Issue link: https://tradeshowexecutive.epubxp.com/i/78074
CONVENTION CENTERS 2012 TSE's Millionaire's Club and Mega Convention Centers A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On BY CARRI JENSEN, manager of directories, and HIL ANDERSON, senior editor Oceanside, CA – Te roster of the seven- figure convention centers that make up the Trade Show Executive (TSE) Millionaire's Club is unchanged this year, but the ball was rolling on post-recession expansion projects that should shuffle the rankings in the near future. Te Millionaire's Club is made up of the 10 U.S. convention centers that offer at least 1 million square feet (sf) of prime exhibit space and, as a result of their spacious confines, can host the largest trade shows in the industry. Tese top 10 buildings make up 26% of the prime exhibit space available in the U.S. with 14,670,838 sf. Teir ability to not only accommodate mega-shows, but also multiple events taking place at the same time, makes them a valuable resource for show planners. McCormick Place in Chicago continues to be the undisputed heavyweight with 2,600,000 sf of prime exhibit space and the No. 1 ranking in the Millionaire's Club. Also hard to miss is the second-ranked Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, which offers 2,100,000 sf of prime exhibit space and the Las Vegas Convention Center, which placed third with 1,940,631 sf of prime space. Te Millionaire's Club in Canada includes the Direct Energy Centre/Exhibition Place 68 August 2012 | Trade Show Executive and Te Toronto Congress Centre with 1,000,000 sf apiece. With no facilities spanning a million sf or more, Mexico's largest convention center is Expo Guada- lajara, which features 753,200 sf of prime exhibit space. A plan that could move the busy Las Vegas Convention Center up in the ranks was revived this Spring. Te Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which had shelved its expan- sion plan in 2008 when the recession struck, basically started from scratch this year and sounded out trade show organizers on what they would like to see in terms of an overhaul of the center and possibly its expansion. "Everything is under discussion," said Chris Meyer, vice president of sales for the LVCVA. Te original $890 million master plan had its origins in 2005, which made a re- vision necessary given the changes trade shows have experienced in terms of eco- nomics, technology and customer prefer- ences. Tere was not a set deadline for the new renovation plan and it remains to be seen when, or if, any new exhibit space will come online in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, rankings of other members of the Millionaire's Club remained relatively stable except for one. Te Sands Expo & Convention Center/Te Venetian Resort Hotel Casino moved up from ninth to fiſth place with the addition of the prime exhibit space at Te Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, which was not previously included in the listing. Te three adjacent venues make up one massive complex totaling 1,305,052 sf of prime exhibit space. Te New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center remains tied with the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville with 1,100,000 sf. But New Orleans is in the home stretch of a $50 million addi- tion of new ballroom space that opens in January and could tack on some ad- ditional exhibit space in time for the 2013 Millionaire's Club. Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Cen- ter holds on to the number four ranking with 1.4 million sf of prime exhibit space. Houston's Reliant Park is in eighth place with 1,056,213 sf and Cleveland's Inter- national Exposition Center (I-X Center) is ninth with 1,050,000 sf. Te Dallas Convention Center rounded out the Big 10 at 1,018,942 sf. Mega Facilities Looking to Move Up Cobo Center will advance in the ranks of the Mega Convention Centers, those build- ings ranging from 350,000 sf to 999,999 sf of prime exhibit space, when its cur- rent construction project is completed in Continued on page 70