Conventional Thinking

With billions of firms of every size from every sector competing on a global scale to showcase their products, you should never underestimate the power of high-profile advertising. And the most successful companies know the best way to stand out from the crowd and boost sales is not to rely solely on customers approaching your business but by taking your business to the customers.

The meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and incentive travel industry generated a staggering $122.31 billion in total direct spending in 2004, according to the Convention Industry Council (CIC), making it the 29th largest contributor to the gross national product and accounting for a bigger share than the behemoth that is the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry.

With so many facilities to choose from, BMUS give you the lowdown on some of the top convention and exhibition centers throughout the US.

TOP OF THE BILL

Las Vegas Convention Center

One of the most modern and functional facilities in the world, the center is just as well known among industry professionals for its versatility as its location in one of the most famous and dynamic states, hosting 38 of the 200 largest shows last year. Its 3.2 million sq ft is partially comprised of 16 exhibit halls and 144 meeting rooms, with construction scheduled to begin on a multi-million dollar enhancement project in 2006. For those who can’t leave the office behind, there is an on-site business center, where you can rent cell phones, laptops and plasma screen monitors etc. Shipping services and office supplies are also available. Technology-wise, the center offers full-range, state-of-the-art telephone, data and internet access throughout the building. In fact, it is the largest WiFi-ready venue in the nation. McCarran International Airport is situated just three miles away, so if you’re looking an overnight stay, the center is conveniently nestled near the bright lights of the Strip and Downtown, and within a short distance of more than 130,000 hotel and motel rooms, nearly 60 golf courses and countless award-winning restaurants and entertainment. Viva Las Vegas!

More information: www.lvcva.com/meetings/lvcc.html

5 Business Reasons to Visit Las Vegas

• 38 of the largest B2B events in the US took place in Las Vegas in 2003.
• Over 24,000 meetings and conventions took place last year.
• Over 950 flights a day use McCarran International Airport, which is located just one mile from the Las Vegas Strip.
• 17 of the 20 largest hotels in the US are located in Las Vegas, with over 130,000 hotel and motel rooms citywide.
• Currently, there is nine million sq ft of meeting and exhibition space citywide, with another 1.4 million being added by the end of 2008.

Source: Las Vegas Convention Center

Orange County Convention Center , Florida

The sunshine state certainly extends a very warm welcome to business executives looking to host conferences and exhibitions. This award-winning center, located just 15 mins from Orlando International Airport, keeps going from strength to strength. In January 2005, it was host to 270,900 attendees, which meant the total attendance figures for the first quarter exceeded the total yearly attendance figures for its first six years in operation. It’s certainly appealing for busy executives, providing access to not just one but a remarkable four business centers. Split into two main buildings, the combined exhibition space totals 2.1 million sq ft, with two 92,000 sq ft general assembly areas, 74 meeting rooms/235 breakouts, a 2643-seat theater, 160-seat lecture Hall, the 62,000 sq ft multi-purpose Valencia Room, and eight food courts. Wireless mobility is available throughout the complex. For those looking for an extended stay, there are 121,000 hotel rooms surrounding the facility to choose from.

More information: www.occc.net

Washington Convention Center

Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, the center is the largest building in DC, with 2.3 million sq ft of space covering six city blocks – the equivalent of two Washington Monuments laid end to end. The exhibit space totals more than 700,000 sq ft and the flexible meeting space 125,000 sq ft, with 66 meeting rooms. It also has the largest ballroom in DC at 52,000 sq ft, which offers breath-taking views of the city skyline. In terms of technology, fiber and copper cable, redundant internet connectivity and wireless coverage is entrenched throughout the building, and the center has the most electrical power per sq ft of any convention center in the US. More visible is a $4 million dollar art collection, comprising 120 pieces by artists from around the world. By 2007, 289 meetings will have been held at the center since 1999, with a total of 2,745,686 attendees.

More information: www.dcconvention.com

Los Angeles Convention Center

As you’d probably expect from the city that brought us Hollywood, the center’s façade looks inherently classy, with its trademark glass and steel pavilions. But there is substance behind the veneer. As well as containing a full-service business center, it is also one of the most technologically advanced convention facilities on the international stage. Opened in 1971, its original 210,685 sq ft of exhibit space has morphed, after two major expansion schemes in the 1990s, into 770,000 sq ft, with 147,000 sq ft of meeting room space, 64 meeting rooms and a 299-seat presentation theatre. If you do find yourself with some spare time on your hands, visitors – of which there were 2.6 million between 2000-2001 – can soak up artworks by nationally recognized artists in the spacious sun-filled lobbies. Alternatively, just a short trip will give you access to some well-known performance venues and famous shopping areas, including the acclaimed fashion and jewellery districts.

