Convention centers are the perfect choice for large events—like business expos, trade shows, and national or international conferences—with their expansive footprints and amenities like audiovisual services and sustainability initiatives. The Northwest is home to many flexible convention centers that can comfortably accommodate several thousand attendees without compromising quality.
Boise, Idaho, has become a favorite destination for planners looking for big-city amenities with a small-town feel. The Boise Centre, in the heart of the city’s walkable downtown, is a versatile venue with 31 meeting rooms and event spaces spanning 86,000 square feet that accommodate groups of up to 2,000 people. “We do a number of corporate conferences, association meetings, and technical and finance-related meetings,” says Mary-Michael Rodgers, communications manager at Boise Centre. “And since we’re in a state capital, we host several government association events.” She notes most events the Boise Centre hosts in the conference/convention/meeting category welcome an average of 400 attendees. With the building’s East and West areas connected by a concourse, the center can host different events simultaneously.
“The Boise Centre is a consistent home for our diverse lineup of business-to-business and community-focused events,” says Nick Aldinger, CEO of IBL Events, a Boise-based event-planning firm. IBL has staged several large-scale trade shows and expos—such as the Boise Flower & Garden Show, Idaho Business & Technology Expo, and Idaho Remodeling & Design Show—at Boise Centre. Aldinger adds, “What I really like about Boise Centre is how [its staff] works with Visit Boise [the city’s tourism bureau] and hoteliers—they all work together as a team, which makes the overall event experience really nice.”
To the west, the Oregon Convention Center in Portland perfectly matches the forward-thinking, inclusive energy of the city in which it’s located. The facility has 255,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with drive-in access from three separate street entrances, plus two deluxe VIP suites overlooking two exhibit halls.
While the venue in the City of Roses embraces its urban surroundings, the Billings Hotel and Convention Center and Mansfield Convention Center, both in Montana, combine the element of city life with the surrounding rugged frontier of Big Sky Country. The Billings Hotel and Convention Center completed an expansion earlier this year, adding 15,500 square feet to its existing 11,500 square feet of space. “We can work with whatever a group needs,” says Cheri Milne, director of sales at the Billings venue. “Our [updated] building works great for trade shows. We have a nice-size garage that makes unloading and loading easy. You don’t have to go outside.” Convenience also is key, enhanced by the property’s on-site hotel with 232 rooms. The large courtyard on property offers another option for outdoor functions.
The Mansfield Convention Center in Great Falls has 44,000 square feet of meeting space across four areas—the Gibson Room, Commission Chambers, Mansfield Theater, and the main convention center. Different spaces mean greater flexibility in accommodating various events. Great Falls is home to several museums and, for nature lovers, the convention center is a short distance from several state parks.
Down in Wyoming, the University of Wyoming in Laramie has two venues available to planners—the elegant Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, referred to as the “front door” of the university with stunning architectural elements, and the University of Wyoming Conference Center, with its combination of refined event space, modern technology, and unbeatable service. The conference center includes eight rooms spanning 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
For groups looking to connect—or reconnect—with nature, the Seattle Convention Center and Vancouver Convention Centre in British Columbia are two great options in the Northwest. Both venues were thoughtfully designed with sustainability and their urban settings in mind.
“The Seattle Convention Center is the most beautiful, state-of-the-art building in the country,” says Troy Anderson, director of sales for Visit Seattle, the city’s tourism agency, which works closely with the convention center. Showing its commitment to sustainability, the center’s newer Summit building earned the LEED Platinum rating from the Green Building Council—one of the few convention centers in North America to receive this designation.
Anderson explains the venue’s proximity to nature, focus on sustainability, and the city’s walkability create an attractive destination for planners and groups. The city itself has plenty of options for off-site excursions or extended stays, including the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and Museum of Pop Culture. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks give attendees a glimpse into the area’s salmon migration as the fish make their way through the locks to Lake Washington. “Seattle has a really cool way of being different—there’s a very inclusive and welcoming community here in the city. [Visitors are encouraged to] ‘come as you are, be as you are,’” says Anderson.
The American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS) chose Seattle for its 2025 annual meeting in May. “We have a rotation of cities we consider,” says Michelle Dial, senior meetings manager at AATS. “Seattle was chosen because it was a city we hadn’t been to in a while, and it has [an updated] convention center, so that had some appeal. We felt that, across the board, the convention center team did a really good job. There was great attention to detail and creativity—sometimes we want to do something different, and some places have a problem with that. They were good at finding solutions for our needs that still fit their parameters.”
For instance, Dial and her team typically offer attendees a market lunch in which attendees buy a ticket and get food from the vendors of their choice. This year, the association brought in food trucks from area vendors. “Sometimes, convention centers don’t want you to bring in outside food,” Dial notes. “The Seattle Convention Center team not only allowed it, but they also worked with us to find vendors who could meet our needs and give us some Seattle flair.”
Farther north in British Columbia, sustainability is built into the foundation of the Vancouver Convention Centre, which was designated the first double LEED Platinum-certified convention center in the world. “It was designed with state-of-the-art sustainability features, including a living roof that collects rainwater,” says Claire Smith, vice president of marketing and sales at the center. “We utilize the rainwater [with] a wastewater treatment facility in the building.” The venue has East and West sections, with a total of 72 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, and two exhibit halls. “The whole building breaks down to just under 500,000 square feet,” she says. The center’s location on Vancouver’s waterfront enables attendees to stroll along the shoreline during breaks or after the day’s sessions conclude. “The waterfront really sets us apart,” says Smith. “It puts us in a beautiful location that is unmatched in most convention center settings.” While the center has a food and beverage partnership with Sodexo Live (based in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France) and an audiovisual partnership with Proshow Audiovisual (which has offices in Burnaby, British Columbia, and Calgary, Alberta), Smith adds that clients are welcome to bring in their preferred vendors.
Planners might consider Alaska for a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center and William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center, both in Anchorage, have thousands of square feet of versatile space available for meetings and events. Alaska’s strong cultural heritage is evident throughout both venues, seen in a stained-glass mural depicting the Dena’ina people at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center alongside other Indigenous artwork displayed throughout the facilities. Whether your group is looking for a big city or big adventure, there is a convention center in the Northwest that can meet all your needs—and then some.
anchorageconventioncenters.com
billingshotelmt.com
boisecentre.com
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oregoncc.org
seattleconventioncenter.com
uwyo.edu
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