Colorado Convention Center

Convention center in Denver, Colorado, US

Colorado Convention Center

Exterior of convention center

Address| 700 14th Street
Denver, CO 80202-3213
Location| Downtown Denver
Owner| City and County of Denver
Operator| ASM Global
Opened| June 23, 1990 (1990-06-23)
Expanded| 2004

Construction cost

| $7 million (original)
$340 million (2004 expansion)

Former names

| Denver County Convention and Expo Center (planning/construction)
Banquet/ballroom| 5,000 (Mile High Ballroom)
3,500 (Four Seasons Ballroom)

Theatre seating

| 5,000 (Bellco Theatre)
Enclosed space
• Total space| 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2)
• Exhibit hall floor| 584,000 square feet (54,300 m2)
• Breakout/meeting| 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2)
• Ballroom| 94,656 square feet (8,793.8 m2)
Parking| 1000 spaces
Public transit access| Theatre District / Convention Center
Website
Venue Website

The Colorado Convention Center (CCC) is a multi-purpose convention center located in Downtown Denver, Colorado. At 2,200,000 square feet (total space) it is currently the 12th largest convention center in the United States. Opening in 1990,[1] the convention center expanded in 2004 to include several meeting rooms, two ballrooms and an indoor amphitheater. Since opening, the center hosts an average of around 400 events per year. Centrally located in the city, it has become one of Denver's many landmarks due to its architecture and is adjacent to the Denver Performing Arts Complex and is just blocks away from the Colorado State Capitol, Auraria Campus and the 16th Street Mall. The CCC is directly served via light rail by RTD's Theatre District–Convention Center station.

## Background

[edit]

The Colorado Convention Center is owned by the City and County of Denver but is privately managed by ASM Global since 1994 [2] The convention center opened in June 1990 with an exhibition hall, five meeting rooms and a main ballroom, totaling 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2).

### 2004 expansion

[edit]

The Colorado Convention Center underwent a $340 million major expansion that was completed in December 2004. The expansion doubled the size of the facility to 2.2 million square feet (200,000 m2) that includes 584,000 square feet (54,300 m2) of exhibit space, 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of meeting rooms, and 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) of ballroom space and included the 5,000 seat Bellco Theatre. The CCC also boasts an attached 1,000 space, 3-level parking structure as well as its own RTD (Regional Transportation District) Light Rail stop. The Hyatt Regency Denver, completed around the same time as the CCC expansion, is located across 14th Street from the convention center and is one of Denver's Top Ten tallest buildings with 38 floors at a height of 489 feet (149 m). Across Welton Street, on the historic registry, is the Denver Athletic Club.

### 2021 to 2023 expansion

[edit]

Starting in mid-2021 the convention center began construction on a new expansion project. Upon completion this will include new flexible meeting and ballroom space of approximately 85,000 square feet, 100,000 square feet of new pre-function and service space, and a 50,000 square foot outdoor terrace to be located on the roof of the existing convention center which will provide unobstructed views of both downtown and the mountains. In all, approximately 235,000 square feet of usable space will be added bringing the total usable floor area to around 2.5 million when the project is completed in 2023. This would make the facility the seventh largest in the U.S. using today's convention center statistics. The expansion will be completely integrated into the existing CCC footprint and involves no outward expansion of the current facility.[3]

### Public art

[edit]

A public art collection is featured throughout the interior and exterior of the convention center. The most visible work is I See What You Mean by Lawrence Argent, located on the north east side of the convention center just to the left of the main entrance on 14th Street.[4] Erected in June 2005, the 40-foot (12 m)-tall polymer-concrete-clad sculpture is in the form of a lapis-lazuli-colored bear pushing its nose and paws against the glass facade, attempting to peek inside. Its installation was part of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs' Public Art Program.[5] This collection is featured on many of Denver's cultural tours.[6][7]

## Location

[edit]

The CCC is bounded by 14th Street, Speer Boulevard, Champa Street and Welton Street. Stout Street runs underneath the building, as does the (RTD) Light Rail's Central Corridor. Currently the D, F and H lines run through this corridor's stop. The CCC is linked by a pedestrian bridge across Champa Street to the Denver Performing Arts Complex with its nine theatres. It is across Welton Street from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. The University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver are all located to the west across Speer Boulevard at the Auraria Campus. The Colorado Convention Center is central to many other downtown attractions including: the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Pavilions, the LoDo (Lower Downtown) district, the Pepsi Center\- home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Crush and the Colorado Mammoth, Coors Field\- home of the Colorado Rockies, Denver's Downtown Aquarium, Elitch Gardens amusement park, and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

