Colorado Convention Center – Overview

The bright, modern Colorado Convention Center stands proudly in the middle of downtown Denver, Colorado, having embedded itself as a landmark in the community.

As Denver expands from a city of more than 704,000, so does the appeal of hosting an event in the city. The Colorado Convention Center has addressed that need since its opening in 1990, and has been growing ever since. The convention center was expanded in 2005, and as of 2019 was preparing to be expanded once again. The Colorado Convention Center is not only walking distance from a plethora of Denver destinations, but is a destination in itself. Expo vendors and attendees, artists and audience members alike will feel like Denver residents for the time they’re at the Colorado Convention Center.

Overview

Location: The Colorado Convention Center could not be more conveniently placed. It’s in the heart of downtown Denver, making it walking distance to endless amenities. The Colorado Convention Center is walking distance from 10,000 hotel rooms, 300 restaurants, theaters, shopping areas, and other attractions. As you can tell, Denver has plenty of destinations to see, and the Colorado Convention Center is one of them. Visitors will have the chance to see the Pepsi Center, Coors Field, Denver’s Downtown Aquarium, Denver Botanic Gardens, and more.
Exhibition and meeting space: The Colorado Convention Center is whopping 2.2 million square feet, with an 2019 expansion promising to boost that statistic up even more. The exhibit hall floor provides 584,000 square feet of exhibition space, made up of six halls all on one floor. These halls can be divided or combined into any configuration needed, creating sections from 100,000 to 500,000 square feet. Five of the trade show offices contain large windows which provide an unobstructed view of the entire exhibition floor. For those interested in meeting rooms, Colorado Convention Center features 63 of them. These add up to 100,000 square feet of meeting space. Among the hundreds of events Colorado Convention Center has hosted are: Great American Beer Festival, Colorado State Spelling Bee, Denver Auto Show, Denver Comic Con, and Colorado Ski and Snow Sports Expo.
Ballrooms and theatre: The Colorado Convention Center contains two spacious ballrooms ready to welcome any upscale event. The Four Seasons Ballroom is 35,000 square feet, and features a spacious entrance hall to greet all attendees. The Mile High Ballroom, 50,000 square feet, can adapt to any event. It even features lights that twinkle like the Colorado night sky. This ballroom is not only the largest in the Colorado Convention Center, but in the entire city. The theatre inside the Colorado Convention Center, Bellco Theatre, comfortably seats 5,000 guests in its fixed seats. The theatre regularly hosts world-famous bands, stand-up comedians, podcasters, dancers, and more.
Outdoor space: Colorado Convention Center has multiple options for patrons to soak up the sunshine. The Speer Boulevard side of the building has a 7,500 square feet outdoor terrace, conveniently protected by windscreens. This terrace displays a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. Guest will specially appreciate this after an intensive tournament or massive meeting. Meanwhile, on the 14th Street side of the Colorado Convention Center, there is a 1,350-square-foot outdoor terrace. This space gives attendees a close-up view of downtown Denver. In addition to these existing outdoor spaces, Colorado Convention Center’s 2019 expansion promises to add a 50,000 square feet terrace to the roof. This sweeping terrace should provide an unbeatable view of both the Rocky Mountains and city skyline.
Parking: While parking downtown in a city can be a huge challenge, Colorado Convention Center provides attendees with a 1,000-space garage open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The garage conveniently connects to the convention center and the Denver Performing Arts Complex, DPAC. If you’re driving an eco-friendly car such as a hybrid or electric vehicle, Colorado Convention Center provides three designated parking spots and eight hours of free parking. Although the garage is perfectly catered to those attending an event in the Colorado Convention Center, it’s open to visitors with any downtown destination. Of course there are plenty of other parking garages around the city, and prices vary depending on time, day of the week, nearby events, et cetera. Metered street parking is always available, and streets on the outer parts of the city may provide better opportunities to find free street parking. Lastly, public transportation is a great option when attending an event at the Colorado Convention Center. Denver’s Regional Transportation District has a stop right at the convention center via the Theatre District / Convention Center line. This makes traveling to the convention center through public transportation straightforward and easy.
Sustainability: Colorado Convention Center has dedicated staff to ensure that their venue and all events that take place within its walls are sustainable and environmentally friendly. The convention center is ATSM-certified for meeting all the requirements of the Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences standard. The Colorado Convention Center is the first venue to achieve this certification. One of the convention center’s initiatives was installing rooftop panels for alternative energy sources. The amount of energy the Colorado Convention Center has produced through this initiative is equal to: saving 31,676 gallons of gasoline, planting 7,067 trees, and taking 53 cars off the road for a year. Since Colorado is an area with only moderate precipitation, the Colorado Convention Center prioritizes conserving as much water as possible. Grass originally surrounded the venue, but the greenery has since been replaced with native, drought-resistant plants. These plants require 75% less water than grass and other plants. In an attempt to cut down on the wasteful use of plastic water bottles, the Colorado Convention Center installed reusable water bottle filling stations at each water fountain. Denver is the Mile High City after all, so visitors should prioritize hydration.
Art: Guests of the Colorado Convention Center may notice art installments displayed throughout the venue. This is thanks to Denver’s Public Art Program, established in 1988. The program’s purpose is twofold: to provide more opportunities for local residents to enjoy art, and to beautify public places all over the city. Anyone attending an event at the Colorado Convention Center will have a chance to experience art pieces created by local Denver artists. The most iconic installation at the Colorado Convention Center, and perhaps the entire city, is a giant, blue bear peeking into the lobby. The attention-grabbing sculpture, “I See What You Mean,” is an integral part of the Colorado Convention Center. It stands tall at 40 feet, weighs approximately 10,000 pounds, and cost $424,000. The popular “Big Blue Bear,” as many call it, was installed in 2005 and has been grabbing people’s attention ever since. Many visitors flock to the Colorado Convention Center just to take a look, and some photos. Luckily, those attending an event inside the venue will be able to get a unique view of the bear. The artist, Lawrence Argent, was inspired by a photo he saw in a local newspaper. The image featured a curious black bear peeking into the home of a Colorado resident. This was an experience Argent thought many others in the state to relate to. It represents the rugged outdoors of Colorado, standing in stark contrast to the city’s booming, urban area.

