From big to small, from new builds to expansions, a new crop of conventions centers—where planners might try out some of the best practices detailed in this article—are sprouting in cities across the United States. Here are a few notable facilities.
1: AUGUSTA CONVENTION CENTER (EXPANSION) Augusta, Ga. Completion date: Fall 2012 Stats and square footage: 38,000-square-foot Augusta Trade, Exhibit, and Event (TEE) Center, attached to an exist- ing 49,000 square feet of meeting space www.AugustaGa.org
2: CEDAR RAPIDS CONVENTION COMPLEX Cedar Rapids, Iowa Completion date: Spring 2013 Stats and square footage: 72,300 square feet of exhibit space, a 13,000-square-foot ballroom, and 5,000 square feet of meeting-room space www.cedar-rapids.com
3: CLEVELAND MEDICAL MART&CONVENTION CENTER Cleveland Completion date: Fall 2013 Stats and square footage: 235,000-square-foot Medical Mart, 230,000-square-foot convention center, 60,000 square feet of meeting-room space, and a 30,000-square-foot grand ballroom www.clevelandmedicalmart.com
4: MUSIC CITY CENTER Nashville Completion date: March 2013 Stats and square footage: 1.2 million total square feet, including a 350,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 57,000- square-foot grand ballroom, an 18,000-square-foot junior ballroom, and 90,000 square feet of meeting-room space in 60 rooms www.visitmusiccity.com
5: SAN JOSE CONVENTION CENTER (EXPANSION) San Jose, Calif. Completion date: Fall 2013 Stats and square footage: 125,000 square feet of new space, including 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and 35,000 square feet of flexible ballroom space www.sanjose.org
PROPOSED PROJECTS: Significant expansions of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (http://advantage boston.com/bcec.aspx), the Miami Beach Convention Cen- ter (www.miamibeachconvention.com), and the Balti- more Convention Center (www.bccenter.org) have been proposed. However, at this time, these expansions have not yet been given the green light. In Los Angeles, a tentative agreement to build an NFL stadium adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center (www.lacclink.com) would also require replacing the center’s existing West Hall.