.

Also about two years ago, the Palm Springs Convention Center had its ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a $34-million expansion. The 261,000-square-foot facility now offers 120,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, 19 breakout rooms and an 18,000-square-foot lobby, which lends itself to stunning mountain views. Approximately 2,700 guest rooms are just steps from the center, and there’s easy access to Palm Springs International Airport, just a mile away.


Palm Springs Convention Center

THE GREEN CONVENTION SCENE
“Centers across the nation are adopting green practices and preparing plans to be more sustainable,” says Matt Pizzuti, director of sales and marketing for the Oregon Convention Center. “The West Coast boasts L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland…all at various stages of going green,” he adds. And although some meeting industry surveys have shown that green initiatives are becoming less important to groups in the current economy (see Trend Watch pg. 28), others say the complete opposite is true. According to MSNBC.com, the number of properties (including hotels) applying to become LEED certified has spiked by 550 percent between 2006 and 2008.

Building green from the ground up is all the rage for convention centers, and meeting planners have been seeing these requests from their clients. “[It’s] certainly a topic of discussion as to why a destination may be more desirable or ruled out of consideration,” Pizzuti says.

As an early adopter of the eco-friendly movement, Pizzuti speaks with a lot of experience. “Portland is the ‘greenest’ city in the U.S., and the Oregon Convention Center is working hard to be a leader in sustainability programs,” he says. They’re not off to a bad start, either. The center boasts an aggressive composting and recycling program, purchases the majority of the food and beverage from local vendors, and reduces their carbon footprint by working with both the gas and electric companies’ energy-saving programs. “We [also] have an RFP out for a $10,000,000 solar project on our roof and will be re-lamping all of our light fixtures to high-efficiency bulbs in the coming months,” he says.

On the banks of the Willamette River, the Oregon Convention Center is also on the Metropolitan Area Express Light Rail Train, which opens up the entire city to easy access in the downtown core. “We have restaurants, hotels and shops around us, and great views of downtown,” Pizzuti says. “Come to Portland and you will have a green meeting whether you want to or not!”

Another major contender in the green ring is the LEED-silver rated Phoenix Convention Center, which was built with sustainably harvested wood products, adhesives, sealants, carpeting and paint with low-VOC emissions, as well as Energy Star-compliant roofing. “We’ve made a commitment to incorporate sustainability in all areas of operation,” says Kathy Kramer, deputy director of sales and marketing for the center.

And with a recent $600-million expansion completed in December 2008, the center now offers nearly 900,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, and more than two million sq. ft. in total. Additionally, the center uses biodegradable products, operates with solar energy and even has recycled chairs in its West building that are made from used car batteries and seat belts. “Meeting planners are increasingly requesting green practices, and they want to know they can match their corporate green initiatives with a venue,” Kramer says. “With a new building we had that advantage.” As an added plus, the city’s new light rail system can take attendees to any of 38 stops on its 20-mile line, including one at the convention center.

Located in the heart of Seattle and featuring views of Puget Sound, the Washington State Convention & Trade Center is the 2008 winner of the Recycler of the Year Award, and offers meeting space for up to 5,000 attendees. But recycling is just the beginning of their eco-friendly mission. Inside the convention center, they not only offer the usual aluminum can recycling, but also have a composting station and partner with Cedar Grove, a Seattle-based compost facility, to offer a boxed-lunch program, which is 100 percent compostable (spoons, forks, knives and napkins included).

“Green is a big trend,” says John Christison, CFE, CMP, president and general manager of the convention center. “We are in the process of obtaining a LEED-silver certification [for our current renovation],” he adds, referring to an expansion that is slated to be complete in 2010. “The renovation will add 125,000 sq. ft. of meeting rooms and exhibit space.” The uniquely stacked, 6-story high convention center is also making major strides in eco-friendly meetings. “We now have a fully compostable water bottle (even the cap!), and we are the first in the country to do that,” Christison says.