Kenneth C. Zirkel [CC BY-SA 4.0] [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Charlotte Convention Center – Overview

When you visit Charlotte Convention Center, you will be right in the bustling city of Uptown Charlotte. Uptown Charlotte is the major business district of the city. The Queen City is no stranger to big crowds coming to visit local attractions, welcoming over 20 million tourists annually.

Of those 20 million visitors, more than half a million will be coming to the Charlotte Convention Center. This convention center attracts events that will bring a lot of business and growth to the facility and the local community. Among the different meeting types that take place here are trade shows, corporate events, religious and multicultural gatherings, and small meetings. There has recently been an expansion to the convention center to maintain its relevance as a must-book and must-visit venue.

If you are visiting the Charlotte Convention Center, take the time to get an understanding of the venue so you can make your trip run smoothly.

Overview

550,000 square feet of space: The entirety of the Charlotte Convention Center is over half a million square feet of space. It is located next to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which provides additional exhibit space, and a 700-room Westin hotel. Both are connected to the convention center by an overstreet walkway.
280,000 square feet of contiguous space: Of the total 550,000 square feet, Halls A, B, and C make up 280,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space. Altogether, this space can fit up to 1,250 booths. All of these halls can be divided into separate areas if needed. Halls A and B can both be divided into 100,000 square feet of space, fitting 450 booths each. Hall C can be split into one room of 80,000 square feet, accommodating 350 booths, or two rooms of 40,000 square feet each, allowing for 175 booths in both spaces. This allows for customizability when planning exhibitions. Additionally, there are six rooms that can be used as VIP spaces that overlook the exhibition space.
126,500 square feet of meeting space: The Charlotte Convention Center offers flexible meeting space for events. There is 126,500 square feet of meeting space available. Of that space, over 50,000 square feet is split into 37 meeting rooms that hold varying capacities of guests.
75,000 square feet of ballroom space: The Crown Ballroom in the Charlotte Convention Center totals 40,000 square feet of space. It is fully carpeted. Depending on the setup, it can hold between 2,400 to 4,200 people. The Richardson Ballroom is slightly smaller at 35,000 square feet. Similar to the Crown Ballroom, it can be configured into banquet-style, theater-style, or classroom-style seating, and depending on the seating arrangement chosen, it can hold anywhere from 1,700 to 3,500 people.
Over 43,000 square feet of pre-function space: There are three main pre-function options available. Both ballrooms have pre-function spaces. The first is the Crown Ballroom, which has roughly 11,000 square feet available. This pre-function area also connects to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Richardson Ballroom has two areas to use. The first is about 15,000 square feet, and the second area is an outside terrace of just over 17,000 square feet.
19,600 square feet of garden space: On the street level of the Charlotte Convention Center, there is a space called the College Street Garden. This is an area to utilize for small, private events. Additionally, it is also an area where guests can go to for a break of fresh air in between meetings.
Additional 86,500 square feet of space: This extra space is provided by the adjacent NASCAR Hall of Fame. It adds an additional 86,500 square feet of space to host a Great Hall reception. During a reception, guests can wander around the area and examine the race car memorabilia, dine by a NASCAR hall of famer’s car, or visit the Legends Room. If you’re looking to have some fun, you can test your NASCAR knowledge during Pit Crew Challenges.
ADA compliant: The Charlotte Convention Center is an ADA compliant venue. It is wheelchair accessible and has elevators and escalators providing access to each floor. There is also Braille signage for the visually impaired. Service animals are also allowed within the facility as long as they are on a leash and under the care of the owner the entire time. If other accommodations are required, it is advised that guests speak to the organization hosting the event because they are the ones responsible for making their displays and meetings accessible.

Tips

Parking is available. There are nine total parking garages within walking distance of the Charlotte Convention Center. The on-site parking is the NASCAR Hall of Fame parking garage, which has 1,000 spaces. Other parking garages include The Westin Charlotte, The Green, Two Wells Fargo Center, One Wells Fargo Center, BB&T Center, Charlotte Plaza, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Garden Inn Uptown Charlotte, and AT&T Plaza. There are also uncovered surface parking lots for visitor use. These three lots can be found on South Caldwell Street, South College Street, and East 4th Street.
Free Wi-Fi is provided by Smart City Networks. This complimentary Wi-Fi can be used throughout the meeting areas and ballrooms and pre-function spaces of the Charlotte Convention Center.
Food courts and concessions can be found throughout the Charlotte Convention Center. Guests never have to worry about getting hungry and needing to leave the venue in search of food. The three concession areas sell ballpark-style fare like hot dogs and burgers. In the food court, there are eateries like Einstein Bros. Bagels, Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, and Buon Cibo. The food court can sit up to 200 people at one time. A Starbucks can also be found on the concourse level. Whether you’re looking for a filling meal or a coffee break, Charlotte Convention Center has you covered. If you want to eat at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, there is also a Buffalo Wild Wings and Pit Stop Café there.
Visitors who plan on eating at the Charlotte Convention Center should sign up for the Delish Loyalty Card. This card will allow guests to save 10% on their food purchases. Any points they accumulate can be put toward future purchases as well. It’s easy to sign up. All guests need to do is sign up is speak with a cashier at one of the food court or concession stands.
A no-smoking policy is enforced. The Charlotte Convention Center is a non-smoking facility. Both staff and guests are not permitted to smoke in the facility or on the grounds. This includes the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers.
If guests have mobility issues, there is an area for pick up and drop off. The Charlotte Convention Center allows for pick up and drop off at the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard entrance of the building for those who need accommodations.
Visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The two facilities are connected, so why not stop by the NASCAR Hall of Fame while you’re at the Charlotte Convention Center? Within the NASCAR Hall of Fame, guests will find 40,000 square feet of exhibit space that explains the history of the sport; a 278-seat theater; Glory Road, which highlights historic cars and tracks; racing simulators; the Hall of Honor; and Race Week, which is an interactive area that takes guests behind the scenes on race days.

Trivia

The Charlotte Convention Center is found in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. When guests visit the venue, they will have the opportunity to experience all Charlotte has to offer. There are over 200 restaurants in the area and plenty of shopping options. Plus, visitors can get to know the historic side of Charlotte by visiting museums and sightseeing. Another upside is that the Charlotte Convention Center is only seven miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The Lynx Blue Line connects Charlotte to surrounding neighborhoods. It’s easy to get around Charlotte and hop between neighborhoods using the Lynx Blue Line. You’ll often hear the Blue Line referred to as the Light Rail. This is the mode of public transportation commonly used to get around the city by locals and visitors alike.
The Charlotte Convention Center is making a big effort to go green. They’re making sure that environmentally friendly cleaning products are being used and recycling and energy saving initiatives are being followed. The venue even works with Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and a local composting facility to dispose of all organic materials and leftover food.
The Charlotte Convention Center recently underwent a $110 million expansion. This expansion added 50,000 square feet of meeting space. It is also responsible for the bridge connecting the convention center to the Westin hotel.
Charlotte is nicknamed the Queen City. It was nicknamed this in honor of Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She became the queen consort of Britain before the city was founded in 1768. However, there are about 30 cities across America that use the same nickname.