Oregon Business Magazine released its top list of meeting facilities around the state today Metro's regional meeting and entertainment venues took the top three spots.
The Oregon Convention Center headed the list as the state's top meeting destination, offering 370,000 square feet in total meeting space and 255,000 square feet in exhibition space. Its ability to accommodate groups ranging in size from 10 to 10,000 through its 60 meeting rooms, onsite catering, 800-space parking lot, along with convenient access to three MAX lines, contributed to its ranking. OCC also offers Wi-Fi access and two Starbucks cafes, tradeshow concessions and Stir Cocktail Lounge, making it stand out as the number one place to convene a meeting in Oregon.
Ranked second was the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center for its reputation as the largest tradeshow facility on the West Coast. The five-building campus totals 370,000 square feet in meeting space and 330,000 exhibit space, offers 10 corporate-style meeting rooms, versatile indoor/outdoor space, onsite catering, telecommunication services, on-site parking and its own TriMet MAX Yellow Line stop.
The Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA), owned by the City of Portland but managed by Metro through an Intergovernmental Agreement, ranked third. PCPA offers 310,000 square feet meeting space and 3,500 square feet in exhibition space throughout its three buildings - the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Antoinette Hatfield Hall and Keller Auditorium. In addition to offering historic, first-class performance spaces, PCPA rents its locations to corporate clients and for special events. PCPA offers on-site catering, as well as two café/bars - Art Bar and Bistro in the ground floor lobby of Hatfield Hall, and the Keller Martini Bar and Café.
In December 2009, the Portland Business Journal released its annual Book of Lists in which the Oregon Convention Center, Portland Expo Center and Portland Center for the Performing Arts were also ranked the top three meeting destinations.