Not so long ago, it was pretty hard to tell one big-box convention center from another. Nowadays, while they may not be as distinctive as the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge, many new and renovated convention centers have evolved into architectural icons that celebrate their surroundings, not shut them out.
Beyond their good looks, new and redesigned convention centers are adapting to market demand with hotel-quality ballrooms, abundant breakout space, theaters, intimate conference spaces, and indoor/outdoor function areas that rival many off-site venues.
“If the airport is the front door of the city, the convention center is becoming its living room,” says David O’Neal, chairman of Conventional Wisdom, an Orlando, Fla.,-based convention center development consulting firm. “The building has become a key element of the destination. There’s a real sense of place.”
O’Neal also notes that not only are convention centers getting better design elements, they are getting better real estate. “At one time, convention centers were built in blighted or outlying locations in hopes that they would encourage other development,” he says. “Now convention centers are being built in prime areas and on prime sites near hotels and attractions. They are part of an overall downtown package that makes the destination competitive.”
John Kaatz, vice president of CSL International, a Minneapolis-based convention center consulting firm, agrees, adding that many cities have been upgrading the amenities within walking distance of their centers.
“More often, you can walk out of the center and there is dining and entertainment right at hand,” he says. “San Diego and Denver have already done a good job on this, while Kansas City is a good example of a city that is developing a new entertainment district over six or seven blocks right around the convention center.”
Another place to watch will be the area surrounding New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which is slated to complete a long-awaited major expansion in 2010.
“Blocks around the convention center are being master-planned, and you’re going to see new hotels and restaurants opening up,” Kaatz says. “In five to seven years, the area around Javits will be transformed into one of the most interesting parts of New York.”
Springing to Life
A prime example of centers that give a sense of their environment is the Palm Springs Convention Center, which completed a $32 million renovation and expansion in late 2005. In redesigning the facility, not only were Native American- and desert-inspired architectural details added, but the building was re-oriented to have its entrance face downtown and the surrounding mountains.
“The idea was to give more of a feeling of being part of the community,” says Rick Leson, director of sales for the convention center, adding that feedback about the changes has been positive. “The aesthetics are important to attendees. They don’t want to be plopped down in a box. We give them sweeping views of the mountains in the prefunction areas. When you take a break from the meeting, you want to see where you are.”
With a new 20,000-square-foot ballroom that sports a ceiling designed to give the impression of a storm rolling into the desert, special event possibilities have really opened up. “We’re doing Hollywood theme parties, Midnight at the Oasis parties,” Leson says. “We can light the ceiling a deep blue with a moon and stars or go with sunset colors.”
Cincinnati Style
A major expansion and renovation of Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Center, completed last summer, has also brought a transformation in form and function to a convention center.
“Our goal was to give people a sense of the city and to be an integral part of the city,” says Barrie Parks, vice president of sales and services for the Greater Cincinnati CVB. “We even incorporated part of an historic theater into the facade of the building, so some of Cincinnati’s history is part of the center.”
The redesign also include a dramatic three-story glass atrium framing the city skyline, a concourse evoking the Ohio River with a mural painted in watercolors, and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom enveloped in sheer gold, copper and bronze mesh fabric that cascades from the ceiling and down the walls.
With the eye-catching new ballroom, Parks says the Duke Energy Center is better able to serve high-end corporate meetings and events.
“Convention centers are going for the ‘wow’ factor these days, and it really makes a difference in bookings,” he says. “For instance, the NAACP is meeting here in summer 2008, which is business we won over Las Vegas. They came out for a site inspection and that did it.”
A Capital Idea
Even in a city renowned for its monuments, the Washington Convention Center, which opened in 2003, cuts an impressive figure. However, developing a convention facility in the nation’s capital posed numerous challenges, starting with finding a site.
After no less than 16 sites were considered, the decision was made to build the center among the brick row houses of the historic Shaw neighborhood. According to Reba Pittman Walker, general manager of the center, the major challenge was to design a building that would complement, not overwhelm, the low-rise neighborhood.
“We’re not a megastructure or a big, flat building, but actually three connected structures that cross above two streets,” she says. “Traffic flow in the neighborhood is not inhibited by the center. There’s a sense that we’ve been here all the time.”
According to Pittman, the design of the center has a direct impact on the success of the events held there. “We host a lot of medical and educational meetings,” she says. “Because our environment is inspiring, it is conducive to education and stimulation. There is a sense of purpose.”
Puerto Rico
Also strong on regional design and ambience is the Puerto Rico Convention Center, which opened in late 2005 as the centerpiece of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District, a waterfront area with a park-like landscape of lagoons and fountains that is being developed with cafes, retail shopping, condos, and office space. A 500-room headquarters hotel is scheduled to open in 2009.
The 580,000-square-foot convention center features a dramatic wave-shaped roof and a spacious outdoor function area with views extending from Old San Juan to the beaches of the Condado hotel and tourist district. The interior of the building, which includes a 13-story glass wall and a 39,5000-square-foot ballroom with a massive chandelier inspired by wave images, features colors and architectural details reminiscent of Old San Juan’s historic buildings.