## Facilities

[edit]

Main entrance of Colorado Convention Center

Exhibit Hall

The "Exhibit Hall" is the main facility at the convention center. The space consists of six individual halls spanning 90,000 to 100,000sqft. The space is primarily used for trade shows, conventions and product launches

Mile High Ballroom

The "Mile High Ballroom" is the largest ballroom in Denver and the convention center. The space can hold up to 3,000 guests for catered events and up to 5,000 for general admission. The ballroom features a state-of-the-art lighting system that provides the illusion of the night sky. The space is primarily used for banquets, conferences and intimate music events. The space was renovated in 2004 as part of the convention center's overall expansion plan.[8] The venue's namesake derives from the Korbel Champagne Cellars.

Four Seasons Ballroom

The "Four Seasons Ballroom" was the newest ballroom, completed as part of the convention center's expansion plan.[8] The space can hold up to 3,500 guests. The venue is primarily used for banquets and fundraising events. It is home to numerous graduation ceremonies for Denver area schools including: The Art Institute of Colorado, Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Regis University and the University of Colorado Denver.

### Frequent events

[edit]

The CCC hosts hundreds of events each year from local community luncheons to national conventions. Some of the annual events include:

* Great American Beer Festival
* Outdoor Retailer
* Colorado Thespian Conference
* Colorado State Spelling Bee
* Graduation Ceremonies for Denver Public Schools, Auraria Campus Schools, Westwood College, The Art Institute of Colorado, University of Phoenix, and Regis University.
* Holiday Food and Gift Festival
* Denver Auto Show
* Denver Boat Show
* Denver Comic Con
* Colorado Prayer Luncheon
* Colorado Garden and Home Show
* Colorado Ski and Snow Sports Expo
* Salute to Seniors
* World Science Fiction Convention

## Bellco Theatre

[edit]

Bellco Theatre

Bellco Theatre night scene

Former names| The Lecture Hall (2005-06)
Wells Fargo Theatre (2007-12)
Address| 700 14th St
Denver, CO 80202-3213
Location| Downtown Denver
Owner| City and County of Denver
Operator| ASM Global
Type| Indoor amphitheatre
Capacity| 5,000
Construction
Built| 2002-04
Opened| March 1, 2005 (2005-03-01)
Website
Venue Website

The Bellco Theatre (formerly the Wells Fargo Theatre and The Lecture Hall) is an indoor amphitheatre located in the rear of the Colorado Convention Center. The venue opened March 1, 2005, with its first event by Ron White on March 5, 2005. The amphitheater was a part of the convention center's 2004 expansion plan. Originally known as The Lecture Hall, the venue was renamed in 2007 after banking and financial services company Wells Fargo. The bank purchased naming rights in September 2006 for nearly US$3 million, for a five-year period; beginning January 1, 2007.[9] Beginning November 29, 2012, it was renamed from Wells Fargo Theatre after Bellco Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in Colorado, purchased the naming rights in 2012.[10]

Initially, the owner of the Paramount Theatre protested construction of the venue (along with the City Lights Pavilion) as he believed it would draw business away from the historic landmark.[11] Since its opening, the venue has become one of the busiest mid-sized concert venues in Metro Denver, alongside the Fillmore Auditorium and 1stBank Center. It is primarily used for concerts desiring an "intimate" setting. The venue was named one of the "Top 100 Worldwide Theatres" by Pollstar in 2007 and 2011. The sculpture Indeterminate Line (2004) by Bernar Venet is located in front of the theatre.

