THE Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) has been given the green light to move forward with its convention center expansion and modernization project, which is now expected to move forward in spring 2025. On July 2, the Los Angeles City Council voted to advance the project, which is expected to create thousands of jobs for city residents, attract visitors and bring new revenue to the city’s general fund, according to LACC officials.
Plans include new construction that will connect LACC’s two existing South and West exhibit halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create a contiguous lobby and add 55,000 square feet of new meeting room space, 95,000 square feet of multi-purpose space and the redesign of the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, which will add public open space and transform it into a new outdoor venue for event programming.
“Currently, the LACC hosts nearly 200 events and two million visitors per year,” said LACC CEO Kimberly Weedmark“We are excited that a modernized facility will allow us to expand our event base with more premier programming and provide our current clients with continued growth opportunities. An expanded and modernized center will provide our clients with innovative technology and demonstrate our leadership in sustainability.”
The details: The approved The city has signed a design-build contract with a joint venture of AEG and The Plenary Group to complete the project ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the coming months, the city will work with AEG, Plenary, architectural firm Populous and general contractors PCL and Webcor to finalize the design plans, schedule and costs before construction begins next year.
What they say : “The expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center is critical to the continued recovery of our local economy,” said Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “Citywide conventions support thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses in every region and neighborhood across Los Angeles, and we are grateful to the City Council for its leadership in advancing this critical initiative with today’s vote. As one of the travel industry’s premier meeting destinations, we look forward to seeing this world-class facility come to life.”
Economic impact: Burke added that the expansion project will spur much-needed economic growth in the region, noting that local businesses, particularly in downtown Los Angeles, rely on direct and indirect spending from the convention center. The project is expected to attract more than $165 million in visitor spending annually and create 7,445 new jobs during construction and 2,147 ongoing jobs.
Why is this important: “Despite being located in the second largest city in the United States, LACC is currently a second-tier facility and we are losing market share to other cities due to convention center constraints,” said Doane Liu, tourism director and executive director of the Los Angeles Department of Tourism. “With this expansion, LACC will become a premier destination, capable of hosting larger events that will attract visitors to Los Angeles who will spend money at our local hotels, restaurants and attractions, adding additional revenue to the city’s General Fund.”
The big picture: Los Angeles has found itself at a competitive disadvantage in attracting large citywide conventions due to a lack of contiguous event space, especially as competitors have completed or are in the process of completing major expansions, LACC officials said.
Deeper Dive: The LACC hosts a multitude of major B2B and B2C events each year, including the Art exhibition in Los Angeles; Adobe MAX; Emmy Awards Governors Ball; KCON; Los Angeles Auto Show & LA Automobility; Anime Exhibition (AX); MusiCares Person of the Year Silent Auction and Dinner; and LA Comic-Con.
For more information about the project, check out this story, Los Angeles CC to get major refresh and more space, but when?from our sister publication, MeetingsNet, here.
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