Today’s planners prioritize customization and flexibility in event spaces to give attendees more personalized, engaging experiences. Courtesy of Freddie Peterson

Hosting events at convention centers has evolved significantly in recent years due to factors such as advancements in technology, changes in attendee expectations and the need for sustainability. Modern facilities now focus on providing a state-of-the-art environment with an enhanced technological infrastructure that includes high-speed internet, advanced AV equipment and smart building systems.

As more and more of these innovations reshape the modern convention center experience, association event planners must take full advantage, developing a strategy to ensure that their gatherings are a success.

According to Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) general manager Freddie Peterson, today’s planners are increasingly prioritizing customization and flexibility in event spaces to give attendees more personalized and engaging experiences. In addition, he says he’s seeing a greater emphasis on integrating venues with their surrounding neighborhoods and environments to create seamless indoor-outdoor experiences that can enhance a location’s overall appeal.

Focus on Sustainability and Wellness

“Sustainability also has become a critical factor, with many convention centers implementing green practices, such as energy-efficient lighting, waste-reduction programs and the use of eco-friendly materials,” Peterson adds.

As an example, the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) underwent a $640 million renovation and expansion to improve the functionality, technical infrastructure, aesthetics and sustainability of the venue, as well as create new public spaces and amenities. The vision was to transform MBCC into a state-of-the-art facility that would attract large national and international events, draw more visitors to Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County and also blend with its surrounding neighborhoods.

Formerly senior events manager at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Lauren Federico is now senior director of convention services for Destination Cleveland. Through her extensive experience planning events for associations and other entities, she is seeing planners more frequently asking convention centers to illustrate their sustainability initiatives and address attendees’ growing focus on wellness, which has led to increased demand for nonalcoholic drink options at events.

A recent $49 million renovation of the Huntington Convention Center included the implementation of a comprehensive sustainability plan designed to address growing environmental concerns. While many facets of the plan are more “behind the scenes,” examples of attendee-facing updates include the addition of numerous water refill stations. Cleveland’s focus on guest wellness also can be seen in the healthier food choices and nonalcoholic drink options being offered to meeting planners. Food displays even now include a list of ingredients and allergens to help attendees make more informed decisions.

Flexibility and Efficiency Are a Must

“The most common challenge we hear from meeting planners is about finding creative ways to use convention center space,” Federico says. Fortunately, the recent Huntington center renovation prioritized space flexibility. Meeting planners now have more than 140,000 sf of adaptable meeting and event space, an expanded atrium ballroom, a roof terrace and other outdoor areas that can be used in traditional or more creative ways.

Nelia Nunes, CMP, event consultant at Blue Plaza Events, is another industry veteran who has worked with associations and other organizations to host events for 25 years. She says the biggest change she’s seen is the increased flexibility in how convention centers accommodate changing event needs.

“Events are no longer as cookie-cutter as they once were — which is a great thing,” Nunes says. “Convention center staff have needed to adapt, becoming more open to customization and creative event setups. Another significant shift is the focus on common and lobby spaces. More thought, energy and investment are going into these areas, transforming them from simple pass-through zones into dynamic, interactive spaces that enhance networking and attendee engagement.”

One of the biggest challenges of hosting an event at a convention center is navigating high costs. Nunes explains that it’s common for many venues to use certain vendors exclusively (e.g., electrical, internet, rigging), which does not allow for much wiggle room when negotiating price. While these facilities offer many benefits in terms of infrastructure, they often have strict policies regarding union regulations, which can further elevate costs.

“Another challenge can be that, although the large spaces allow for a lot of flexibility, smaller events can get a little lost in some convention centers, and it can take budget and creativity to create spaces that are engaging and designed well,” Nunes says.

The Evolution of Security and IT

According to Zenik Hite, throughout his experience as events manager at the Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina, he has noticed that certain standards for the meetings and events industry have shifted, especially in the areas of security and IT needs for shows being held at convention centers.

“Visible security checkpoints and staff are bigger priorities than they have ever been in my time in the events world, and clients seem to be more willing to spend their budget on increased staffing and perimeter security than in years prior,” Hite says. “Fortunately, security providers have been adapting with these changes, and oftentimes implementing these measures can be cheaper than a client might expect.”

As for digital, the need for increased onsite access to reliable industrial-grade wireless networks — for attendees, exhibitors and staff alike — is becoming a must-have for a growing number of events at convention centers that did not previously make it a priority. According to Hite, event-specific guidebook apps are gaining popularity, with more shows utilizing tools such as QR codes for onsite interactions with attendees. That makes having a robust IT backbone essential to ensuring a smooth experience for everyone onsite.

In response to this evolution, the Raleigh Convention Center recently upgraded its wireless internet system to support Wi-Fi 6E, which is the next generation of wireless internet infrastructure. It can provide much faster data rates while also avoiding the congestion seen in earlier formats.

“We have also upgraded our network switch stacks to fully support multi-gig access ports throughout the facility,” Hite says. “As data throughput requirements increase, we want to make sure our infrastructure exceeds client needs.”

“Convention centers now have increased their digital signage and interactive displays. They’ve also added more outdoor areas, are more eco-friendly and have more health protocols in place, especially after COVID,” says Marcia White, senior event manager at MCI USA. “They’ve become more modernized.”

