Los Angeles Convention Center

34°02′23″N 118°16′13″W / 34.039737°N 118.270293°W / 34.039737; -118.270293OperatorAnschutz Entertainment Group
ASM GlobalBuilt1971Expanded1981, 1993, 199715,000 (West Hall)^[1]
22,870 (South Hall)^[2]Enclosed space • Total space720,000 sq ft (67,000 m²)Parking5,600 spaces^[3]YesPublic transit access     Pico

The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest section of the downtown core of Los Angeles, California, United States. It hosts multiple annual conventions and has often been used as a filming location in TV shows and movies.

History

The convention center, designed by architect Charles Luckman, opened in 1971 and expanded in 1981, 1993 and 1997.^[4] It was originally built as a rectangular building, between Pico Boulevard and 11th Street (now Chick Hearn Ct.) on Figueroa Street. The northeast portion of the center was demolished in 1997 to make way for the Staples Center. The Convention Center Annex of green glass and white steel frames, mainly on the south side of Pico, was designed by architect James Ingo Freed.^[5]

The area in front of the convention center is known as the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, named for the late councilman who represented the Downtown area of Los Angeles for several years. A 10-foot (3.0 m)-high monument honoring "The Emperor of the Great 9th District" was unveiled in 1995.^[6] The drive between Figueroa Street and the convention center building is also named after Councilman Lindsay.

On March 1, 1983, a tornado caused damages to the roof and upper-level panels. The building was repaired and new convention center lettering signs were installed at a total cost of $3 million.^[7]

On September 15, 2008, the convention center became the first in the U.S. and first Los Angeles City building of its age and size in the U.S. to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified for Existing Buildings from the United States Green Building Council.

In 2013, the Los Angeles City Council voted to let Anschutz Entertainment Group manage the convention center.^[8]

Events

The convention center hosts annual events such as the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Abilities Expo, and the Anime Expo.

Grammy Week

During the week leading up to the annual Grammy Awards, the convention center typically hosts several Grammy week events. Since 2005, the convention center has hosted the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute, which takes place two days prior to the Grammy Awards.^[9]

It also hosted the pre-telecast portion of the Grammy Awards (preceding the main telecast at the Crypto.com Arena) until 2013, when the pre-telecast was moved to the Nokia Theatre (now the Microsoft Theater).^[10]

The 2021 awards were held in and around the convention center, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11]

Emmy Week

Following the annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, the convention center hosts the Governors Ball, one of the major Emmy after-parties.^[12]

2028 Summer Olympics

During the 2028 Summer Olympics, the convention center will host six sports. It will host Women's basketball preliminary games, Boxing, Fencing, Taekwondo, Table Tennis and BMX Freestyle. It will be a part of the Live Site Olympic Zone down Figueroa St.^[13] Boxing might not be included at the 2028 games if the IOC decides to drop the sport from the Olympic sport program. ^[14]

Features

The convention center is one of the largest convention centers in the United States with over 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m²) of exhibition space, 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m²) of meeting space, 19.6 million sq ft (1,820,000 m²) of parking, and a 299-seat theater.^[15]

The lobby floors in the north half of the building feature two large 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m²) multicolor maps of inlaid terrazzo. The project was installed by artist Alexis Smith in 1993. A map of the world centered on the Pacific Rim covers the entire floor of the main lobby, while a map of the constellations around the north celestial pole covers the floor of the upstairs lobby.

• South Hall (Tom Bradley (Mayor) Exhibit Hall, 347,000 square feet (32,200 m²))^[16]
• Kentia Hall (beneath South Exhibit Hall, can be converted into a 415-car parking garage)
• West Hall (Sam Yorty (Mayor) Exhibit Hall, 210,000 square feet (20,000 m²))
• Neil Petree Hall
• Concourse (two-story meeting room bridging over Pico Boulevard)
• 3 food courts
• On-site parking for 5,600 vehicles including electrical charge stations

Expansion proposals

In 2010, the Anschutz Entertainment Group and businessman Casey Wasserman proposed construction of Farmers Field, a US$1 billion combination football stadium and convention center, meant to attract the return of a National Football League (NFL) team to the Los Angeles area.^[17] The development proposal was abandoned in March 2015 as plans for SoFi Stadium and a later rejected NFL stadium proposal in Carson started to get off the ground.

