The Hampton Roads Covention Center

T he Hampton Roads Convention Center, which opened in 2005, is owned by the City of Hampton, Virginia, and managed by SMG, the worldwide venue management company. The Center has a total of 344,000 square feet of space, with 35 flexible event spaces, including a divisible exhibit hall, a grand ballroom, a conference center, and 14,000 square feet of pre-function space. The Center’s second-floor outdoor terrace, sheltered from the elements by a canopy overlooking sparkling fountains, provides a beautiful setting for receptions and outdoor luncheons. A covered walkway connects the building to a 295-suite Embassy Suites Hotel, and there are 1,700 hotels rooms within walking distance of the venue. “We hold several hundred events a year, and they vary in size,” says General Manager, Eric Nealy. “Being a regional convention center, we’re able to host any gathering from one hundred to 10,000 attendees, so it’s not unusual for us to have ten different events going on at the same time – everything from banquets in our grand ballroom to consumer shows in our exhibit halls, to small functions throughout the meeting rooms. Our clients represent a combination of corporate, consumer, local associations, HAMPTON ROADS Convention Center Meeting the clients’ needs The