“The idea was to build something that really reflects the environment of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean,” says Mike Ezell, principal with TVS International, the Atlanta-based architectural firm that designed the convention center. “It’s a place conducive for business, but it’s also in keeping with a resort destination.”
Tulsa’s Vision
For Tulsa, Okla., the current challenge is to take a traditional 1960s-style convention center and make it appealing to 21st century meetings. When a $45 million renovation under way is completed in September 2008, the Tulsa Convention Center will feature a new 34,800-square-foot ballroom and 14 new breakout rooms along with an entirely new exterior and glass entry designed by Cesar Pelli, the architect of such edifices as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
Pelli, who also designed a new arena for Tulsa located across the street from the convention center, created a facade for center of stainless steel and glass that will harmonize with the arena.
According to Suzann Stewart, executive director of the Tulsa CVB, these changes will enable Tulsa to improve both the quality and quantity of its meetings business.
Vail Village’s recent tech transition to Wi-Fi literally gives new meaning to the tagline “best view in the office,” says Monica McCafferty, spokesperson for the Vail Valley Partnership.
“Also, when business subsides and play begins, recent spa renovations are an experience not to miss, and they bring new meaning to Vail’s reputation as a destination that is part business and all pleasure,” McCafferty says.
Meanwhile, the destination is pouring millions into hotel room renovations and adding new property options, with eight major hotels and resorts set to open over the next few years.
The Arrabelle at Vail Square will debut in 2008 with a 36-room RockResorts property, condominiums, restaurants, retail space, and an ice rink.
The Vail Plaza Club Hotel Resort is set to open this summer with 207 guest rooms and suites and 7,000 square feet of meeting space. The new resort is a $150 million redevelopment of the former Vail Village Inn.
Popular hotels for groups currently include the newly renovated Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa; The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch; and the Vail Marriott Resort and Spa, which recently renovated its meeting facilities.
With one of the best group facilities in the Colorado Rockies, Keystone Resort can host everything from small, intimate get-togethers to large, high-tech gatherings of up to 2,000 people. Keystone Resort Conference Center blends with the nature that surrounds it and offers sophisticated amenities and a sleek design.
After business, there are plenty of leisure-time options, including two golf courses, mountain biking, wine tasting, fly-fishing, tennis clinics, and more. When it’s time to dine, the two villages at Keystone dish out more than 30 restaurants, cafes and nightspots.
Breckenridge has been around since 1859, so it has a significant historic presence and interest for groups who want old and new Colorado. Besides all the mountaintop recreation available, it is home to a historic district with 249 antique structures, and the town of only about 3,000 people demonstrates its hospitality with more than 140 restaurants and clubs.
Several Breckenridge properties can handle groups of up to 700. Among the largest options are Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center, featuring 35,000 square feet of meeting space.
Located just 90 miles from Denver International Airport, Copper Mountain Resort offers groups regular airport shuttle services, along with 750 guest units and 68,000 square feet of meeting space in a spectacular mountain setting.
The Village at Copper is the place to enjoy restaurant variety, nightlife and special events throughout the year.
Aspen/Snowmass may be best known for its lifestyles of the rich and famous, but it also has a laid-back side, and groups are encouraged not to feel intimidated by the glitter on the streets. Aspen Groups, a new arm of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, aims to make business visitors feel at home, with services to arrange bulk air, lodging, lift tickets, activities, conference space, and ground transportation.
St. Regis Resort Aspen is a popular group choice, as are properties such Aspen Meadows Resort, scheduled to open the 22,000-square-foot Doerr Hosier Center in June; Sky Hotel; and the legendary Hotel Jerome, which is about to receive a $20 million renovation that will include a new spa, room upgrades and new restaurants.
Nearby, Snowmass Village also has several meetings-ready mountainside hotels. The Silvertree Hotel, Wildwood Lodge and Snowmass Conference Center comprise a complete meetings package for up to 2,000 people. Amenities include tech-equipped meeting rooms with terraces that promote networking under peaks and blue skies.
Steamboat Springs is a century-old town that mixes Western heritage with a contemporary attitude and facilities. From its perch at 7,000 feet, Steamboat has one of North America’s biggest ski mountains, featuring a 3,600-foot vertical drop.
Groups that choose Steamboat gather in lodgings such as the Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center, and Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel and Condominiums.
Mining history and modern facilities satisfy groups in southwest Colorado’s famous towns of Durango and Telluride. Both are good platforms for smaller groups in search of year-round recreation and hotels that range from boutiques with Old West character to national chain properties and luxury enclaves.
Telluride’s surrounding peaks, historic streets and mining-era attractions are great destination companions with Mountain Village’s contemporary group lodging and meeting facilities.
The centerpiece high above the historic streets is Telluride Conference Center, with its tech-savvy ambience amid the summits, and a St. Regis hotel is scheduled to open later this year next to the center.
Meanwhile, the Peaks Resort and Golden Door Spa is a top choice among groups.
Durango offers elegant Victorian-era boutiques like the Strater Hotel, as well as outdoors-oriented sites at the Wits End Guest Ranch and Resort and the Lodge at Tamarron Durango.
The town’s most popular attraction is the Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. It transports riders to Silverton, another old mining town that sits at an elevation of 12,000 feet.