Tips

Use the charging stations on the concourse. After a long day conducting seminars, networking, or seeing a concert, you may need to charge up your electronics. Your hard work doesn’t have to stop or come to a standstill just because you’ve lost a charge. The Colorado Convention Center features bright, modern charging centers on the concourse and throughout meeting room hallways.
Order your own big blue bear. All those who visit the Colorado Convention Center know about the big blue bear. Well, you can bring a little bit of the most popular Denver resident home with you. The Colorado Convention Center’s gift shop, located in concourse A, sells miniature versions of the friendly onlooker. If you’ve already stuffed your carry-on with professional attire and business cards, not to worry. You can order your miniature “I See What You Mean” so it’s waiting for you when you get home.
Get the inside scoop from a local. All business, no play? You can easily get recommendations on how to make the most of your time in the Mile High City. The Colorado Convention Center’s “Visit Denver” information booth is staffed by knowledgeable residents with plenty of hometown pride. You have the resources to get the inside scoop on activities, dining, and nightlife right at your fingertips.
Venture out to eat. Yes, there are eateries conveniently located in and attached to the Colorado Convention Center. These are easy to turn to if you’re in a pinch, but don’t ignore the expansive options right outside. Go ahead, do a lap around the outside of the convention center and count how many restaurants you see. The Colorado Convention Center has delicious, award-winning food right in its backyard.
Take advantage of all the venue’s resources. If you’re hosting or organizing an event at the Colorado Convention Center, take advantage of the resources on their website. The website provides a lengthy brochure, an event planner’s guide with a checklist, and an outline of their protocol. This will help your event at the Colorado Convention Center run smoothly. Don’t hesitate in contacting them if you have any questions ahead of time.
Go with the tried and true. The Colorado Convention Center has existing relationships to provide catering, transportation, technology, and more. Using one of their suggested vendors will make things much more streamlined. This will allow you and your team to focus on making your event a success.
Electric slide on into your hybrid parking space. If you’re planning on using one of the garage’s free parking spots for hybrid or electric cars, head over as early as possible. These spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Embrace the Reclaim Room. As a part of their focus on sustainability, the Colorado Convention Center features a “Reclaim Room.” This room accepts donations of leftover materials from any event in the venue. Instead of lugging unused materials to the trash, let the Colorado Convention Center take them off your hands. A future vendor stuck in a pinch will thank you!

Trivia

The Colorado Convention Center is the largest building in the state. At two million square feet, it could hold the capacity of Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, Sports Authority Field at Broncos Stadium, and Dicks Sporting Goods Park combined.
The Colorado Convention Center contains the largest kitchen in the state. This massive kitchen requires a massive amount of produce. The convention center has its own garden to provide approximately 5,000 pounds of produce each year.
“I See What You Mean,” the 40-foot blue bear outside the Colorado Convention Center, was not meant to be blue. The artist originally planned for the sculpture to be earth tones that would match the Colorado scenery. But when a 3D mockup of the bear displayed it in blue, the artist liked it so much he kept it that color.