Edmonton Expo Centre

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Edmonton Exposition and Conference Centre
Edmonton EXPO Centre
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Former names Northlands Agricom (1984-2009)
Location Northlands, Edmonton, Alberta
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Owner Northlands
Type Conference centre/Arena
Genre(s) Exhibitions, Conferences, Proms, Sports Arena, Concerts
Capacity 5,527[1] (Hall D permanent seats)
24,000[2] (all rooms reception)
Construction
Built 1984
Expanded 2009
Website
Edmonton EXPO Centre

The Edmonton Exposition and Conference Centre, or Edmonton EXPO Centre for short,[3] is a multi-purpose arena/conference centre variously used as a sports and music venue, and for hosting trade shows and conferences. It is located in Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, adjacent to Rexall Place. It is owned and operated by the Northlands not-for-profit group. It was previously known as the Northlands AgriCom.

Expansion

Major renovations were completed in December 2009. This expansion added over 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) to the original complex. The total is now 522,000 sq ft (48,500 m2), or double the previous total. This was expected to make it the largest such facility in Canada outside of Toronto. The Alberta government contributed $50 million to the project which led to the decision to name the 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) ballroom "Alberta Ballroom". The Canadian federal government meanwhile contributed $25 million.[3]

New features include:[4]

  • Four new exhibition halls (E,F,G,H)
  • New conference area with meeting rooms and ballroom
  • New gallery spaces connecting the halls
  • A business centre
  • A food court with licensed services
  • Wireless internet access

History and use

The facility was first built in 1984 on the site of the old Edmonton Gardens, the first home of the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers moved across 118 Avenue in 1974 to the new Northlands Coliseum, now Rexall Place. Prior to 2009, the EXPO Centre was known as the Northlands AgriCom, or simply The Agricom, from the agricultural and commercial trade shows which it was built to host.

From 1996 to 1998 the building was used as a venue for ice hockey with a capacity of 5,527. It was home to the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Ice until the team moved to Cranbrook, British Columbia.

The EXPO Centre hosts such major events as K-Days, which all halls are used for multiple purposes including a food court, casino, and trade show.

Over 2,500 more events are held at the EXPO Centre annually, mainly different types of trade shows.[5] Major events include the Edmonton International Motor Show, the Home and Garden Show, YC Alberta, RV Expo, and Edmonton Pet Expo.

The facility is also sometimes used as a music venue, for example hosting the Offspring on 13 June 2009,[6] Weezer on 22 April 2002,[7] the mini-festival Campus Chaos on 25 September 2009 (headliners Hinder and Lil Jon).[8]

Facilities

Exposition areas[2]
Hall Square
Feet
Booth
Capacity
Reception
Capacity
A 53,262 274 2,500
B 58,104 301 3,000
C 77,472 413 4,000
D (arena) 53,410 325 3,500
(D) Sales Ring 8,990 65
E 53,836 253 2,500
F 39,156 181 2,000
G 29,328 138 1,800
H 36,126 178 2,000
Alberta Ballroom 16,677 1,200
Totals 417,371 2,063 22,500

As a convention center, the EXPO Centre provides facilities for many different purposes in a wide range of sizes. Upon completion of the expansion in 2009, there has been eight convention halls, six ballrooms, thirteen meeting and boardrooms, a lounge, and several smaller galleries within the building. In addition to these rental spaces, Northlands maintains and staffs several concession stands and other visitor amenities during large events.

References

  1. Ticketmaster / Venue: Edmonton EXPO Centre
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. Campus Chaos Official Site

External links