Convention business in Portland, Ore., will see major growth to the tune of 30 percent when the new Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC) opens in 2019.
The 600-room hotel will help redefine Portland as a meetings destination, drawing dozens of large events and conventions every year. Construction began in mid-2017, but ever since the construction timeline was confirmed, meeting planners already started to express interest in OCC as a host for future events.
In fact, a survey of national meeting planners reported that they were 79 percent more likely to book events at OCC if there were an amenity-rich hotel next door, according to Oregon Metro. The survey predicted the new hotel will help bring five to 10 new major convention events each year for a total of 70,000 to 110,000 new room nights.
The hotel’s LEED-certified design will also add to the environmental standards already put in place for the city’s Lloyd District, which touts itself as a pioneer of strategies for urban sustainability. OCC is leading those strategies by implementing an ambitious Waste Diversion Policy to recycle, donate or return more of the material brought into the facility in an effort to divert at least 90 percent of convention waste from land fills. The policy also bans products such as foam core signage and single-use plastic bags that are harmful to the environment, while also giving meeting planners incentives to find alternatives to trash.
As if the hotel construction wasn’t enough, OCC will also undergo a renovation to its northeast plaza next year to create a fresh look and enhance wayfinding for attendees.
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