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EXHIBITOR Magazine Announces Special Award Winners in its 2026 Centers of Excellence Awards
12/9/2025
ROCHESTER MN. - Today at IAEE's Expo! Expo! 2025 in Houston, TX, EXHIBITOR magazine senior writer Charles Pappas announced the winners of five special awards related to the seventh annual Centers of Excellence Awards.
"The world's nearly 1,400 exhibition venues all have one thing in common: they strive to provide events and exhibitions with the best possible experience from set up to tear down, and from meeting rooms to mobile apps - and everything in-between," said Pappas.
"The Centers of Excellence Awards allows exhibit managers to identify exhibitor-friendly venues that make their experiences at trade shows and events smooth and successful," said Emily Olson, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine, noting that everything from the number and size of the bays on the loading dock to the cost and quality of internet service can significantly impact exhibitors' experiences. "The facilities on this list have proven their ability to host trade shows and events of all sizes while providing world-class service and state-of-the-art accommodations."
The 2026 Centers of Excellence Special Awards winners are:
Best Convention Center (Over 1 Million sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: McCormick Place
Finalist: Anaheim Convention Center
Best Convention Center (500,000 - 1 Million sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium
Finalists:
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Miami Beach Convention Center
Best Convention Center (100,000 - 500,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: Greater Columbus Convention Center
Finalists:
Seattle Convention Center
Edmonton EXPO Centre
Best Convention Center (Less Than 100,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit space)
Winner: Grand River Center
Finalists:
Albany Capital Center
Overland Park Convention Center
Best Customer Service & On-Site Support
Winner: San Diego Convention Center
Finalists:
Anaheim Convention Center
Edmonton EXPO Centre
Exhibitor Group launched the Centers of Excellence initiative in 2019 to identify and recognize North America's best convention centers for trade shows and events. The evaluation process also includes a survey of event planners, show organizers, and exhibit managers who have recently hosted (or exhibited at) events within each facility, as well as a review of entrants' event spaces, selling points, and innovations.
The winning venues are featured in a special supplement in October/November 2026 issue of EXHIBITOR, as well as on the online portal where readers can learn more about each of the facilities that qualified for this honor. The portal enables face-to-face marketers to quickly and easily research potential event venues and learn more about the convention centers hosting the trade shows and exhibitions on their annual calendars.
For more information on the Centers of Excellence competition, visit ExhibitorOnline.com/Awards/CoE.
About Exhibitor Group
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, Exhibitor Group publishes EXHIBITOR magazine, an award-winning publication featuring best practices in trade show marketing. EXHIBITOR's learning events include: EXHIBITORLIVE, The Conference and Exhibition for Trade Show and Event Marketers; EXHIBITOR Education Week, the Professional Learning Conference for Exhibit and Corporate Event Marketers; and EXHIBITOR eTrak, professional online learning. Exhibitor Group is also the founder of CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer), the industry's only university-affiliated professional certification program. Learn more at ExhibitorOnline.com.
EXHIBITOR is a registered trademark, and EXHIBITORLIVE, EXHIBITOR Education Week, and EXHIBITOR eTrak, are trademarks of Exhibitor Media, LLC, in the USA and other countries. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.
Contact:
[email protected]
Related News
EXHIBITOR Magazine Honors Best Convention Centers with 2026 Centers of Excellence Awards
ROCHESTER MN. - Today at IAEE's Expo! Expo! 2025 in Houston, TX, EXHIBITOR magazine senior writer Charles Pappas announced the winners of five special awards related to the seventh annual Centers of Excellence Awards.
"The world's nearly 1,400 exhibition venues all have one thing in common: they strive to provide events and exhibitions with the best possible experience from set up to tear down, and from meeting rooms to mobile apps - and everything in-between," said Pappas.
"The Centers of Excellence Awards allows exhibit managers to identify exhibitor-friendly venues that make their experiences at trade shows and events smooth and successful," said Emily Olson, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine, noting that everything from the number and size of the bays on the loading dock to the cost and quality of internet service can significantly impact exhibitors' experiences. "The facilities on this list have proven their ability to host trade shows and events of all sizes while providing world-class service and state-of-the-art accommodations."
The 2026 Centers of Excellence Special Awards winners are:
Best Convention Center (Over 1 Million sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: McCormick Place
Finalist: Anaheim Convention Center
Best Convention Center (500,000 - 1 Million sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium
Finalists:
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Miami Beach Convention Center
Best Convention Center (100,000 - 500,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)
Winner: Greater Columbus Convention Center
Finalists:
Seattle Convention Center
Edmonton EXPO Centre
Best Convention Center (Less Than 100,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit space)
Winner: Grand River Center
Finalists:
Albany Capital Center
Overland Park Convention Center
Best Customer Service & On-Site Support
Winner: San Diego Convention Center
Finalists:
Anaheim Convention Center
Edmonton EXPO Centre
Exhibitor Group launched the Centers of Excellence initiative in 2019 to identify and recognize North America's best convention centers for trade shows and events. The evaluation process also includes a survey of event planners, show organizers, and exhibit managers who have recently hosted (or exhibited at) events within each facility, as well as a review of entrants' event spaces, selling points, and innovations.
The winning venues are featured in a special supplement in October/November 2026 issue of EXHIBITOR, as well as on the online portal where readers can learn more about each of the facilities that qualified for this honor. The portal enables face-to-face marketers to quickly and easily research potential event venues and learn more about the convention centers hosting the trade shows and exhibitions on their annual calendars.
For more information on the Centers of Excellence competition, visit ExhibitorOnline.com/Awards/CoE.
About Exhibitor Group
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, Exhibitor Group publishes EXHIBITOR magazine, an award-winning publication featuring best practices in trade show marketing. EXHIBITOR's learning events include: EXHIBITORLIVE, The Conference and Exhibition for Trade Show and Event Marketers; EXHIBITOR Education Week, the Professional Learning Conference for Exhibit and Corporate Event Marketers; and EXHIBITOR eTrak, professional online learning. Exhibitor Group is also the founder of CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer), the industry's only university-affiliated professional certification program. Learn more at ExhibitorOnline.com.
EXHIBITOR is a registered trademark, and EXHIBITORLIVE, EXHIBITOR Education Week, and EXHIBITOR eTrak, are trademarks of Exhibitor Media, LLC, in the USA and other countries. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.
Contact:
[email protected]
Related News
EXHIBITOR Magazine Honors Best Convention Centers with 2026 Centers of Excellence Awards
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