New Convention Center Opens in Vancouver, Wash.
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 7/11/2005
A $73.1 million hotel-conference center facility has opened its doors in downtown Vancouver, Wash.
Kim Bennett, president of the Southwest Washington Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the new Hilton Vancouver Washington and Vancouver Convention Center are intended for conferences and conventions with up to 1,000 attendees that require limited booth space, in addition to banquet and meeting rooms.
The facility has 30,000 square feet of function space in two ballrooms and nine additional meeting rooms. Its location across from Esther Short Park's programmable courtyard space offers meeting planners options for outdoor functions and displays.
The largest tradeshow booked so far is the Washington Credit Union League Annual Convention, which has reserved 680 room nights and 14,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space for its September 2008 event, according to Jennifer Kirby, marketing and communications manager for the Southwest Washington CVB.
Kirby also noted that the nearby Clark County (Wash.) Exhibition Center opened at the Clark County Fairgrounds in March, offering 97,200 sq. ft. of exhibit space.
