EXHIBITOR magazine, a leading industry publication, has named the Greater Tacoma Convention Center to its best convention centers in North America for a fourth time. Convention centers were evaluated using criteria in five primary categories: facility and functionality; location and accommodations; service and execution; expansions and upgrades; and awards and industry participation.
The evaluation included 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 event spaces, selling points, and innovations, conducted by
a panel of corporate exhibit managers. The highest-scoring venues, including the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, earned the distinction of being named among EXHIBITOR Magazine’s 2024 Centers of Excellence.
“Exhibit managers rarely have a say in where trade shows are held, but they are often the ones most impacted by that decision. The Centers of Excellence Awards allows them to recognize the 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 health and safety protocols to the cost and quality of Wi-Fi access can have a significant impact on exhibiting companies’ experiences at events. “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.”
Tacoma was recognized alongside convention centers in Anaheim, Honolulu,
Los Angeles, Miami Beach, San Diego, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and others.
In addition to naming North America’s 25 best convention centers for trade shows and events, EXHIBITOR magazine’s Centers of Excellence program will present five special awards. The Greater Tacoma Convention Center is one of three finalists for the Best Convention Center (Less Than 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space), along with Overland Park Convention Center and Owensboro Convention Center.
The Greater Tacoma Convention Center hosts an average of 220 events annually with more than 125,000 attendees. Over 28,000 room nights are confirmed through 2028, for an estimated $26 million in economic impact.
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education,Exhibitor Group produces both EXHIBITOR magazine and Find It on EXHIBITORXchange, the buyer’s guide to trade show products and services. The Centers of Excellence Awards was launched in 2019 to identify and recognize North America’s best convention centers for trade shows and events. Learn more at www.ExhibitorOnline.com.
