May 11, 2017
Imagine you’re at a large trade show in a giant convention center among throngs of people and you’re starting to feel tired and stressed.
Instead of just grinning and bearing it, you’ve arranged to take a break and venture to the facility’s green roof, where a sprawling garden of plants and flowers, along with birds, bees and butterflies, awaits you.
As you drink in the serene, meadow-like landscape and beautiful city views, you enjoy a leisurely stroll, breathe in some fresh air and suddenly realize you’re not feeling nearly as tired or stressed out anymore. In fact, after just a few… more
May 10, 2017
Monterey Bay is upping their game with a multi-project renovation and expansion of various meeting spaces in the area.
Whether you are looking for a good conference venue, offsite meeting spaces, locations for group activities or venues for incentive trips and team building, Monterey Bay is ready to deliver.
The new Monterey Bay Conference Center: Nestled in the downtown area and only steps away from the waterfront, the Monterey Bay Conference Center is undergoing a transformation.
“We are in the final stages of our $60 million renovation to the 40,000 square feet of interior space here at… more
Apr 27, 2017
The San Diego Convention Center has taken its environmental ambitions to the next level by achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
As one of the most popular and well-respected green building certification programs used worldwide, LEED is known as the foremost rating program for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings, homes and communities.
During a public celebration to mark this important milestone for the facility, San Diego Mayor Faulconer praised the venue’s efforts in achieving the benchmark environmental… more
Mar 30, 2017
Nursing mothers now have a couple of private sanctuaries to retreat to when attending conventions and meetings at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
The SMG-managed facility has installed two portable lactation suites for female attendees and exhibitors wishing to breast feed their infants or use breast pumps in privacy.
“We are offering the new lactation suites during conventions, meetings, and trade shows to offer comfort and convenience for our guests,” said Mark J. Leahy, general manager of the HCCC.
He continued, “Young mothers have had to utilize public restroom spaces or… more
Mar 28, 2017
In order to meet the growing needs of convention groups, retain existing clients and compete with other similar-sized destinations for group business, more and more cities and their convention and visitors bureaus are recognizing the importance of investing in convention center upgrade and expansion projects.
The city of Cincinnati, Ohio is such a destination. The Queen City is setting its sights on expanding the 49-year-old Duke Energy Convention Center, which was renovated in 2006 but hasn’t undergone a significant exhibition space expansion in nearly three decades.
At the Cincinnati USA… more
Mar 24, 2017
Vinexpo, the international exhibition for wine and spirits professionals, is gearing up enter the world’s largest wine-consuming market with its first U.S. trade show.
Scheduled March 5-6, 2018, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, Vinexpo New York is expected to host 200 exhibitors from wine-producing regions throughout the globe, along with 3,000 attendees, including importers, distributors, retailers, brokers, e-commerce, on-trade buyers and sommeliers.
“We’re excited to combine forces with Vinexpo to bring the international world of wine and spirits to New York – the… more
Mar 15, 2017
The Los Angeles Convention Center recently reported its achievement of a record-breaking 90.3 percent waste diversion rate for the 2016 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, held Oct. 5-7.
This marks a historic accomplishment for both the show and the LACC, which partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council and Informa Exhibitions to divert Greenbuild’s recyclables and composting out of the facility’s waste stream.
“As the first large convention center in the U.S. to receive LEED EB-Gold recertification in 2015, the LACC is incredibly proud of what our teams were able to… more
Mar 10, 2017
Last year was a good one for convention business in the City of Brotherly Love. According to the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), 2016 marked its highest convention booking year ever, with 713 events using 903,199 hotel room nights secured for future years.
Those figures represent an 18.2 percent and a 5.8 percent increase in the number of events and room nights secured, respectively, compared with 2015.
Among the major conventions committed to hosting future events in Philly include the 2022 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery/American Society of… more
Mar 07, 2017
The city of Albany has unveiled the Albany Capitol Center, a $78.5 million, state-of-the-art meetings and convention facility.
As the newest addition to the city’s downtown Capital Complex, the ACC joins the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, The Egg Performing Arts Center and the Times Union Center to comprise a four-building campus now known as the largest meetings and event space in upstate New York, with 160,000 square feet of combined space.
Located within walking distance of the New York State Capitol, the new facility made its official debut last week with a grand opening ribbon-… more
Feb 23, 2017
One week after Emerald Expositions announced it would not be considering Utah to keep its Outdoor Retailer shows in when the contract runs out, officials from another show – the North American Handmade Bicycle Show – said they would no longer hold their event in the state.
Both shows, along with Emerald’s Interbike show that also took Utah off its list as a possible new home, are leaving in protest of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s attempts to undo federal protections of Bears Ears National Monument.
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is scheduled to run March 10-12 at the Salt Palace… more
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact