Sacramento Convention Center – Overview

Overview

As the capital of California, Sacramento is an undeniably important city. It’s home to the California Assembly, the Governor of California, the Supreme Court of California, and 501,000 citizens. It’s a place that celebrates the arts, strengthens business, and offers some of the best farm-to-fork restaurants.

The variety of events that take place in the Sacramento Convention Center contribute to the strength of the economy and the growth of the community. This is why the Sacramento Convention Center is an excellent place to hold a conference, professional training, performance, meeting, or seminar. It’s a hub of cultural experiences, political importance, and financial excellence.

 

• Location and size: The Sacramento Convention Center is 15 minutes from the Sacramento International Airport, a 10-minute walk from the California State Capitol, and is surrounded by major hotels and restaurants. It offers 137,000 square feet of adjoining exhibit spaces and 31 flexible meeting rooms. The convention center’s two ballrooms have a combined total of 35,000 square feet. This provides plenty of space for the events that bring in an average of 875,000 visitors annually. The Sacramento Convention Center includes other venues on the property. These include the 3,849-seat Memorial Auditorium, the 2,398-seat Community Center Theater, and the 272-seat Jean Runyon Theater. Because of its flexibility, the Sacramento Convention Center can handle virtually any event. The venue contains meeting rooms, exhibit space, ballrooms, a garden terrace, theaters, and an auditorium.
• The Community Center Theater: The Community Center Theater, located at the south end of the Sacramento Convention Center, hosts an incredible amount of performances that even the most sophisticated theater-goer can appreciate. At this venue you can watch famous Broadway productions, such as The Community Center Theater also hosts performances by the Sacramento Ballet, Sacramento Opera, and Sacramento Philharmonic. The Sacramento Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker is a widely-held and beloved holiday tradition for area residents. In addition to the incredible performing arts events, the Community Center Theater has hosted keynote speakers like Bill Gates; Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa; and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc.
• The Memorial Auditorium: The Memorial Auditorium is a cherished part of the Sacramento performing arts community and a Registered Historic Landmark. When it opened in 1927, the Memorial Auditorium was dedicated to Sacramento residents who lost their lives while serving our country. The outside of the building is made of beautiful marble and bricks, with “Sacramento Memorial Auditorium” etched into the top. The Memorial Auditorium’s classically beautiful architecture features detailed archways, tall columns, and intricate carvings. This beautiful entrance welcomes attendees into what feels like a vintage venue. The inside of the theater is just as grand, with carved ceilings, shining chandeliers, and swooping arches. Since opening, the Memorial Auditorium has hosted hundreds of regional graduation ceremonies, weddings, concerts, and sporting events.
• The Jean Runyon Theater: Jean Runyon was a trailblazing entrepreneur and Sacramento icon who founded her own company in a time where women CEOs were unheard of. In addition to starting a successful business, Runyon supported Sacramento’s performing arts scene for years. The city dedicated the theater and named it after her on May 24, 2000. The intimate theater is located inside the Memorial Auditorium and only seats an audience of 272. Because of the theater’s small size, attendees enjoy great acoustics and seats that all have great views of the stage.
• Sacramento Convention Center Renovation: The Sacramento Convention Center is committed to expanding its offerings to attract even more successful events to the city. Because of this, the center is currently undergoing a major expansion. This project will expand the center’s offerings and increase Sacramento’s appeal as a destination. In the expansion, the Sacramento Convention Center will get a new kitchen, and a lobby with 55-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows. The project is also adding 40,000-square-foot ballroom, 22,494 of exhibit space, a 15,300-square-foot outdoor space, 160,000 square feet of exhibit space, and 79,100 square feet of meeting space. In total, the renovation will add more than 240,000 square feet to the Sacramento Convention Center.
• The Community Center Theater and Memorial Auditorium Renovation Project: In addition to the Sacramento Convention Center, the Community Center Theater and Memorial Auditorium are being renovated. The Community Center is receiving additional restrooms and concession area, improved accessibility, an expanded lobby, and a larger loading dock. The Memorial Auditorium’s renovation will add audience seating at the Orchestra Level and refurbished seating on multiple levels. It will also improve lighting and acoustics, and upgrade audio and visual capabilities. These two renovation projects alone will have a sizable impact on the Sacramento community. It’s estimated that they will bring approximately 2,800 jobs, up to $500 million in local spending, $2.7 million in hotel and rental tax revenue, and increase citywide events from 26 to 61 by 2025.
• Accessibility: The Sacramento Convention Center and its theaters are all equipped with handicap-accessible entrances and restrooms. The Community Center Theater has accessible seating at every level, ad the Memorial Auditorium has accessible seating at the floor and Dress Circle levels. All three venues offer Assisted Listening Devices in their lobbies, and service animals are welcome.
• Sculptures: In addition to the performing arts, the Sacramento Convention Center celebrates public art with Time to Cast Away Stones by Stephen Kaltenbach. This massive sculpture and fountain consists of two stone parts sitting side-by-side outside the convention center. The main part of the piece is a pile of fallen, broken sculptures. Large, slightly crumpled faces sit inside cracked arms and fallen stone columns. Underneath the collapsed stone collage, water cascades into a pool below. The sculptor carved four phrases into the side of the foundation: “Where are we going? What have we wrought? How are we loving? What have we thought?” The fountain’s flowing water usually hide the statements, but sometimes visitors can get a clear view.

 

Tips

• Venture out for a bite to eat. The convenience of the Starbucks and pizza joint in the Sacramento Convention Center may be tempting, but there are dozens of amazing, local restaurants that you’d be remiss not to try!
• Take advantage of the Sacramento Convention Center’s audio, visual, and telecom services. They employ PSAV, a leading event technology services provider, and Wombo Telecommunications to assist with all event and presentation needs. Due to their strong relationship with these vendors, the Sacramento Convention Center is able to help event coordinators with the best lighting, interactive experiences, and state-of-the-art presentations.
• Different venues at the Sacramento Convention Center complex have different accessibility. For example, because it is a historic venue, the Memorial Auditorium does not contain an elevator or escalator. Make sure to look over each venue’s accessibility offerings before attending an event.

 

Trivia

• The fountain outside the Sacramento Convention Center sometimes serves as a pit stop. On some hot, summer days, visitors have gotten the pleasure to see horse-mounted police officers bring their thirsty steeds over to the fountain to get a well-deserved drink.
• The Memorial Auditorium has hosted incredible American icons in the past. For example, Eleanor Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have been speakers at the Memorial Auditorium. In addition, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s inauguration as governor of California took place here in 2003.
• The Community Center Theater offers a world-class lineup. In addition to area-specific performances, productions of Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Wicked, and Jersey Boys have all taken place at the Community Center Theater.
• The Beach Boys recorded an album in the Memorial Auditorium. In 1964, the auditorium served as the band’s recording studio for their first live album, Concert.
• The Memorial Auditorium is not only one of the most well-known buildings in Sacramento, but a nationally treasured landmark. The venue was a winner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Protecting America’s Treasures” award.