Things that make you go “whoa”—take a look at what some convention centers are doing to wow planners and attendees.
Walking into a renovated convention center today can feel like entering a grand performance venue or museum gallery, with sumptuous details everywhere, commissioned art on the walls and cavernous yet acoustically perfect exhibit halls. Setting the standard for meetings and events now and into the future are the following:
Savannah
Completing a $276 million expansion earlier this year has primed the Savannah Convention Center for large-scale meetings and conventions by doubling the facility’s size to 660,000 sf. Enhancements to existing spaces feature modernized design elements, refreshed color schemes, and state-of-the-art technology upgrades. Key highlights of the project include:
- An additional 100,000 sf of exhibit space, increasing the total to 200,000 sf.
- A new 40,000-sf ballroom offering state-of-the-art design and flexibility for large gatherings with stunning Savannah Historic District waterfront views.
- 14 new meeting rooms, bringing the total to 27 meeting rooms.
- An additional boardroom, bringing the total to five, enhancing the facility’s executive meeting capabilities.
- The complex will also include three new public retail dining outlets only steps away from the charm of the Savannah River.
- A new headquarter hotel adjacent to the convention center is also under development.
Austin
The Austin Convention Center has set its sights on becoming the first zero-carbon convention center certified by the International Living Future Institute, whose programs are some of the most stringent and ambitious in the world.
The center’s transformation began in April with the launch of UnconventionalATX, a visionary convention center redevelopment project designed to create a walkable, sustainable, and globally competitive convention space in the heart of downtown Austin.
The event honored the legacy of the existing Austin Convention Center as work begins on the new $1.6B facility, which will significantly increase the building’s rentable space, going from the existing 365,000 sf to 620,000 sf.
Las Vegas
A $600M renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s legacy campus will extend the technology, customer experience, and contemporary design and architecture of the West Hall, which debuted in 2021.
Work will continue through 2025, with construction designed to accommodate and minimize disruption to scheduled tradeshows. Work is already complete on the South Hall, which now offers a new sense of arrival on the south side of the facility, including an outdoor plaza, an enhanced lobby and pre-function space, and a state-of-the-art boardroom. Construction on the North Hall is in progress.
Bradenton, FL
Currently putting the finishing touches on a $52 million transformation, the Bradenton Area Convention Center will soon feature more than 95,000 sf—best suited for up to 4,000 guests and designed to bring virtually any vision to life.
The expansion includes a new Grand Ballroom that will seat up to 800 attendees banquet-style, as well as additional outdoor plazas for enjoying the venue’s scenic locale near the Manatee River. For trade shows and similar large-scale events, the existing Gulf Islands Center Hall provides 32,000 sf of flexible exhibit space.
These updates come just a year after the much-anticipated opening of the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, connected to the Bradenton Area Convention Center by a climate-controlled walkway. The upscale hotel features 252 spacious rooms and event space of its own—not to mention a myriad of guest amenities, including spa services, rooftop dining, social events, and access to the nearby Beach Club at Riviera Dunes.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Ground Breaks on 800-Room Hotel in Miami Beach Convention District
