In March of 2005, the Salem Conference Center (later named the Salem Convention Center) and the adjoining Phoenix Grand Hotel (later named The Grand Hotel in Salem) opened our doors to an eager community with high hopes of economic vitality and a new age of prosperity in downtown Salem. Fifteen years later, the Salem Convention Center has hosted over 1 million attendees and has evolved into one of Oregon's premier venues for meetings, social events, weddings, conferences and conventions. To celebrate our big year anniversary coming up March 5, 2020, we thought it would be fun to list 15 interesting facts about The Salem Convention Center. Fact #1- The Salem Convention Center was built on the site of the esteemed Marion Hotel, a hundred-year-old establishment that burned down in 1971. Fact #2- The Salem Convention Center was originally named the Salem Conference Center. We changed our name from “Conference Center” to “Convention Center” in 2012 to better reflect our services and capabilities. Fact #3- The first event booked at SCC was a meeting by Saalfeld Griggs PC, a local law firm. It was immediately followed by a back to back series of meetings of local groups and state associations as well as weddings. Fact #4- The contemporary building was designed by LMN Architects of Seattle, and cost $32 million to build. The company won Northwest Construction's Best Architectural Design in 2004 for its design. Fact #5- Salem Convention Center is just one of two Salem, Oregon buildings to earn LEED-EB Silver Certification, one step above LEED-EB Certification. Fact #6- The Salem Convention Center's extensive art collection showcases local and regional artists. We have acquired a number of significant works of art, including a painting by noted Native American artist Rick Bartow, through a unique partnership with the Oregon Artists Series Foundation. Fact #7- Cinco de Micro Brewfest, one of the city's largest fundraising events, has been hosted every year at the Salem Convention Center since it began in 2011. Each year, approximately 7000 Cinco de Micro Brewfest attendees visit our facility along with 65 breweries, local eateries, distilleries and musical entertainment performers. Fact #8- Our facility offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space which can easily be divided to host smaller groups. The largest space in the Salem Convention Center is the Willamette Ballroom, accommodating up to 900 guests and features large dance floors and entertainment staging. Our second largest room, the Santiam River Ballroom accommodates up to 650 guests. Fact #9- The Salem Convention Center was designed from the ground up to be sustainable and energy-efficient. We are an EarthWISE certified and LEED-EB Silver® Certified facility. In addition to being one of the first buildings in Salem to earn LEED-EB Silver Certification, the Salem Convention Center has been recognized by Oregon Business Magazine as one of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon. Fact #10- Several of our original staff members, like Robert Maple, Director of Banquet Operations, and Chrissie Bertsch, General Manager, are still with us today, and we have added many new faces to our growing team of event professionals. Fact #11- If you are driving an electric car in Oregon's Capitol City, you can find a charging station right here at the Salem Convention Center along with other convenient public parking areas like the Chemeketa Parkade, the Pringle Parkade, and the Marion Parkade. Fact #12- The terrazzo floor, located in the Santiam Gallery, made of recycled material from the building that stood here previously. The beautiful Worthwood floor in our Willamette Foyer is made from recycled plywood ends. Fact #13- We were named 2015 Best Oregon Convention/Conference Venue in addition to Best Convention Center in Oregon 2016 and again in 2017 by Northwest Meetings & Events Magazine readers. Fact #14- The Salem Convention Center partners with Allied Video Productions (AVP) to help meet the needs of businesses and organizations that book their events in our facility. Since 1984, AVP has been the premier choice for companies and organizations needing the full range of video production services locally and nationally. Fact #15- A number of celebrities and star athletes have attended events at the Salem Convention Center including Portland Trail Blazers player, Olympian and NBA Hall of Famer, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler (2018) three-time Super Bowl champion and San Francisco 49er, Jerry Rice (2016) and two-time Olympic gold medalist, and FIFA Women's World Cup champion Mia Hamm (2017). What a journey it's been! We are grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Salem, Oregon and the surrounding region by providing event experiences like none other for 15 years. We hope to continue our commitment to excellence and dedication for many more years to come.