More information: www.lacclink.com

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

One of the main advantages for East Coast visitors is the center is located closer to a major airport than any convention center in the country – just two miles from Logan Airport. But the facilities are also attractive on a wider scale, with advanced technology and flexible exhibition space. A relative newcomer to the convention circuit, only celebrating the first birthday of its grand opening in June this year, the center is number one for exhibit space in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, boasting a total of 516,000 sq ft that can be divided into any of eight completely different configurations. It also provides 160,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space, 82 meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art internet, data and AV technology. One of its most dramatic features, however, is the 40,020 sq ft column-free grand ballroom, which has a 32 ft high wood panel acoustic ceiling and stunning views of the city skyline and harbor.

More information: www.mccahome.com/BCEC/bcec.html

McCormick Place , Chicago

The former owner of the Chicago Tribune first planted the seed for today’s center in the late 1940’s. Now it has blossomed into the nation’s largest convention center, already looking to branch out even further with a major expansion scheme. Its three state-of-the-art buildings have a combined total of 2.2 million sq ft of exhibit space, attracting over three million visitors annually. It also boasts 112 meeting rooms, assembly seating for 10,000 people, and a 4249-seat theater. The entire complex is linked by a 50,000 sq ft pedestrian promenade, the Grand Concourse, containing retail shops and other visitor amenities. Here you can also find its own hotel, which offers over 800 sleeping rooms, banquet space and a conference center. The new building, set for completion in 2008, will include 470,000 sq ft of exhibit space and a 100,000 sq ft ballroom, which will be the largest in the city.

More information: www.mccormickplace.com

Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center , Texas

Nestled in the heart of historic downtown San Antonio, along the banks of River Walk, the center plays host each year to more than 300 events and 750,000 convention delegates. It was once part of the 1968 HemisFair but has expanded into a beautifully decorated facility that spans 1.3 million sq ft, including over 203,000 sq ft of meeting space that is divisible up to an impressive 67 ways. It also has seven registration areas, four exhibit halls, three ballrooms and a 2521-seat theater. Its technology is equally as sophisticated for executives looking to make the most of the latest telecommunication and WiFi networks. Services include ISDN, T-1 and other data circuits; a temporary LAN/WAN/VPN construction, point-to-point networking, and cyber cafes with internet and e-mail access. This means you can create internet broadcasts of your event, send video e-mails, or set up customized internet access and e-mail centers for attendees. 

More information: www.sanantonio.gov/convfac/HBGCC/hbgoverview.asp

The Moscone Center, San Francisco

The center has recently introduced the new Convention Television (CTV) service, a CNN-style narrowcast service that provides a round-the-clock communications medium. Programming is on a dedicated channel in attendee hotel rooms and, on request, can be screened throughout the center. It’s part of a whole host of outstanding technologies that make the center perfect for the complete convention package. As well as a providing a basic business center, event organizers have access to mobile web conferencing and remote collaboration, internet and e-mail stations, a press room or vendor sponsored wired/wireless internet access areas, VPN connectivity, LAN, and point-to-point circuits. All this is contained in more than two million sq ft, including over 700,000 sq ft of exhibit space and 256,225 sq ft of meeting space, with 106 meeting rooms. Visitors totaled 937,440 last year, not surprising since Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted San Francisco the number one travel destination in the US.

More information: www.moscone.com

Rhode Island Convention Center

This attractive glass-structured center in the hub of downtown Providence blends in perfectly in the ever-enchanting New England. It also proves that size isn’t everything in the convention world, being an ideal location for smaller conferences and exhibitions. The multi-purpose facility offers up to 137,000 sq ft of space that can accommodate up to 9000 people at a fraction of the cost of other major cities in the North East. Easily accessible from T.F. Green Airport, the center is also conveniently attached via a walkway to the Westin Hotel and Providence Place Mall. Inside the building is a comprehensive menu of services, including audiovisual and internet access. Executives can also make last minute preparations at the business center, which offers copying, faxing, scanning and shipping. Here you can also find spacious workstations where exhibitors can use on-site PCs or connect their own laptop for word processing, desktop publishing and e-mailing etc.

More information: www.riconvention.com

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center , New York

According to Sinatra New York is the city that never sleeps, which is fine by this center as its much publicized expansion scheme is set to increase exhibit and meeting room space from around 790,000 sq ft to more than around 1.3 million sq ft in the first $1.4 billion phase alone. The plans include a 1500-room headquarters hotel and a ballroom capable of holding 6000 people. By the end of phase two, scheduled for completion in 2010, this will increase to 1.5 million sq ft. Today, executives on the go can make use of the center’s FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Center, where they can plug their laptops into fully equipped workstations, make important conference calls, send faxes or edit last-minute documents etc. When it finally comes to relaxing, they will also be spoilt for choice in this internationally renowned and dynamic capital city.

More information: www.javitscenter.com