### Naming

[edit]

* The Theater at the Colorado Convention Center (Planning/construction)
* The Lecture Hall (March 1, 2005--December 31, 2006)
* Wells Fargo Theatre (January 1, 2007--November 28, 2012)
* Bellco Theatre (November 29, 2012--Present)

### Selected events

[edit]

* Al Gore
* Alicia Keys
* Aziz Ansari
* Big Time Rush
* Bill Clinton
* Bruce Springsteen
* The Cheetah Girls
* Chelsea Handler
* Crosby, Stills and Nash
* Dane Cook
* David Archuleta
* David Gray
* David Spade
* Demi Lovato

* Diana Ross
* Dolly Parton
* Drake
* Drew Carey
* Elton John
* Gabriel Iglesias
* Gorillaz
* Il Divo
* Jamie Foxx
* Jason Mraz
* Janet Jackson
* Joe Bonamassa
* John Legend
* Jonas Brothers

* Katt Williams
* Lady Antebellum
* Mary J. Blige
* Melissa Etheridge
* Meghan Trainor
* Neil Young
* Nicki Minaj
* Peter Frampton
* Reba McEntire
* Rob Thomas
* Ron White
* Sting
* The Trailer Park Boys
* Trevor Noah
* Tori Amos
* Wheel of Fortune

|
|

## See also

[edit]

* List of convention centers in the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Winter, Mary (23 June 1990). "Expo, Convention Center Praised". Rocky Mountain News. Denver.
2. ^ "SMG extends two facilities' pacts". Philadelphia Business Journal. 16 June 2003. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
3. ^ "Colorado Convention Center Expansion Project". City and County of Denver. August 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
4. ^ Johnson, Kirk (August 21, 2008). "Denver's Unconventional Art, Ready for the Convention". The New York Times.
5. ^ "Public Art". Colorado Convention Center. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
6. ^ "Denver Architectural Scavenger Hunt". letsroam.com. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
7. ^ "Rocky Mountain Cultural Tour=2020-01-14".
8. ^ a b "Cost Estimatiing Clients: Colorado Convention Center Expansion, Denver, Colorado (Completed)". Capstone Planning and Control, Inc. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
9. ^ "Wells Fargo wins naming rights at convention center". Denver Business Journal. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
10. ^ Vuong, Andy (November 27, 2012). "Convention Center's Wells Fargo Theatre to be renamed Bellco Theatre". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
11. ^ Brown, G (26 February 2002). "Theater seeks vote on pavilion Paramount owner: New facility a threat". Denver Post. p. B-01.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colorado Convention Center.

* Colorado Convention Center
* Denver Metro Convention and Visitor's Bureau
* SMG

39°44′31″N 104°59′46″W﻿ / ﻿39.74194°N 104.99611°W﻿ / 39.74194; -104.99611

* v
* t
* e

City and County of Denver

The Mile High City

About|

* Commerce
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Fire
* History
* Timeline
* Geography
* Landmarks
* Music
* Neighborhoods
* Notable Denverites
* Police
* Public schools
* Street system
* Radio
* Television

Government|

* Mayor Mike Johnston
* former mayors
* City Council

Landmarks,
museums
and culture|

* 16th Street Mall
* Avenue Theater
* Empower Field at Mile High
* Brown Palace Hotel
* Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
* City Park
* Civic Center
* Clyfford Still Museum
* Colorado Convention Center
* Colorado State Capitol
* Confluence Park
* Coors Field
* D&F Tower
* Denver's Downtown Aquarium
* Denver Art Museum
* Denver Botanic Gardens
* Denver Firefighters Museum
* Denver Mint
* Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys
* Denver Museum of Nature and Science
* Denver Center for the Performing Arts
* Denver Public Library
* Denver Zoo
* Elitch Gardens Theme Park
* Ellie Caulkins Opera House
* Emmanuel Shearith Israel Chapel
* Evans Memorial Chapel
* Forney Transportation Museum
* History Colorado Center
* Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
* Mizel Museum
* Molly Brown House
* Museo de las Americas
* Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
* Pepsi Center
* Red Rocks
* Sakura Square
* Tattered Cover
* Trinity United Methodist Church
* Union Station
* Wells Fargo Center
* Wings Over the Rockies Museum

Colleges and universities|

* University of Colorado Denver
* Metropolitan State University of Denver
* Community College of Denver
* University of Denver
* Regis University

Transportation|

* Regional Transportation District
* Bustang
* Denver International Airport

Sports franchises|

* Denver Broncos
* Colorado Rockies
* Colorado Avalanche
* Denver Nuggets
* Colorado Rapids
* Colorado Mammoth
* Denver Outlaws

* Category
* Commons

Authority control databases: Geographic |

* Structurae
* MusicBrainz place

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template