White says that during her most recent convention center event, her organization was fortunate to have most of its space in one area — but it was on an upper level, so signage was important.

“There was a lot of room for the sessions, and big open foyer areas with windows for networking,” White recalls. “Because the number of attendees was so high, the convention center was ideal to meet all of our needs in one place.”

Get Ahead of the Game

Hite says it is a huge help when event planners are upfront with priority concerns or ‘hot button’ items — no matter how big or small — well in advance during the planning process.

“It is so much easier to field unique or potentially difficult requests when we have a lead time of two to three weeks, instead of two to three days (or, as is the case sometimes, two to three hours),” Hite says. “Many times, I have found that when given real and proper time to tackle an odd request or blue-sky ask in advance, more often than not we can make it happen or find a reasonable alternative. Constant and clear communication is a huge part of making an amazingly successful show.”

Additionally, taking the time to familiarize yourself with a convention center’s ‘big-picture’ features and policies is a huge benefit to all parties working on an event.

“I love when planners ask and learn about features we have on offer at our facilities (things like onsite coffee shops, nursing pods or digital signage displays) even if they don’t immediately have an idea of how they can work [them] into the event,” Hite says. “Sometimes, we can find an easy win to a problem they were working on, or add a little bit of extra no-cost flair to a show, and it all serves to make the event planner feel more at home in the space when making decisions.”

White advises association planners to check in with their vendors throughout the process of planning an event at a convention center.

“When working with a convention center, you sometimes have to bring in vendors to support your event,” White says. “Also check in with the convention center services. Many … even within the convention center, can be outsourced. For example, I worked at a convention center where the internet was provided by an outside service.”

Make sure to keep track of your registration numbers to make sure you have the right sessions in the right rooms. Rooms can vary in size and setup, so it’s important to double-check your space. And finally, White recommends that event planners touch base with the convention center and security. You might not be the only group at the venue, so make sure the proper protocols are taken to ensure safety.

“Also make sure you know who takes care of what at the convention center,” White says. “[They] are run differently than a hotel. For example, at a hotel, the event manager may be the one that will provide you with easels, whereas at a convention center, it can be the AV team. So just making sure you are aligned … on who is doing what will make planning and onsite run smoother. And on that note, know who all your contacts are. There are a lot of moving pieces within a convention center, and you can’t be everywhere at once. So knowing who to reach out for will help the process run smoothly.”

Mistakes to Avoid

Planners orchestrating events at a convention center will often make assumptions about the venue’s capacity, capabilities, policies or procedures — just because it looks like another facility they previously planned a show for, or it falls within the same general category (a city-owned venue, for example) as one they’ve worked with before.

“As someone who works directly with event planners daily, the easiest thing that helps you avoid mistakes with a show — ask all your questions, big or small, whenever they come up,” Hite says.

White also says that a common mistake she sees at convention centers is not having enough signage. Because these venues can be quite large, an event may be spread out over several levels and areas. Attendees need to know where to go when they’re onsite, so it’s important to have enough directional displays.

“Another mistake is to not use the digital signage to your advantage. Make sure all the rooms are labeled correctly and are specific enough, so attendees know what sessions are in what rooms,” White adds.

Hite finds that when a planner wants to sit down and talk timeline, policy and logistics for 30 minutes every week leading up their show, the event goes a lot better, compared to when that entire interaction is limited to just a few emails.

“That second scenario is where we find out that event industry folks (even repeat partners) made assumptions about how X, Y or Z worked, and now they’re dealing with insufficient prep time, last-minute labor charges or surprise rental fees,” Hite says. “Let your venue partners help you solve these problems in advance — it’s what we’re here for.”

Top Tips for Convention Center Gatherings

To ensure a smooth, successful execution of any convention center event, planners should do the following:

• Carefully review the convention center contract to make sure you’re clear on rules, regulations, vendor exclusivity, etc. Every venue has its own set of rules and guidelines, typically laid out in an “Event Planning Guide” document. For example, some convention centers charge a percentage of sponsorship fees if a group displays its logo or graphics in common areas.
• Get your quotes in early so you can budget for items such as internet and electrical and avoid unwelcome surprises when it’s too late to make changes.
• Collaborate with your destination’s CVB early on so you can tap into their resources: For example, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) assists event planners with securing hotel blocks, offsite venues and transportation, as well as needs related to sustainability and public relations.
• Create a detailed budget: This should include costs associated with venue rental and services, equipment rental, staffing, F&B and contractor work.
• Develop a comprehensive timeline: Creating a well-planned production schedule that outlines each phase of the event can help keep everything on track.
• Prioritize effective communication: A clear and consistent dialogue with event contractors, venue liaisons and other stakeholders is key to a successful event.
• Prepare multiple contingency plans: It is important to anticipate potential changes and have alternative strategies in place.
• Leverage the resources and know-how of the assigned DMO services manager, if applicable. They often know exactly how to support association event planners every step of the way, from coordinating site visits to providing resources and keeping clients focused on key priorities.
• Establish and maintain consistent communication with the convention center contacts: Leverage on-the-ground experts to assist with changing needs and challenges.
• Keep a timeline of deadlines, payment due dates and other essential details so nothing slips through the cracks.
• Learn about the specifics of your event site. For example, be aware of ongoing construction, local union rules and regulations, etc.   | AC&F |