January 2008 Open for Business EXPO’s annual review of new and expanded facilities By Oren Gamble
The days of “big box” convention center construction have been fading for some time; however, this year, big boxes appear to have been left in the dust, replaced by construction that reflects a trend toward more conferences, educational sessions and shows needing more intimate settings to do business.
In fact, this year, 11 of the facilities under construction in North America are only adding meeting space. In 2006, meeting space made up 37 percent of the space in new facilities. Meeting space constitutes 46 percent of the space in new facilities in 2007.
There were no mega-facilities opened in the U.S. this year (facilities debuting more than a million square feet of space). Instead, projects overall tended to be more modest, perhaps reflecting the post-9/11 market when most were likely planned and financed.
In all, five new facilities opened in the United States this year with a cumulative 395,294 square feet of exhibit space, and 338,224 square feet of meeting space. The final phase of the Virginia Beach Convention Center leads these facilities with 150,012 square feet of exhibit space, while the Branson Convention Center features 47,000 square feet of exhibit space but 220,000 square feet of meeting space.
The average total event space in new facilities in 2007 was smaller than last year — 146,704 square feet in 2007, compared with 182,620 square feet in 2006. In 2008 however, that average may reach as high as 240,000 square feet based on current facilities under construction.
Ten facilities completed expansions in the United States in 2007, adding 1,370,200 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. Chicago’s McCormick Place West building led the expansion projects with 470,000 square feet of exhibit space and 250,000 square feet of meeting space.
Eight new facilities are set to open in the United States in 2008 with a combined 1,927,384 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. Five of these facilities are hotel or resort complexes. Mexico’s Expo Imperial in Acapulco is also expected to open in August with 355,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space.
Six U.S. facilities plan to complete expansions in 2008, bringing 999,000 square feet of event space to the exhibition industry. Canada has three facilities opening expansion projects in 2008, adding 574,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
Currently, there are 40 facilities under construction, compared with 57 at this time last year.