A new proposal was developed in 2015, approved by city hall and a design team was chosen. A new convention hall, called "LACOEX", would be built, with a connection to the south hall.^[18]

See also

Districts and
neighborhoodsBuildings

Government	City Central Library City Hall Fire Station No. 23 LAPD Headquarters County Criminal Justice Center Hall of Administration Hall of Justice Hall of Records LADWP Headquarters Metro Headquarters Stanley Mosk Courthouse Twin Towers Correctional Federal 300 North Los Angeles Street Courthouses Edward R. Roybal Spring Street United States Federal Reserve Bank Multiple Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Hotels	Ace Barclay Cecil Delphi DoubleTree by Hilton Freehand Millennium Biltmore Per La Pico House Westin Bonaventure Wilshire Grand
Industrial	California Mart Cast Iron Commercial Coca-Cola Cohn-Goldwater Gerry Santa Fe Freight Depot
Office	1Cal 2Cal 444 South Flower 611 Place 777 Aon AT&T Switching Bank of America Bradbury City National Engine Company No. 28 EY Figueroa at Wilshire Garfield Garment Capitol Gas Company Herald Examiner May Company MCI Merritt One Wilshire Park Central Platt South Park Subway Terminal TCW Times Mirror Square Terminal Annex Union Bank US Bank Wells Fargo
Religious	Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral of Saint Vibiana Higashi Honganji Temple Hompa Hongwanji Temple Koyasan Temple La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Thien Hau Temple Zenshuji Soto Misson
Residential	Converted AG Bartlett Blackstone Board of Trade Brockman Bumiller Continental Eastern Columbia Fine Arts Foreman & Clark Gas Company Complex General Petroleum Hellman Higgins The Edison Homer Laughlin Hotel Alexandria Palm Court Hotel Rosslyn Annex James Oviatt Pacific Electric Roosevelt San Fernando Security South Park Lofts Spring Arcade Textile Center Title Guarantee and Trust Company Original 820 Olive Circa Metropolis Oceanwide Park Fifth Star William Mead
Theaters	Theater District Cameo Los Angeles Million Dollar Orpheum Roxie State Tower United Artists Music Center Ahmanson Dorothy Chandler Mark Taper REDCAT Walt Disney Concert Hall Other Belasco David Henry Hwang Downtown Independent Grand Olympic Mayan Merced Novo Peacock Trinity Zipper
Other	Farmers and Merchants Bank Friday Morning Club Los Angeles Stock Exchange Plaza Substation

Other
Points of
Interest

Museums	A+D African American Firefighter Ávila Adobe The Broad Chinese American Grammy Institute of Contemporary Art Italian American Japanese American LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Museum of Contemporary Art Plaza Firehouse Sepulveda House
Parks	Angels Knoll Biddy Mason Grand Court of Historic American Flags Grand Hope Maguire Gardens Spring Street State Historic
Plazas	California Chinatown Central Fletcher Bowron Francis K Hashimoto Japanese Village Los Angeles Pershing St. Vincent's
Restaurants	Clifton's Cafeteria Cole's Little Joe's Original Pantry Cafe Philippe's
Schools	Arizona State University California Center Cathedral High Colburn Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Ramón C. Cortines Visual and Performing Arts Southern California Institute of Architecture
Shopping	The Bloc California Flower Mall FIGat7th The Last Bookstore Los Angeles Mall Santee Alley
Other	California Hospital Medical Center Crypto.com Arena Indian Alley L.A. Live Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles River Olvera Street Public Art

Transportation

Freeways	I-5 I-10 I-110/SR-110 Arroyo Seco Parkway Figueroa Street Tunnels Harbor Transitway SR-60 US-101 Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Interchange East Los Angeles Interchange Four Level Interchange Metro ExpressLanes
Metro	A Line B Line D Line E Line J Line El Monte Busway Silver Streak Metro Center Station Regional Connector Southeast Gateway Line
Streets	East-West 1-10 1st 2nd Street Tunnel 3rd Sixth Street Viaduct 7th Cesar Chavez Olympic Pico Temple Wilshire North-South Alameda Broadway Central Figueroa Kobe Bryant Grand Grand Avenue Project Hill Los Angeles Main San Pedro Spring Intersections Naud Junction Route 66 Western Terminus Squares Carol E. Schatz Cooper Do-Nuts/Nancy Valverde Joel Bloom Joel Wachs John Fante Judge Delbert E Wong Ray Bradbury
Union Station	Aerial Rapid Transit Amtrak California High-Speed Rail Dodger Stadium Express FlyAway Metrolink Patsaouras Transit Plaza USC Shuttle
Other	Alameda Corridor Angels Flight Hollywood Subway (defunct)