Convention Centers of the Future

Think outside the white box

We have come a long way from the idea that a convention center should be a massive blank box inside and out. Attendees expect buildings and operations that minimize their toll on natural resources. They want to leave the building feeling better than when they arrived.

And residents want to feel a connection to the places their tax dollars, in many cases, helped fund.

We asked LMN Principal Brian Tennyson, AIA, and Associate Partner Leonardo da Costa what convention centers of the future will offer. LMN is the architectural force behind Vancouver Convention Centre’s green roof, Seattle Convention Center Summit Building and Cleveland Convention Center & Civic Core. The team is now working on the $1.6 billion rebuild of Austin Convention Center and saw room for improvement in how we think about shared spaces.

Personalized Spaces

“Different people learn in different ways. Convention center design has to offer a variety of experiences to meet those varied needs,” said da Costa. Building rooms with options for natural light or outdoor gathering allows the event organizer to incorporate nature in the discussion for a healthier take on meetings.

“Many of the spaces at Seattle Convention Center are not your typical meeting room,” said da Costa.

Windows, in some cases, fold out of the way completely to open up to the prefunction space, literally eliminating walls.

While all those breakout rooms are important, the conversations that happen in stolen moments in the hallway have taken on even more importance in an age when much of the content from the stage can be streamed online. Making room for informal relationship building is as vital today as finding room for a bank of pay phones was 50 years ago.

Civic Structures

“It is our civic duty to create a building that feels connected to the community,” said da Costa.

A $600 million expansion of Lynnwood Event Center in Washington is being integrated into a master plan that will include a hotel, retail and residential to create a walkable place for attendees and the community that wasn’t there before.

“When we connect to the urban fabric of a place, we create an environment that doesn’t feel so inward focused,” said Tennyson. Visitors benefit from that and will remember more of what is presented.

In Austin, for example, the existing convention center was completely torn down and the foundation excavated to make room for exhibit halls and loading docks, so instead of taking up six downtown blocks of blank walls, it will present a smaller footprint integrated into the grid and connected to Waterloo Greenway.

“The new design improves connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood and public spaces are accessible to the community when not hosting events,” said da Costa.

In New York City, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is marketing itself as Javits on the Hudson, focusing on its role as a community resource with a rooftop farm, community partnerships and the Javits Cares program that repurposes excess items for local organizations. During Covid, it was converted into a major vaccination site, and it played a role in housing refugees during natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

Learn more about the sustainable, technology and safety features being built into new and renovated convention centers in the story at Smartmeetings.com and read on for examples of venues of the future available for booking today.

Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (Dallas, Texas)

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is undertaking a $3 billion-plus expansion. Completion is expected in 2029, bringing the venue to a total of 2.1 million sq. ft.

The expansion will include 750,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, 105,000 sq. ft. of ballroom space, 180,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 20,000 sq. ft. of retail development.

A fun addition to the plans is an arena that will host the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.

Los Angeles Convention Center (Los Angeles, California)

The Los Angeles Convention Center is expected to complete its expansion in spring 2028. For those curious, a webcam is installed at the site to monitor construction.

While the convention center remains open during the expansion, planners can look forward to 190,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space being built over Pico Boulevard, connecting the West and South halls. Once complete, the venue will offer more than 900,000 sq. ft. of total exhibit space, with 750,000 sq. ft. of that contiguous on Level 1.

Read More: Greater Los Angeles: Built for Greatness

LACC will also increase its breakout space by 38,000 sq. ft., bringing total meeting room space to more than 140,000 sq. ft.

The new multipurpose space will feature 98,000 sq. ft. of flexible, customizable space. It will also include prefunction space and a roof terrace.

Raleigh Convention Center (Raleigh, North Carolina)

The Raleigh Convention Center is undergoing an expansion, with an opening scheduled for 2029. The convention center will add 298,100 sq. ft., bringing the total to 798,000 sq. ft. There will also be 50,000 sq. ft. of divisible, flexible space, along with an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and 13 new meeting rooms.

