San Diego Convention Center

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Situated on San Diego Bay, the San Diego Convention Center is a 2.6-million-square-foot showpiece that attracts more than 800,000 visitors annually. The facility boasts roughly 525,000 gross square feet of contiguous ground-level exhibit space, plus an architectural masterpiece: the 90,000-square-foot Sails Pavilion on the upper level. The state-of-the-art, glass-enclosed space is column free and provides breathtaking views of the city and harbor. The center also has 72 meeting and banquet rooms totaling more than 200,000 square feet, and two ballrooms with 40,000 square feet each. Having earned more than two dozen regional and national environmental and service awards over the past decade, the facility is considered one of the premiere U.S. trade show venues.


WHERE TO SLEEP Though no hotels are connected to the convention center, there are 7,500 first-class hotel rooms within a mile of the facility. The four closest hotels, all of which are adjacent to the venue, are the Hilton San Diego Bayfront (1,190 rooms), the San Diego Marriot Marquis and Marina (1,362 rooms), the Manchester Grand Hyatt (1,625 rooms), and the Omni San Diego Hotel (511 rooms).	WHAT TO EAT The San Diego Convention Center offers three Starbucks, eight concession stands, and one restaurant for fast food. Located across the street in the famed Gaslamp Quarter, more than 90 restaurants beckon with virtually every variety of food imaginable. Lou and Mickeys is a popular place for sit-down dinners, and fish tacos at the Tin Fish are a great lunch choice.
HOW TO GET THERE Three miles separate the convention center and the San Diego International Airport (regionally referred to as Lindberg Field), and transportation between them is plentiful and inexpensive. Taxis will cost about $15, while one of San Diego's many shuttle companies will run about $8. The city's Metropolitan Transit System (www.sdmts.com) has bus and trolley stops just outside the convention center.

The marshalling yard is 3 miles from the venue, or about a 10- to 15-minute drive.

Centerplate (www.centerplate.com) is the exclusive caterer for the facility, and even bottled water must be purchased through it.

Local labor unions must be used for most trade show activities involving freight handling, move-in, installation, dismantle, and move-out, but these unions have a reputation for providing high-quality service and being easy to work with.

Exhibit-hall ceiling clearances are 27 feet in halls A through E, and 36 feet in halls F, G, and H.

A FedEx office in Lobby D provides business services including last-minute graphics printing. Cyclops Displays is another popular local graphics provider for last-minute work (858-566-5111).

Floor utility boxes can be found throughout the exhibit hall and are on 30-foot centers.

Halogen lamps can be used in exhibits, provided proper distance from combustibles is maintained. Any rigging for lighting must go through the facility service provider, AV Concepts.

Free Wi-Fi is available in ground-level lobby areas for A through H exhibit halls and Tides Restaurant. Wi-Fi service is available in all other areas, except exhibit halls, for $12.95. Wi-Fi for exhibitors inside halls A through H is $99 per day.