Alongside the convention center, a 29-story Omni Raleigh Hotel is planned to break ground this spring and open in late 2028. The Omni will become a hub for high-end business, convention and leisure travel.

George R. Brown Convention Center (Houston, Texas)

George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) is in the process of a 700,000-square-foot expansion that also includes a 100,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza connecting the convention center to nearby venues, including Toyota Center.

Inside GRB, there will be a central atrium with natural light and views of downtown, allowing attendees to move easily in and out of the venue. There will also be outdoor programmable public spaces available for activations.

GRB will also have enhanced accessibility and wellness features, including sensory rooms, mother’s rooms and universal changing spaces. 

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (New Orleans, Louisiana)

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is currently undertaking a $763 million renovation.

Recent updates include a pedestrian park along Convention Center Boulevard, a new transportation center, renovated restrooms, LED lighting in the exhibit hall and digital signage.

An Omni New Orleans Convention Center hotel is also on the way and will offer 1,000 rooms.

First Financial Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)

First Financial Center officially opened in January, along with Elm Street Plaza, allowing planners to create outdoor activations alongside their events.

The next major update to the area is a new 700-room headquarters Marriott adjacent to the convention center. This addition will allow planners and attendees to move easily between the hotel and the convention center. 

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (San Antonio, Texas)

Wi-Fi is the lifeblood of events, which is why it is exciting to hear that Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center recently expanded its Wi-Fi and infrastructure. The upgrade also allows support for thousands of simultaneous device connections without signal drops.

Read More: San Antonio/Austin: The Sound of Progress

Fort Worth Convention Center (Fort Worth, Texas)

Fort Worth Convention Center has been undergoing a multiphase expansion process totaling more than $600 million in investments.

The first phase of the expansion, completed in 2025, included 76,000 sq. ft. of new space, a new southwest entrance and an atrium with natural light, along with upgraded food-and-beverage facilities, a catering kitchen and a tasting room.

Part of that multiphase process also includes a $2 billion-plus development initiative focused on the convention center district.

Planners can expect to see a larger exhibit hall with 257,000 sq. ft., expanded meeting space totaling more than 60,000 sq. ft. and a new 74,000-square-foot ballroom. 

Indiana Convention Center (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Included in the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center is an 800-room Signia by Hilton. This addition will bring 143,500 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 50,000-square-foot ballroom, the largest in Indiana.

In total, the Indiana Convention Center will contain 566,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space across 11 halls, 71 meeting rooms and four ballrooms.

Three luxury hotels are also coming to Indianapolis: InterContinental Indianapolis by IHG, now open with 170 rooms; The Kimpton Hotel Indianapolis, opening later this year with 167 rooms; and Motto by Hilton, also opening this year with 116 rooms.

Orange County Convention Center (Orlando, Florida)

This year, the Orange County Convention Center began its Grand Concourse Expansion project, marking a step forward in enhancing the North-South Building.

The expansion will allow for a more connected and guest-friendly experience, including 44,000 sq. ft. of new meeting space, a 100,000-square-foot ballroom and a new entrance on Convention Way.

Broward County Convention Center (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Broward County Convention Center recently completed a $1.3 billion expansion and now offers 350,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, doubling its original size to 1.2 million sq. ft.

The expansion also included a 65,000-square-foot waterfront ballroom with water taxi access. There is also a pedestrian-friendly waterfront plaza and a restaurant to tie the elements together.

A new Convention Center Bypass Road has also helped improve traffic flow around Greater Fort Lauderdale and the convention center area. In addition, a 29-story Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel opened late last year. The Omni features 801 guest rooms and 82 suites.

Austin Convention Center (Austin, Texas)

While still under construction, the Austin Convention Center is on budget and on time. The convention center currently has 23 groups booked, 17 verbal definites and 61 tentative groups, all scheduled for 2029 to 2039.